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Of Fishbone On Their Special 25th Anniversary Record Release. |
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FISHBONE, WHAT A BAND!
They have been about for 25 years, and have just released a 25 year Anniversary Record "CRAZY GLUE" under DC-Jam Records. I received an advance copy of the new tracks, courtesy of DC-Jam, They're Awesome! WOW - What a great CD!! This is gonna be one Major Kick Ass Record with that deep bass sound that Fishbone is well known for. They have released many albums with their music described as "an Eclectic Amalgam of Rock, Funk, Soul, Ska, Thrash, Punk, Jazz" & more! If you don't know Fishbone, they were formed back in 1979 in Los Angeles. They arrived from the same LA scene that spawned The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction with no competition to boost their originality. Since 1985, Fishbone has put out nine full length records and 4 EP's. In 2009 They signed with DC-Jam for the vinyl release of "Fishbone Live" which featured many of their greatest hits, and produced in a Limited Edition full color double picture disc set, and decided to stay on with the label for their latest creation. The Current Band Members Include: Angelo Moore (1979) Vocals, Saxophones, Theremin, Percussion Rocky George (2003) Guitar John McKnight (1999) Keyboards, Trombone, Guitar, Vocals Dre Gipson (2004) Keyboards, Vocals John Norwood Fisher (1979) Bass, Vocals Dirty Walt (1979) Trumpet, Vocals John Steward (1999) Drums They recently played "The Playground Festival" in Orange County California, "The Playboy Mansion" in support of The Liberty Belle Ball, raising awareness to the Marijuana Policy Project, & The awesome "Lollapalooza 2011", & Newcastle in the UK, back in April 2011 for "Metalexpressradio.com" |
Norwood: I am clearly thrilled!!! This is unreal, and I want to keep it that way! We've got a lot of things firing at the same time. A wave is cresting and I'm ready to surf!!!
PUNK GLOBE: You are signed to DC-Jam, How did that come about?
Norwood: DC-Jam stepped up back in 09 to manufacture and distribute "Fishbone Live In Bordeaux", in limited edition, special colored vinyl, right when we needed it.
That began the relationship. Darron is a great supporter of the authentic punk rock spirit, and I'm glad that he reached out to show Fishbone love and bring us into the DC-Jam Records family.
He seems to be a man of his word.
PUNK GLOBE: Who have you been previously signed to? How did you first get signed?
Norwood: We were signed to Colombia records in the fall of 1984. I was 19 years old at the time. That was our first label signing.
David Kahne saw us in a gnarly little bar in Hollywood called The Lhasa Club. He had the vision and he acted upon it.
We later signed to Dallas Austin's Rowdy Records, a subsidiary of Arista Records. We did Chim Chim's Bad Ass Revenge with Dallas producing, and recorded what I think was a brilliant record that was never released.Then we went
on to sign with Hollywood Records to do The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerks. Not a great fit. They were scared of us the
entire time we were doing business. Ter a' Terre put out our recordings in Europe for a while. They helped us immensely,
but the relationship ended badly. They put together the Live In Bordeaux stuff. I hope I remembered everything...
PUNK GLOBE: Are there any Songs on the new record that stick out or mean a lot to you personally?
Norwood: The title track, Crazy Glue, has the most honest lyrics on the record. Angelo, accurately to a great degree, describes his
perception of our relationship. Weed, Beer, Cigarettes appeals to the freedom fighter and marijuana activist in me. They all
means something to me, and they all connect in some way in my head, like a concept record.
PUNK GLOBE: Was there anything different the band did for this album?
Norwood: We rushed in and made it happen really fast. Not much for rehearsals and pre-production. We've done things like that before,
but not working on so much material for a release, at least to my recollection.
PUNK GLOBE: You recently played The Playboy Mansion in support of The Liberty Belle Ball, raising awareness to the Marijuana Policy Project, tell us about that...
Norwood: Well, Fishbone is down for the cause, and we appreciate the the opportunity to perform on the grounds of The Playboy Mansion!
We have a long history of action in the marijuana movement, so The Liberty Belle Ball fits in perfectly with our politics.
