The Vandals - Joe Escalante
Questions: Stuart Millen
Punk rock veterans the Vandals are returning to Australia for their second tour of duty with the Soundwave festival at the end of February. Formed in California in 1980, the four-piece have released 10 studio albums and toured the world, with numerous visits to the land down under over the years. Never ones to take themselves too seriously, the self described “silly punk rock band” will bring an air of light-heartedness to summer.
Former drummer and current bass player Joe Escalante phoned in from sunny California to chat to Caught in the Mosh about reliving his high school days, the bands’ recording of a 1985 Australian "classic" and who will be taking care of drumming duties on this tour.
Hi Joe. Nice to talk to you… How’s the Californian winter treating you?
Very well. I usually go for a stand-up paddle first thing in the morning, about 4-5 days a week. The water’s about 62ºF (16ºC), which is not bad at all. I don’t wear a wetsuit, because I don’t fall in the water. Well, not for the first 10 minutes, but by then I’m all warmed up. But that’s when the sun comes out. Which is great. But we had a couple of cold days recently and that was very depressing. But now it’s back to sunny. And you know, we’re heading to Australia for Soundwave, where it’s pretty much the same; sunny. I live in a place that’s not much different to most Australian beach towns that I go to. That’s why we get a long so well with Australians; we come from the same skate/beach/surf culture.
You played the Summer Nationals tour, with the Offspring and Pennywise in mid last year and a number of shows since, including the annual Vandals Christmas Formal in December and the 6 Rounds of Punk show with the Misfits, Dead Kennedys, Strung Out etc just over a week ago. How’s life in the Vandals camp at the moment?
It’s interesting. We haven’t done a lot of recording, so that’s one thing. But as far as live music is concerned, it’s never been better. We’ve been playing more shows than we have in previous years. And the crowds are better. But we’re also able to do this thing... like the shows we played with Pennywise, the Offspring and Bad religion. And in March, we’ll play with the Offspring, NOFX and Rancid. But, because we’re so old now, we’ve also managed to slip into these tours like we did last weekend, where we played this one-off show with the Misfits and the Dead Kennedys. We’re at a time in the band’s life where we can play both. There was a time we could only play with the Bad Religion, NOFX, Pennywise bands, because that was exciting and new, and the Warped Tour and all that. We wouldn’t do shows with the older bands. But now we do both.
Yeah! Well, you do fit in with both eras now. How was it playing with the Misfits and the Dead Kennedys?
It was really fun. It was at an arena in the middle of the country, in Iowa. People were really surprised that the show took place in only one spot, on one night. And why there? But there were 3,000 people there and it was a lot of fun. And I like the guys in the Misfits and I was a roadie for the Dead Kennedys when I was in high school, so it was like I was reliving my high school days!
Former drummer and current bass player Joe Escalante phoned in from sunny California to chat to Caught in the Mosh about reliving his high school days, the bands’ recording of a 1985 Australian "classic" and who will be taking care of drumming duties on this tour.
Hi Joe. Nice to talk to you… How’s the Californian winter treating you?
Very well. I usually go for a stand-up paddle first thing in the morning, about 4-5 days a week. The water’s about 62ºF (16ºC), which is not bad at all. I don’t wear a wetsuit, because I don’t fall in the water. Well, not for the first 10 minutes, but by then I’m all warmed up. But that’s when the sun comes out. Which is great. But we had a couple of cold days recently and that was very depressing. But now it’s back to sunny. And you know, we’re heading to Australia for Soundwave, where it’s pretty much the same; sunny. I live in a place that’s not much different to most Australian beach towns that I go to. That’s why we get a long so well with Australians; we come from the same skate/beach/surf culture.
You played the Summer Nationals tour, with the Offspring and Pennywise in mid last year and a number of shows since, including the annual Vandals Christmas Formal in December and the 6 Rounds of Punk show with the Misfits, Dead Kennedys, Strung Out etc just over a week ago. How’s life in the Vandals camp at the moment?
