Warren Fitzgerald - The Vandals (19/02/2013)
The Vandals’ Legendary guitarist Warren Fitzgerald took time to chat with The 59th Sound about their triumphant return down under as part of Soundwave 2013.
From the moment our call is connected, it is made immediately clear that The Vandals absolutely love it down under. “Australia has been on my mind for the past couple of months literally every day, because we’ve been working on an EP… which is about Australia!”, excitedly blurts an energetic Fitzgerlad. “It is both for and about Australia. Some original songs about our experiences there, some of the history we weren’t taught at school. It’s something… basically a tribute, including some of your songs. Waltzing Matilda is one. That song blows my mind! It’s been a fascination of mine for years now. We don’t really have the American equivalent of where everyone gets drunk and sings this song. It’s upbeat musically… and everyone knows it, and loves it! There’s just not many songs that have that kind of status. It’s a song about a hobo!”, he laughs.
With the logistics of releasing an regionally-specific CD in mind right before embarking on a world tour, it is easy to see why Fitzgerald wholly embraces the modern means of musical distribution. “That’s the beauty of this day and age, when you create a record you don’t have to wait three months for someone to make it. I can say we’re scanning it right now, and it will be released the day we get there! Not having to wait for a manufacturer has left us able to do something that has never been done before; a record at the very last minute, and a record that is about the place were touring! You can just buy it on your computer or phone.”
With a swathe of Australian tours under their belt over the last twenty years, the guitarist still maintains an apparent excitement about visiting. “Oh yeah, I feel like a nerdy, scholastic tourist, y’know? Something like… I didn’t know who, or what Ned Kelly was until very recently. It’s akin to this whole western outlaw thing, but real life. I mean, the first fucking film you guys ever made was about him! That’s so cool. Just the whole rebellious, shit-stirring side of it? That’s punk rock!” Gushing praise for our home country aside, Fitzgerald explains the nine year gap between Vandals releases since 2004’s Hollywood Potato Chip. “I usually produce the record so it’s a lot of work for me; supervising, engineering, and basically overseeing it. It’s a lot of work to make a record! We’ve all been out doing gigs with other musicians and side projects, or [making] TV shows”, he states. The TV show to which he refers is The Aquabats! Supershow! - a kids TV program for which the guitarist both writes and composes. “I think the show has just started airing in Australia over the past couple of months. It’s a live action show starring the band The Aquabats, and I think it’s really funny! But I wrote it, so I be worried if I didn’t.”
When reminded that fellow Soundwave/ Sidewaves headliner Blink 182’s drummer Travis Barker used to drum for The Aquabats, Fitzgerald elaborates on the long standing relationships between veteran Californian punk rock bands. “We all knew each other through the same circuit, all played the same clubs. Even The Offspring opened for The Vandals one time! It’s funny Travis was in The Aquabats for a moment there. It’s all kind of these parallels. Our first trip to Australia was with [Blink 182], actually. It was our first time there, and their second time I think. It was quite an achievement, because being in a punk band [touring] Australia then was pretty inconceivable.”
But have things gotten any more serious with age over the last twenty years? “Oh, God no! We were on all these big, stadium tours in the mid-to-late 90’s because so many of our friends bands got so fucking huge, y’know? Like Blink, and The Offspring. They’d take us on tour and it was always absurd playing in front of these huge audiences doing what we do, so it’s always been kind of silly. Always just showing up and y’know… It’s never been serious is my point. We’re eldery punk rockers”, giggles Fitzgerald. “Old people can be really obnoxious too! It’s going to be a huge tour, and I’m excited we’re in on it.”
Todd Gingell
From the moment our call is connected, it is made immediately clear that The Vandals absolutely love it down under. “Australia has been on my mind for the past couple of months literally every day, because we’ve been working on an EP… which is about Australia!”, excitedly blurts an energetic Fitzgerlad. “It is both for and about Australia. Some original songs about our experiences there, some of the history we weren’t taught at school. It’s something… basically a tribute, including some of your songs. Waltzing Matilda is one. That song blows my mind! It’s been a fascination of mine for years now. We don’t really have the American equivalent of where everyone gets drunk and sings this song. It’s upbeat musically… and everyone knows it, and loves it! There’s just not many songs that have that kind of status. It’s a song about a hobo!”, he laughs.
With the logistics of releasing an regionally-specific CD in mind right before embarking on a world tour, it is easy to see why Fitzgerald wholly embraces the modern means of musical distribution. “That’s the beauty of this day and age, when you create a record you don’t have to wait three months for someone to make it. I can say we’re scanning it right now, and it will be released the day we get there! Not having to wait for a manufacturer has left us able to do something that has never been done before; a record at the very last minute, and a record that is about the place were touring! You can just buy it on your computer or phone.”
With a swathe of Australian tours under their belt over the last twenty years, the guitarist still maintains an apparent excitement about visiting. “Oh yeah, I feel like a nerdy, scholastic tourist, y’know? Something like… I didn’t know who, or what Ned Kelly was until very recently. It’s akin to this whole western outlaw thing, but real life. I mean, the first fucking film you guys ever made was about him! That’s so cool. Just the whole rebellious, shit-stirring side of it? That’s punk rock!” Gushing praise for our home country aside, Fitzgerald explains the nine year gap between Vandals releases since 2004’s Hollywood Potato Chip. “I usually produce the record so it’s a lot of work for me; supervising, engineering, and basically overseeing it. It’s a lot of work to make a record! We’ve all been out doing gigs with other musicians and side projects, or [making] TV shows”, he states. The TV show to which he refers is The Aquabats! Supershow! - a kids TV program for which the guitarist both writes and composes. “I think the show has just started airing in Australia over the past couple of months. It’s a live action show starring the band The Aquabats, and I think it’s really funny! But I wrote it, so I be worried if I didn’t.”
When reminded that fellow Soundwave/ Sidewaves headliner Blink 182’s drummer Travis Barker used to drum for The Aquabats, Fitzgerald elaborates on the long standing relationships between veteran Californian punk rock bands. “We all knew each other through the same circuit, all played the same clubs. Even The Offspring opened for The Vandals one time! It’s funny Travis was in The Aquabats for a moment there. It’s all kind of these parallels. Our first trip to Australia was with [Blink 182], actually. It was our first time there, and their second time I think. It was quite an achievement, because being in a punk band [touring] Australia then was pretty inconceivable.”
But have things gotten any more serious with age over the last twenty years? “Oh, God no! We were on all these big, stadium tours in the mid-to-late 90’s because so many of our friends bands got so fucking huge, y’know? Like Blink, and The Offspring. They’d take us on tour and it was always absurd playing in front of these huge audiences doing what we do, so it’s always been kind of silly. Always just showing up and y’know… It’s never been serious is my point. We’re eldery punk rockers”, giggles Fitzgerald. “Old people can be really obnoxious too! It’s going to be a huge tour, and I’m excited we’re in on it.”
Todd Gingell