The Marijuana Policy Project's goals of retroactively releasing people convicted of marijuana offenses, is something we're all about!!!
PUNK GLOBE: I would love to go to the Lolla Fest some day, How was it Playing Lollapalooza this year?
Norwood: We didn't perform Lollapalooza this year. Angelo and I did a video interview that, I believe, was shown at The Mobile
Lollapaloosa Museum. We were there in spirit.
PUNK GLOBE: How would you compare yourselves today from back in the day of the first few records you made?
Norwood: We rehearsed incessantly as we were coming up, clear through the early 2000's. Now we hardly rehearse at all. So there's
not as much jam time as I'd like, for the extra exploration of grooving.
Norwood: Don't spend all your money in strip clubs! Invest in recording gear instead!!!!
PUNK GLOBE: How did you get into the Punk Ska Reggae .... scene ?
Norwood: We were fans of Bad Brains that stumbled on to Ska music by speeding up Reggae to Punk Rock tempos.
We then embraced the Two Tone Movement and began to discover the local L.A. ska scene.
We had no idea of rules and boundaries, so we'd cross all lines in the spirit of exploration.
You couldn't keep us out if you tried, because no one mixed it up like we did on the west coast anyway.
The Clash did it in England, but we sort of pioneered the west coast Punk Ska Reggae Rock Funk Jazz thing. I'm laughing at myself…..
PUNK GLOBE: Which have been your favorite album's over the years and why?
Norwood: I have no favorites. I can't listen to my own music in that way. I'm always looking forward to the next project, and think the best is yet to come.
PUNK GLOBE: Out of all your tours, which has been your most memorable?
Norwood: License To Ill launched us into another realm, and was a wild and wooly ride!
Just remembering the looks on peoples faces throughout the evening was great entertainment for me. In some places, the fact that an all black band was on the show,for some people,
was a confrontational issue in their minds. Then add the music we were playing and it fucked up a lot of small minds.
We made a lot of fans and friends. I could never thank the Beastie Boys enough for that opportunity. The Beastie Boys killed it,
night after night and they had this 30 ft. penis that would rise out of a box at the apex of their performance.
Murphy's Law was rowdy as shit and the bond that we formed with them lead to some awesome moments throughout the tour and beyond.
We've had many intensely fun and memorable tours, that's the one that's on my mind today!
PUNK GLOBE: What's the best thing over the 25 years you would say has happened for the band & why,?
Norwood: David Kahne!!! His instincts as a producer, arranger and A&R man is a big part of what gives us our longevity, along with a lot of other factors.
As we go forward, I can look back and appreciate his input more and more.
PUNK GLOBE: Who mainly does the Song Writing?
Norwood: Angelo and I have done most of the writing in recent times. Kendall Jones did the most writing for the entire time he was in the original line up.
PUNK GLOBE: You made it quite big in the world of music appearing on Saturday Night Live in 1991 thats a pretty cool achievement for back then, tell the readers about that.
Norwood: The legend of Saturday Night Live, in my mind, is insurmountable To be a teeny weenie, ultra tiny part of that legacy is an unfathomable feat.
I became politically aware, socially sarcastic and musically exploratory through watching them stretch the boundaries of what was acceptable on TV.
That was an apex point in a very personal way.
PUNK GLOBE: What Bands do you like to listen to and do you get to go to many gigs yourself?
Norwood: I find myself listening to a lot of old shit. I have to force myself to find newer music sometimes, or otherwise I'm listening to old stuff and stuff I'm working on.
And I'm happy to say, I seem to be working a lot more lately. Even if it's just me writing at home. I don't go out to gigs like I used to either, because I enjoy waking up before the sun rises
and surfing, running or working out. With that said, I listen to the Arctic Monkeys, Westbound Train,Viva Voce, The Casualties and Star Pool
PUNK GLOBE: Are there any Bands you like to play regularly with?
Norwood: I love when we do shows with The Aggrolites, Slightly Stoopid, Meet Me At The Pub or The Untouchables.
PUNK GLOBE: What do you like to do in your spare time if you ever get any!?
