There is no lack of stage presence or energy with the Vandals, but they had an uphill battle when it comes to venues as the indoor stage areas at the OC Fairgrounds are super challenging for live music performances. From what I understand, Musink is considering moving the bands outdoors next year, so lets keep our fingers crossed for that! The Vandals are probably one of the best bands when it comes to combatting technical adversity like what was seen at the 7th Annual Musink Tattoo Convention and Music Festival in Costa Mesa. From the start there were issues with Warren Fitzgerald’s guitar cutting out during Anarchy Burger (hold the government). Warren continued to play as if nothing was wrong, and then the band had to contend with a fan that jumped onto the stage and ran around during the entire song – it was like security just gave up once their line was broken. The Vandals handled everything with humor and poise as Warren used the moment to compare abs with the security breaking fan. And talk about energy, I don’t know if it was the plethora of Rock Star Energy cans strategically placed all around the stage or if these guys are just eating right, but they sure know how to perform. Fitzgerald and lead singer David Quackenbush were running all over the stage, they were jumping up and down, and eventually Warren started doing hand stands and cartwheels.
JMD recommendation: This is a no-brainer, when faced with the decision to see the Vandals, the answer is a definite yes! This band is super fun and if you don’t have a good time it is most likely your fault! A resounding “Oi-Oi-Oi” for the Vandals!
