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Fishbone  

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Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom

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Fishbone are an alternative rock band hailing from Los Angeles, California, USA. Forming in 1979, they are known as one of the most influential cult bands in American rock, earning a devoted following with their snappy mix of ska, rock, reggae and funk.

After 25 years of rocking most bands would be tired even if their history had been pretty smooth sailing. Not with Fishbone, they’re a band still as tirelessly inventive as they ever were, still proudly aware of the difference between being silly and being stupid, and in general an absolute gold standard of what rock and roll bands should aspire to be like.

Most of the founding members of the band met on the same school bus regime. Brothers Phillip and John Fisher (drums and bass respectively), Walter Kibby (trumpet), Kendall Jones (guitar) and Chris Dowd (keyboards) would all take the same bus into the San Fernando Valley area where they met Angelo Moore (vocals) who was born there.

Soon after they met they formed Fishbone, and were soon playing the same Los Angeles clubs as the likes of the newly formed Red Hot Chili Peppers were getting some serious buzz. They were signed to Columbia Records in 1983after producer David Kahne saw them play a club show and two years later their self-titled debut E.P came out, along with their debut single “Party at Ground Zero".

1987 saw the release of their first full length album “In Your Face”, and their first major international tour supporting The Beastie Boys, a perfect fit I’m sure you’ll agree. The late 80’s and early 90’s saw the band add hard rock and soul influences into their brand of funk inflected ska and saw their commercial and critical fortunes sky-rocket as a result.

These were first displayed on their second album “Truth and Soul”, which saw them gain an MTV hit with their cover of Curtis Mayfield’s “Freddie’s Dead”. They also toured with the Chili Peppers and collaborated with one of the original Rock and rollers, Little Richard. Since then they’ve become one of the unsung heroes of alternative music.

They might not have the sales or cultural impact of Nirvana or the Chili Peppers but they’re still just as if not more fascinating and talented as both of them. They’ve had a tricky time since then, with band members dropping out and dropping back in again but they’ve kept on keeping on ever since they formed. Many artists could and should learn from this band and many music fans would do very well to seek them out as soon as possible.

Live reviews

Unfortunately for us the location we went to, the Independent in S.F.,makes no effort to uphold the law allowing smoking of cigarettes and marijuana in their indoor venue. It's a small place and fills with smoke fast. Do not ever go there if you are asthmatic or have to take random drug tests. People smoke pot inches in front of you. When my husband went to complain to security and management about us being unable to enjoy the show due to our eyes and chests burning from thr smoke they not only said theres nothing they can do about it, they decided to whine to Fishbone about our concerns. So the lead singer prior to starting hisc2nd song chose to attempt to shame us in front of the audience for our concerns cussing us out. Makingvit clear that the only people the want at their concerts are the people drugging and smoking. No one should be there that only wanted to enjoy the music. We will never waste money on them again. Maybe they everyone stoned so they don't notice how out of tume they were.

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Californian alt-rock outfit Fishbone are the definition of a cult phenomena as during their peak in the 90s, most college cars in the US were plastered in Fishbone logo stickers. Whenever they visited towns they promised a night of debauchery so the shows would be packed to the brim with revellers who shared this same mentality.

Years later and the band may have grown and matured yet the sense of anarchy still remains alive in the form of tracks including 'Everyday Sunshine' and 'Freddie's Dead'. The musicians onstage successfully merge the genres of ska, punk rock, funk, hard rock and soul on their records yet with such range of sounds you would think some of this multi-genre hopping would be pretty impossible onstage yet they successfully recreate it partly due to the large amount of guest musicians the band has drafted in. The whole audience jump and dance along throughout the show and there is one all round party for the finale of 'Sunless Saturday'.

Fishbone are a great band plain and simple. They were really when I was in High School, everyone in town had a fishbone sticker on their cars and everyone had fishbone T-shirts, we knew all their songs and all of the band members so we were all really pumped up to see them live.

