Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions and answers will provide any interviewer with a foundation to ask really cool and well informed questions during an interview.

Why did the Vandals leave Nitro Records?

We had a two record deal with Nitro and then we signed for two more. Then when that contract was up, Kung Fu Records (which is owned by tow of the Vandals) had become very strong, especially internationally, and the band felt we could sell more records on Kung Fu than on Nitro. Prior to this development, Nitro was the best place for us. They did a great job and four of our best albums will always be at home there.

It is also easier for Joe, who handles a lot of the business for the Vandals (along with Kris Martinez). When a new Vandals record is released, he's on the phone all day with Nitro, then he has to have the same kinds of conversations with his staff at Kung Fu. It was double the work, so he is especially relieved to be on Kung Fu. The Vandals also rehearse at Kung Fu and make all their videos there etc.

Who put out your first record?
The Vandals were the first band signed to Bad Religion's label, Epitaph Records. They released our first E.P., Peace Thru Vandalism, produced by Thom Wilson in 1982. This record is now available on Time Bomb Records and is actually the only Vandals record distributed by a major.

Would the Vandals ever be on a major label?

Major labels are for punk bands that can't do math, or don't feel like doing math. The freedom and compensation will always be more on an indie label than a major especially in the long run. There are crooks that own indies, and crooks that run majors, but there is nothing like having success on an indie. It guarantees a career that lasts as long as you work hard. That's the kind of control we like over our lives.

What about people who say there are no indies and that Kung Fu and Epitaph are distributed by companies like Caroline and Red that are owned by majors like Sony?

Those people are misunderstanding the meaning of "independent." Kung Fu, Epitaph, and Fat are independent. They make their own decisions and they choose their distributors, and those distributors work for Kung Fu, Epitaph, and Fat, etc. If you are a label that has an exclusive distribution arrangement with a major, and they own part of your label, there is no, or little independence. That major controls a lot of what you do every day. That is the difference; and that difference is only felt by the label's owners, employee's, and bands.The funny thing is that today, kids don't care where their music comes from as long as it's good. Great music is coming from a lot of major labels. However, sooner or later a punk band in that situation will get very frustrated.

Do the Vandals ever get offers from majors?

All the time. We don't even consider them. We're too greedy to give up our compensation and freedom just to see ourselves on MTV or hear ourselves on the radio, and that's what it comes down to.

Would the Vandals ever be on MTV?

We will never have a radio or MTV hit. We like being on TV and hearing ourselves on the radio but when a band has success on an indie, they have to take giant leaps backward to try to play the radio or MTV game. We refuse to play that game. It can never work for a successful punk band, but you can waste a lot of money and the best years of your life trying. We send our records to a few mainstream stations, and we send some of our videos to MTV, but that's where it ends. We choose to spend more time giving more of our real fans more of what they really want from us rather than trying to attract fake fans who may have been alienating our real fans at school for years. We'll take the fake fans if they want to come, but we don't want to take any time away from our real fans to attract the fake ones. If anything interferes with that philosophy, we don't do it.

Who is the Vandals Drummer?
Josh Freese is back. If you see us in 2002/2003, most likely he will be sitting behind the kit. When he's unavailable, we go to this rotation:

1. Brooks Wackerman
2. Derek Grant
3. Adrian Young
4 . Ty Smith

Is Josh Freese in Guns n' Roses?
He was, but he quit . He plays with A Perfect Circle and he's also the current drummer for DEVO.

What's it like touring with No Doubt, Offspring, Pear Jam, etc.?

It's fun and those are all nice people but it's better for us to get out there on our own or tour with bands like NOFX.

Is Warren in Tenacious D?

He played electric guitar on their record and performs with them when they perform as a full band.

Do you have a manager or agent?

Our manager is Kris Martinez, (she can be reached at info@vandals.com if you write attn. Kris in the subject line). Our agent is Stormy Shepherd (leavehome4@aol.com).

Do any of you have day jobs?

• Joe runs Kung Fu Records, makes movies, videos, and DVDs, and also owns a small law practice.
• Dave owns an alcohol distribution company
• Warren produces records and is a writer and painter
• Josh is a professional studio drummer (joshfreese.com)

 

Is it true that you made a TV show?

Yes. We made Fear OF A Punk Planet for the internet during 1998 and 1999 for den.net. When this kind of a business imploded, we fought to keep the episodes and Kung Fu has now released the first 3 episodes and the remaining 4 our on the way on DVD and VHS. The series was written and produced by Joe Escalante and stars many of the Vandals and of course, Kyle from Tenacious D.

Who owns Kung Fu Records?

Joe owns it and Warren is also part owner, but Joe runs it every day. We started it in 1996 with the Assorted Jelly Beans because we wanted to help bands and be able to reap the benefits of helping bands. When major labels started offering us bribes to place bands on the third slot of our crappy tours, we know we had to start a label.

Tell Me About That Darn Punk?

