The Skulls (U.S. Band)
Encyclopedia
The Skulls were a Los Angeles
punk
band formed in 1977, and later reformed in 2000. Their final show was in Corona, California
in March 2006. The Skulls had several line-ups with only one consistent member, vocalist Steven William "Billy Bones" Fortuna.
punk bands such as the Ramones
and The Avengers
, British
punk bands such as the Sex Pistols
and The Vibrators
and glam
/pre-punk artists such as Roxy Music
, David Bowie
, T.Rex and MC5
. They were at the forefront of the early Los Angeles punk scene alongside infamous acts like The Germs
, The Screamers
and The Weirdos
and were a staple band at the venue The Masque
, where Bruce Moreland
(brother of the Skulls' then-guitarist Marc Moreland
, who went on to form Wall of Voodoo
) was the emcee.
Singer Billy Bones joined the band for one of their first practices and became the only consistent and long term member of the Skulls. The band's most common line-ups in the late 1970s consisted of Billy Bones on vocals and Marc Moreland on guitar, with bass duties being held by Bruce Moreland or Chas T. Gray and drums by Michael "Sten Gunn" Wallace. The band did not tour extensively nor make many official releases. Bootlegs can be found of original recordings, but the band's studio albums were all recorded and released years later. They broke up with no apparent plans to reunite.
) by a mutual friend, Keith Miller, who had performed with Bones in the past with other projects. After discovering Hardslug was also into performing music, a 'jam' was suggested and Bones (vocals), Miller (bass) and Hardslug(drums) got together, joined by a young Kevin Preston (guitar) who attended the same school as Bones' daughter. This band practiced by covering Skulls songs among others and was to be called the DB5's, apparently after Bones' favorite automobile and interest in old James Bond movies. A few weeks later, Bones was asked to put together a version of The Skulls to perform at the 'Tribute to 77' event at The El Rey in Los Angeles, where many of the early punk bands were to perform. That line-up was to be Bones (vocals), Preston (guitar), Sean 'Geronimo' Antillon (ex Gears, Snake Charmers) (drums, who'd also played with Bones at an impromptu quasi Skulls appearance a few years before) and Keith Miller on Bass. However, Miller had to bow out at the last minute and Bones asked Hardslug if he knew anybody who could jump in. The story goes that Hardslug bought a bass, learned the songs in a week, and after just a few rehearsals, the band nailed it at the El Rey. The new version of The Skulls was born, with the DB5 project left by the wayside.
The SKULLS’ soon released an album titled Therapy for the Shy on Dr. Strange Records containing mostly re-recorded Skulls songs written by the original members of 77, with the notable exceptions of: 'Gold and Ruby Red', a song written by Bones years earlier and subsequently rehashed, rearranged and 'punked-up' by Bones and Hardslug; 'Life Ain't So Pretty', another older composition given some Bones/Hardslug treatment and brought up to speed; 'Girlfriend, Shower, Sleep', a slice of fun by the new 4-piece; and finally an amazing cover of The Saints' 'Erotic Neurotic'. Various singles were also spawned from this release and, along with the CD and its Vinyl counterpart, all sold out fast.
In addition, The SKULLS appeared on three separate tribute compilation CD’s released by Cleopatra Records
performing covers of AC/DC
, Weezer
and NOFX
tunes. On realizing this surge of interest, The Skulls did some soul searching, wondering if their recent offerings were valid, bearing in mind they were mostly penned by past members of the band from nearly a quarter of a century before. The decision was made to write a brand new album from the ground up, with contributions from each of the new members, either solo or as collaborations. “The Golden Age of Piracy” was recorded in Los Angeles and Seattle and released in late 2003, again on Dr. Strange Records
. Garnering 5 star reviews across the board, it contained 14 completely original songs and captured the energy the band was becoming renowned for in its live performances. This solidified the band's confidence as a 'new' band in its own right, and empowered them to press on with a slew of new material. Subsequent tours of the USA (including a string of dates on the Van's Warped Tour) and two tours of Europe established a large core following. Everyone who ever saw The SKULLS was amazed at the energy they delivered. Their recorded work is true to their live sound – To prove the point, The SKULLS then released a full-length LIVE DVD/CD (directed by Bad Otis Link) in 2004 on Finger Records. Titled “Night of the Living Skulls” the DVD featured a full live set from the El Rey Theatre
in Los Angeles, a sell out show cited by many as being THE punk rock event of 2003. It also contained priceless interviews with key members of the US and UK punk scenes and special features, including skateboard mayhem, hidden ‘easter eggs’ and other features.
