1988-1996, 2009, 2023- Brad NowellVocals, guitar1988–1996
Eric WilsonBass1988–1996, 2009, 2023–
Bud GaughDrums1988–1996, 2009, 2023–
Jacob NowellVocals, guitar2023-
Sublime give off mellow vibes, but their very first show is known as the "Peninsula Riot." It took place on July 4, 1988, on the beach outside of Brad Nowell's home in the Peninsula area of Long Beach, California. A small-scale riot ensued, with police called in and seven people arrested.
Their first record, 40 Oz. to Freedom, was released through a homemade label, Skunk Records, started by Nowell and Sublime manager Miguel. It sold an amazing 5,000 copies before they were signed to MCA and spent over 50 weeks on Billboard's Alternative New Artist chart.
Brad Nowell was 28 when he died on May 25, 1996 in San Francisco from a heroin overdose. Sublime's hits - songs like "
Santeria" and "
What I Got" - were all released on their third (self-titled) album that July, two months after Nowell's death.
Miguel (a.k.a. Michael Happoldt) played a major role in the band, playing several instruments on their first album and producing their outtakes collection Second-hand Smoke after Nowell died.
Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh continued in music after Nowell's death, forming the Long Beach Dub Allstars, which released their first album in 1999. They rebooted Sublime in 2009 with lead singer Rome Ramirez, but had to stop using the name when Brad Nowell's estate took legal action. They continued on as Sublime With Rome but were able to use the Sublime name when Jakob Nowell essentially replaced Ramirez as lead singer.
Lou Dog was Nowell's dog, a dalmatian. He was name-checked in several songs, not to mention the backing vocals he contributed. Some consider him the fourth member of the band. Once, he was lost in Costa Rica, but was quickly recovered... in the jungle. Lou Dog died in 2001.
Artists that have been cited as Sublime influences: Black Flag, the Specials, KRS-One, the Circle Jerks, Selector, Run-D.M.C., and NWA. Artists that Sublime toured with: Firehouse, No Doubt, the Ramones, the Melvins and Butthole Surfers.
Bud Gaugh on politics: "We're pro-choice. We think everyone should have the right to smoke pot or not."
Nowell's first band was formed when he was 13 and was called Hogan's Heroes.
One night, they found a man in a halfway house named Raleigh Theodore Sakers. He began hallucinating and the band pulled out their tape recorder. Some of his ramblings can be heard on their second album, Robbin' the Hood.
The Long Beach Dub Allstars include Marshall Goodman, who was in charge of samples and turntables for Sublime, and singer Opie Ortiz, who did artwork for Sublime.
Brad Nowell's heroin addiction got so bad he got the tattoos to his elbow and underarm just to hide his track marks.
In 1995 they played the very first Warped Tour, but not without incident. Drummer Bud Gaugh borrowed a BMX bike and broke two ribs when he dropped in on a half-pipe. With no time to see a doctor, he self-medicated with painkillers and beer just to get through each show. When the tour came to Florida he was arrested for seeking out painkillers in what was then a zero-tolerance state, causing him to miss a show before rejoining the tour.
Paul Leary, who produced their 1996 self-titled album, is the guitarist in the Butthole Surfers. "He heard our song 'Date Rape' on the radio, so we hooked up back then," Eric Wilson said in his
Songfacts interview. "And ever since then, there's no reason looking for anyone else. He's such a perfectionist when it comes to producing."
Leary also produced the 2015 Sublime With Rome album
Sirens.
Bradley Nowell dropped out of college with only one semester left from getting his Bachelor's degree. He was majoring in finance.
After Bradley wore out his Ibanez, he got a custom-built guitar from a friend to which he gave the affectionate name, "The Brown Guitar." It was designed especially for him and now is owned by his family in Long Beach, California.
When Nowell was 11 years old, he went to the Virgin Islands with his dad. This was when he was introduced to reggae, which greatly influenced his music.
The last show Sublime played with their original lineup was at Petaluma, California, on May 24, 1996, about 8-12 hours before Nowell was found dead in his hotel room. This is quite a rare recording, as most websites have been forced to remove links to it. However, there are a lot of fans who still hold these recordings. The show was eventually given the name "Play Nice in the Pit."
Nowell died just seven days after he married his wife Troy, and 11 months after his son Jakob Nowell was born. Sublime re-formed with Jakob at the helm on December 11, 2023 to play a benefit concert for Bad Brains singer H.R., who was having medical issues. Their next show was a lot bigger: Day 2 of Coachella on April 13, 2024. Their fellow So-Cal ska band No Doubt was also on the bill that day, playing for the first time since 2015.
