Fang (band)
Fang is an American hardcore punk band from the early East Bay punk rock scene, established in Berkeley, California, in 1980. History The band's first record under the name Fang was an "experimental record", according to the band; this was the "Yukon Fang" single. Fang guitarist Tom Flynn and bass player Brian Beattie, his former bandmate from the bands Tapeworm and Safety Patrol, put out "Yukon Fang" as a duo, and Fang was formed. The original incarnation of Fang toured the country once, only to break up shortly thereafter with Beattie moving on to Texas where he later formed the band Glass Eye. In the early fall of 1981, Flynn began playing with drummer Chris Ritter. They soon added bass player Chris Wilson and began playing shows in the Bay Area as a three piece, with Flynn on vocals. While this was happening, Sam McBride, the band's soon-to-be vocalist, was singing with future Fang drummer Greg Langston in the band Shut Up. In early 1982, Ritter was replaced with drummer Joel Fox, and at Fox's audition he brought along his friend McBride, who volunteered to be the band's singer. The line-up solidified as McBride (vocals), Chris Wilson (bass), Tom Flynn (guitar), and Joel Fox (drums). Together they contributed the song "Fun with Acid" to the Not So Quiet on the Western Front compilation album. Shortly thereafter, guitarist Tom Flynn founded the label Boner Records and released Fang's debut eight-song album Landshark and their 10-song follow-up Where the Wild Things Are. Tim Stiletto drummed on the latter. These two releases are now considered classic East Bay punk. The original line-up of Fang dissolved in 1985 after the departure of founder Tom Flynn (Who went on to found a band known as Antler Family). Sammytown carried on the band, recruiting a new line-up of Bill Collins (guitar), Joe Miller (bass), and Steve Chinn (drums). Flynn and Boner Records remained affiliated with the band, putting out the first tracks by the new line-up on a Boner Records compilation, Then Boners Be Poppin in 1985. In January 1986, the "Spun Helga" LP was recorded in West Germany with McBride singing vocals, and two Germans named Joe (guitar) and Ollie (drums) playing instruments. We Bite Records released the LP in Germany, and in the US it was handled by National Trust Records. Fang next release was 1987's A Mi Ga Sfafas? (literally, "Give Me Head?"). In 1988/89, drummer Mike Branum replaced Chinn. Fang then recorded the album Pissed Off Buddah, which remained unreleased until 2008, when it was released with Fang's other albums Spun Helga and A Mi Ga Sfafas? In 1989, Sam McBride – while running an acid-dealing business – murdered his girlfriend, a crime for which he was convicted and served six years in prison. According to an L.A. Weekly article dated February 8, 2017:In 1989, Sammytown killed his girlfriend, Dixie Lee Carney, suspecting that she was working with a different acid dealer to take all of his business. In a drug-addled rage,