The show itself was full of energy and just great. They did all of their classic songs including the ska song “Party at Ground Zero” and the hard rocking tune “Sunless Saturday” which really got the house going. At times it felt like it was 1993 all over again.At the end the did several encores and Angelo finished the set by jumping into the crowd. Really great show and really great band.

EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!!

This was a day time concert for kids. Frigging great idea. They started at 2pm for a 1 hour full band show. Playing the classic songs and 2 new ones. The kids were dancing and shouting to the songs. The fathers were up front skanking to the beat(I'm sure they were in pain the next day) and everyone had a good time. If your city gets one of these shows take the kids. It was my 7 year old nephew's first concert and I am so glad he got to experience a great and energetic band like Fishbone. Thank you. Later that nite there was an adult show which we caught as well. You cannot get enough Fishbone.

Awesome band to see live! Last time I saw them they pulled me up on stage to stage dive and I spent the almost whole time in the most pit. All the fans at the shows are nice and friendly people, I was receiving high fives from countless strangers. After a night of awesome music, and dancing Angelo Moore (the frontman) came out and started signing merchandise. If you are going to see a band live, go see fishbone.

Great show. Was awesome to see John, Chris and Fish again!!! Hoping they come back before the end of the year. The musicianship was tight as ever and hearing some songs from the original four albums that I had not heard in a while was killer. After seeing them for over 30 years they still create an energy that is second to none...Fishbone solider for life!

Short 5 song tease :(. I luv Fishbone and will take what I can get. This gig was 5 songs. Glad I made it in on time. Angelo is a big bunch of energy both with singing and playing sax. The rest of the band is in synch and has fun. I cant wait to see them again.

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Great American Music Hall

Goldfield Trading Post - Roseville

McMenamins Crystal Ballroom

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Fishbone tour dates and tickets 2024-2025 near you

Want to see Fishbone in concert? Find information on all of Fishbone’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2024-2025.

Fishbone is not due to play near your location currently - but they are scheduled to play 12 concerts across 1 country in 2024-2025. View all concerts.

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• June 15, 2023 Setlist

Fishbone Setlist at Val de Moine, Clisson, France

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• Party at Ground Zero Play Video
• Ma and Pa Play Video
• I Don't Care Play Video
• Subliminal Fascism Play Video
• Bonin' in the Boneyard Play Video
• Cholly Play Video
• All We Have Is Now Play Video
• Estranged Fruit Play Video
• Alcoholic ( With Black Sabbath's "Iron Man" snippet ) Play Video
• 'Simon Says' The Kingpin Play Video
• Sunless Saturday Play Video
• Servitude Play Video

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4 activities (last edit by AntoineGrignard , 10 Aug 2023, 14:23 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• All We Have Is Now
• Estranged Fruit
• I Don't Care
• Bonin' in the Boneyard
• Subliminal Fascism
• 'Simon Says' The Kingpin
• Party at Ground Zero
• Sunless Saturday

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Hellfest 2023 setlists

Fishbone Gig Timeline

• Jun 13 2023 Zik Zak Ittre, Belgium Add time Add time
• Jun 14 2023 Zénith Aréna Lille, France Start time: 8:20 PM 8:20 PM
• Jun 15 2023 Hellfest 2023 This Setlist Clisson, France Add time Add time
• Jun 16 2023 Wall of Clan 2023 Paris, France Add time Add time
• Jun 17 2023 Copenhell 2023 Copenhagen, Denmark Add time Add time

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• Concertful ranking: #2628
• Category: Alternative Rock / Indie

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MGM Music Hall at Fenway | Boston, MA

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Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom | New York, NY

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LYON 100% ENGLISH

Lyon’s Fishbones: The Forbidden Underground Tunnels of Croix-Rousse

An underground tunnel network the city is determined to keep hidden.

