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Formed: 1978
iSound Site: www.isound.com/flipper
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| Flipper started circa '79-'80 in the punk scene in San Francisco. The members then were: Bruce Lose (aka Bruce Loose)on bass/vocals, Will Shatter on bass/vocals, Ted Falconi on guitar, and Steve dePace on drums. Just as the Beatles had their four divergent personalities, so |
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Flipper started circa '79-'80 in the punk scene in San Francisco. The members then were: Bruce Lose (aka Bruce Loose)on bass/vocals, Will Shatter on bass/vocals, Ted Falconi on guitar, and Steve dePace on drums. Just as the Beatles had their four divergent personalities, so did the members of the just-as-influential Flipper. Bruce was the smart-ass loudmouthed one, Will the intellectual/philosophical one, Ted the strong, virile one, and Steve the "cute" one. Both villified and worshipped, Flipper made some of the best noise ever recorded, and were known for some of the best and worst performances in the history of rock-n-roll. In a hail of guitar crunch and feedback, the bass-driven tunes were sonically both catchy (in a viral way) and powerful in their intensity. Lyrically, depending on whether penned by Will or Bruce, the topics could cause laughter or tears, or both in the same song. In many ways, to stick Flipper into the category of punk is as inane as to lump the Velvet Underground into the category of rock. Flipper has to be heard to be believed, and believe them you will, because they lived lives of such un-quiet, fucked-up desperation, scratching out meager existences in the bowels of the seedier parts of San Francisco, it's a wonder three of the original group are still alive. (Will o.d.'d in 1987).
Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys (another SF band)was influential in supporting and promoting Flipper, garnering them some fans that may have never discovered them. Significantly, Flipper played New York for a run, and that gave them even more 'cred'. Listen to any Sonic Youth album and hear the Flipper influence.
Flipper's greatest accomplishment was
1)surviving more than their initial few shows. 2)having multiple recordings to their credit.
Their first album, Generic Flipper, is the most often cited as being a great accomplishment. The live Public Flipper Limited, however, can be said to be the most honest account of their personality and character as a band.
Flipper went on after Will died,with another bassist and more tours and recordings. But for many the original line-up is the 'true' Flipper, because of Will Shatter's songwriting and pathos.
Sadly, unless you have the record albums, you will miss the most ingenious 'gimmicks' since the Kiss album that came with the tattoos. Flipper's second album, Gone Fishin', has a cover you could cut apart to create all four members plus their uniquely art-car-ish tour van. Then Public Flipper Limited unfolded into a board game, with cards and a spinner. Draw a card and it might say, "Will gets free drugs (move ahead 3 spaces)" or "Free drugs turn out to be scary diet pills (Move back 4 spaces)." And their map of the US will never be reprinted for any geography class, either!
In a few words, Flipper was unique,noisy,life-affirming in spite of themselves, and their spirit lives on.
(Already there has been one tribute band, Tripper. And I'm starting one myself,if anyone is interested.)
Bio written by: Vill_Shatter |
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