Norwood: Surf, snowboard and watch documentaries.
PUNK GLOBE: Do all of you in the band share similar influences?
Norwood: Somewhat. There's many differences, but we have a lot of similarities.
PUNK GLOBE: I heard & read you recently played Newcastle,(UK) which is up north to me. how was that??
Norwood: The audience was fucking wicked!!! It was one of the most enthusiastic audiences that we played to in the UK.
PUNK GLOBE: Do you get to play in the UK & Europe much,?
Norwood: We've performed throughout Europe a little more than we've toured the UK recently. I'm very much looking forward to hitting the UK more.
PUNK GLOBE: What do you think of the European fans?
Norwood: By and large I think the European audiences are very enthusiastic and appreciative of a wide range of music. I'm happy we're a band that they seem to enjoy with passion.
PUNK GLOBE: I hear you have worn next to nothing on stage many times over the years, do you feel this makes you perform any better?
Norwood: I look to be comfortable, and I like to keep my laundry bill at a minimum. I wore only a towel, sox and shoes for a very long time.
PUNK GLOBE: Do you have anything special you like to do on stage?
Norwood: Celebrate!!!!
PUNK GLOBE: What keeps the Band strong to keep going on, any secrets you would like to share on how you keep it strong & real?
Norwood: We come from a very real place and that comes through in our music. In a most basic sense, love is what keeps the band going, and some level of respect for each other.
Even if we don't always show it.
PUNK GLOBE: I do alot with Unsigned Bands, What advice would you give to the new bands starting out these days?
Norwood: Practice, rehearse, love what you do with unwavering passion.
PUNK GLOBE: Many other Musicians have turned into Producers and work with other bands to make music. Have you helped, produce or played with any other bands?
Norwood: I'm doing what seems to be quite a bit of production work these days. I would like to do much more. I'm producing a couple of projects right now, as I'm doing this interview.
Sista Otis is doing vocals right now!!!! I'm also working on a band called Attila And The Huns, and Kim Fox. These are in various stages, going toward completion.
PUNK GLOBE: You have previously been featured in Punk Globe. This time its for a pretty special reason, with the celebrating of 25 years as a band,
is there anything you would like to share with the readers and fans we may have missed?
Norwood: We are still NUTTZ TO MEGA PROPORTIONS!!!!!
Norwood: We're already working on the follow up to the record that's not yet released. It's a place I've been striving to get to for a long time. I'm creating a space for more output by Fishbone.
PUNK GLOBE: I would like to thank you so much for doing this 25 Year Anniversary Special interview for Punk Globe,
and I'm sure we will see you again over here soon! Good luck with the new record and the movie. I look forward to seeing whats next.
If you would like to help get Fishbone get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Go here for The Petition Site http://www.thepetitionsite.com Check them out at the following sites! http://www.dcjamrecords.com/fishbone.cfm http://fishbone.net/ http://fishbonelive.org/ http://facebook.com/fishbonemusic/ http://twitter.com/fishbonesoldier/ http://youtube.com/fishbonedotnet/ http://myspace.com/fishboneisredhot CATCH FISHBONE ON TOUR.. 09/24/2011 Historic El Rey The... Albuquerque, NM 10/18/2011 Amoeba Music Hollywood, CA 10/20/2011 Bootleg Theatre Los Angeles, CA 10/25/2011 Trees Dallas, TX 10/27/2011 Fitzgerald's Houston, TX 10/28/2011 Tipitina's New Orleans, LA 11/01/2011 Vinyl Music Hall Pensacola, FL 11/02/2011 Jack Rabbits Jacksonville, FL 11/04/2011 Jannus Live St Petersburg, FL 11/05/2011 The Social Orlando, FL 11/06/2011 The Culture Room Fort Lauderdale, FL 11/08/2011 Tremont Music Hall... Charlotte, NC 11/09/2011 The Jewish Mother ... Norfolk, VA 11/11/2011 Smithsonian Washington, DC 11/13/2011 Brooklyn Bowl Brooklyn, NY 12/07/2011 The Firebird St Louis, MO 12/10/2011 Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL |
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