Fishbone frontman talks racism in the music industry ahead of free Fantasy Springs show

During the ’80s in Los Angeles, a band of Black kids from the South Central area and the San Fernando Valley played a form of rock music with such vigor, bands such as Red Hot Chili Peppers were afraid to play after them.

That band was Fishbone, a group that introduced funk music to punk rockers with live shows featuring an uplifting, party-like atmosphere. The group was unlike any others playing both conventional and underground venues in Los Angeles. Lead vocalist Angelo Moore often dove into the crowd from massive heights and danced on stage as if he had infinite energy. Audiences also couldn't get enough of the band's sound.

Fishbone will fill the Rock Yard at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino with that sound Saturday.

The band's current lineup includes original members Moore, bassist John Norwood Fisher, trumpeter "Dirty" Walter A. Kibby II, keyboardist and trombonist Christopher Dowd joined by longtime members Mark Phillips on guitar, and John Steward on drums.

Several bands who followed in the ’90s such as No Doubt (who played shows with Fishbone) and Sublime list the group as an influence, but Fishbone never saw the same success as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction, or many of the bands Fishbone influenced since its formation in 1979.

During a recent interview, Moore attributed Fishbone's lack of success to the still racially segregated music industry during the ’80s and said "America is a racist culture."

"Fishbone's reality as Black men in white America, our lyrics end up being more controversial and threatening than a lot of white bands," Moore said. "A lot of people don't like that. They don't like to hear how people of color have been messed with in our culture by racism, bigotry and things of that nature."

A revolving door of record labels

Like some of the group's contemporaries in the Los Angeles music scene, Fishbone took the plunge by signing to a major label, Columbia Records, and released its debut "In Your Face" in 1986. The album received mixed reviews, and many critics didn't understand the band's music. The 1988 album "Truth and Soul" featuring the singles "Ma and Pa" and a cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Freddie's Dead" fared better and was No. 153 on the Billboard 200 chart.

The 1991 album "The Reality of My Surroundings" is considered to be Fishbone's most successful and reached No. 49 on the Billboard 200.

While some believe Fishbone did achieve a fair amount of mainstream success, the band was later dropped by Columbia Records and went through a revolving door of labels such as Sony Records, Arista Records and Hollywood Records.

Fishbone's ever-evolving sound is combined with politically charged songs such as "Sunless Saturday," "Fight the Youth," "Unyielding Conditioning" and many others call for unity and bring light to social justice issues. Moore said this created problems for an all-Black rock band.

"When we start to sing about that, the powers that be aren't trying to put that kind of stuff out there, especially if it's backed by rock music. If it's backed by hip-hop, which is supposed to be designated and for people of color, then it's OK," Moore said.

One particular subject Moore takes issue with is a revisionist version of history taught in schools, he said, or a lack of discussion around historical events such as slavery. He views this move as blocking a path to reconciliation.

"Why would you want to hide those realities and truths about our history and culture from our kids when they really need to know?" Moore said. "They need to know everything, the ugly stuff, the good stuff and everything in between. You have a lot of people who are against exposing a lot of the ugly stuff, because if you expose a lot of ugly stuff, that's a better road to cleaning up your present and future."

Fishbone's legacy has been represented several ways in popular culture. The band appeared in films such as "Tapeheads" and "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," and has been featured on several soundtracks. The group's t-shirts and logo have appeared in films such as "Slacker," "Say Anything," "Mo' Money," "Hot Tub Time Machine" and on the TV shows "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Northern Exposure."

"There's a lot of surreal elements to the Fishbone legacy at this point in my life, and I'm glad people are still interested and want to hear more," Moore said. "People that don't know about it but have heard the name or the phenomenon of Fishbone, they still want to know, see and hear what we're saying."

One ex-member joined a religious cult

The 2010 documentary "Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone" highlighted many of the band's internal struggles, such as the departure of many former members including guitarist Kendall Jones, who left the band in 1993 to join a Northern California religious cult. Fisher attempted to rescue Jones from the cult and was charged with attempted kidnapping but later acquitted at trial.

Through all of Fishbone's struggles as a band, Moore said it's the "legacy" that keeps the band together, knowing the group made an impact with the music and people like the music.

"(The music) has inspired people to live on, persevere and become more educated. That's what I've heard a lot of people say to me after they've heard our music or saw one of our shows," Moore said.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Moore said he got sober and used the time to work on creative projects, including a TV show on Patreon where he interviews other bands and artists.

"I wasn't trying to wait around and some of the members in Fishbone were trying to wait until (the pandemic) was over, and I'm like 'You know what? This thing is never going to be over, it may slow down a lot, but the pandemic is never going to be over," Moore said.

Fishbone hasn't released an album since 2006, but has put out two EPs. Moore also performs solo as Dr. Madd Vibe and the Missing Links and has released seven albums. Fishbone also has a new record on the way after signing to the San Francisco label Fat Wreck Chords, owned by Fat Mike of NOFX.

"(Signing to Fat Wreck Chords) feels like it's about time and long overdue," Moore said.

Fishbone has performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, The Date Shed in Indio and The Hood Bar and Pizza in Palm Desert. Moore said the band's performance at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino will be "great" if a large crowd shows up.

"They've got to show up, because if they don't, they're going to miss the magic," Moore said.

If you go 

What: Fishbone concert

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Where: The Rock Yard at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio

How much: Free

More information: fantasyspringsresort.com

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Fishbone frontman talks racism in the music industry ahead of Indio show