Fishbone is Red Hot!

Well, I'm getting a little too old for this. After only three hours of sleep, I'm throwing y'all a little update from the show last night at CBGB's. It was my first and last show at that venue, as the birthplace of the American punk scene appears to be set to close in a couple of weeks.



I even got to experience CBGB's famous bathroom on more than one occasion.



We were treated to a marathon show last night by the likes of the Rodney Speed Experience, Outernational, the Dub Trio, and perennial favorites Fishbone.

There were cameras galore (mine stayed home) so I don't have any images, still or moving, from last night's show, but I will post here when I can track some down (posted some on October 7).

The Rodney Speed Experience, led by "longtime CBGB/Wetlands employee Rodney Speed," started things off with a string of cover songs, around 8:45 PM. His 45-minute set included smoking versions of "Let's Go Live" (Iggy Pop), "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (The Clash), "Get a Haircut" (George Thorogood), "The Last Time," (The Rolling Stones), and "Wild Thing" (Jimi Hendrix Experience a la Monterey Pop).

Next came Outernational, best described as an intriguing mix of ska/hip-hop/funk (until someone corrects me), were quite good. Check out their MySpace page here, which even has a few free downloads.

Most intriguing guy in the band, in my opinion, is the gent in the center, Sonny Suchdev, who is responsible for, among other things, trumpet, vocals, dhol, bongos, and minimum tek - guitar.

Added October 7, 2006: This YouTube clip features the end of the Outernational set, with the lead singer ranting against the current political regime. The quality is sub-par, but you get a nice visual feel of being inside CBGB's:



At 10:45, the band Dub Trio took the stage. Their MySpace page is here. Listen to some of their tunes. These guys rocked hard, mixing rock, punk, and dub. At more than one point in their set, my draw dropped at how fast D.P. Holmes' was playing his guitar. I cannot think of anyone I've ever seen play faster, there were times his hand was a literal blur.



Despite the lack of any vocals, they still rocked hard and were a great warm up.

And last but not least, we had Fishbone. Their lead singer, Angelo Moore, who also performs Spoken Word under the name Dr. Madd Vibe was on stage a little before midnight as the septet tuned up. Fishbone rose in the early '80s L.A. funk-ska scene with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Firehose. They have undergone numerous personnel changes over the last few decades, but Angelo still is the heart and soul of the band,



along with Norwood Fisher, bassist/vocalist.



Let me just say, the show was insane. CBGB's was much smaller and more intimate than I expected. The stage was tiny and the space was cramped, but that didn't prevent a slew of moshing, crowd-surfing, stage-diving, and general rowdiness.



I don't have a setlist at my disposal, but I can confirm they opened with "Sunless Saturday," and played all their best songs, including "Everyday Sunshine," "Ma and Pa," "Hide Behind My Glasses," "Alcoholic," "Lyin' Ass Bitch," the Sublime cover "Date Rape," and "Party at Ground Zero." They also played some material off of their upcoming release Still Stuck in Your Throat, which has an October release date in Europe, but does not yet have an American release date.



New songs included the let's-all-get-along anthem "Party with Sadaam," "Let Dem Hoes Fight" (a seemingly fond Jerry Springeresque song), and "Skank n' Go Nutts."

Angelo borrowed an audience member's glasses for "Hide Behind My Glasses":



and cranked on sax:



At 1:40 AM today, Fishbone left the stage. After a few minutes of chanting "Fishbone is Red Hot [clap, clap] Fishbone is Red Hot [clap, clap]," the audience was rewarded with twenty more minutes of blistering music, with the tracks "Unyielding Conditioning," the aforementioned "Skank n' Go Nutts," and a bringing-the-house down version of "Ugly,".

All in all, 'twas an amazing show, and one I will always remember. This was the third time I have seen Fishbone. I saw them previously at the Roxy on the Sunset Strip in the early '90s and on July 8, 2000 in Central Park.

If you ever have a chance to see this band live, do so.

For music samples and more, lead singer Angelo's Madd Vibe MySpace page is here, complete with samples/downloads. Fishbone's is here.