Behind the Photo: Lou Dog Is Not Inside the Van!!

March 31, 2022

Ryan White from SRH explains the story behind an iconic Sublime photo and Losing Lou Doug:

In the mid 90’s, Sublime shows were always a little sketchy. We always knew they’d show up, but they sure made us sweat more than a few times, skipping any kind of sound check and showing up right when they were due to go on. But I’ll always remember the time they came down early and actually did a sound check, where Brad, Bud and Eric, all brought their dogs. I think the other two were used to hanging out in the van, but Louie was used to going with Brad into the shows and hanging out on stage. The manager of the venue, of course pulled me aside and said, no way Lou Dog could be in the bar during the show. I told him, not to worry about it, figuring we’d just sneak him in amongst all the chaos. But the manager knew me better than I thought, and warned me he would pull the plug mid show if I tried to pull anything sideways with Louie and sneak him in.

So the guys and I went back to my house to eat and do an interview for a Japanese punk magazine. So with their 3 dogs and my 2 dogs, of course there was going to be a dog fight. The second Louie got into my yard, he went at it hard with my dog, Mac, who was a big dog himself. We locked Mac in my room, but he hated that, and was a constant distraction through the interview. Brad and the band decided they would just bring Louie back to the club with them and just let Louie sit in the van. But Log Dog was an independent dog. He wasn’t going to just sit in the van while Brad was in the club. He had things to do. So when the show was over at around 1am. There was no Lou Dog. We spent the next couple of hours looking for him, driving around, calling his name, but no luck.

I finally drive home, to drop off my roommate who was exhausted. As I pull up to my house, sitting there happy as can be next to the gate is Lou Dog. Everything worked out, but I was always amazed at how Lou Dog found his way back to my house. I lived a couple miles away, across busy intersections and Lou Dog only got out at my house and at the venue and it wasn’t like he was looking out the window jotting down directions when we went from the venue to my house. He was just smart and cool fucking cool dog. This pic was taken in the living room and good old Lou Dog made that one picture a lifelong memory!