Voodoo Glow Skulls

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Voodoo Glow Skulls are an underground third-wave ska band. Their music is a mixture of old-style ska, punk and metal. The band formed in 1988 in Riverside, California by brothers Frank, Eddie and Jorge Casillas and their longtime friend Jerry O'Neill. The Voodoo Glow Skulls practiced for two years in a sweaty back bedroom/practice space until they forged a taut unit that performed with demonic intensity and a demented sense of humor. Voodoo Glow Skulls first played out at backyard parties; when Spanky's Café opened they played now-legendary shows with the Angry Samoans, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Firehose, Murphy's Law and The Dickies.

In 1991, Signal Sound Systems Records discovered them and urged them to add a horn section. Luckilly for the band, a young saxophonist named Joey Hernandez took an interest in them, stepped in, and began to craft the horn style that came to define VGS. The band would later add Joe McNally on trumpet and Brodie Johnson on trombone. This would cement their blend of hardcore and ska. The band's first major release came out in 1992 with the "Rasta Mis Huevos" 7" EP for Signal Sound Systems Records. Later in 1992, the band would release their first 12" with SSS Records called "We're Coloring Fun". Voodoo Glow Skulls later performed as headliners and support act for The Offspring, No Doubt, Reverend Horton Heat, and 311.

Voodoo Glow Skulls recorded their debut, Who Is, This Is? for Dr. Strange Records in 1993, selling 200,000 copies worldwide. The band then signed to Epitaph Records and released four CDs that collectively sold over 750,000 copies worldwide. Voodoo Glow Skulls soon began receiving positive critical reviews and the mainstream support of commercial radio and MTV. Eventually they had main stage spot on the 1998 Warped Tour. Their two most recent albums have been released on Victory Records.

Their lyrical content vary between English and Spanish. One of their albums, Firme, is available in both Spanish- and English-language versions. In addition, they made a compilation album called Exitos Al Cabron, a collection of Spanish-language material (compare with Los Grandes Éxitos en Español).

1 Hickey controversy
2 Discography
- 2.1 Albums
- 2.2 Compilations
3 External links

[edit] Hickey controversy

Hickey released an audio recording on a seven-inch diameter vinyl disc containing music by Hickey on one side, and members of Hickey playing a trumpet stolen from Voodoo Glow Skulls over the playback of messages left by Voodoo Glow Skulls singer, Frank Casillas and Epitaph Records employees demanding the return of the instrument and threatening violence.

The two bands had played together at the now closed Nile Theater in Mesa, Arizona. Matty Luv, singer of Hickey, made disparaging remarks about Epitaph Records and the commercialization of punk, especially the use of tour busses. After members of both bands had a confrontation, the venue owner ejected Matty and his bandmates. In response, they stole a trumpet out of the back stage area.

After receiving threats on their answering machine, the band returned the trumpet. They released this album with a booklet chronicling the whole affair.