What I know...the lead singer Sammy aka Sammytown aka Sma McBride ... whose parents were a prostitute and a murderer outta San Francisco When I first discovered Fang Sammy was in prison for the murder of his girlfriend Dixie Le Caney.He was imprisoned in 1989 and was released just 6 years later....
Interview with Sam:
Interview with Sammytown:Flipside Magazine Number 84 May/June 1993
Shane: What is the current status of Fang? When do you expect to be out and will you put that band back together with any of the other members you played with in its past?
Sammy: Fang is dead. RIP. Fang is a memory of being in a van, fucking, fighting, hard drinkin', thrashin'. Good memories. I was young when I got into Fang. It was my life for a long time but all things come to an end and Fang had it's time and place. Since I was the only surviving member of the original line-up, when things tell apart or more honestly, when I fell apart, Fang broke up. The was in the spring of '89. I'll be back on the streets on '95 or '96 and as far as putting Fang back together I won't, especially not with the guys I played with when we broke up. I've got a lot of animosity towards Joe, Bill and Mike. Regardless of what I did I was brought up hating the cops and the law and the system. It hurt that motherfuckers I had helped out over the years, sometimes supported, would turn and run to the cops and snitch. Would get on TV, on A Current Affair and call me 'an evil motherfucker.' I wasn't so damn evil when I made it possible for Fang to go to Europe. I wasn't so damn evil that anyone I knew that needed a place to crash, a beer or a meal got one. No one got turned away from the Madonna Inn (Fang house in West Oakland). I'm not saying I was a saint but a lot of people that played with me got opportunities to travel and do things they otherwise wouldn't have been able to do if it wasn't for me. These same people jumped on the "let's send Sammy Town to the Electric Chair" bandwagon and helped the cops out when they could. On our 3rd album, 'Spun Helga' we did a song called 'Honor Among Thieves', no honor exists. A real bunch of rebels, a real bunch of fuckin' anarchists. I would have had more respect for the scene, for my so called friends it they would have had the balls to say 'you fucked up' and then killed me.
Shane: Go ahead and tell Flipside readers (and me) as much of the circumstances of your incarceration as you care to - at the very least let us know how long you've been in at this point and what the band was up to when the shit came down.
Sammy: I was arrested in Alaska after running for 6 months. When I went to court in Oakland for California Penal Code 187 (murder). I was at first offered a 15 to life plea bargain which was no bargain as far as I'm concerned. Finally, after fighting my case from the County Jail for a year the D.A. offered me an 11 year voluntary manslaughter plea bargain which I took. As for what happened? Did I do it? Did I kill Dixie? Yeah, I killed her. It wasn't some sort of Sid and Nancy thing though. Some things involved will never come to light, not by my lips anyway. What I can say or will say is that a lot of money came up missing and when you play you have to pay.
When the band broke up in the spring of '89 I put all of my energy into making money. Things got out of hand and certain unwritten rules were broken. Saying I'm sorry for what happened is never gonna be enough and when I get out I'll have my own death threats to deal with.
I've been down three years now. I've got about 3 left to do (I'll do 6 years on 11 years, California's Dept. of Corrections gives half time to a motherfucker who works while incarcerated.) Did some time in San Quentin and then Solidad. At Solidad I put a thrash metal band together. We played on song on the yard and a race riot broke out. I ended up doing [SCP editor note: what was printed in Flipside here didn't make any sense] days in the hole and was then transferred to Solano. Solano is not the war zone that Quentin and Solidad are so it's pretty kicked back here.
Shane: Go back briefly over Fangs discography that comes to mind -and tell me what you think of these releases now or any story or circumstances at or around their time of recording that comes to mind?
Sammy: Fangs discography starts with 'Not So Quiet On The Western Front" compilation we had one song 'Fun With Acid' that sort of kicked things off for us. 'Landshark' was our first EP then 'Where The Wild Things Are' both on Boner Records. "Spun Helga' recorded in Germany and released in America on National Trust or some label down in LA. Back to Boner for a 4th album 'A Mi Ga Sfafas' ('Give Me Head' in Yugoslavian). We recorded a 5th album 'Pissed Off Buddha' which was never completed or released. We had songs on a bunch of different compilation albums in America and Europe. A CD was put out right after I got busted, by Boner records, but haven't heard or seen it. Don't even know what it's called. I never was one to listen to my own records but if I had to pick the one I liked the best it would be 'A Mi Ga Sfafas.'
Shane: Tell us something about Boner the label. I guess their flagship band nowadays is Duh! What do you know/think of them?
Sammy: Boner Records is Tom Flynn. Fangs original guitar player. He quit Fang to become a record mogul. I also think he quit because he couldn't take the insanity any more. Too many wild parties and wild women. It's really a shame that he stopped playing because he is a hellified guitar player. Tom and I have had our ups and downs over the years. We haven't always seen eye to eye but what artist and record label ever does? Never heard of 'Duh!' don't know anything about them or what they sound like.