Cars and buses whizz through the Tunnel de la Croix-Rousse under Lyon’s 4th arrondissement . People bike, walk, and run through the pedestrian entryway, added to the network in 2013. To the side rise massive stone walls, marked by two slightly decayed alcoves unnoticed by passersby.

But behind the alcoves hides another story, one still unfinished: the story of Lyon’s underground tunnels , and the underground missions that created them. For the few who know they exist, these tunnels are called the Fishbones .

Author Walid Nazim has dedicated years to understanding the history of Lyon’s Fishbones. © Walid Nazim

“You have these two little [alcoves],” explains Walid Nazim, author of the book L’énigme des Arêtes de Poisson and its English version, Lyon’s Fishbones . “Nobody knows what it is. Nobody’s going to wonder what it is because it’s just two little marks. But beside it there’s the whole mystery. ”

Lyon’s Fishbones are an underground network of tunnels , spanning the depths of the Croix Rousse hill and connecting to the Sarrasinières tunnel network that runs to Miribel in the North. 32 parallel galleries , created seemingly without cause and without explanation, which make up one of Lyon’s best-kept secrets .

“It’s not just an underground, it’s an underground monument . And you won’t hear about Lyon’s tunnels because it’s not part of the official ‘patrimoine,’ ” said Nazim. “The city refuses to talk about it.”

So the Fishbones remain closed to the public and unprotected from decay , with the Tunnel de la Croix-Rousse and future public works projects threatening to destroy the remaining proof of Lyon’s greatest mystery.

“It’s a marvel of the world because it’s unique,” Nazim said. “We don’t know who did it, when and why. There’s no single mention of these 32 galleries in the records of the city.”

What are Lyon’s Fishbones?

The Fishbones of Lyon are an underground tunnel network made up of 32 parallel galleries , or passageways, that are built into the hill of Croix-Rousse .

“We call it the fishbones, but if you look at it in a three-dimensional plan, you can see that what we call fishbones are the arms of giant crosses that are dug into the hill,” Nazim said.

They’re built of a stone that can only be found 50-80 kilometers north of Lyon . They’re also large, about 2 meters wide and 2.5 meters high , making them bigger than most underground galleries around the world.

The Fishbones network is made up of 32 parallel galleries, begging the question of why someone would bother digging them. © Walid Nazim

“I’m tall,” said Nazim. “When I walk in a gallery, often I have to bend down because it’s small and really narrow too. But here, these galleries, they were made to pass something other than humans and probably to store something into it. The question is what. ”

Lyon’s better-known underground tunnels were first discovered in the 30s , when a part of the Fourvière hill collapsed and revealed the network underneath. The Fishbones, meanwhile, remained undiscovered until February of 1959 , or according to the official story, 1963.

“In 1963 a building collapsed , and the city had no other choice than to say, ‘There is an underground here. It’s called the Fishbones, and it’s nothing important. We’re taking care of it ,’” said Nazim. “And then it’s just silence .”

For the next roughly 40 years, the city maintained its radio silence on the matter, determined not to mess with this most mysterious of Lyon’s treasures . The Fishbones faded into forgotten Lyonnais folklore .

Walid Nazim: A Lyon Fishbones Expert

Nazim is one of Lyon’s resident explorers , walking the city streets looking for undiscovered treasures.

“Since my childhood I’m exploring Lyon. I love this place and I wander everywhere,” he said.

It didn’t take long for him to find the underground tunnels, and he and a team of friends soon began to draw maps and document them . But one particular set of tunnels stuck in his mind.

“I heard about the Fishbones because there was a rumor , maybe 10 years ago. Most people were like, ‘Oh, that’s a legend . Some people say that there are fishbones under Lyon but that doesn’t exist,’” he said.

Aware that it is forbidden to enter the Fishbones , Nazim began to explore under the cover of night.

“That’s what I’m doing one night like that, and I arrive in a beautiful, magnificent place which just hit me to the core , and I’m like woah, I’ve never seen things like that except maybe in Egypt.”

