Sublime was an American ska punk and reggae rock band from Long Beach, California, formed
in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell,
Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh. Lou Dog, Nowell's dalmatian, was the mascot of the band. Michael
'Miguel' Happoldt and Marshall Goodman "Ras MG" contributed to and co-wrote several Sublime
songs. Nowell died of a heroin overdose in 1996. In 1997, posthumous songs such as "Santeria",
"Wrong Way", "Doin' Time", and "April 29, 1992" were released to U.S. radio.
Sublime released three studio albums, one live album, five compilation albums, three
EPs and one box set. Although their first two albums—40oz. to Freedom and Robbin'
the Hood—were quite popular in the United States, Sublime did not experience major commercial
success until 1996 with their self-titled third album, released two months after Nowell's
death, which peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, and spawned the single "What I Got",
which remains the band's only number one hit single in their musical career. As of 2009,
the band has sold over 17 million albums worldwide, including about 10 million in the U.S. alone.
In 2009, the surviving members decided to reform the band with Rome Ramirez, a young
guitarist and self-admitted Sublime fan from California. However, not long after performing
at Cypress Hill's Smokeout Festival, a Los Angeles judge banned the new lineup from using
the Sublime name. This was because Nowell had owned rights to the Sublime name, and
as a result, they were not allowed to use it without approval and permission from his
estate. In January 2010, the lawsuit was settled and the new lineup now performs together as
Sublime with Rome, who released their debut album Yours Truly on July 12, 2011. Five months
after its release, Gaugh announced his departure from the band.
History Early career
Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh were childhood friends, having grown up in the same Long Beach neighborhood.
Eric's father Billy Wilson taught Gaugh how to read music and play the drums. Gaugh and
Wilson together with future Sublime manager Michael Happoldt formed a three-piece punk
band called The Juice Bros during their high school years. About this time, Bradley Nowell,
who had recently dropped out of University of California, Santa Cruz, joined the band.
Nowell helped introduce Gaugh and Wilson to reggae and ska, who at the time listened exclusively
to punk rock. Sublime played its first gig on the Fourth
of July, 1988 in a small club. Music venues were skeptical of the band's eclectic musical
fusion and many refused to book the band. In response, the band created their own music
label, Skunk Records, and told venues that they were "Skunk Records recording artists",
which helped the band seem more accomplished and subsequently book more shows. For the
next several years, the group focused primarily on playing at parties and small clubs with
local ska bands Smokestacks, No Doubt and Skeletones to name a few throughout Southern
California. The trio recorded a few songs and put forth a number of short demos.
In February 1990, Nowell adopted an abused dalmatian puppy from a shelter and named him
"Louie" after his grandfather. Louie Nowell, King Louie, or "Lou Dog" as he was called,
became something of a mascot for the band. Gaugh recalled that "Lou Dog just loved Brad
because it was the first time he had ever actually been shown love." Lou Dog was often
allowed to wander around the stage during the band's concert performances. One of Sublime's
early club venues in 1990 was at a downtown club in Long Beach called Toe Jams. This Club
was owned and operated by David Rice, James Walker, Jason Burch and Jeff King. A private
party was held in February 1991 at Toe Jams for one of the owners. Special thanks can
be found for Toe Jams and the owners on the back of the later produced album 40oz to Freedom.
In late 1990, music student Michael "Miguel" Happoldt approached the band, offering to
let the band record in the studio at the school where Happoldt was studying. The band enthusiastically
agreed and trespassed into the school at night, where they recorded from midnight to seven
in the morning. The recording session resulted in the popular cassette tape called Jah Won't
Pay the Bills, which was released in 1991 and featured songs that would later appear
on the band's future albums. The tape helped the band gain a grassroots following throughout
Southern California. 40oz. to Freedom and Robbin' the Hood
Eventually, Sublime developed a large following in California. After concentrating on playing
live shows, the band released 40oz. to Freedom in 1992 under Nowell's label, Skunk Records.
The record established Sublime's blend of ska, reggae, punk, surf rock, and hip hop,
and helped to further strengthen the group's growing California following. Initially being
sold exclusively at their live shows, the album became widely known in the greater Los
Angeles area after rock radio station KROQ began playing the song, "Date Rape".
