Flipper is an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1979, continuing in often erratic fashion until the mid-1990s, then reuniting in 2005. The band influenced a number of grunge, punk rock and noise rock bands. Their slowed-down, bass-driven and heavily distorted style of punk is considered to have inspired bands such as the Melvins and Nirvana, whose bass player Krist Novoselic played with the band in the 2000s. Founding member and original vocalist Williams was credited with naming the band, Bruce “Loose” Calderwood replaced Williams Bruce and Shatter typically took turns, one playing bass while the other sang lead vocal. Falconi was a Vietnam War veteran, and played a uniquely distorted style of guitar.
Flipper's first recordings appeared in late 1979 on the SF Underground 7-inch EP released on the newly formed Subterranean Records, Mark Arm claimed, in the 2006 documentary American Hardcore, that Flipper's charm as a band lay in their ability to upset audiences while attracting their undivided attention and curiosity at the same time. Fans began spray painting "Flipper Rules" in various locations around San Francisco and eventually the world.
thumb|right|160px|The cover of [[Gone Fishin' (Flipper album)|Gone Fishin in 1984. The pictured van was where Ted Falconi lived when not on tour with the band. Photo by Vincent Anton.]]A follow-up 1984 Subterranean studio album, Gone Fishin,
The original members of Flipper, save for the late Shatter (with Bruno DeSmartass The song "Scentless Apprentice", which the band recorded (without Novoselic) for a 2000 Nirvana tribute album, was added to the band's setlist.
thumb|right|180px|Cover of 2008's [[Love (Flipper album)|Love, written and recorded with Krist Novoselic of Nirvana on bass]]In 2008, the band recorded a new album with Novoselic, On May 19, 2009, Flipper released a "twin album" featuring one album, titled Love, of new studio material, and a second live album, titled Fight featuring both old and new songs. Both of these albums were produced by Seattle producer Jack Endino and were well received. Novoselic announced his departure from the band in September 2009 due to responsibilities at home, forcing a tour cancellation. He was replaced by Rachel Thoele, formerly of Frightwig, Mudwimin and Van Gough's Daughter.
Flipper played two shows at San Francisco's Bottom of the Hill on October 10 and 11, 2015, with DeSmartass returning on bass and David Yow (formerly of Scratch Acid and the Jesus Lizard) on vocals.
In 2019, Flipper decided to play some dates to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band. Watt will take over for Thoele when the band embarks on their European tour.
On September 5, 2025, Bruce Loose died from a heart attack at the age of 66.
Influence on other musicians
Kurt Cobain wore a self-made Flipper T-shirt, seen in the booklet pictures of Nirvana's In Utero, on the band's first performance on Saturday Night Live in 1992, and also in the music video for "Come as You Are". Cobain and Novoselic cited Flipper as one of their band's influences.
In the documentary American Hardcore, Moby stated that he fronted Flipper for two days while singer Will Shatter was in jail because he "knew all of their songs". Steve DePace recalls that it was only for one night.
Eric Avery of Jane's Addiction has said that Flipper's rolling rhythms and repetitive riffs were an influence on his band's early sound.
In Get in the Van, his memoir of the early 1980s punk rock scene, Henry Rollins of Black Flag described the Flipper experience: "They were just heavy. Heavier than you. Heavier than anything...When they played they were amazing".
Covers
R.E.M. covered "Sex Bomb" for the A-side of the 1994 edition of their Fan Club Singles 7-inch series.
The Melvins covered several Flipper songs: "Sacrifice" on their Lysol album; "Love Canal" and "Someday" on a 5-inch single released by Slap-A-Ham Records; and "Way of the World" on the Singles 1–12 compilation.
Belgian electronica/industrial band Lords of Acid covered Flipper's song "Sex Bomb", and released a live version on the 1995 "Do What You Wanna Do" maxi-single. The track started with Praga Khan giving credit to Flipper. It was later reinterpreted in the Lords' typical style on the 2000 album Farstucker, and is a staple of their live shows.
UK band Terminal Cheesecake also covered' "Sex Bomb" on their second album, 1989's V.C.L. (Wiiija Records).
Unsane covered the song "Ha Ha Ha" on their 2012 album Wreck.