Just as things seemed to be going full tilt, Kevin Preston decided to quit the band to pursue a new project for which he would be front man, called Prima Donna
. Almost immediately, Antillon also quit to pursue projects with The Weirdos
, the Generators and other legendary L.A. punk rock outfits with whom he'd been filling in over previous months, leaving a big void in the band just prior to another US and European tour. Both musicians left amicably and kindly made themselves available to assist in the selection and training of their replacements if required, a legacy of the tight family the four had become. Monster Matt, singer with Chicago based skate-punk band MONSTER TRUX, took on drumming duties and relocated from Chicago to California. Guitar duties were filled by Orange County resident Skot Snot and the band embarked on the US leg of their tour, however he was subsequently replaced by L.A. musician Nate Shaw (Duane Peters & The Hunns, etc.) for the European portion. Due to Shaw's other commitments with bands and studio projects, he couldn't commit to the live performance schedule ahead, so the band finally settled with talented Swedish guitarist and studio engineer Andy Andersson who relocated to Orange County, California from Sweden. Just when it seemed that The Skulls had finally settled back down, Billy Bones suddenly announced his wish to disband, citing many reasons: he did not want to drag the SKULLS name down by having all the line up changes; it was just time to move on and do something new and different, the need to spend time with his family, and, a discomfort with the creative direction of the last configuration of The Skulls. The band went on to play three final shows and called it a day amicably in April 2006.
's Aaron Minton on saxophone on a cover of Roxy Music
's (Editions of You). He is currently working on a new full length album. Band members include Billy Bones, ex-skullmate and U.S. Bombs
drummer Alex Gomez, Rob Blue on bass, and Alex Mack on guitar. The Billybones began work on a new album in 2009 due for release by 2010. Monster Matt went on to drum with Orange County band The Johns and is now permanent drummer for THE COMMOTIONS. Andy Andersson and Hardslug formed a new project called Hardslug (Hardslug dropped his nickname and pledged it to the band, reverting back to James Harding once more) and released a 12 song album in late 2006. Six of the songs written by Harding were to originally appear on what was to be the 3rd Skulls studio album, but, when The Skulls split, were then carried over into the new band project. Other commitments have caused the Hardslug project to be put on hold. In July 2008, Kevin Preston joined The Foxboro Hot Tubs (featuring all the members of GREEN DAY) as 2nd guitarist. He is still pursuing his career with Prima Donna and in October 2009 Prima Donna embarked on a 39 city European tour as direct support for GREEN DAY. Sean Antillon continues to perform with many notable artists. Most recently he has been touring with Duane Peters. In September 2009 The Skulls announced plans to reunite with the 'Golden Age Four' from the 2000-2004 line-up, namely Billy, Kevin, Hardslug and Sean. The re-union show was to be at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana California in November but had to be postponed until Sat January 9, 2010 due to Kevin's commitments with Prima Donna on the Green Day tour.
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band formed in 1977, and later reformed in 2000. Their final show was in Corona, California
Corona, California
Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...
in March 2006. The Skulls had several line-ups with only one consistent member, vocalist Steven William "Billy Bones" Fortuna.
The Early Years
The Skulls formed in 1977 and are widely considered to have been one of Los Angeles's first punk rock bands. Their influences consisted of AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
punk bands such as the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
and The Avengers
The Avengers (band)
The Avengers are an American punk rock band formed in 1977 in San Francisco, California. Penelope Houston, who has also been a folk musician, is their singer.-Original history:...
, British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
punk bands such as the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
and The Vibrators
The Vibrators
- Early career:The Vibrators were founded by Ian 'Knox' Carnochan, bassist Pat Collier, guitarist John Ellis, and drummer John 'Eddie' Edwards. They first came to public notice at the 100 Club when they backed Chris Spedding in 1976. On Spedding's recommendation, Mickie Most signed them to his...
and glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
/pre-punk artists such as Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, T.Rex and MC5
MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
. They were at the forefront of the early Los Angeles punk scene alongside infamous acts like The Germs
The Germs
The Germs are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1977 to 1980. The band's early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and their most consistent drummer Don Bolles. Germs have since reformed in 2005 with Shane...
, The Screamers
The Screamers
The Screamers were a punk rock group active in the Los Angeles, California area in the late 1970s. The Screamers were pioneers of a genre now known as "synthpunk," and can also be classified as art punk....
and The Weirdos
The Weirdos
The Weirdos were an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California. They formed in 1976 and broke up in 1981, were occasionally active in the 1980s, and recorded new material in the 1990s...
and were a staple band at the venue The Masque
The Masque
The Masque was a small punk rock club in central Hollywood, California which existed intermittently from 1977 to 1979. It is remembered as a key part of the early L.A. punk scene.-History:...
