Madison’s Beloved Disco Supergroup V05 Celebrates 20 Years

There’s never a lack of glitter, groove, and good vibes given out by the Madison-based disco supergroup VO5. The beloved, award-winning band recently celebrated 20 years of playing 1970s dance floor favorites along with sharing their own original music. It happened in grand fashion too, with almost every artist who’s ever performed with VO5 – that’s more than 40 musicians – showing up to be part of the special anniversary event.

Guitarist John Feith and drummer Gail Campbell joined the Max Ink Radio music show crew in the 92.7 WMDX studio to reflect on VO5’s long, colorful history. 

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Listen to the entire discussion here:

The conversation kicks off with a discussion around the group’s hilarious journey through earlier band names like Fuzz Muffin and Shampoo. Ultimately, it was the suggestion of VO5 that stuck. 

“Everyone just said, ‘That’s the perfect name for a ’70s disco band,’” Feith explains. “We were even hoping the Alberto VO5 company would sue us for publicity.”

The band’s roots are in the Cherry Pop Burlesque shows of the early 2000s to now playing an average of 600 gigs and 30 weddings every year. VO5 built a reputation on joyful, high-energy performances transforming any event into a dance party. 

“People think they hate disco until we start playing,” Campbell says. “Then they’re smiling, dancing, and not wanting to stop.”

One fan who has never stopped? Alice, the wife of AtwoodFest music coordinator and Max Ink co-host, Rokker. She discovered the band during a Halloween show years ago. The chance encounter led to VO5 landing the noon slot at AtwoodFest, eventually rising to main-stage headliner, drawing thousands.

 “Watching that crowd move closer and closer. You could feel the love,” Feith recalled.

The 20-year celebration has been described as the biggest spectacle to date. There was a slideshow retrospective, the return of a full string section, a horn section beefed up with extra players, special guest singers, and the legendary Hot Oil Dancers.

And in true Madison fashion, the city made it all official. 

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway declared November 15th “VO5 Day of Disco Joy” encouraging fans to celebrate by listening to the band’s music.

VO5 jokes that they’re busy answering mistaken customer complaints about hair products (“People want refunds for shampoo we didn’t make!” Campbell shares), but they haven’t slowed down creatively. And though their last original album came out in 2015, there are some hints that the 25-year mark may bring new music.

Until then, there’s more dance-floor magic ahead. 

“Every show still feels special,” Campbell says. “After 20 years, people still want to dance. And so do we.”

Congratulations and thanks for all the disco joy, VO5!