Review: Joshua Hobbins

There are some bands where trying to neatly describe what they do feels almost pointless. Fishbone are one of those bands, and having spent four decades smashing ska, punk, funk, soul, rock and whatever else they feel like into one gloriously chaotic package, on the final night of their Australian tour at The Triffid, they showed exactly why nobody else has ever really sounded like them.

Before Fishbone could unleash the chaos, Newcastle ska legends The Porkers had the job of warming up a crowd that was still looking a little sparse when they hit the stage. Naturally, Pete Porker noticed. Never one to let an opportunity for some smart-assery pass him by, Pete gave the early arrivals some shit before encouraging everyone to yell “Fuck Pete Porker!” back at him. We happily obliged.

With The Porkers themselves approaching their 40th anniversary in 2027, this was a pretty special pairing for Australian ska fans of a certain vintage, and their set was an absolute treat. Kicking off with Enter Porkman, they tore through a set packed with old favourites including Deep Breath, Skankin’ Carpark Blues, Chemical Imbalance, Too Big for Your Boots, Aporkalypso, Swinging Like Tiger Woods, Bush Turkey, Buds for Brains, Schooners of the Black and Alcohol.

Gutsy Gale ripped all night and provided some excellent backing vocals, the horn section was tight as hell and the bass sounded huge, while Pete was in typically fine and funny form out front, dousing himself in beer for the final two beer-themed tracks of their set. For the old-timers in the room, myself very much included, it was an awesome way to start the night.

Before Fishbone had even started, Angelo Moore had made his way from the merch desk to the middle of the crowd, twirling sticks, hugging fans and slowly working his way towards the stage. It was an early indication that there wasn’t going to be much separation between band and audience tonight.

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of their debut studio album In Your Face, Fishbone opened by playing the album in full, beginning with When Problems Arise.

Within about thirty seconds it was obvious we were in for something special. The band was ridiculously tight from the first note, Angelo’s voice sounded incredible and bassist James Jones was already slapping the absolute life out of his bass. Moore moved between vocals, saxophone and Theremin while commanding the stage with the kind of energy you’d expect from someone playing their first tour rather than celebrating a record released four decades ago.

A Selection somehow pushed the energy even higher, with Cheyenne Star Forever Moore joining the band and immediately making her presence felt. Cheyenne was excellent every time she appeared throughout the night: hugely energetic, ridiculously talented and completely at home sharing the stage with this collection of incredible musicians.

Cholly was funky, loose and hilarious, complete with Angelo declaring “we like the fat girls up in this motherfucker!”, before I Wish I Had a Date kept the pace flying.

One of the first real reminders of just how musically ridiculous this band is came during A Movement in the Light. Four-part vocal harmonies aren’t necessarily what you’d expect to be one of the standout elements of a Fishbone show, but they were absolutely stunning, and those harmonies would continue to be a feature throughout the night.

Give It Up put James Jones front and centre again. Taking on bass parts originally played by Norwood Fisher is no small assignment, but Jones didn’t simply get through them; he owned them. His playing was immaculate all night. Tracey “Spacey T” Singleton also got his opportunity to rip into a sweet guitar solo while Angelo looked like there was nowhere else on earth he’d rather be.

In the Air became another slap-bass odyssey, with Angelo’s vocals sitting at the centre of everything and those harmonies once again sounding massive in the chorus. Somewhere in the middle of it all Moore broke into a dance solo before turning his Theremin into what looked and sounded like a set of decks. Because apparently just singing, playing sax, percussion and Theremin while dancing around the stage wasn’t enough.

Christopher Dowd broke out the trombone for Turn the Other Way, adding another layer to a band that already had an absurd amount going on without ever sounding cluttered. Hassan Hurd was phenomenal behind the kit, locked in all night and somehow holding together music that constantly threatens to fly off in six different directions.

After Knock It, ‘Simon Says’ The Kingpin brought the In Your Face portion of the night to a huge finish. If anything, Fishbone then found another gear.

Cheyenne returned for Skankin’ to the Beat, and the energy both onstage and in the crowd went through the roof. It rolled straight into Cubicle, with Dowd and Moore reminiscing about the shitty jobs they’d had over the years before launching into another burst of ska-fuelled chaos.

As a one-two ska punch, Skankin’ to the Beat and Cubicle was about as good as anything I’ve seen live.

Ma and Pa followed before the mood briefly became more serious. Dowd spoke about racism in America and was unequivocal in his criticism of Donald Trump before taking lead vocals on Racist Piece of Shit. Soon enough he had The Triffid joining him in the refrain, the entire room happily singing it straight back at the stage.

Then it was straight back into party mode. Party at Ground Zero brought Cheyenne back out and, remarkably this deep into the show, there was still an enormous amount of energy coming from both generations of the Moore family and everyone around them.

Sunless Saturday followed, sounding unmistakably of its era without ever feeling dated or cheesy, before Fishbone closed the set with Everyday Sunshine.

With Cheyenne joining the band once again, it became a massive gospel-flavoured finale, like we’d all spent the evening worshipping at the Church of Fishbone. Angelo preached about real music, AI and the importance of actual human creativity while the band brought the night home around him. There was even time for the entire crowd to sing Happy Birthday to Dowd.

What struck me most throughout the night was just how much joy there seemed to be on that stage. Moore is obviously the focal point and remains one of the most magnetic frontmen you could hope to see, but there wasn’t a weak link anywhere. Dowd was outstanding across vocals, keys and trombone, Spacey T ripped on guitar, JS Williams added trumpet and killer vocals, Hurd was flawless behind the kit and Jones was an absolute monster on bass. Every member looked completely invested in what they were doing.

Being the final night of the Australian tour, there wasn’t much left at the merch table afterwards either. Almost everything had sold out, with only some posters and drum skins remaining. Angelo, Cheyenne and Hassan still came out after the show to chat, sign merch and hang with fans, while members of The Porkers were doing the same.

I’ve seen a lot of great shows this year, but this comfortably sits in my top five. And as a pure ska/funk live experience, I’m struggling to think of one I’ve enjoyed more. Forty years of In Your Face was the reason for the party, and Fishbone were the reason it was so fucking good.

 – GALLERY –