, where Bruce Moreland
Bruce Moreland
Bruce "Ravens" Moreland is an American rock musician. This singer, songwriter, and guitarist has worked with such bands as Wall of Voodoo , The Weirdos, Nervous Gender, and Concrete Blonde among others...
(brother of the Skulls' then-guitarist Marc Moreland
Marc Moreland
Marc Moreland was an American rock musician. He was the former guitarist for new wave band Wall of Voodoo, punk band The Skulls, and rock bands Pretty and Twisted and Department of Crooks...
, who went on to form Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
) was the emcee.
Singer Billy Bones joined the band for one of their first practices and became the only consistent and long term member of the Skulls. The band's most common line-ups in the late 1970s consisted of Billy Bones on vocals and Marc Moreland on guitar, with bass duties being held by Bruce Moreland or Chas T. Gray and drums by Michael "Sten Gunn" Wallace. The band did not tour extensively nor make many official releases. Bootlegs can be found of original recordings, but the band's studio albums were all recorded and released years later. They broke up with no apparent plans to reunite.
The 'New' Skulls
In 2000, Billy Bones was introduced to James 'Hardslug' Harding (The AdictsThe Adicts
The Adicts are an English punk band from Ipswich, Suffolk, England. One of the more popular punk rock bands in the 1980s, they were often in the indie charts at that time. Their song "Viva La Revolution" was featured in the video game Tony Hawk's Underground. It was also featured in a commercial...
) by a mutual friend, Keith Miller, who had performed with Bones in the past with other projects. After discovering Hardslug was also into performing music, a 'jam' was suggested and Bones (vocals), Miller (bass) and Hardslug(drums) got together, joined by a young Kevin Preston (guitar) who attended the same school as Bones' daughter. This band practiced by covering Skulls songs among others and was to be called the DB5's, apparently after Bones' favorite automobile and interest in old James Bond movies. A few weeks later, Bones was asked to put together a version of The Skulls to perform at the 'Tribute to 77' event at The El Rey in Los Angeles, where many of the early punk bands were to perform. That line-up was to be Bones (vocals), Preston (guitar), Sean 'Geronimo' Antillon (ex Gears, Snake Charmers) (drums, who'd also played with Bones at an impromptu quasi Skulls appearance a few years before) and Keith Miller on Bass. However, Miller had to bow out at the last minute and Bones asked Hardslug if he knew anybody who could jump in. The story goes that Hardslug bought a bass, learned the songs in a week, and after just a few rehearsals, the band nailed it at the El Rey. The new version of The Skulls was born, with the DB5 project left by the wayside.
The SKULLS’ soon released an album titled Therapy for the Shy on Dr. Strange Records containing mostly re-recorded Skulls songs written by the original members of 77, with the notable exceptions of: 'Gold and Ruby Red', a song written by Bones years earlier and subsequently rehashed, rearranged and 'punked-up' by Bones and Hardslug; 'Life Ain't So Pretty', another older composition given some Bones/Hardslug treatment and brought up to speed; 'Girlfriend, Shower, Sleep', a slice of fun by the new 4-piece; and finally an amazing cover of The Saints' 'Erotic Neurotic'. Various singles were also spawned from this release and, along with the CD and its Vinyl counterpart, all sold out fast.
In addition, The SKULLS appeared on three separate tribute compilation CD’s released by Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records
Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label.- History :Founded in 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in gothic rock, hard rock, heavy metal and reissues of out-of-print music...
performing covers of AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Weezer
Weezer
Weezer is an American alternative rock band. The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo , Patrick Wilson , Brian Bell , and Scott Shriner . The band has changed lineups three times since its formation in 1992...
and NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
tunes. On realizing this surge of interest, The Skulls did some soul searching, wondering if their recent offerings were valid, bearing in mind they were mostly penned by past members of the band from nearly a quarter of a century before. The decision was made to write a brand new album from the ground up, with contributions from each of the new members, either solo or as collaborations. “The Golden Age of Piracy” was recorded in Los Angeles and Seattle and released in late 2003, again on Dr. Strange Records
Dr. Strange Records
Dr. Strange Records is a record label and record store located in Alta Loma, California. It started out as an apartment-based distro in 1988 and became a record label in 1989, run out of the "Doc's" apartment until 1997 when the store was first opened....
. Garnering 5 star reviews across the board, it contained 14 completely original songs and captured the energy the band was becoming renowned for in its live performances. This solidified the band's confidence as a 'new' band in its own right, and empowered them to press on with a slew of new material. Subsequent tours of the USA (including a string of dates on the Van's Warped Tour) and two tours of Europe established a large core following. Everyone who ever saw The SKULLS was amazed at the energy they delivered. Their recorded work is true to their live sound – To prove the point, The SKULLS then released a full-length LIVE DVD/CD (directed by Bad Otis Link) in 2004 on Finger Records. Titled “Night of the Living Skulls” the DVD featured a full live set from the El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre
El Rey Theatre is currently a live music venue in the Miracle Mile area of the Mid-Wilshire region in Los Angeles, California. "El Rey" means "The King" in Spanish....
in Los Angeles, a sell out show cited by many as being THE punk rock event of 2003. It also contained priceless interviews with key members of the US and UK punk scenes and special features, including skateboard mayhem, hidden ‘easter eggs’ and other features.
