Klaus Flouride

Geoffrey Lyall (born May 30, 1949 in Detroit, Michigan), better known as Klaus Flouride, is best known as the bassist for the San Francisco, California, punk rock band Dead Kennedys from the group's inception in June 1978 until the band's break-up in December 1986,^[1] although he also produced four solo albums during the 1980s and 1990s.

Flouride began working on a solo album following the release of Dead Kennedys' second album, 1982's Plastic Surgery Disasters, coming out with the 12" single "Shortnin' Bread" (with "The Drowning Cowboy" as the B-Side) in 1982 and the EP Cha Cha Cha With Mr. Flouride in 1985.

After the breakup, Flouride returned to his solo career, releasing Because I Say So in 1988 and The Light Is Flickering in 1991, the latter album including the song "Dancing with Shauna Grant".^[2]

Flouride also works in the studio as a producer and mixer and has done projects with the Hi-Fives, Ape, and Bad Posture. He and his former band-mates also became embroiled in a protracted lawsuit with former frontman Jello Biafra over reimbursement for band income and band material, which was settled in 2000 in the favor of East Bay Ray, Flouride, and D. H. Peligro.^[3]

In 2001, Flouride reunited with Ray and Peligro under the Dead Kennedys name, taking on Dr. Know vocalist Brandon Cruz as a replacement for Biafra. Jeff Penalty replaced Cruz in 2003.

Flouride wrote one song for the Dead Kennedys, "Dog Bite", which appears on the EP In God We Trust, Inc..

Early career

In the late 1960s, Klaus Flouride played in the band Magic Terry & The Universe, which included 1980s rock singer Billy Squier.

Equipment

For years Klaus Flouride's main bass guitar was a Lake Placid Blue Fender Jazz Bass from 1966 that he purchased for $200. However, in March, 2013 the bass went missing after a show in Brazil. Klaus believes that the airlines lost it. This was his main bass guitar all throughout his years with the Dead Kennedys. The bass was covered with stickers; the largest being the "DK", which stood for Dead Kennedys, and the pickguard is stained with blood. Other basses such as a black Fender Precision Bass and a blue Fender Bass VI have also been used.

Flouride used "an Acoustic 150b amp, and an Acoustic 402 cabinet with stock speakers at last thru 'In God We Trust'", before getting a Traynor Mono Block B amp to replace the Acoustic head. Recent pictures show a Gallien Krueger stack made of a 2x10 and a 1x15 cabinets, powered by a Gallien Krueger 1001 RB II head. An unknown Boss pedal can be seen in the same pictures. According to a recent post on Flouride's website, he uses a Boss Blues Driver and a Boss TU-2 tuner pedal.

Discography

Albums

• Cha Cha Cha With Mr. Flouride (1985), Alternative Tentacles
• Because I Say So (1988), Alternative Tentacles
• The Light Is Flickering (1991), Alternative Tentacles
• Flouride Treatments (2011) - sold via Flouride's web store only

Singles

• "Shortnin Bread" (1982), Alternative Tentacles

References

External links

• Official website