It’s interesting. We haven’t done a lot of recording, so that’s one thing. But as far as live music is concerned, it’s never been better. We’ve been playing more shows than we have in previous years. And the crowds are better. But we’re also able to do this thing... like the shows we played with Pennywise, the Offspring and Bad religion. And in March, we’ll play with the Offspring, NOFX and Rancid. But, because we’re so old now, we’ve also managed to slip into these tours like we did last weekend, where we played this one-off show with the Misfits and the Dead Kennedys. We’re at a time in the band’s life where we can play both. There was a time we could only play with the Bad Religion, NOFX, Pennywise bands, because that was exciting and new, and the Warped Tour and all that. We wouldn’t do shows with the older bands. But now we do both.
Yeah! Well, you do fit in with both eras now. How was it playing with the Misfits and the Dead Kennedys?
It was really fun. It was at an arena in the middle of the country, in Iowa. People were really surprised that the show took place in only one spot, on one night. And why there? But there were 3,000 people there and it was a lot of fun. And I like the guys in the Misfits and I was a roadie for the Dead Kennedys when I was in high school, so it was like I was reliving my high school days!
As you mentioned, the Vandals are heading to Australia for Soundwave. It’s less than five weeks from the shows now. Australian summer festivals are often seen as a bit of a holiday for the bands. Do you have any thoughts on what you might be doing between festival dates?
Well, we’re been to Australia so many times that the holiday part of it has worn off. And of course, we live on the ocean here too. But if we have some time off... everybody has their own thing. Our singer (Dave Quackenbush) just wants to sit in the hotel room and watch movies and be away from his two kids. I’m sure he loves them, but when you have kids, you can’t get a rest. So he’s gonna do that in his downtime. Our guitar player, Warren, he’s... an Australia-phile, I guess you’d call him. He loves anything Australian. The last time we were there, he had us going all over the place; the Ned Kelly museum, anything like that he could find. Art museums, libraries, famous monuments. The guy wants to do all that. I’m sure he has a full itinerary for this next time around.
Do you know whether you’re playing any sidewaves?
That’s the sad part! They haven’t told us yet! We’re expecting it. But we haven’t seen any details. We keep waiting for our agent to tell us when they’re happening. We’re assuming we’re going to be playing some sidewaves. It looks like the last one that was announced was Slash and Steel Panther. But they haven’t announced anything else since. And they haven’t told us anything. So maybe we’ll have some time on our hands!
Your drummer, Josh Freese, is also a session drummer and there have been times when his other musical commitments have meant he’s missed Vandals tours. Will he be making the trip to Australia this time?
This is another one he’s missing. He came to Iowa with us last weekend. But while we’re doing Australia he has some shows with Sublime - he plays with Sublime with Rome. And that seems to take up most of his time now. They pay him quite well. So we just said “go ahead, come back when you’re done”. But we have two other drummers... or three... no, we have a whole bunch of drummers we’ve used. But on this trip will be Derek Grant from the Alkaline Trio. Sometimes it’s been Brooks Wackerman from Bad Religion, sometimes it’s Stevo from Sum 41, sometimes Adrian Young from No Doubt. That’s our main pool of drummers. But Derek Grant usually comes with us to Australia. He’s been to Australia with us like four or five times.
Right! So Derek’s your drummer this time around...
Yep, Derek will be there. He likes to go to record stores and cool restaurants when he’s not on stage. He likes long walks on the beach (laughs). And he’s from a different part of America to us. He’s from Detroit. He lives on the east coast now, in Vermont, so we don’t get to see him all that often. But we’ve been playing with him on and off for about 17-18 years.
You mentioned the fact you haven’t been recording anything recently. Are there any plans for any new Vandals material?
