Vandal - You Want It? You Got It!

When growing up in Oak Lawn, Illinois, a suburb just south of Chicago's Midway Airport, it is almost a foregone conclusion that one would be into Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Rush, and the like. Bassist Bob Feddersen and drummer John Sullivan were no exception. Since the seventh grade, they, along with guitarist Kurt Bonomo had played in a band that played everything from the Beach Boys to Black Sabbath - anything that would get them booked at gigs, parties, churches, weddings; the more, the merrier. By the time they were in high school, they had built a nice following among their classmates and neighborhood friends, and they began to get bigger and better bookings. One of these was opening for a local band named ?Fury' at Moraine Valley Community College. Never before this fateful evening in 1984 had the band heard music from Motley Crue, Iron Maiden, or Dio. How had they never heard these amazing songs before now? After the shock of what they had just witnessed (as well as the shock of being blown off the stage) wore off, the band started listening to these groups and others, many coming out of Hollywood's Sunset Strip scene. Eventually, the band rechristened themselves with a new name and sound. It was now 1986. From now on, it was all about the metal. From now on, it was all about VANDAL. Bob and John got a tip on a killer singer who had just left his previous band. They were told he hung out at Sinbad's Arcade. "Uh-Oh, that place was where troublemakers and badasses hung out". Sure enough, they pull up to Sinbad's, and a dude that looked just like Vince Neil (in full metal attire, nonetheless) was doing skateboard tricks in the parking lot. "Hey dude, are you Bob Johnson?" they asked sheepishly. "Who the fuck wants to know?" he shot back. "Uh, well, we're in a band called Vandal, and Linus from (the band) Nineteen said we should find you to join our band." "Yeah I heard of you guys, let's jam Tuesday". Sweet! When Tuesday came around, Johnson belted out an ass-kicking ?Run to the Hills, and they knew they found their singer. So did the 40 friends that piled into John's bedroom to witness the audition! With the eventual addition of Mark Jurczeski on guitar (and later, Gino Buonamici, then Jeff Ernst), VANDAL began writing songs and playing gigs. The main hub of the under-21 music scene was ?Katz', a club in Chicago's south suburbs that featured many of the area's metal bands that would go on to play at the Thirsty Whale and other ?legit' venues. The band began packing the place and became a force to be reckoned with, playing with more ferocity and attitude than your average ?glam' band. After they released their 6-song demo, ?Under Arrest', they were considered by fans and bands alike to be among the best around town. Although VANDAL was gaining momentum and recognition, it was always a band filled with friction and trouble. Even at their young age, the band was partying hard, seemingly using Motley Crue's ?Uncensored' video as the blueprint for their lifestyle. In 1988, After their one-millionth fight about who-knows-what, Feddersen and Sullivan parted ways with Johnson, and re-grouped with their old friend Kurt, and two new friends from the band ?Apparition' that they had been hanging out with - guitarist Dan Donegan and singer Stacey Thomason. These were fun times for VANDAL, and though there is not much in the way of recorded material besides a 3-song demo, this was the longest lasting and most productive years for the band. They were packing the thirsty Whale and the Gateway Theatre, winning battle of the bands, getting played on WVVX, winning over new fans, and having a great time. Stacey and Dan were a lot of laughs, fun to work with, and also proved to be quite handy, building a KISS-style light-up VANDAL sign. John added some pyro to the mix, lighting his gong on fire, and building homemade flash-pods with a friend. There were a few small fires here and there, but in the late 80's, this was still considered somewhat acceptable. All fun aside, by early 1990, VANDAL could not figure out how to get to the next level, and although they were doing everything humanly possible to promote the band, they were still young (19 to 21) and had no idea what to do next in order to achieve their dreams of fame and fortune. The band felt like they were spinning their wheels. At that same time, Stacey was having voice-related issues. The band turned to Stacey's younger brother Lance Thomason, who was becoming quite the well-known rocker himself, to join the group in place of his older brother, and hopefully give the band the shot in the arm it needed. Within a short period of time, Feddersen, Sullivan, Donegan, and Lance Thomason had re-emerged with a leaner, meaner sound, and cut the 1990 release simply tiled ?Vandal'. The band began storming back in the clubs, and getting on local radio. But it was shortlived. The band was featured on the January 1991 cover of Chicago Area Music Monthly (CAMM Magazine), and by the time the issue came out, Lance had already left VANDAL to join Sandra Dee. After trying out various singers, and for a short time reuniting with Stacey on vocals (with longtime friend Steve ?Fuzz' Kmak on guitar alongside Donegan), it was clear that the band had run it's course. John left the band to join up with Lance and Sandra Dee, now named ?Grooveyard', who had relocated to San Francisco, and the other members went off as well to pursue their own musical interests. It was the end of an era. Interestingly enough, many of the members of VANDAL went on to have successful musical careers (in varying degrees). John Sullivan and Bob Feddersen eventually reunited to form LOUDMOUTH, who were signed in 1998 to Hollywood records after some public support from Metallica. The band's song ?Fly' appeared in the movie Varsity Blues, and made it to number 7 on the Billboard charts. The soundtrack earned the band a gold record, and they toured with the likes of Godsmack, Black Label Society, Megadeth, and Kid Rock. These days, Sullivan And Kurt Bonomo play together in the Chicago-based cover band 80's Enough. They do 30-40 shows a year, and recently opened for Bret Michaels and Styx's Dennis DeYoung. John also has a band that plays his original material (John L. Sullivan and the Ragged Glory). His song ?Ghost Town' took first place in the 'Great American Songwriters' Contest, and his band played at SXSW, and was the featured artist on WXRT's ?Local Anesthetic' show. Dan Donegan and Fuzz, of course, went on to form the multi-platinum metal group ?Disturbed'. (Warner Bros.) They have sold out arenas and stadiums worldwide for over 10 years, and have had four consecutive #1 albums, a record shared in the U.S. with only Metallica and the Dave Matthews Band. They have appeared on countless magazine covers and in music videos. They have outlived most of their peers that emerged in the nu-metal era, and have survived and thrived in an era of declining music sales and increasingly short lifespans for bands and artists. They have truly achieved the Rock and Roll dream. Recently, Sullivan, Bonomo, and Fuzz re-recorded an old VANDAL song, ?Working Class Blues' at Fuzz's studio, United Technique Recording, in Chicago, which is included with this release. Bob Johnson, who originally wrote the lyrics, came by the studio to offer his blessing and support, and was the catalyst and originator of this whole re-issue project. So that's the story of VANDAL, at least the parts that can be remembered. It's basically the story of a bunch of crazy kids from the south suburbs of Chicago that loved Heavy Metal, loved playing in a band, and did the best they could with what they knew. Although VANDAL never got to ?the next level', there will always be a ton of great memories - friends made, friends lost, the shows, the parties, the chicks... But you know how it is - that's Rock and Roll! At the very least, VANDAL was the beginning for other stories that will be told in the future,