Jun 11 2001 @ Harper's Ferry Allston, MA

Yesterday`s show at the Harper`s Ferry kicked some serious butt i think that everyone that was there will agree(like i doubted it) here`s the setlist there`s just one song i did not know maybe new material?it sounded good though. Who do you beleive Nuttmeg World Skanking Karma Tsunami Pressure ? Sunless Saturday(im not sure i was writing on a napkin) Just allow Ma and pa I wish i had a d...

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ya I was chillin in the front. Well not really chillin... I was in that bunch in the front jumping all over the place. I would like to say how pissed I am right now. I had this drawing I did of angelo that's up on the maddvibe site. I wanted to give it to him after the show but when I was walking over to talk to him when one of the staff assholes stopped me! He told me to get the fuck back. after ...

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I warn that this will be very long. And cover many things going on in my little miind.

It has taken me a full day to really organize what I want to say about this show. This was the first time I have seen the boys live since the chimm chimm tour. I have been starving to see them again since then. But the outside forces kept foiling me.

Over all, My feelings for the show were mixed. Fishbone was incredible! Other things about the show were not so incredible.

General There were shirts? but they were gone by the end of the show. I was trying to wait till then to buy one.

AKP As some others have posted, AKP was not the best band. A Rapcore band is not exactly the type of music you expect to hear before the Bone. I'm really into hardcore? I used to play it, go to shows, anything to support the local scene. But these guys were not very good. Most of the songs that they played were rip-offs of other songs (directly or otherwise), they were all over the place, mixing in slow parts, fast parts, fat man breakdowns, but they seemed a little out of place. The singers were o.k. but I Could not understand a word they were saying. Also, I was right in front of them the whole time (had to stake out my spot for Fishbone) and I was a little scared of them? well actually just of the really big singer. This guy spent the whole time just staring at people in the crowd, or taking his stance at the front of the stage to "sing." It was kind of like Henry Rollins +100 lbs. All of the singers had wireless mics. I kept waiting for the big guy to run into the crowd and pulverize me... which says a lot as I'm not a very small guy. So this is the band opening for the legendary Fishbone all summer? How did they buy on to that tour. I think the crowd would have been more prepared for a band like this after GAMAB or Chimm. Those were much heavier, and AKP would fit a little better. But I give them a lot of credit. No one wants to be the first person to start dancing. I mean, we all know that we look goofy when we dance, I think that's why we circle around people when they are dancing. It's like, "ok you look like a fool for a while, and then I will, but I don't want the people out on the edge to see me, cause they are not willing to make themselves look dumb too." That is why people rarely dance for the first band? even though the band tries really hard to get people into it. Also, at that point in a show, people just aren't drunk enough.

Canine This was more the style of Fishbone. These guys were alright? I would go see them again, but they just didn't seem the fit exactly with the boys. But considering the technical nightmare they went through while setting up, they did very well. The singer/ guitar player's switch box went out before the set. The bassist's rig cut out a few times. I feel bad for them about that. Musically they are very talented? there is no question about that. I just felt like they tried to hard. The first song was great. Each member showed off the talent that they had. But by the third song, I found myself thinking, "it's ok guys, you don't have to put every lick you know into every song? just back off." This singer did have a killer set of pipes though.

The Security guys I hated these guys. From the moment I got in they treated everyone like crap. It seemed like they threw out everyone that even looked at them wrong. It's a shame that a ton of people got thrown out for not doing anything wrong. There was a guy right behind me that got thrown out for being next to someone that was smoking pot. There isn't much you can do about someone smoking pot? you have to throw them out for it, after all it is illegal, but for being near someone. That just sucks. Also the one directly at the front of the stage (I think those who were there will agree) just hated people. I saw him come an inch from hitting a girl right in the face. Why? Cause she got pushed into him. This guy grabbed her by both arms and started shaking her and yelling at her. I never did find out if the guy who gave Norwood a J got thrown out. But they were after him. After Norwood stated smoking this very same security guard was really pissed? for a minute I thought he was going to jump on stage and try to tackle Wood. I really feel bad for the security guards. They had no clue what they were in for. But at the same time, they are not really there to be jerks, but instead to keep people safe. These clowns just wanted to be tough.

