Oct 31 1998 @ Alley Cat Scramble Toronto, ON

My only glimpse of Fishbone before Hallowe'en of this year had been at Lollapalooza III and much has changed in terms of the band's line-up since then. They played as part of the "Alley-Cat Scramble" (a competition for bike-couriers) at the Cinespace Warehouse near the Lake in Toronto.

I arrived shortly after 9 PM and the bike competition was still going on. Angelo was w...

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I just got back from a weekend trip in Toronto. When money, time, and opportunity are available, I try to travel to cool places. For those of you who may have not traveled to T-O, I highly recommend it. I love the Toronto Maple Leafs, and of course Fishbone. On this weekend the Leafs were a major disappointment, while Fishbone was anything but. As is normally the case, Fishbone had to p...

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Halloween with Fishbone. Yes! First we did the Halloween rounds with Eric my eight-year old. He was dressed as Yoshi. We got a lot of "what a cute little dinosaur" comments. We dumped the loot and Eric ditched his costume and Linda (my wife), Eric and I booted it downtown to catch Ozomatli at The Guvernment. They were with Spring Heel Jack, The Pietasters and The Cherry Poppin' Daddies. Ozomatli played first and they were really really hot. We were all grooving. Eric has been playing their CD non-stop the last month and he was singing along in spanish which he has phonetically learned from the CD. They only palyed about 45 minutes which was just a teaser. I can't wait for them to come back for their own gig.

Next was Spring Heeled Jack and they play that speed thrash ska which doesn't do much for me. High speed skanking with metal guitar drowning out the horns and some guy yelling incomprehensible lyrics. We left during the third song. I was having to hold my hands over Eric's ears too, as it ws too loud for an 8 year old. I mean let him fuck up his hearing by himself when he's a teenager.

We just crossed over the street to Cinespace which is actually a movie shooting stage where Fishbone were to be playing at the Alley Cat Scramble. But they wouldn't let us in with Eric because it was a 19+ event promoted by a cigarette company. Eric ws tired anyways. We went home and tucked the little guy into bed. Linda was beat too so I didn't have to get our neighbour over to watch Eric. I went back to see Fishbone.

And they were really good. First thing, Angelo said that they had been over catching Ozomatli. Then they started with Black Box, Behavior Control Technician, ..um I forget, then Sunless Saturday, Then they did stuff like Skankin' to the Beat, Maskaraid, the slow Problems, Freze dried Godzilla Farts, and they ended the show proper with the complete Party at GZ. About an hour and twenty minutes. People were surfing and dancing the whole time. I was over at the right of the stage behind these guys on stilts for those who were there. The older looking guy.

So then the encore time comes and people are appauding and cheering but the goofs at the place start to play music through the PA and turn up the house lights and everyone got confused. I mean we Canadians are quite polite and when a show is over the signal here is to turn up the lights. There was still the men's bike race finals to be run yet. So the crowd didn't know whether that was the deal. Anyways this guy got on the microphone and rabble roused the house and everyone cheered the house down and Fishbone came out. Angelo wanted to play Monkey Dick but he got voted down and they played Alcoholic. Then the house lights came back on again and the organizers tried to say that was it over but Fishbone weren't leaving the stage and the crowd was cheering like crazy. I mean you can fool us once but that's it. The guitar player and one of the sax players from Ozomatli joined them for the last encore song which was.... I meant to check this but I think it was the Goose from Fuelin'.

Fishbone. The new drummer is at least as good as Fish is. He seems a bit looser of a player. I mean Fish was so tight, so right there, that anyone would seem loose compared, I guess. McKnight was perfect as keys and trombone man. Spacey cranks it out. Walt and Norwood were having a good time and Angelo was happy too. Angelo is getting really hot on the Theremin. It has gone from being a novelty to being a real instrument playing it's proper part in the songs. I want to get one now.

I'm happy I got to see Fishbone and my new fav band Ozomatli on the same night.

Robert

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Yo, for those of you going to see the bone I got

a set list from the show in T.O. here it is:

1.black box 2.behavior control 3.zilla 4.sunless 5.give it up 6.ma & pa 7.skankin' 8.just allow 9.beer gut 10.bonin' 11.problems 12. maskeraid 13.unyeilding 14.party 15.alcoholic and the last 4 they didn't play 16.sub. fasc. 17.monkey dick 18.f...

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The Toronto show on the 31st/10 was the first time I have seen Angelo use the theremin.It was cool live , he freaks on this thing. By the way , wasn't the encore the coolest shit ever? Fishbone were joined by Ozomatli on stage and played "The Goose". There has to be a Fishbone / Ozomatli tour. They're the perfect compliment to one another. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

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