Fang

Fang is a Berkeley born hardcore punk band that kicked into gear in 1980 and kept circling back with new lineups and records. The story runs from scrappy singles and two early LPs to a long pause, a return in the mid 1990s, and later albums that kept the name active on bills and in the studio.

How The Band Got Started

The name first appeared on the duo single “Yukon Fang,” an experimental one off from guitarist Tom Flynn and bassist Brian Beattie. A full band followed. After one national trek the original version split, with Beattie leaving for Texas. In late 1981 Flynn teamed with drummer Chris Ritter, then added bassist Chris Wilson and played as a trio with Flynn on vocals. In early 1982 Joel Fox replaced Ritter on drums. Fox brought in Sam McBride, who stepped up as vocalist. That lineup contributed “Fun with Acid” to the compilation Not So Quiet on the Western Front.

Early Records and Bay Area Momentum

Flynn launched Boner Records and issued the eight song debut Landshark and the follow up Where the Wild Things Are. Tim Stiletto played drums on the second release. Those records became staples of the early East Bay scene.

Mid Eighties Changes

The original lineup dissolved in 1985 after Flynn departed. Sam McBride kept the banner flying with Bill Collins on guitar, Joe Miller on bass, and Steve Chinn on drums. Boner remained in the picture, issuing new tracks on the label sampler Then Boners Be Poppin’ in 1985. The Spun Helga LP was recorded in West Germany with two local players on guitar and drums and released by We Bite in Germany and National Trust in the United States. Next came A Mi Ga Sfafas? in 1987. Drummer Mike Branum arrived in 1988 and the band cut Pissed Off Buddha, which stayed unreleased until 2008.

Hiatus and Return

Boner collected the first album and EP as Landshark/Where the Wild Things Are in 1989. After a long break, Fang regrouped in 1995 and issued the single “Electric Chair” on Man’s Ruin in 1997. The lineup then featured Sam McBride on vocals, Greg Langston on drums, Bill Burnett on guitar, and Josh Levine on bass. They recorded the American Nightmare LP for Wingnut Records. Jim Martin of Faith No More later joined on guitar and tracked four songs for Fish and Vegetables, a split with Dr. Know and Hellions.

2000s Activity and Side Projects

Shows in Texas followed with Jim Martin, Casey Orr on bass, and Clint Phillips on drums. By 2001 the roster included Sammytown, Brian Schopflin, Jonny Manak, Alby Wasted, and Ike Eichensehr, who also started the Resistoleros and issued Rock ‘N Roll Napalm in 2003. Malt Soda and Delta Pop pressed the Pissed Off picture disc in 2004 with tracks from the 1988 session. The live set Live Cheap arrived the same year with a two guitar lineup featuring Jimmy Crucifix. Extensive touring followed, with additional recordings for tributes and splits. A double CD, Pissed Off Buddha, finally gathered Spun Helga, A Mi Ga Sfafas?, and the once shelved Pissed Off Buddha session, and included a live DVD. The album Here Come the Cops landed in 2012, followed by splits with Potbelly and Symbol Six, and the release of Rise Up! in 2017. The 2023 full length No Warning Shots Fired continued the run.

Covers and Notable Uses

Fang’s songs have been covered widely. “The Money Will Roll Right In” showed up in sets and releases by Metallica, Nirvana, and Mudhoney. Green Day recorded “I Wanna Be on TV” for Shenanigans. Fang tracks also appear on compilations and on film, including “We Die Alone” in the 2018 movie The Ranger.

Controversies and Legal Issues

In 1989, vocalist Sam McBride killed his girlfriend, Dixie Lee Carney. He fled for several months, was captured, and later received an 11 year sentence for voluntary manslaughter, serving six years before release. This incident and conviction are a documented part of the band’s history.

Members, Current

• Sam McBride
• Mike 86d
• Brandon Brown
• Tommy Gone Sour
• Obadiah Stephen Bowling

Selected Former Members

• Tom Flynn
• Bill Collins
• Joe Miller
• Tim Stiletto
• Chris Wilson
• Brian Beattie
• Mike Branum
• Josh Levine
• Skot Nelson
• Chris Ritter
• Jimmy Crucifix
• Brian Schopflin
• Mat McCoy
• Justin Werth
• Larry Tamez
• Turner Babcock
• Bubba Dennis
• Kevin Henderson

Discography, LPs

• Landshark!, Boner Records, 1982
• Where The Wild Things Are, Boner Records, 1983
• Spun Helga, National Trust Records, 1985
• A Mi Ga Sfafas?, Boner Records, 1986
• Pissed Off Buddha, Malt Soda Records, 2011, recorded 1988
• American Nightmare, Wingnut Records, 1998
• Fish and Vegetables, Hello Records, 2000, split with Dr. Know and Hellion
• Here Come the Cops, Malt Soda Recordings, 2012
• Rise Up!, Die Laughing Records, 2017
• No Warning Shots Fired, Fang Records, 2023

Singles and EPs

• “Enjoy the View” b w “Yukon Fang,” 1981
• Pissed Off, Delta Pop Music and Malt Soda, 2004, recorded 1988
• “Hair Of The Dog,” Man’s Ruin, 1997
• Fang and Oppressed Logic split 7 inch, Skinheads Smoke Dope with a Cheap Beer Hangover, Beer City Records, 1998
• Fang and Potbelly split 7 inch, PB Records, 2013
• Fang and Symbol Six split 12 inch EP, Jailhouse Records, 2014

Compilations and Appearances

• “Fun with Acid,” Not So Quiet on the Western Front, Alternative Tentacles, 1982
• “They Sent Me to Hell C.O.D.,” Rat Music For Rat People Vol. 2, 1984
• “Red Threat” and “Fun With Acid (Ill Version),” Life is a Joke, 1984
• “Johnny Puke” and “Better Off Dead,” Them Boners be Poppin’, 1985
• “Police on My Back,” Backlash, The Clash Tribute, 1999
• “Salty Leather,” Taking Out A Little Agression, 2007
• “Skinheads Smoke Dope with a Cheap Beer Hangover,” split with Oppressed Logic, Beer City Records, 1999
• “We Die Alone,” in the film The Ranger, 2018, from Rise Up!