Monday, May 1

Fishbone's Family Affair

By Mark Woodlief

As Fishbone launches a new tour in support of the just-released Fishbone & The Family Nextperience Presents: The Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx, it's appropriate that lead singer and sax player Angelo Moore is joined in the backstage dressing room by his father, William. What's strange is that, one-hour before show time, Angelo is asleep. As he naps on a grungy leather couch, his proud pop tells stories about his son.

William Moore played saxophone himself in the big band era of the 1940s and '50s, with members of touring orchestras when they passed through Youngstown, Ohio. When Fishbone was just starting out in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, Angelo's father remembers one Saturdayhousecleaning day in the Moore homewhen he heard a blazing sax player on the radio. "I went into Angelo's room," says William, "because this guy was really good. I told Angelo, 'Come listen to this cat,' and he just smiled and said, That's me, dad.'"

Family is the theme of the band's new album, their first since 1996's Chim Chim's Badass Revenge. The new album Psychotic Friends Nuttwerx takes Fishbones trailblazing mix of funk, rock, soul, punk, jazz and ska to new heights. It is populated with guest musicians that founding bassist/vocalist Norwood Fisher calls "family." Three of the Red Hot Chili Peppers make appearances. Perry Farrell and No Doubt's Gwen Stefani sing, with George Clinton and Rick James, on a version of Sly Stone's classic "Everybody Is A Star." In addition, the album features Bad Brains' vocalist H.R., as well as Charles and Ivan Neville, and numerous other musical greats.

Angelo, momentarily awakened from his nap, grins sleepily and says, "There are a lot of friends that we just consider our family, our Familyhood. So we just got the whole Familyhood on this record."

The Fishbone family suffered its first major rift in 1993, just as Give a Monkey a Brain and He'll Swear He's the Center of the Universe was being released. Original guitarist Kendall Jones rejected the group and joined a religious cult. Concern for their friend, led some members of the band to remove Jones from the cult. The result was a reported kidnapping charge, filed against Angelo Moore.

Moore's hesitant to answer questions regarding the incident, and says he hasn't had any contact with his old bandmate, who now lives in the Bay Area. "I really don't know what he's doing anymore," Moore says quietly. "But I heard he's okay now."

During the 90s original band members Christopher Dowd and John Bigham also left the group. The greatest surprise however, was the departure of drummer Philip "Fish" Fisher, the group's powerful anchor and namesake.

"That was weird," Moore confesses, "but it was all weird. It's weird getting used to that, then searching to find somebody else who can take their place, you know?"

Fish's brother Norwood agrees. "The hardest part [of losing band members] was finding the right element to bring it about, to be what Fishbone is," he says. "[Losing] Fish was one of the hardest parts of being in this band. But fortunately we took, not always the right steps, but we took the steps that led us in the right direction."

Fish abruptly left the group in 1997, just five days before they went on tour with funk legend Maceo Parker. "We went out on the tour," recalls Norwood, "and we sucked. I picked a drummer who was horrible. But that drummer led me to John McKnight [the band's replacement for Chris Dowd on keyboard and trombone]. So, we had to suffer to get through that one, but we got there and it worked out."

It's no wonder the first song on The Psychotic Freinds Nuttwerx is a version of Sly & the Family Stone's "(Standing on) Shaky Ground."

"Man, we've been on shaky ground since 1993, when Kendall left the band," Norwood laughs. "[That song] does tell of our experience. It speaks volumes to the cards we've been dealt. Fortunately, we came out on the better side of it."

Through their wide network of friends and musicians, Fishbone finally came around to choosing drummer John Steward. Steward, had played with various Fishbone members in Trulio Disgracias and in Super 8 with Fishbone pal Bronx Style Bob.

After just a few days rehearsal with the group, Steward was in. "Norwood called and asked what I was doing for the next two days," says Steward. "When I said, 'Nothing," he said, 'Good, we're going to Anchorage, Alaska to do a show. I was speechless, 'cause these guys know some bad-ass musicians."

Guitarist Tracey "Spacey T" Singleton came to the group after stints in formative "Black Rock" groups like Mother's Finest and Sound Barrier. Trumpet player and vocalist "Dirty" Walt Kibby remains the third original member of the lineup.

Re-establishing the family has given Fishbone renewed direction and ambition. "After the first 15 years, we've kind of got a foot hold on who we are," explains Norwood. "And we know how to visualize where we're going. So it's just major expansion. That's what the Next experience is about. And this is only the beginning, y'know? With us, now, it feels like it's all the right people in pocket. I'm looking at about 35 more years, y'know?"