In 1992/1993, Sublime was briefly signed to Danny Holloway's True Sound imprint. However,
the band stayed on Skunk Records and then in June 1994, they were signed to the label
Gasoline Alley of MCA Records by Jon Phillips who subsequently became Sublime's manager.
Sublime released their second album Robbin' the Hood in 1994, an experimental effort with
its diffuse mixture of rock, rap, spoken-word nonsense and folk-leaning acoustic home recordings.
Robbin' the Hood was a commercial failure and did not produce any singles. The band
toured extensively throughout 1994-1995, their popularity increasing gradually beyond the
West Coast as "Date Rape" began earning radio play. In 1995, the band co-headlined the inaugural
nationwide Vans Warped Tour. The band's drug use led to tensions with the tour management
as Gaugh was arrested several times for possessing marijuana. The band was eventually asked to
leave the tour for a week due to unruly behavior after an incident in which Nowell's dalmatian
Lou Dog bit members of the audience. Gaugh reflected on the experience: "Basically, our
daily regimen was wake up, drink, drink more, play, and then drink a lot more. We'd call
people names. Nobody got our sense of humor. Then we brought the dog out and he bit a few
skaters, and that was the last straw." After the Warped Tour and the subsequent Three Ring
Circus Tour, the band was pressured to begin producing new studio material as a follow-up
to Robbin' the Hood. Nowell's death, final album and breakup
In early 1996, Sublime headlined the very first SnoCore Tour. In February, they began
recording what would comprise the band's self-titled third record and their major label debut album.
They completed it before Nowell died of a heroin overdose on May 25, 1996 at a motel
in San Francisco, California, which was a day after their last live show in Petaluma,
California, 596, and two months prior to the release. The album became a huge success,
including the single "What I Got", which made it to No.1 at the Modern Rock Chart. The album
earned the band worldwide fame, and has since gone five-times platinum. In addition to "What
I Got", the album included several popular 'posthumous' singles including "Santeria",
"Doin' Time", "Wrong Way" and "April 29, 1992", all of which received heavy airplay.
Jason Westfall, one of Sublime's managers, was quoted as saying that "the surviving members
of Sublime had no interest in continuing to perform and record under the 'Sublime' name.
"Just like Nirvana, Sublime died when Brad died," Westfall said.
Post-breakup A number of posthumous releases followed,
among them Second-Hand Smoke in 1997 and both Stand by Your Van and Sublime Acoustic: Bradley
Nowell & Friends in 1998. By the release of their Greatest Hits compilation in 1999 the
band had released as many albums after Nowell's death as during his lifetime. A box set of
demos, rarities and live recordings, entitled Everything Under the Sun, was released on
November 14, 2006. The band later released several vinyl picture discs including 40 Oz.
To Freedom, Second Hand Smoke, and Stand By Your Van. On June 16, 2012, the group reunited
to give a show at the D-Tox Rockfest in Montebello, Quebec.
Following Sublime's demise, its surviving members Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh formed the
Long Beach Dub Allstars in 1997, which also included many frequent Sublime contributors
such as Michael "Miguel" Happoldt, Marshall Goodman "Ras MG", and Todd Forman. LBDA disbanded
in 2002, due to several members of the band breaking a no-drug vow they had taken.
Nowell's widow, Troy was in recent negotiations with label execs as well as entertainment
impresario Paul Ruffino to produce a documentary based on Sublime's rise led by Bradley Nowell.
Troy Holmes was delayed from making the project a reality until the estate of Nowell could
be settled. Bud Gaugh joined the short-lived Eyes Adrift,
a supergroup consisting of Bud on drums, Krist Novoselic on bass and Curt Kirkwood on guitar
and lead vocals. On September 24, 2002, Eyes Adrift released their only album, a self-titled
LP consisting of 12 songs. They released one single from the CD, entitled, "Alaska".
On June 5, 2013 it was announced that Sublime would be celebrating the 25th anniversary
of their first show with the release of their first live album/concert film. The album,
titled 3 Ring Circus: Live at the Palace – October 21, 1995, will feature footage recorded at
a show in Hollywood and will be released on June 18, 2013. The deluxe version will feature
all sorts of extras including a poster, backstage pass and a completely separate concert film
of the bands performance recorded in 1995 at the Las Palmas Theatre.
Musical style and influences Sublime was one of the most popular bands
of the third wave of ska, specifically characterized as ska punk.
