Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Bruce “Loose” Calderwood (formerly of Flipper) has passed away
It was revealed on September 5th that Bruce “Loose” Calderwood, Flipper‘s former bassist and co-vocalist, has died at the age of 66, as reported from MetalInjection. The historical group shared the news on Instagram with a picture of Calderwood, which was first announced by Who Cares Anyway, a collective that chronicles the post-punk movement in San Francisco. On behalf of the Chaoszine team, we’d like to extend our condolences to Calderwood’s family, friends and loved ones.
Two of Flipper‘s original members, Steve DePace and Ted Falconi, are still with the band today. Flipper was founded in 1979. Mike Watt, a recent addition, completes the lineup, which has witnessed numerous bassist and vocalist changes throughout the years, with Bruce Calderwood having the third-longest tenure with Flipper. Despite the band’s hiatuses, he dedicated more than 36 years to Flipper, appearing on all four of their studio albums. He alternated as bassist with John Dougherty and Krist Novoselic on occasion, but he always remained the band’s vocalist until a string of health issues prevented Calderwood from continuing with Flipper in 2015, at which point he retired.
Due to a car accident that injured his back and limited his ability to perform, Calderwood experienced a number of health problems in his later years in Flipper. Nevertheless, he continued to tour until he was involved in another car accident in 2009. According to a 2009 interview, Calderwood’s back problems began in high school, when he suffered his first back injury while participating in gymnastics. This led to a “destabilization” of his entire system. Flipper was largely inactive following the second car accident until a string of performances where Calderwood was just unable to play. As a result, David Yow took over as the band’s vocalist until 2022, at which point he left, and Mike Watt, the current bassist and vocalist, took over.
Many bands and artists, including Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana (who later played in Flipper for a brief stint from 2006 to 2009), the Melvins, and Jane’s Addiction, cited Flipper as an inspiration because of their unconventional live performances, fearless individualism, and highly distorted interpretation of punk.