BOMF! has always had a revolving door when it came to drummers. After Dynachrome ended its brief stint as a practice band, BOMF! was formed and enlisted the help of Garcia to play drums. As a precursor to moving to Sacramento (Sacramental), Garcia quit and BOMF! convinced Dynachrome drummer, Tym, to move with them to California. After a few short months of practicing in Sac-O-Tomatoes, the boys then dumped Tym and recruited Marshall to play drums. A return to Portland in 1995 meant a new drummer, and they found what they needed in Drew Scarymore. Unfortunately, that was short lived and BOMF! added Stevie to pick up where Drew left off. After a three and a half week tour around These United States in 1997, BOMF! encouraged Jim from Redding, CA, punk rock band 3 Out Of 4 to move north and play drums for them. Jim moved on and left BOMF! with an empty drum stool.
Enter Dylan. Dylan came with the reputation of solid drumming and incessant snarkiness, which was exactly what BOMF! needed. Dylan had played in a number of bands before taking the rhythm reigns of BOMF!, and he continued playing in bands while simultaneously playing with us. Dylan was the type of guy that could be counted on for a snarky reply and a smile, and while he could be as negative about things as the next guy, he always tempered that with a measure of charm and ever underlying humor.
Even though BOMF! was nearing the end of their first run, Dylan was always happy to play and was our first drummer to keep the promise that “he was going to play (that) show naked”. For many a show, Dylan’s drum stool ended the night with his hairy bare ass sweat all over it, and on too many occasions, the other three guys in BOMF! saw his junk proudly displayed from behind the drumkit. He also drummed on the last recording we did before the big hiatus, a cover of “What’s This Shit Called Love” for a tribute album to punk legends The Meatmen.
After BOMF! called it quits in 1999, Dylan remained a friend to all of the band members. Dylan could often be seen on one of his three cylinder late 1970’s Yamaha motorcycles or at a local show with a beer in hand. When BOMF! reunited for a few shows in 2007-2009, Dylan offered to retain his seat as our drummer. While the rest of the band struggled to remember 15 year old songs, Dylan picked right up where we had left off as though we had taken no off time at all.
Dylan eventually moved back to California and was not available when BOMF! reunited again in 2016, but he still remained a friend to Brent, Scotty and Lyle. Dylan passed away on April 11, 2017, after an accidental overdose of painkillers and alcohol. Although he is gone, he will never be forgotten. The world is a slightly darker place without Dylan Richter Skiles. He left behind a lot of love and a legacy filled with snark and humor.
Rest in peace, my friend.
BOMF!
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