Posted on 05/18/2007

OKP sent photographer and writer Scott Stewart to talk to Fishbone.  Here's what he learned... 

 

Scott: It’s great to see you again. The new album <i>Still Stuck in Your Throat</i> just got released here in the states.

Angelo: Fishbone is “Still Stuck in Your Throat”

Scott: I really dig that some tracks from the Henhouse sessions made there way on to this new release, like “Frey’d Fucking Nerve Endings” and “Skank N Go Nutts”. The band generally takes quite a bit of time in between releases and you’ve got your solo things going on with Dr. Maddvibe and Norwood’s doing the Trulio Disgracias project. It’s awesome that you can bring it all back to Fishbone. Do the other projects help with the creative process in the studio?

Angelo: Some of the songs that made the cut are from way back in the 90's, we also wrote some new songs and a few were half done and just needed finishing touches. Actually, most of the album was already done, the tracks were pre-recorded and over the process of time whatever studio we happened to be at would record different songs and then stop. Norwood felt that some of the songs needed to be re-recorded. The version of "Skank N Go Nutts" that's on the album was re-recorded in NY when we were on tour last year.  We stopped off in NY and re-did it. "Let Dem Ho's Fight" was recorded on tour when we stopped off at San Jose at this guys studio, I can't even remember where the fuck it was. A lot of the material was done at Jimmy Sloan's in Studio City, that's where we lived man, King Sound Studios. So we'd bring the guys in and start patching up parts, fixing songs until they felt finished.

Scott: David Kahne was back on board to mix some of the record. How did that get set up? I'm assuming, out of respect for the band, he just said yea lets do this!

Angelo: Someone in our management company called him and he came through.

Scott: Hand me my late pass...I know it's been out a minute, but I just caught <i>Idlewild</i>, visually and story wise this movie was done really well. You and Norwood did an excellent job. Can we talk about your involvement and how it came about?

Angelo: They really put it down in that movie. Bryan Barber was the guy who directed the flick, he called our management company up and they got a hold of me, Norwood and John Steward. He was the cat who got us in the movie, and I think Lady Caroline had something to do with it along the way: she's this British chick that has some connections. A lot of shit and a lot of people are always involved man, to me it becomes a blur it happens so much and so fast that I don't try and grasp on to memories, there's a lot of shit happening, but to someone else like people who come to Fishbone shows, it might be a one time event, ya know? The people that are coming to see us play tonight might have not seen us play in 4 years.

Scott: 5 years for me.

Angelo: Right 5 for you. So much shit has happened that I can't remember, I can probably remember bits and pieces.

Scott: What's the set list like for this tour, are you mixing it up, some old tunes and some new?

Angelo: Where playing a lot of the newer songs, mixing it up, doing Alcoholic, Everyday Sunshine and Cholly.

Scott: A tune like Sublime's Date Rape was clearly influenced by Fishbone. What made the band want to cover that particular song?

Angelo: Sublime was a band that we used to tour with and we just picked that song man. That song should have been a Fishbone song anyway *laughing.*

Scott: It sounds like a Fishbone song ripped off by Sublime.

Angelo: We just had to re-do it.

Scott: Right on. You did a video for Date Rape that's hella cool. Are there any videos you're doing for the new album?

Angelo: Yeah, we did a video for "Let Dem Ho's Fight". We just finished shooting it and it's in the final stages of editing. You can see it on you tube and myspace. There will also be a link to it from our official site.

Scott: Are you able to do any poetry in the bands set list? Is it something you want to pursue more?

Angelo: It's definitely something I want to do more of. It's hard to wrap my head around it being that I don't have any representation for it. I got a lot to offer, actually I've got two comic books, the newest one is called "Nate Poe Crasto the Procrastinator" and the book previous to that is "Jah jah on the Telephone"

Scott: I've got Jah jah and the chick that does the artwork is unreal. What's her name and how did you link up?