From there Nazim went on a hunt to find out more, looking for books or records that could tell him where the tunnels came from and why.

“I’m like, I have to find a book that tells me the story of that place, and no book . So I’m like I’m going to find the records of the city that talk about it, and no records ,” he said.

Fighting against the city

There’s no question that the Fishbones have a long and storied past , sitting under the apartments on the slopes of Croix-Rousse for longer than any current inhabitant’s memory goes back.

But as of the early 2000s when Nazim first started digging into the history of the network, no archeological studies had been done . The city’s silence prevailed, and the tunnels remained unexplored and unpreserved.

“There were no records of the tunnels so I studied the land through the times,” said Nazim.

It was in doing this that he unearthed files from 10 years of underground work that put city workers right in the heart of the Fishbones. In the files: the discovery of 5 cubic meters of human bones in one of the galleries.

“I was like, that’s great, because these bones have maybe been carbon dated , or something like that,” said Nazim. “When I arrived to the city with this report, they told me there were never bones in the Fishbones . ‘Where did you find this document? Who gave it to you?’”

This gallery once contained large amounts of human bones. They disappeared without a trace and are unrecovered to this day. © Walid Nazim

It wasn’t until two years later, in 2009, that the first archeological study of the Fishbones took place, following a petition from Nazim and other Fishbones supporters to stop the digging of the pedestrian half of the Croix-Rousse tunnel , which would cut right through five of the Fishbone galleries.

“This archeological study dates the Fishbones from the 16th century , the Renaissance, and says it’s really not historically interesting so we can destroy part of it to make a tunnel,” said Nazim.

The second half of the tunnel was built, ruining five of the galleries in the network’s lower column. It also changes the way water flows through the hill , making it more likely that other galleries become flooded or corroded over time.

“In 2013 the archeological service of the city said that was a mistake . It’s not from the 16th century. We just dated it from antiquity ,” he said.

Nazim could offer no other example of an  archaeological dating which made such a grievous mistake. “It’s so different. That doesn’t happen. ”

Where do they come from?

But even ancient Roman times can’t explain the Fishbones.

“It’s not from antiquity, it’s not from the 16th century,” said Nazim. “We have so many antique vestiges in Lyon , above ground and below ground. Nothing like the Fishbones.”

Rather, Nazim thinks the Fishbones have a much more interesting past, starting with William de Beaujeu , the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar .

“In the 13th century, the land of Miribel and Croix-Rousse belonged to the Lord of Beaujeu, whose lands went all the way up to the place you found this stone [of the Fishbones],” said Nazim.

All of the galleries are dead ends like this one, leading Nazim to believe they were meant to store something. © Walid Nazim

Meanwhile, the only record of parallel galleries apart from the Fishbones is that of the Templar fortress in Acre , near Jerusalem, where a parallel gallery links the fortress and the old port.

“What’s the point to build parallel galleries when you know the money and the power it costs to build a gallery underground?” Nazim said. “I looked where you can find parallel galleries, and the only place I found is Acre in the Templar tunnel.”

Nazim thinks the Fishbones in Lyon acted as a safe for the Templar treasure , as William de Beaujeu evacuated Templar holdings through the secret port tunnel in Acre and across the sea to the Sarrasinières and the Fishbones.

“This is the only theory that can explain all the different parts of the enigma ,” he said. “Where the stone comes from, why it goes all the way to Miribel, why we don’t have a single record of the place in the archives.”

The future of the Fishbones

Today the Fishbones are in danger of falling into ruin due to the city’s continued neglect. While he works on a second book about the mystery, Nazim is dedicated to getting the network open to the public .

“A place like that, anywhere in the world it would be open to the public for sure or at least studied,” he said.

Lacking a restoration protocol , archeological studies , and proper protections against future roadworks, Nazim fears the galleries will slowly fall into ruin and be filled with concrete . Meanwhile, the Saint-Bernard church that offers access to the network is in just as bad of shape, desacralized, forbidden to the public, and in danger of being turned into a business center .