Band members
Current
- Ted Falconi – guitar (1979–present)
- Steve DePace – drums (1979–present)
- Mike Watt – bass (2019, 2022–present); vocals (2022–present)
Former
- Will Shatter – vocals, bass (1979–1987; his death)
- Ricky Williams – vocals (1979; died 1992)
- Bruce Loose – vocals, bass (1979–2015; died 2025)
- Bruno DeSmartass – bass, guitar (1983, 2005–2006, 2015)
- John Dougherty – bass (1990–1993; died 1997)
- Krist Novoselic – bass (2006–2009)
- Rachel Thoele – bass (2009–2015, 2019, 2019–2022)
- David Yow – vocals (2015–2022); bass (2015–2019)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Year
!Label
|-
|Album – Generic Flipper
|1982
|Subterranean Records, reissued on Water Records in 2008
|-
|Gone Fishin
|1984
|Subterranean Records, reissued on Water Records in 2008
|-
|American Grafishy
|1993
|Def American
|-
|Love
|2009
|MVD Audio
|-
|}
Live albums
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Year
!Label
|-
|Blow'n Chunks
|1984
|ROIR
|-
|Public Flipper Limited
|1986
|Subterranean Records, reissued on Water Records in 2008
|-
|Nürnberg Fish Trials
|1991
|Musical Tragedies
|-
|Live at CBGB's
|1997
|Overground
|-
|Fight
|2009
|MVD Audio
|-
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Year
!Label
|-
|"Love Canal"/"Ha Ha Ha"
|1980
|Subterranean Records
|-
|"Sex Bomb"/"Brainwash"
|1981
|Subterranean Records
|-
|"Get Away"/"The Old Lady that Swallowed the Fly"
|1982
|Subterranean Records
|-
|"Some Day"/"Distant Illusion"
|1990
|Subterranean Records
|-
|"Flipper Twist"/"Fucked Up"
|1992
|Matador Records/Def American
|-
|"Sex Bomb Remix-Falconi's Horn Concerto In D-Fault (Live)" (Second recording is on the same track. Sides A and B are the same)
|1993
|Fear and Loathing
|-
|Generic Single: "Sex Bomb"/"Sex Bomb (Single Version)"/"Brainwash"
|2009
|Domino
|-
|"Hot Fish (with The Melvins)"/"Sacrifice (with The Melvins)" (Side A of split single with The Melvins)
|2019
|Amphetamine Reptile Records
|-
|"Love Canal (with David Yow)"
|2019
|Joyful Noise Records
|-
|}
Compilations
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Year
!Label
|-
|Sex Bomb Baby
|1988
|Subterranean Records, reissued on Infinite Zero Archive/American Recordings in 1995, reissued on Water Records in 2008
|-
|Not A Flipper Tape (Limited Cassette Release)
|1988
|Cao Din Records
|-
|Problem Child
|2020
|Cleopatra Records
|-
|Flipper's Greatest Misses
|Unreleased
|None
|}
Videos
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Year
!Label
|-
|Flipper Tape/Caught Live!/Flipper Live:1983
|1983
| Ace Video/RIA/Dog Patch
|-
|Flipper Live
|February 19, 2008
|Music Video Distributors
|-
|}
Other appearances
{| class="wikitable"
!Title
!Year
!Album
|-
|"Earthworm"
|1979
|SF Underground
|-
|"Falling", "Lowrider" and "End the Game"
|1981
|Live at Target
|-
|"Ha Ha Ha"
|1981
|Let Them Eat Jellybeans!
|-
|"Sacrifice"
|1982
|Not So Quiet on the Western Front
|-
|"Life"
|1982
|Rat Music for Rat People
|-
|"Ever"
|1983
|Eastern Front
|-
|"Ever" and "Sex Bomb"
|1992
|The Wanna-Be-an-Indie-But-Got-Too-Much-$ Sampler
|-
|"Some Day"
|1993
|SXSW
|-
|"Love Canal" and "Get Away"
|1994
|Infinite Zero Promotional CD#2
|-
|"Ha Ha Ha"
|1995
|Old School Punk
|-
|"Scentless Apprentice" (Nirvana cover)
|2000
|Smells Like Bleach: A Punk Tribute to Nirvana
|-
|"Sad But True"
|2001
|A Punk Tribute to Metallica
|-
|"Problem Child" (AC/DC cover)
|2002
|For Those About to Rawk: A Punk Tribute to AC/DC
|-
|"Ha Ha Ha"
|2006
|American Hardcore's Official Movie Soundtrack
|-
|"Hash Pipe" (Weezer cover)
|2006
|A Punk Tribute to Weezer
|}
References
External links
- Flipper/Negative Trend Concert Chronology (archived at Archive.org)
- Domino Records' Flipper website
- WMUC-FM, 88.1, College Park, Maryland, attempts to interview Flipper backstage at Nightclub 930 in Washington, DC, on March 14, 1982