Well, we’ve recorded some things. The funny thing is, we recorded an EP of music primarily geared towards Australia. Because, well, we’re weird (laughs). But we haven’t finished it yet. We’re releasing one song from that EP on the upcoming Soundwave compilation. We’re releasing I’m an Individual, by an Australian football player, Mark “Jacko” Jackson. That should be out in a couple of weeks. So that one’s done. But there are plenty of other songs. We’ve got a lot of unmixed, unfinished, unreleased stuff that we’re trying to work out what the heck to do with. You know, what kind of record do we put out? Should it be an EP, should it be a full length record, should we just release one song at a time... But as it is, we’re releasing one song for the Soundwave compilation. I like the way it came out. I love that song, the original, and we just tried to do a version of it that sounded like the Vandals.
Well, we’re been to Australia so many times that the holiday part of it has worn off. And of course, we live on the ocean here too. But if we have some time off... everybody has their own thing. Our singer (Dave Quackenbush) just wants to sit in the hotel room and watch movies and be away from his two kids. I’m sure he loves them, but when you have kids, you can’t get a rest. So he’s gonna do that in his downtime. Our guitar player, Warren, he’s... an Australia-phile, I guess you’d call him. He loves anything Australian. The last time we were there, he had us going all over the place; the Ned Kelly museum, anything like that he could find. Art museums, libraries, famous monuments. The guy wants to do all that. I’m sure he has a full itinerary for this next time around.
Do you know whether you’re playing any sidewaves?
That’s the sad part! They haven’t told us yet! We’re expecting it. But we haven’t seen any details. We keep waiting for our agent to tell us when they’re happening. We’re assuming we’re going to be playing some sidewaves. It looks like the last one that was announced was Slash and Steel Panther. But they haven’t announced anything else since. And they haven’t told us anything. So maybe we’ll have some time on our hands!
Your drummer, Josh Freese, is also a session drummer and there have been times when his other musical commitments have meant he’s missed Vandals tours. Will he be making the trip to Australia this time?
This is another one he’s missing. He came to Iowa with us last weekend. But while we’re doing Australia he has some shows with Sublime - he plays with Sublime with Rome. And that seems to take up most of his time now. They pay him quite well. So we just said “go ahead, come back when you’re done”. But we have two other drummers... or three... no, we have a whole bunch of drummers we’ve used. But on this trip will be Derek Grant from the Alkaline Trio. Sometimes it’s been Brooks Wackerman from Bad Religion, sometimes it’s Stevo from Sum 41, sometimes Adrian Young from No Doubt. That’s our main pool of drummers. But Derek Grant usually comes with us to Australia. He’s been to Australia with us like four or five times.
Right! So Derek’s your drummer this time around...
Yep, Derek will be there. He likes to go to record stores and cool restaurants when he’s not on stage. He likes long walks on the beach (laughs). And he’s from a different part of America to us. He’s from Detroit. He lives on the east coast now, in Vermont, so we don’t get to see him all that often. But we’ve been playing with him on and off for about 17-18 years.
You mentioned the fact you haven’t been recording anything recently. Are there any plans for any new Vandals material?
Well, we’ve recorded some things. The funny thing is, we recorded an EP of music primarily geared towards Australia. Because, well, we’re weird (laughs). But we haven’t finished it yet. We’re releasing one song from that EP on the upcoming Soundwave compilation. We’re releasing I’m an Individual, by an Australian football player, Mark “Jacko” Jackson. That should be out in a couple of weeks. So that one’s done. But there are plenty of other songs. We’ve got a lot of unmixed, unfinished, unreleased stuff that we’re trying to work out what the heck to do with. You know, what kind of record do we put out? Should it be an EP, should it be a full length record, should we just release one song at a time... But as it is, we’re releasing one song for the Soundwave compilation. I like the way it came out. I love that song, the original, and we just tried to do a version of it that sounded like the Vandals.
You’re a man of many talents; a former attorney and TV executive, current record label owner. I understand you’re also an amateur matador! How did you get into that and do you still “get in the ring”?