As for the city, officials don’t see the Fishbones or the church being open to the public anytime soon, or possibly ever.

“We don’t plan to open the Fishbones to the public for safety reasons . There are many ladders, deep, 20-meter wells. But we’re thinking about a possible virtual visit in 3D ,” Lyon Deputy Mayor Jean-Dominique Durand told This is Lyon.

The Croix-Rousse automobile and pedestrian tunnel changed the way water flowed through the hill, leading some of the galleries to flood. Nazim worries they will soon all be destroyed. © Walid Nazim

Nazim has been pushing the issue for 15 years now and sees another long 15 years ahead of him fighting the city’s position. He hopes that one day tourists and locals alike will be able to access the Fishbones from the Saint-Bernard church and descend into the secret of the city people walk above every day.

“It goes to what was in the Fishbones, why do we have this place here, and what about all these occult societies that grew in Lyon through centuries to spread worldwide ,” he said. “This really is something that connects people to their traditions .”

From Acre to Miribel to the Scottish Templar descendants who later settled on the same land, the Fishbones tell a story of Lyon’s power across the world that Nazim believes everyone should know.

“Everyone is concerned by this place,” he said. “Lyon was the crossroads of Europe from the medieval ages to the renaissance all the way to the 19th century. It’s something that is much bigger than Lyon .”

Nazim offers guided tours of the area above the Fishbones, in English and in French . Email [email protected] to schedule.

Secret things to visit in Lyon

Le Jardin Rosa Mir

A hidden courtyard of seashell art! The Rosa Mir Garden is a small, courtyard garden built by a mason and self-taught artist in Lyon. Tips and Opening Hours

The Traboules: Lyon secret passageways

What is a Traboule? Lyon’s secret covered passageways, or traboules, are an ideal way of visiting the city’s hidden and colourful past.

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Ska, with some silliness mixed in? That’s sheer Madness.

In the early, Wild West days of MTV, it wasn’t — the pervasive myth to the contrary notwithstanding — just model-pretty singers and bands populating the new network’s playlist. All an act needed to succeed was eyeball-grabbing visuals. For some, that meant simple attractiveness. For others, eye-catching configurations of hair. And still others, like Madness, went for sheer silliness.

”It was just fate. We were all extroverts who liked dressing up. There was this fantastic costumier who used to give us the real gear,” says singer Suggs, who also credits the competitive British television ecosystem of the late 1970s and early 1980s for Madness’s embrace of the ridiculous. “There was nothing on the television with bands. There was one show called ‘Top of the Pops,’ which was massive, but it only showed one video a week. So we made a point of making sure it was ours every single time.”

The end result was videos like “One Step Beyond,” “House of Fun,” and “Our House,” exuberantly goofy clips that matched the energy that Madness brought to its music, a hybrid of the punkishness and suppleness of two-tone ska and the jolly-good theatrical ingratiation of music hall. It was a combination that made the band stars back home in England, where 15 of their first 17 singles hit the Top 10. Here in the States, their track record was far more limited, with “Our House” reaching No. 7 and only one other song — the sweetly agog “It Must Be Love” — even bothering the Top 40.

Suggs sees that discrepancy as a matter of geography. “You have to be prepared to tour [the United States] for 18 months,” he says, ahead of the band’s show Wednesday at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway. “Not two weeks, not for four weeks. You got France, Italy, Germany, and you could be home in four weeks. But America is just too big to break. I remember my manager going, ‘Some people would give their right arm to be successful in America.’ And I said, ‘We’re just not right-arm-giving people.’ ”

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That self-awareness may be what gives Madness the perspective necessary to appreciate what they’ve got going all these years later. “Because I’m not neurotic and self-conscious — because it’s too late now, I don’t care what people think about me — I have a space in my mind to look at the privilege that we have of still going making music,” says Suggs. “I can’t wait to get to America. Last time we were there it was so fantastic. And what’s double fantastic is ‘cause we didn’t make it there, it’s just the people who care who come to see us. It’s really nice.”

