Flipper

 Live Target Video 1980-81

BY Carl Macki

 

Track Listing

Kezar Stadium show - San Francisco - May 29, 1981
• Shine
• Nothing
• Low Rider
• One by One
• Hard Cold Old World
• Life
Berkeley Square show - Berkeley, CA - July 28, 1980
• Low Rider
• Friends
• Brainwash
• One by One
• Ha, Ha, Ha
• Oh, Oh Ay Oh
• Love Canal
• The Wheel
• End the Game
Cable 25 show - San Francisco, CA - January 26, 1983
• Sex Bomb


From Joe Rees' legendary Target archive this production from the early 1980-'81showcases
Flipper 's idiosyncratic sound: slow and droning at times; other times, noisy and raucous.

As one of most outrageous bands of the early 80s, they influenced the burgeoning outcropping of grunge punk and post-punk, including Nirvana.

Kurt Cobain sported a Flipper tattoo, and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is in the current Flipper lineup.

Flipper started  in 1979 with Ted Falconi, Will Shatter, Steve DePace, and Ricky Williams. They all came from early punk bands in the Bay Area--Rad Command, Negative Trend, and Sleepers. Bruce Loose replaced Ricky Williams (Sleeper) as lead singer after six months.

When the Sex Pistols' John Lydon's started Public Image Limited, Lydon was accused of appropriating the art work design of the Flipper album, "Album--Generic Flipper (1982)," with PIL's "Album, Compact Disc, or Cassette (1986)."

 Flipper disbanded in the mid eighties and around that time--1987--Will Shatter died. In 1990 they started up again and were signed to Def American, what later became American Recordings; an influential label started by Columbia Chairman Rick Rubin that released "American Grafishy (1993)."
Their new bassist Dougherty died of an OD in 1995, and they disbanded again, this time for ten years.

It would take benefits for CBGB's in 2005 (and playing at Thurston Moore's All Tomorrow's Parties in England in 2006) for them to reform, now with occasional Flipper and Bad Posture bassist Bruno Smartass, a temporary placeholder; who would be replaced by Krist Novoselic.

The band has been looking forward to playing more in support of this DVD release --they played at Amoeba Music on Haight Street in SF on Feb. 18th--and a forthcoming album on American Recordings.

The DVD covers two amazing performances from Berkeley Square  and San Francisco's Kezar Stadium with also some rarely seen footage.

Check out this amazing look into the life of a band that is still vital and making important statements. Their back catalogue, held up for so long, is due to be released on American as well.


 

Current Members

Bruce Loose - vocals
Ted Falconi - guitar
Krist Novoselic - bass
Steve DePace - drums

 

 Former Members

Ricky Williams- vocals
Will Shatter - bass, vocals
John Dougherty- bass
Bruno DeSmartass- bass

LINKS:

Wikipedia:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipper_(band)
BBC Flipper page:http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/A2887617
American Recordings:http://www.americanrecordings.com
Target Video: http://targetvideo.blogspot.com