A friend of Joe's (Jeff Richardson) wanted to make a film and have Kung Fu put out the sound track. Since Kung Fu had recently put out the soundtrack for Glory Daze (starring Ben Affleck), we knew that you can release a soundtrack and the movie may not come out for years. So Joe told Jeff to trim the budget to $20,000 and Kung Fu would finance it and distribute it. That's what happened. The film is made for punkers with their music. It was not made for festivals or movie screens, just for punkers. And the music features bands that you normally would not hear in a film like Guttermouth, Pennywise, Rancid, and the Ataris.

Are you making another movie?

Joe just finished directing "Selwyn's Nuts" starring Warren Fitzgerald. He's editing it for a early 2003 release date. It is shot on 16 and 35mm film and features No Use For A Name and the soundtrack will have 7 unreleased NUFAN songs on it along with MxPx and some other Kung Fu bands. It's about a frustrated baker who escapes his abusive girlfriend by becoming an abused roadie for No Use For A Name. Then he finds love in an electric wheelchair.

How long has the current band been together?
Since 1989. Before that there were many different members. Dave joined in 1985, Warren in 1987, Josh in 1989. The very first Vandals show was probably in 1981. Joe used to play drums, and there were drummers before him. He moved to bass in 1985

What ever happened to all the old guys in your band?
Frequently asked, but not frequently answered. There were many. Jan lives in O.C. and is a very private person. Stevo lives on Maui and is a masseuse, he has no desire to sing again. Chalmer lives in Corona, California and is in construction. He still has his Vandals tattoo, and his AC/DC one. Steve (Human) is M.I.A. Doug MacKinnon lives in Miami and teaches step aerobics . Steve Gonzales is living in O.C. and Vince Mesa .... I have no clue. Keanu Reeves is in Dogstar now and making a lot of movies in Australia.

Are any of you vegetarians?
Derek Grant, who drums for us on many tours, is a vegetarian who is also lactose intolerant. Otherwise , no.

Why does Joe fight bulls?

Because he's Mexican. He grew up around bullfighting and it's a very important part of his culture. He knows every bad thing about it but he feels if everyone knew what he knows about it and the treatment of fighting bulls compared to the treatment of cattle industry bulls, everyone would be a bullfight fan. His favorite fighter is El Juli (eljuli.com)

When are you guys going to play here again?
If you're trying not to ask the dumbest question in the world, you failed. People ask us this in every town. Think about it. If we are in your town, and we know when we are going to play there again, that would mean that at one point in time, we planned two trips to your town. Who would do this?

How did you get on the X-Files?
Chris Carter, the creator of the X-Files is a long time punk rock sympathizer and a friend of Joe (and Greg) Escalante's. He called Joe one day and said he had an idea for an episode about a kid who is a Vandals fan and he can harness lightning to cause bad things to happen. The episode came out perfect and we are very proud of it. It has turned a lot of people onto the Vandals and vice versa. The episode is called D.P.O if you are into details. If you liked it, let the X-Files know!

How did you get in the movies Suburbia and Dudes?
We were voted in by cast of Suburbia, and written into the script of Dudes by it's writer, Randall Johnson.

How did you get the name the Vandals?
We thought of it. It's punk.

Who is Pat Brown?
He was a good, yet crazy friend who gained notoriety by running over under cover cops dressed as punkers at a club in Costa Mesa, California called the Cuckoo's Nest, in 1980. He used to live with Joe in Rossmoor, California and they were best buddies. He died from complications developed from a head injury while bicycling in 1996. He will be missed.

Do you think people take you less serious because most of your songs have humor in them?
Some people get upset that we don't tackle a lot of political issues and stuff. Our view on this has always been the same. We don't think kids of the age that listen to our music should get so wrapped up in the things that you might read about on the pages of Maximum Rock and Roll. It's probably good for kids to care about that stuff, but if constantly exposed to a certain political view set to really good music (like Propagandi) we think it may be disproportionately influential during their formative years.
None of us know all the long term political answers. This is the kind of stuff that we feel our fans should talk to their parents about. They are almost always better off this way. Some may say we don't care about important issues. Maybe we care more about them. Punk rock can get heavy handed and young people should probably have a little fun before becoming depressed by world crises. Although if you ask Dave Quackenbush this same question he will say "whatever."

Was Warren in Oingo Boingo?
Yes, during the band's last three years of existence.

Are any of you married or have kids?
Joe is, since 1996. No kids. Josh has one kid.

What are your influences?
See personal profiles for more details but everyone likes stuff like the Damned, NOFX, Bad Religion, Pennywise, etc.

Do The Vandals want to be on my comp?

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Are any of you religious?
Joe is Catholic and goes to church every Sunday. Dave likes to study weird religions but we can't tell if he is seriously interested in them.

Where can I get.?
Any Vandals product that is currently available anywhere can be purchased through the Vandals.com On-Line Catalog, with credit cards.