*Angelo's got his Apple laptop out and he's showing me photos for a new book he's working on called "Skank N Go Nutts"*   

Angelo: She's Japanese, her name is Chibian.

Scott: Wow that shot is incredible!

Angelo: She is incredible.  This drawing reminds me of that picture in Good Times where all of the people are dancing. Look at the detail, and peoples' heads *both laughing*... the peoples' heads are assorted nuts, cashews, peanuts. She's bad man, that picture gives me the tingles.

Scott: So you're on tour for the month of May here in the states then you head back to France. The French got love for Fishbone huh?

Angelo: Man, France gave us our second to last chance. They let us tour there when nothing was happening in America. They released the record, they promoted it and they gave us a tour bus.   The shows, if not sold out , are all packed, a lot of people every night. Tera Tera is the name of the record label. Thank goodness for them man, that's where we've been the majority of the time is overseas a lot.

Scott: It's a damn shame that we don't support our true artists. A lot of jazz cats have to go overseas and tour just to make a living.

Angelo: Right.

Scott: You're doing a few dates in Cali on the upcoming Warped tour as well?

Angelo: Yea we did the whole thing in 97. We're touring the rest of the year, we generally do 200 plus days a year.

Scott: The artwork for the import is totally different from the US release.

Angelo: Yea we did it up on the French import, it's more psychedelic.     

Scott: Give me some road essentials.

Angelo: Ahh shit! My computer and a place to sleep, the bunks back there *points to back of RV.* I'm thankful we have this RV even though it's a piece of shit. When we first stepped on it, it smelled like feet, Clorox and urine and it's probably going to be worse when we're done. The driver quit *laughing.*

Scott: What!? He bailed!?!

Angelo: He punked out!

Scott: Ahh what a pussy! So Jeremy *tour manager* is driving?

Angelo: Nah, Wood's been driving and that muhfucka, man! He scraped somebody's car and ran over the curb *both laughing uncontrollably - tears on my face.*

Scott: Craaazy!!!

Angelo: We deserve a tour bus, but we're in America and it's a little half assed here.

Scott: True indeed

Angelo: When you're on the road you have to make sure your mind is right, you have to have your bearings, you have to know what your purpose is here, what your job is. It will test you and you'll know if you can really handle it. Some people can't handle living in this motor home for a month. Some people aren't made for it, ya dig? They're made for the home and domestic life, being a road dawg isn't easy.

Rocky George: Some people can't handle the motor home!

Angelo: Ahh shiiit!! *laughing* that's Rocky. He helped me with the soundtrack to my new comic book "Nate Poe Crasto". The sound effects for the book match the photos, it came out hella cool.

Scott: You recently did a movie with David Arquette, <i>The Tripper</i>. Is he a fan of the band?

Angelo: Yea he's a fan. Dude, he flew us from L.A to San Jose in a Leer jet. We were on a stage in the forest playing, with cameras rolling and shit. Pee Wee Herman, I forget his real name, but he was there...

Rocky: Paul Reubens!

*Dre and Rocky pop in*

Scott: Hey man I heard the new cd. It's dope.

Dre: Thanks! Soul Rock Reggae, it's available at the merch stand and will drop officially in June.

Scott: Rocky, what happened to your hand man?

Rocky: Ahh it was hella dark when I woke the other night and I tripped and fell, broke my hand. It's not effecting my playing.

Scott: Didn't the tip of your finger get cut off in 1992?

Rocky: Yea *shows me.*

Scott: Tony Iommi lost the tips of his middle and ring finger, that accident has been attributed to helping him create his signature sound.

Rocky: Iommi is a monster .

Scott: Angelo, have you talked to Walt lately?

Angelo: We just saw him a month ago and we're going to see him again soon while on tour. He's a production assistant for the RHCPs. He's really happy, making good money and doing music on the side with Year of the Dragon.

Scott: Cool, thanks for taking time out of your schedule. I wish you lots of success with the new album and tour...

Angelo: Thanks a lot man!

 

- Scott Stewart