Oct 14 1999 @ Brick Works Chico, CA

The circus came to town last Thursday, but instead of elephants and clowns, there were nutty outfits, fans intoxicated with funk and a guy with a dead fish tattooed on his head. The Ska/funk/metal band Fishbone stopped by Chico and showed everyone a good time with their goofy sense of humor, social commentary and general hyperactivity.

The Brickworks hosted the Fishbone frenzy along with opening band Shuvel. The show got off to a slow start, but by the end, almost everyone in the club (myself included) was engulfed in the spirit of ska.

Shuvel didn't exactly set the right tone for Fishbone. Shuvel had a more hard and aggro attitude. Even though the two mismatched bands didn't fit the bill very well together, Fishbone fans weren't discouraged. By the time Fishbone started playing, the dance floor was sufficiently populated.

Fishbone jumped on stage and performed a bombardment of recklessly diverse sound for the next two hours. Though their sound is almost impossible to categorize, they use elements of deep funk, high-energy punk and frantic ska.

They were extremely loud and constantly flowing with music. They had intensely high energy and seemingly endless build-ups that fired up the medium sized crowd to start thrashing. The singer's vocals were fast and furious but also powerful and soulful. The thumping, rolling bass and fast, galloping drums sounded awesome, giving participants in the crowd no choice but to dance.

Their set slammed back and forth between funk and Ska, creating a style similar to The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More and Parliament all rolled into one.

They kicked off their performance with a heavy metal song "Swim." This song got the crowd almost dancing. Fishbone then let them have it with "Lyin' Ass Bitch," a silly, frenzied ska tune. This song turned an otherwise immobile crowd into a stirring turmoil of excited participants. Other songs included the crazed ska "Ma and Pa," the message-laden punk rock "Subliminal Fascism" and the heavy metal "Sunless Saturday."

Fishbone incorporated a guitar, a bass, a keyboard and drums for most of their songs. The two lead singers and the keyboardist also doubled as the horn section comprising of a trumpet, a saxophone and a trombone.

Lead singer, saxophonist and ringmaster Angelo Moore also played a theramin. This instrument, popularized in the intro of Star Trek, uses frequencies to change pitch. The closer Moore's hand got to a metallic rod, the higher the pitch. Likewise, the closer he got his other hand to a metal hoop, the louder in volume the noise would be.

Fishbone were excellent performers, utilizing a Parliament-like stage presence, complete with funky attire. Bassist John Norwood Fisher wore a black and orange checkered top hat made of foam, similar to the Mad Hatter. He also wore a complementing neon orange jumpsuit. At one point he announced that "shots of tequila will help us along."

Moore donned a two-tone suit and sported a clear plastic cane that he would flail in the air to the funky beat of the music. He also had the band's trademark fish skeleton tattooed down the middle of his shaved head. Moore was very comical between songs as he communicated with the audience. When he thought the sound wasn't just right he asked, "Can we have the trombone turned up a little bit, just a pubic hair of volume."

Moore's expressive face went along with his various mime-like hand movements. He would pretend to be trapped in a box or holding an invisible ball. His hyperactive intensity really kept the crowd going. Although the crowd began to thin out, most people remained on the dance floor skankin' their brains out until after the encore.

Fishbone really came through and gave it their all. They truly have a distinctly original sound, which has obviously influenced more popular bands like No Doubt and Sublime. They had a great attitude too. According to Fisher, by listening to Fishbone, you've joined "the psychotic friends nuttwerk." Nutty is for sure.

Ben Kelly Staff Writer, The Orion

http://orion.csuchico.edu/Pages/vol43issue9/entertainment/e.3.fishbone.html

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