Fishbone Finally The Bone has come back to Boston! Fishbone truly is RED HOT! They gave soo much energy. Each and every song was just a full on assault of music. I have never seen someone sweat as much as Angelo? Maybe I should have stolen some Right Guard from work to give to him? They mixed some much into the set list? old stuff newer stuff. It was sooooooo Great. I just wished it went longer (no Bonin or Chimm Chimm's revenge? my two personal favs) But Sunless Saturday, and Freddies Dead are great too, so I was glad to hear those. Also, I had never heard Wish I had a date before. I'm still psyched about that. (How come the boys never play Knock It? I think that's such a cool song) I wasn't very impressed by the sound mix. I was just off center from the stage (to Norwoods side)? right at the front and I had a lot of trouble hearing Spacey T. and the Theramin wasn't even plugged in as far as I'm concerned. This also just may be because of hearing loss due to years of listening to music to loud. They best thing that I have to say about the show, as always with Fishbone, is that they got the crowd involved. They first thing I told people at work about when they asked me about the show, was the fact that Angelo can dive off of the stage, while singing, swim around back and forth, and still he never stopped singing. Every other band I have ever seen jumps into the crowd when there is no Vocal Part! But Angelo seems to see it as a way to challenge him self. It just doesn't get any better than that. The boys did seem to miss a few cues at the start of some of the songs, this has been mentioned by other list members. Lets all try to keep in mind that this is the first week of the tour, nd they are covering over 20 years of material. Hell, I can't remember stuff that I learned a month ago sometimes, never mind playing stuff from that long ago, and in the case of drums and guitar? these guys didn't even write that stuff. Something that did strike me as odd was that Angelo was counting off at the start of a few songs? I have never seen Fishbone use a count off.

Fishbone as a Business For everything the band has given me, I with that they could all be billionairs. But at the same time, I can't say that I would like them as much if they were a commercial success. I think if Fishbone were to take off, and everyone knew them? they would NOT CHANGE. These guys have gone through too much to go and get big heads. My feeling is (and call me selfish if you will) that the band is better the way it is. I feel this because I can't think of any Giant band that has the reputation with its fans that Fishbone does. There is a closeness involved in a Bone show, an intimacy that makes everyone forget what is going on outside of that venue, and focus on the band? just them and the band. This stems from the fact that the guys in the band are always willing to talk to the fans before and after the show. It's really an extension of their stage presence. It seems as though Fishbone is always on. Would being famous change Fishbone? I don't think so. But staying close with the fans is much harder when you playing in front of 30,000 as opposed to 500.

What is famous anyway? Maybe these guys don't sell a billion records with each release, but most people know who they are. Every person I have talked to has heard of Fishbone, some of them just didn't have a name to put with it. I can't think of a single person that wouldn't know Party at Ground Zero? maybe they aren't "fans" of the band, but they know of them.

I hate that Fishbone struggles to make it by sometimes. I don't understand why Big labels aren't fighting over them. Why don't Radio stations put them into heavy rotation? I can't answer these things? and I'm not in charge of the world (yet? but soon) so I can't make everything change. But what I can do is my best to be an active member of the Family hood. That means we have to do our best to get new people into the band. It's not like that's hard they are better than anything else. I think everyone should have a bone disc (or tape) in constant rotation. Drive around with the windows down and blast the tunes. Slip on a song at a family cookout. Sit your younger brother or sister down and force feed the Bone to em. And Get everyone you know to SHOWS!!!!!

I admit that my feelings on the band may seem scattered. Because of the hard work they have put forth, I think they should be recognized as what they are (one of the best of all time). At the same time, I like the idea of being one the few people that knows about them? Like Fishbone is a secret, and the only way to get in is to know someone who's in already.

I just wish they were able to pump out new music faster? cause I never can get enough.

Paul. (again I'm sorry for this being so long)

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