Shane: Any memorable tour stories that you're not totally burnt on relating at this point?
Sammy: I reckon that one of the non x-rated ones is what you had in mind. Probably the most bizarre ones is when we were up in Edmonton, Canada. We played a gig and afterwards stopped at a off sales bar to buy some beer for the after party. One of the locals and I went in to buy a few cases and when we walked up to the bartender he figured the local, erroneously, as a guy who had been passing counterfeit money all over Canada. We thought we finally got things straightened out when they sold us some beer and let us go. Little did we know at the time that the bouncer had followed us out to the van and called in our license plate to the cops. We went and partied for awhile but had to split at about 3 AM to make our next show. Joe was the designated driver, he didn't get too fucked up like polio like the rest of us, so we all piled in the van and started making our way to the freeway. We made it about half a mile before we got pulled over. I'm sitting shotgun and Joe's yelling at me to trade places with him because he doesn't have a drivers license. Even though I was shit faced I traded places with him just in time for the SWAT team to arrive and drag us all out of the van making us all get down on our knees and handcuffed in the rain. They had us pegged as an international counterfeiting ring. As we were being loaded into cop cars I found out who was in charge and convinced him to find out when the bad bills were passed and to check with immigrations to show we had only been in the country for 3 days. The cops knew I was drunk as a skunk but when they found out the bills had been passed weeks before we were ever in the country I think they got a little embarrassed for calling out the SWAT team and told us to get into the van and get the hell out of town.
Shane: What other bands have covered and released Fang songs? If you list what you know of hopefully this will work interactively and anyone who knows of other stuff will write you and tell you about it.
Sammy: The most well known band that ever covered a Fang song is Metallica back in the Cliff days. They never recorded it though. I heard Mudhoney put out a CD with a cover of 'The Money Will Roll Right In" and play it live but I've never heard it. Over the years touring I've come across a few bands that have covered Fang songs but long brain damage and years of abuse make it hard to remember exactly who did what. Or even what my own name is.
Shane: What currently popular styles/genres of music do you like - any particular bands you're really into now?
Sammy: Music is God, the Devil and pussy all rolled into one. Being locked up for the last 3 years I haven't been able to keep up much on what new is happening. Since I've been here at Solano though I listen to KDVS radio station and Paul's show playing punk rock on Fridays at midnight. It's a righteous radio show. Some current happening bands are Premature Baby's from Michigan, Syrup out of Winter Haven Florida... The Arcata scene is supposed to be jumpin' with bands like Grimace, OneMan Running and Food...
Shane: Just how far back do you trace the lineage of punk rock? Do you consider it virtually synonymous with rock and roll or what?
Sammy: Punk Rock to me is a state of mind. It's walking down the street getting into a rumble because people don't like your clothes or hairstyle or earrings. It's slam dancing at 10th St. Hall, stage diving at the On Broadway, fucking a punker betty from the valley backstage at the Elite Club, shooting speed in the Mab's bathroom, brawling in the parking lot next to the Sound of Music.
From what I've heard and there way things were before I fell, punk rock in the big city is seriously declining. The scene's are dying. Still, in small towns across America and Europe the attitude is there, the anarchy and insanity, the people fuck and fight together and still look out for each other, Bands like L7 (who I think totally rock) and Pearl Jam and Nirvana are the cutting edge bringing the music into the mainstream but think that the hardcore rebelling, having to constantly get into shit because you're a freak, the shock, is gone and was a big part of the fun.
The lineage goes back to the New York Dolls, to David Bowie, Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Lou Reed, Television... As far as it being synonymous with Rock and Roll, it wasn't for me. It was exactly the opposite. Punk Rock was saying; 'Fuck Rock and Roll, fuck the mainstream,' Things have changed and I don't think Punk Rock really means those things to most of the people involved anymore.
Shane: Where can interested individuals write you and what can they send where you're at?
Sammy: The only thing I can get in the mail at this joint is letters and photographs. If anyone wants to send smut, death threats (what's a few more between enemies), Fang mail or whatever: [deleted]
Shane: Anything else you want to say that I didn't ask about?
Sammy: Listen to the very bowels of authority. Chew me up, spit me out. BURP! I am still alive and as only the good die young, will probably live to a ripe old age. Prison ain't no place to be but who the fuck would I be if I didn't turn torture into prosperity so. I write, I work out and get a little more dangerous. Keep your eyes open for "30 Days In The Hole" coming to no bookstores near you soon.
I would like to add a big thanks to all the people that have stayed in touch and helped to keep me going while I've been down. To the rest of the fair weathers and back stabbers, as my buddy Freud would say "Fuck me? No, FUCK YOU"
And remember kids... "Do a crime, go to prison, get a free tattoo!"
My copy and paste and FANG Do not agree.....alas I will post this and then
add some video footage on another post as it seems this post is all jacked!!!
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