Bob Marley and associated Jamaican reggae acts The Wailers, and Peter Tosh feature prominently
in Sublime's songs, as do other Jamaican reggae and dancehall acts such as Born Jamericans,
Toots & the Maytals, The Melodians, Wayne Smith, Tenor Saw, Frankie Paul, The Wailing
Souls, Barrington Levy, Half Pint and Yellowman. The band additionally covered "Smoke Two Joints"
originally by Oregon-based reggae group The Toyes.
Sublime was also heavily influenced by the 1980s and 1990s hip-hop and rap scene of Los
Angeles and New York City, alluding to or borrowing from such acts as N.W.A and Eazy-E,
the Beastie Boys, Just-Ice, Public Enemy and Flavor Flav, KRS-One, Doug E. Fresh, Too $hort,
Mobb Deep, as well as the Philadelphia-based rapper Steady B and Texas hip-hop The Geto
Boys. The southern California metal, surf rock and
punk scene influencing Sublime includes Big Drill Car, The Ziggens, Minutemen, The Descendents,
Bad Religion, The Bel-Airs, Butthole Surfers, Secret Hate, as well as fellow fusion band
Fishbone. Sublime was also influenced by Washington, DC hardcore acts such as Minor Threat, Fugazi
and Bad Brains. The band also referenced popular California bands like Grateful Dead, The Doors,
and Red Hot Chili Peppers, the famous British rock band The Beatles as well as Swedish pop
band ABBA. A few references are made to funk, R&B, and
soul bands such as James Brown, the Ohio Players, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Aswad, as well
as a smattering of Irish, Scottish and English bands like Boomtown Rats, The Specials, and
Primal Scream. Sublime's music was highlighted by bass-driven
grooves, reggae rhythms, elaborately-cadenced rhyme schemes and transitions between paces
and styles throughout a given song, sometimes alternating between thrash punk, ska and reggae
within the same song. Their music often contains psychedelic, harmonic minor-based or bluesy
guitar solos, rhythmically-improvised bass solos or dub-lines, turntable scratching and
rolling drum transitions and heavy bass lines. They are known for being one of the first
and most influential reggae fusion musicians. Impact and legacy
With the mainstream success of their self-titled album, going six times Multi-platinum and
earning worldwide airplay, Sublime's impact persists to this day. As one of the most popular
ska-punk bands, it is credited with reviving popular interest in ska, as well as bringing
punk rock into the mainstream. Their signature sound and their songs are often associated
with the beach/coastal areas of Southern California, such as San Diego, Orange County, Venice Beach
and Long Beach as well as areas of Northern California like 'Santa Cruz. Over a decade
after Nowell's death and the band's breakup, Sublime remains immensely popular throughout
North America, especially in its state of origin, California. Its songs have been featured
via soundtrack in a variety of media. Los Angeles alternative rock radio station KROQ
has listed Sublime at No. 3 in their annual "Top 106.7 biggest KROQ bands of all time"
list for the past six years in a row, behind Red Hot Chili Peppers and Nirvana, and No. 81
at the "Top 166 Artists of 1980-2008" list. With over 17 million units sold worldwide,
Sublime is one of the most successful, and 'powerfully moving' ska-punk acts of all time
influencing many modern reggae and ska acts. Equipment
Bradley Nowell Guitars
Dan MacDonald Custom Electric Guitar - Body based on a mix of a 1960s Vox Hurricane and
a G&L 100 guitar - Ebony Fretboard - Fitted with a Floyd Rose Vibrato System
Ibanez S-540 Saber Series Electric Guitar - Smoke Black - Flame Top
Ibanez S-470 Blue 70's Fender Stratocaster
Gibson FJN Gibson F-25 Folksinger
Bradley borrowed guitars many times from other bands.
Pedals Boss DD-3 Digital Delay
Boss OS-2 Overdrive Distortion Whirlwind A/B Selector
Amps Marshall JCM-800 Combo / 2x12
Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus Combo / 2x12 Mesa/Boogie {Triple Rectifier} Head / 4x12
Cabinet Members
Todd Forman – Saxophone Kelly Vargas – Drums
Christopher Michael Bauer - Trumpet, Bong Rips
Discography
For Sublime with Rome's discography, see Sublime with Rome discography.
40oz. to Freedom Robbin' the Hood
Sublime References
External links Sublime official site