Just as things seemed to be going full tilt, Kevin Preston decided to quit the band to pursue a new project for which he would be front man, called Prima Donna
Prima Donna (American band)
-Personnel:* Kevin Preston – Vocals, Guitar* Aaron Minton – Keyboards, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones, Backing Vocals* David S. Field – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals* Erik Arcane – Guitar, Backing Vocals* Daniel Nyby – Bass, Backing Vocals-Kiss Kiss:...
. Almost immediately, Antillon also quit to pursue projects with The Weirdos
The Weirdos
The Weirdos were an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California. They formed in 1976 and broke up in 1981, were occasionally active in the 1980s, and recorded new material in the 1990s...
, the Generators and other legendary L.A. punk rock outfits with whom he'd been filling in over previous months, leaving a big void in the band just prior to another US and European tour. Both musicians left amicably and kindly made themselves available to assist in the selection and training of their replacements if required, a legacy of the tight family the four had become. Monster Matt, singer with Chicago based skate-punk band MONSTER TRUX, took on drumming duties and relocated from Chicago to California. Guitar duties were filled by Orange County resident Skot Snot and the band embarked on the US leg of their tour, however he was subsequently replaced by L.A. musician Nate Shaw (Duane Peters & The Hunns, etc.) for the European portion. Due to Shaw's other commitments with bands and studio projects, he couldn't commit to the live performance schedule ahead, so the band finally settled with talented Swedish guitarist and studio engineer Andy Andersson who relocated to Orange County, California from Sweden. Just when it seemed that The Skulls had finally settled back down, Billy Bones suddenly announced his wish to disband, citing many reasons: he did not want to drag the SKULLS name down by having all the line up changes; it was just time to move on and do something new and different, the need to spend time with his family, and, a discomfort with the creative direction of the last configuration of The Skulls. The band went on to play three final shows and called it a day amicably in April 2006.
Current situation
In 2008, Billy's new band The Billybones released a 7" EP, We're Selfish, produced by Kevin Preston, and featuring Prima DonnaPrima Donna (American band)
-Personnel:* Kevin Preston – Vocals, Guitar* Aaron Minton – Keyboards, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones, Backing Vocals* David S. Field – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals* Erik Arcane – Guitar, Backing Vocals* Daniel Nyby – Bass, Backing Vocals-Kiss Kiss:...
's Aaron Minton on saxophone on a cover of Roxy Music
Roxy Music
Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...
's (Editions of You). He is currently working on a new full length album. Band members include Billy Bones, ex-skullmate and U.S. Bombs
U.S. Bombs
U.S. Bombs are an American punk rock band, formed in 1993 in Orange County, CA. U.S. Bombs consist of vocalist Duane Peters, guitarists Kerry Martinez and Jonny "Two Bags" Wickersham, bass guitarist Wade Walston and drummer Chip Hanna. Vocalist Duane Peters is a legendary professional...
drummer Alex Gomez, Rob Blue on bass, and Alex Mack on guitar. The Billybones began work on a new album in 2009 due for release by 2010. Monster Matt went on to drum with Orange County band The Johns and is now permanent drummer for THE COMMOTIONS. Andy Andersson and Hardslug formed a new project called Hardslug (Hardslug dropped his nickname and pledged it to the band, reverting back to James Harding once more) and released a 12 song album in late 2006. Six of the songs written by Harding were to originally appear on what was to be the 3rd Skulls studio album, but, when The Skulls split, were then carried over into the new band project. Other commitments have caused the Hardslug project to be put on hold. In July 2008, Kevin Preston joined The Foxboro Hot Tubs (featuring all the members of GREEN DAY) as 2nd guitarist. He is still pursuing his career with Prima Donna and in October 2009 Prima Donna embarked on a 39 city European tour as direct support for GREEN DAY. Sean Antillon continues to perform with many notable artists. Most recently he has been touring with Duane Peters. In September 2009 The Skulls announced plans to reunite with the 'Golden Age Four' from the 2000-2004 line-up, namely Billy, Kevin, Hardslug and Sean. The re-union show was to be at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana California in November but had to be postponed until Sat January 9, 2010 due to Kevin's commitments with Prima Donna on the Green Day tour.