When John Norwood Fisher picked up his bass and started Fishbone in Los Angeles in 1979, the music industry was in flux. Disco was in decline, new wave was on the horizon, and punk had splintered into subgenres. The country’s politics were also changing. The Regan Revolution was in the offing and as the country drifted to the right, West Coast bands like Fishbone were transcending genres and making music political and fun.
“It has always been one of the original intentions of the band to actually speak in a way that allowed people to be free to think, or inspire thinking, or maybe (take) action,” said Fisher.
Still going strong 36 years later, Fishbone brings their raucous, politically charged blend of punk, soul, funk, rock, and reggae to The Press Room in Portsmouth on Monday, May 4.
Growing up in Los Angeles exposed Fisher to an array of musical influences. It was a vibrant scene that helped Fishbone find its sound and, later, influenced other acts like Sublime and No Doubt. Now in his early 50s, Fisher said he still enjoys performing the music he wrote as a teenager for new audiences.
“It actually means a lot to me when there’s a younger person that can actually listen to the lyrics of (a song) and come back to me and say, ‘Yo, I heard what you guys are saying. Thanks for saying it,’” said Fisher.
John Norwood Fisher (center) and Fishbone (photo by Steady Jenny)
Standing in front of an audience in 2015 gives Fisher the same thrills he had when Fishbone played its first paid gig in 1983. That show confirmed for Fisher that he could have a career as a musician.
“At that point … we’d rehearsed from 1979 to 1983,” said Fisher. “We did it for the love. And the fact is I continue to look at it like (that); being a professional affords me the privilege of being able to do what I love for a living.”
Fisher’s dream of being a professional musician began when he was 6. That dream was realized when Fisher formed Fishbone with brother Phillip on drums, Angelo Moore on vocals and saxophone, Kendall Jones on guitar, Walter Kibby II on vocals and trumpet, and Charlie Down on keyboards. All the members were still teenagers.
Fishbone’s music is fun; their early lyrics were tongue-in-cheek jabs at social issues and the difficulties of being black in America. Though a breath of fresh air for listeners, the band was confounding for major label executives who had trouble marketing Fishbone to a wider audience. Music was still racially segregated, according to Fisher, and a band like Fishbone — African-American musicians playing a mix of alternative rock, funk, and ska — didn’t fit into any of the traditional categories.
That didn’t stop fans from finding them. Fishbone released their first full-length album, “In Your Face,” in 1986, and, two years later, their album “Truth and Soul” dove head-first into issues of race and equality. “Truth and Soul” reached that year’s top 200 on the Billboard charts. The album’s heavier sound, charged lyrics, and blend of styles proved seminal in Fishbone’s career, but received mixed reviews from critics.
“I get instant gratification by seeing the dance floor hot.” — John Norwood Fisher of Fishbone
Despite that, Fisher said doing things their own way is what made Fishbone successful despite the industry’s lukewarm reception.
“If you don’t want to be boxed in, then you don’t have to be boxed in,” he said.
Over the next three decades, Fishbone experimented musically from album to album with a changing line-up. Fisher, Kibby, and Moore remain as the only three original members, and Fisher said change is good.
“People within a band grow and change, and maybe people within a band might not love everything the same way,” said Fisher. “But, if you’re fortunate to find space where you agree, then for the most part you can love almost every part of the art that you’re making.”
Fishbone is still making headlines. In 2012, Questlove of The Roots came under fire when he introduced presidential candidate Michele Bachman with Fishbone’s song “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” during a taping of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” In 2010, the band was the subject of the documentary “Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone.” Fisher was hesitant about the film at first, but now says it has helped open Fishbone up to a new generation of music fans.
“It’s one of those things where we get to hear from people all the time that are just discovering us. It’s from the young to old,” said Fisher. “And this is what makes a career amazing … to be able to be brand new to somebody.”
Fishbone front man Angelo Moore (papercut illustration by Dylan Metrano)
Fishbone is still making new music and tours regularly, Fisher said. They’ve cemented their place in music history — now all that’s left is to keep living the dream Fisher had when he was a child.
“When I’m on stage today … there’s not any point where I don’t love what I’m doing,” said Fisher. “I get instant gratification by seeing the dance floor hot.”
Fishbone plays Monday, May 4 at 9 p.m. at The Press Room, 77 Daniel St., Portsmouth. Tickets are $20-$25, available at pressroomnh.com.
Top of page: John Norwood Fisher (right) on stage with Fishbone (photo by Chris Brody)