As a Mexican Southern Californian, you’re exposed to the bullfights, which are only 90 minutes away in Tijuana and you just grow up with it. And if you know a lot about it, it’s not hideous and cruel, when you know all about it and how the bulls are raised and treated, compared to the meat industry. So I just wanted to add as a disclaimer, it’s less cruel than the meat industry. But yeah, at one time I ended up in a bullfighting school, I trained, I did it for a while. But I’m 51 years old now. I help other students at the school I went to. I go to Mexico all the time and we train with the animals where they’re not being killed, they’re just training. But I’m still a fan and I realise it’s repulsive to other people. But I’ll say that and the fact that no one else in the band likes it. They think I’m a jerk (laughs).
Back to the music... There’s a Dave Grohl quote from a while back that says something like instead of going on reality TV shows, kids should just go out and play music, regardless of whether they know how to or not. You joined the Vandals when you were just 17. Did you guys know what you were doing back then?
No! We didn’t! I had some classical training in the violin and trumpet and that sort of stuff, but when you play drums in a punk band, it’s just you making up your own rules. There’s very little musicality involved. We were just banging out songs. You just looked out for a guitar player who had a little more musical training and you learnt your own musical training along the way. If you did the musical training first, there would be no Vandals!
So, wrapping up, what can Australian audiences expect when you hit Soundwave next month?
Well, we have a priceless live version of Jacko’s I’m an Individual to present to the Australian audience. I think that will be the only one of our Australian songs that we’ll play though. And then there are also some surprises every time we play, because we never know... One out of every fourteen shows is amazing! So we hope you get one of those (laughs)...
And lastly, how do you go about choosing the songs for your shows?
Umm... whatever the lazy singer thinks will go best with his voice and his dance moves and we’ll stick with that (laughs).
As a Mexican Southern Californian, you’re exposed to the bullfights, which are only 90 minutes away in Tijuana and you just grow up with it. And if you know a lot about it, it’s not hideous and cruel, when you know all about it and how the bulls are raised and treated, compared to the meat industry. So I just wanted to add as a disclaimer, it’s less cruel than the meat industry. But yeah, at one time I ended up in a bullfighting school, I trained, I did it for a while. But I’m 51 years old now. I help other students at the school I went to. I go to Mexico all the time and we train with the animals where they’re not being killed, they’re just training. But I’m still a fan and I realise it’s repulsive to other people. But I’ll say that and the fact that no one else in the band likes it. They think I’m a jerk (laughs).
Back to the music... There’s a Dave Grohl quote from a while back that says something like instead of going on reality TV shows, kids should just go out and play music, regardless of whether they know how to or not. You joined the Vandals when you were just 17. Did you guys know what you were doing back then?
No! We didn’t! I had some classical training in the violin and trumpet and that sort of stuff, but when you play drums in a punk band, it’s just you making up your own rules. There’s very little musicality involved. We were just banging out songs. You just looked out for a guitar player who had a little more musical training and you learnt your own musical training along the way. If you did the musical training first, there would be no Vandals!
So, wrapping up, what can Australian audiences expect when you hit Soundwave next month?
Well, we have a priceless live version of Jacko’s I’m an Individual to present to the Australian audience. I think that will be the only one of our Australian songs that we’ll play though. And then there are also some surprises every time we play, because we never know... One out of every fourteen shows is amazing! So we hope you get one of those (laughs)...
And lastly, how do you go about choosing the songs for your shows?
Umm... whatever the lazy singer thinks will go best with his voice and his dance moves and we’ll stick with that (laughs).
Catch the Vandals at Australia's Soundwave festival this February and March.
Sat 21st - Melbourne, Showgrounds
Sun 22nd Feb - Adelaide, Bonython Park
Sat 28th Feb - Brisbane, RNA Showgrounds
Sun 1st March - Sydney, Olympic Park
Weekend and Single Day tickets are available now from Soundwave
Sat 21st - Melbourne, Showgrounds
Sun 22nd Feb - Adelaide, Bonython Park
Sat 28th Feb - Brisbane, RNA Showgrounds
Sun 1st March - Sydney, Olympic Park
Weekend and Single Day tickets are available now from Soundwave
