by Ed Solt
In the mid 2000s, the South Bay music scene was drenched in the chirps of reggae, most often lead by a singer soulfully crooning in the style of Sublime’s Bradley Nowell. One of the bands that heavily influenced Sublime, as well as other Southern California bands, such as the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, was Fishbone.
Fishbone combined ska, punk, funk, hard rock, soul, and Southern California culture to create an urgent groove that has now been part of the local soundscape for nearly three decades. And Fishbone, who play Saint Rocke in Hermosa Beach Friday night, has endured.
John Norwood Fisher, bassist, is a founding member of Fishbone. He recalls the first time the band played Hermosa Beach — at the Lighthouse in the early 80s, as Fishbone was coming up. Decades prior, Howard Rumsey and his Lighthouse All Stars lit up the scene, making the Lighthouse the West Coast hub for serious jazz.
“I grew up listening to KGOLD [a now defunct LA County Jazz station] and always loved jazz. It was a major inspiration and a big part of our musical development,” Norwood said. “It was an honor to set foot on a stage with that much legacy.”
Fishbone cut its teeth during a period rich in music in the South Bay as well as Southern California as a whole. The underground hardcore scene laid the foundation, with local bands like Black Flag, The Circle Jerks, and The Minuteman giving teeth to rock and roll at a time that mainstream rock had lost even a hint of threat.
“The music scene was firing on all cylinders. It was a fertile period during the late 70s and 80s beyond ” Norwood said. “We were fans. I am fortunate through the years to have got to know Keith Morris [Black Flag, Circle Jerks, Off!] and DH [Peligro] from Dead Kennedy’s and Jello [Biafro] a little bit.”
When asked if he surfs, Norwood replies, “Hell yes.”
From his perspective, surf culture is what introduced mainstream culture to ska, through 1987’s “Back to the Beach,” a campy comedy that parodied beach party movies of the 1960s and featured ska. After former beach bunny turned housewife Annette Funicello asks, “Do you know how to Jamaica ska?” Fishbone goes into the song “Jamaica Ska” with Funicello singing, “Everybody can do the Ska.”
“Besides Henry Belafonte playing a lot of island music, it was was Annette and Frankie Avalon.” Norwood said. “Ska’s an amazing progressive concept that led to the mainstream embracement of reggae.”
Norwood’s love affair with surfing started from another extreme sport, snowboarding.
“We were on tour with the Skeletones in 1995 through the Rockies and they took me snowboarding,” he said. “I became addicted to snowboarding.”
After a snowboard trip with Flea, bassist of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Flea gave Norwood a surfboard, and began taking him surfing.
“I’d been living at the beach for 25 years,” he said. “Flea gave me surfing. After giving me my board, he was ‘I think you’re going to like this.’ He was right.”
Norwood currently owns a few Tim Phares shaped single fins, called Epic Surfboards, from the late 70s. His go-to daily driver is a 7’5” Brawner Boards funshape shaped by Damian Brawner.
“Damian Brawner learned to shape and make boards from his dad Danny, who was the drummer of the Sandals [who played the classic “Endless Summer” theme] and a lifelong surfboard maker,” Norwood said. “I know it’s better elsewhere, but I like to surf Bay Street. It’s right in my front yard.”
Norwoood describes Fishbone as an “aggressive dance band.” Friday night, the band plans on playing a retrospective of their classics and “plenty of future sounds.”
“We are bringing our “A” game,” he said. “Come dance, shake your ass, and lose it.”
Fishbone plays with Special C and Flowbis this Friday at Saint Rocke. Doors open at 6pm and show starts at 9pm. For ticket information, check out: saintrocke.com