And then there’s Boston, mentioned (and hollered) by the singer with particular affection. Which could just be four decades of experience dealing with the press machinery, of course, but Suggs at least singles out specifics, from “the Irish thing” (“I’ve come from a Celtic background,” the man born Graham McPherson says) to being the site of James Brown’s historic 1968 televised Boston Garden concert that eased tensions the day after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

”That’s a lovely place, mate, a really nice place. I mean, not that I have any great ax to grind one way or the other. But the East Coast was where we fitted in,” says Suggs. “I’m no expert, but here in Britain, the places that I like are London, Liverpool, Newcastle. And . . . the theme is that they’re ports. You need the sea, and people are coming and going. The farther inland you get, the less you get of different cultures and all that.”

Unusually for bands of Madness’s vintage, the current lineup is nearly identical to the old one, with six of the seven members from the band’s heyday still in tow. (Trumpeter Chas Smash has officially just been on a break since 2014.) More unusually, they’re touring behind a No. 1 album, the first in their home country and a coup given that its challengers included Taylor Swift and Drake. Structured and presented as a performance from the stage of an English music hall, “Theatre of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie” is one of several concept albums in Madness’s catalog, though Suggs suggests that all of them might be, pointing to 2009′s “The Liberty of Norton Folgate” by way of example.

”I’ll never forget Chris [Foreman], our guitarist, going ‘Right, let’s write a song about London and our lives, right?’ What the [expletive] do you think all our songs have been about?,” he says with a chuckle. “It’s kind of funny that the idea of being conceptual is actually what we’ve always been, really. Not saying that London is any better than anywhere else, but for me, just observing, of course you’re gonna write about London.”

“I remember seeing the ‘Buena Vista Social Club.’ Ibrahim whatever it is [Ferrer] comes on. He’s 85. [Ferrer died in 2005 at 78.] He’s got two walking sticks, and he throws them in the air! Then he starts dancing! And you know where that music comes from. Certainly our music comes from where we are.”

And that’s where both Madness and its singer stand today: resolutely English, as tight as the schoolmates they were, stage-honed over decades, rambunctiously silly. And it’s fine if it’s the latter that brings folks in, Suggs suggests, so long as it’s backed by conviction.

”If you’re gonna mess around, you still got to take it seriously,” he says. “You see people just being foolish. We weren’t. We were like, ‘Right, our music is serious and stupid.’ And we put a lot of effort into that.”

Marc Hirsh can be reached at [email protected] or on Bluesky @spacecitymarc.bsky.social

With Fishbone. At MGM Music Hall at Fenway. May 29 at 8 p.m. Tickets: $50.25 to $128.60. ticketmaster.com

On Feb 20th 2024, Primus announced that Fishbone would be supporting their tour with Coheed and Cambria on select dates on the east coast this next August.  The last date, in Alabama, does not have Coheed and Cambria

• Thu Aug 8th 2024 @ Stage AE - Pittsburgh (PA) 
• Fri Aug 9th 2024 @ Outer Harbor - Buffalo (NY) 
• Sat Aug 10th 2024 @ Michelob Ultra Summer Stage - Big Flats (NY) 
• Mon Aug 12th 2024 @ SPAC - Saratoga (NY)
• Tue Aug 13th 2024 @ State Theatre Summer Concert Series - Portland (ME) 
• Wed Aug 14th 2024 @ The Anthem - Washington (DC) 
• Fri Aug 16th 2024 @ Virginia Credit Union LIVE! - Richmond (VA) 
• Sat Aug 17th 2024 @ Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre - Charlotte (NC) 
• Sun Aug 18th 2024 @ Avondale Brewing Co. - Birmingham (AL)