NO-FI "MAGAZINE" interview with Angelo Moore

NO-FI "MAGAZINE"
interview with
ANGELO MOORE
of

Interview by Chris Beyond in Angelo's mom's car,
Hollywood/North Hollywood, April, 1997

If Angelo Moore wasn't in a band, he'd probably be famous anyway. A member of FISHBONE (one of my favorite bands) and TRUELEO DISGRACIOUS, he still found time to do an interview with me about a few weeks after I met him at a REVEREND HORTON HEAT show at The House Of Blues. We did this interview in his car as he ran errands.

C = Chris Beyond (No-Fi Hack)
A = Angelo Moore (Busy Guy)

(We are searching for a television agency that owes Angelo $100 bucks for an appearance he made in a new SUBLIME video. He was given bad directions.)

C: I guess I'll ask the most obvious question first...How did FISHBONE begin?
A: Well,...I'll tell you the truth man...It started in Hale Junior High in the valley, like in Woodland Hills, that's where everybody met...when they first started the inner city bussing program...and I lived in the valley and everybody else lived out here in the city...the Crenshaw area, you know....We all had simular musical tastes like Bootsy, FUNKADELIC, James Brown, and Jimmy Hendrix and THE DOORS, LED ZEPPLIN...You know...And weźd all get together and play Bootsy covers...Rick James covers... That's how it started, see, and then I'd catch the bus out here from Woodland Hills and go to Norwood and Fish's house and jam in the bedroom and we didn't really have any serious equipment. We had like pots and pans. Everybody was learning their stuff. Yeah, that's how we started man. Sometimes we'd play at Chris's mom's house around La Brea...we'd rehearse at his mom's house...other times we'd rehearse at Norwood's mom's house.
C: That's the place to play. Parent's houses are where the best shows happen.
A: Aw, yeah...the bedroom! In the house!
C: Bring girls over.
A: Yeah, there were a couple around there.
C: Do you have any wacky-wild tour stories?
A: There's a whole lot of them, man.
C: Pick the best three or something.
A: Aw, we gotta like...see...I don't know where to start man! There's just so many. There's...See, I can't remember any specific stories, but I remember some really crazy tours like BEASTIE BOYS/MURPHY'S LAW tour really stuck out. That was like 85-86-87...Something like that. We've had some racial incidents...
C: Like in the South?
A: Actually, one was in Michigan. We played this club and this white supremist was holding his hand up like Hitler. We asked him... "Are you a racist?" and he kept going, "yeah." And we said, "No really seriously...are you a nazi?" And he's like, "YEAH!"
C: What was he doing at the show?
A: That's what I was saying! He's standing up in the front with his arms crossed, enjoying it, and uh, Alcoholic started, man...and that's when Chris jumped over his head and the tip of his foot caught him on his forehead and he went to go beat Chris up and that's when the whole band jumped into the audience and started whuppin' ass there.
(we continue to find this place, but have to ask people where the street is. I see recognition in people's eyes that we pass.)
A: Once I find this fuckin' street...it's gonna be ok.
C: Here's a cheesy question...who's your favorite movie star, and why?
A: So far it's Jim Carrey. He's fuckin' crazy, man.
C: Is there a reason other than the obvious that Nutsack Studios is named what it is?
A: Well...yeah, cuz we're all nuts in there...it's the extreme place of nuttiness...chronic nuttiness...BUT it's also got a philosophy to it. You see...everything comes from the nutsack. Everything comes from the uterus.
(we find the place and resume after Angelo returns to his car. We drive off and he lights up a bat.)
A: In the nutsack is the...(he takes a puff)...see, man...nutsackisaboutthedawnofallcreationandlifebutthewomb...the eggsack is what produces the actual lifeform...And in musicianźs terms...the song. See, so...FISHBONE being all men...cuz we're the spermies...in the nutsack and the nutsack is the building...within the nutsack we create music. The womb is a way for the music to get out to the masses. Once FISHBONE impregnates he masses, metaphorically speaking...to create a fetus to treat us with extra-ordinary breed of music, man.
C: Ok, I think you're just nuts.
A: (laughs) That's true You see that's the problem with people who are nuts, cuz see the majority of people are afraid to be nuts. They're afraid to let their real self come out...instead they're hooked up to this 9 to 5 jobs they got and are afraid to just explore their imagination when it comes to music, dance, you know...The majority of people like it, but they're scared to BE it. You know what I'm saying? Like me for example, or FISHBONE...or bands like RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE....or THE MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES. Or bands from back in the day like Jimmy Hendrix and LED ZEPPLIN. They enjoyed it...they looked at it, but they never wanted to be it or experience it.That's whats so good about being a nut. A nut is free. Inside the nuts is freedom. The spermies go wherever they want to go. A small world, but innerspace is pretty big to a microscopic spermie.
(Chris is silent)
A: Metaphorically speaking of course. (laughs)
C: Uh, yeah, of course...uh...let me out of the car!
(laughing ensues)
A: Remember that Ren & Stimpy cartoon? They open up this one door...an this Horse is there and pulls this old man out...and Ren whispers "call the police!!!!"
C: Who would win in a fight...Mr. T or Mothra?
A: Mothra!
C: See, I think it's Mr. T.
A: Mr. T?
C: Well Mothra shoots out silk or something? T's got gold all over. He can bash the silk back with his gold rings.
A: He would definitely win in a court battle.
C: A court battle...any kind of inside view here?
A: Yeah, Mr. T's got all that gold. So he an sell all of that gold and pay the lawyer. On TV Mothra looks big, but it's just a small dude in there and probably operated by some japanese guy.
C: I guess it would be kind of an unfair fight when you think of it that way.
A: Yeah, definitely Mr. T cuz he can pay the legal fees.
C: And these days Mr. T wouldn't take the fist route, he'd take the religious route...and preach to Mothra. Tell us about the new kid. I got the scoop on this!
A: Her name is Shyanne Star Forever Moore. Sheźs like 11 days old now. She's a girl.
C: Let's hope SHE is. (laughing) It's always good when the SHE is a girl.
A: (laughs) Oh, yeah.
(I try to interview a picture of her he has on his datebook, but it doesn't respond.)
C: So what's going on with recording and/or touring?
A: (tries to light his bat again.) What do you know a fucking bum lighter. Um, TRULEO DISGRACIOUS is on tour right now. I'm going out there tomorrow...flying to New York. They've been on tour for like a week, but I had to stay here because of the baby. It's gonna be really good. From New York we're gonna travel down to New Jersey ...then North Carolina...then through the south and west.
C: What's your favorite holiday and why?
A: Favorite holiday?
C: Today is National Teacher's Day and national Nurses Day all in the same day.
A: That's pretty good. My mom is a teacher.
C: What does she teach?
A: High school, man. She's at Receda High. She's an english teacher. If I would have known that, man... cuz I went to visit her this morning.
(We get on the 101 freeway to North Hollywood.)
C: Where are we going now?
A: I gotta pick up this kangaroo skin papoose to hold my baby in. Swing the baby in it. Walk around with a big kangaroo skin with a baby in it hanging off my shoulder.
C: On stage?
A: No, on the street...and on stage.
C: Who are some of your favorite local "unknown" bands?
A: My favorite local unknown bands? You know I really can't think of any? I know there's a lot.
(Some guy in front of us slows down and changes lanes...sloooowly)
A: Look at that dumb-fuck. (in a funny voice) "Uh, I got to slow down and change lanes...duhhhh!!!" I like a lot of Tokyo bands...Japanese bands. Japanese ska scene is really happening. I can't really think of any bands here. There's a lot.
(Angelo tries to light his bat again, but his lighter fails)

C: Your last two albums had monkey themes, BUT have you ever held a REAL monkey?
A: I've never held a real monkey, man.
C: Awwwwwww.
A: I've never held a real monkey, but sometimes I feel like a monkey. Sometimes I felt like a monkey. Sometimes I've been made to feel like a monkey beyond my will of wanting to feel like a monkey.
C: I feel like that when I'm around scientists or people like that.
A: There's a lot of rules and regulations. A lot of monkeys ruling the world.
C: That's the theme of "GIVE A MONKEY A BRAIN..."

A: "GIVE A MONKEY A BRAIN AND HE'LL SWEAR HE'S THE CENTER OF UNIVERSE" And there's, uh, the other monkey, "CHIM-CHIM'S BAD ASS REVENGE" , who was made to feel like a monkey...like a dumb stupid idiotic monkey with no sense, but in actuality this monkey is one of the smartest monkeys. A lot of homeless people are really smart people, man.
(I convey a story of an intelligent french homeless man in Venice beach my friends and I met back in high school and helped him find a nice place to stay for the night.)
A: There's this dude walking around Hollywood, man...and heźs got a big styrofoam thing on his head with antennas and bird nests and...
C: I've seen that guy!
A: I've been wanting to meet him for years, man!
C: He's been doing that for years?
A: Years!
C: I've only seen him recently. That's weird!
A: Ah, dude! (Sighs) What is he all about man? He must be connected to some type of extra-terrestrial shit, man. I wanna see what it is!
C: Tell us about the whole cult thing with that one member of FISHBONE.
A: Yeah.
C: That'll work.
A: Sorry, I just gotta find this street. What was the question?
C: The cult thing...which member was it? I heard about it on the news.
A: Oh, Kendall...Kendall Jones. He got into this cult thing in San Jose, California, but...man...like some Christian thing. Kendall got into the bible. There's nothing wrong with getting into the bible, but when you get in it so heavy, you can't even see yourself any more, you know...that's fucked up. Kendall quit the band cuz he thought everything he wrote was...
C: Like anti-god or something?
A: Yeah.
C: Didn't you guys get in trouble or something over that?
A: Yeah, man Kendall got into this heavy thing we wrote was like against god and demonic... influenced by satan...songs like Servitude and Fight The Youth. Some of our good shit, man.
C: There's a lot of god references in there.
A: There's a lot of religious influences, man. I get my influence...I used to be a jehovahźs witness, man. I was a jehovah's witness for 10 years. I still believe in a lot of it. It has something to do with my writing. Whenever I get in a spiritual mode, man. I talk about god and if god has anything to do with what I'm writing at the time...I write it down. That good enough for you?
C: That's good enough for me.
A: Nord had to go to court over him, man. We go to get him and at least bring him to a doctor. He didn't even want to go to a psychiatrist and get his mind checked out. And so thus, we took him to court...during Lolapalooza.
C: That's where I FINALLY saw you guys for the first time...and I've liked you guys forever.
(We arrive at the place and his papoose isn't ready yet. Angelo doesn't want to be angry, but is a little frustrated. Angelo borrows a lighter. Back to the car)
A: What were we talking about?
C: I don't know...here's one...what's your favorite ride at Disneyland?
A: Space Mountain...and Gold Rush.
C: You mean Thunder Mountain?
A: I haven't been to Disneyland in a long time, man. I remember they wouldn't let me in, cuz of my hair.
C: Aw, when was that?
A: A long time ago.
C: I guess so...they were pretty freaky about that. I don't think they can do that anymore, but I don't know for sure. What was Lolapalooza like for you?
A: It was alright man. It was fun and sunny everyday. We didnźt get paid much, but that always seems to be the case.
C: I liked that big robotic fish you had.
A: Yeah, that's where we filmed Servitude...the video.

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Chris Beyond