I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when i saw this ‘tribute’ from 30 Seconds to Mars front man and actor Jared Leto this morning.
It was the 17 Anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death yesterday and Leto posted this on his blog. Well done mate, not only have you just made it into round 2’s most punchable faces in rock and roll, you have also managed to cover Cobain’s worst ever song. To quote a mate of mine, ‘if he wanted to do a Cobain tribute, shotguns are readily available’.
Flicking through the music press this week I started to get anxious and could not work out why. I pondered on whether if it was related to the weekend of carnage that just passed or the sheer audacity of fake rock stars that are pouring into print these days as there seems to be a barrage of people that annoy you so much that sometimes you would like to punch their lights out.
So, after contacting our freelance writers and having a huge discussion on who will make this list, we present you with this month’s, (yes, this may have to be done again if you get involved at the end) Top 10 Most Punchable Faces in Rock and Roll!
10. DARWIN DEEZ
It’s hard to know where to even begin with this plum. He wears a fucking stupid headband that’s made from a mouldy doily, has a moustache that wouldn’t look out of place on a sexual deviant and wears jeans so tight they make me feel infertile just by looking at them.
Oh, and his music is pony too. Log off, Darwin.
9. TOM CLARKE
It’s perhaps slightly redundant to include The Enemy’s Tom Clarke in a list of punchable faces, mostly because it seems somebody has beat us to it. They say pictures speak louder than words, and this idiom rings emphatically true in Clarke’s case. Just look at him! He’s like a living metaphor for the ugly duckling, except that’s not fair, because the ugly duckling wasn’t in a shit band. I mention the ugly duckling not as a throwaway insult, but because his features quite literally resemble that of mother goose. It’s a shame to gloss over Clarke’s music to judge him on looks alone, but his face is so distracting I couldn’t begin to delve into the horror that is The Enemy’s music.
8. FARIS BADWAN
Talking of the horror, nobody likes a student wanker especially when they look they crawled out of a scene from The Munsters and are influenced by copycat Nugget’s wannabies The Fuzztones.
Faris Badwan, lead singer of The Horrors has been on so many covers of magazines since the band broke through the indie circuit back in 2007 that he probably is single handedly the reason why people don’t buy them anymore!
7. IAN WATKINS
You could have picked any of the 5 members of Lost Prophets for this list, in fact they should be lucky we have only picked on singer Ian Watkins but I guess if you want to front the ‘most fake rock and roll band of all time’ then you deserve to be in the Top 10.
Lost Prophets are the worst styled rock band since Slade and have tried their hardest to be everyone else apart from themselves from day one musically and fashion wise. They just never seem to have their own style, look at this shot to the right, girls tee shirt and a smelly glove? Also, the fact their music sucks harder than the latest Dyson creation zooms Mr Fake ass Watkins straight in at number 7.
6. DRAKE
If ever there was a face in the rap world that deserved a punch, it’s the one on the end of Drake’s neck. It’s hard to know where to even start – possibly the fact that he keeps wearing turtleneck jumpers like some kind of shit painter from the 1970s, the irony being that he sounds like he IS turtlenecking, the talentless prick.
And what about how his mouth looks like some kind of bastard child of a 15 year old MySpace trout-pouting girl and a retarded chipmunk with a coathanger in his gob? He can’t sing, he can’t rap and it’s high time he pulled the neck of that jumper up over his head and slinks back to the cesspit he came from.
5. PETE DOHERTY
This pasty faced utterly un-talented drug bore has a face that even his mother can’t love. His drug bloated boatrace is just asking for a rotten kipper slapped right across his chops.
He’s not rock n’roll or glamorous, his face is a scab pit, his music is the most boring drivel to have been released in years and he’s just rubbish. And he’s got really dirty finger nails and his little fat face is just asking for a punch. Can I go on?
4. LIAM GALLAGHER
There’s no denying that Liam is a proper rock star and back in the glory days of Oasis he couldn’t be touched for drop dead cool and arrogance, but that same arrogance has got the better of him with his new Beady Eye band. He was at his usual ‘we’re the greatest band in the fucking world’ best in the lead up to the music being unleashed on the world, claiming they were going to be bigger and better than Oasis.
The records came out and the world went mild. Somewhere in the background Noel is rubbing his hands together and laughing. Wipe that arrogant sneer off your face Liam, you ain’t all that. We’ve got our Beady Eye’s on you.
3. JOHNNY BORRELL
Johnny Borrell could be cited as the biggest cunt of all – if he’s not prancing about in his staple white denim half naked on a stage looking like a z-rate Iggy Pop, he’s gallivanting with the latest flashy C-listers or indeed protesting about green issues to add to his already lacking rock n roll credentials. Dare I say more?
Already the prize winner of the most vainest twat in pop this ex- Libertines loser and current singer of Razorlight could very well be the most punchable face known to man.
2. DAN DEVINE (aka Daniel McGee)
Excuse me if we appear precious about our punk rock here at Crossfire, but we really fucking hate this Flats band that are currently sneaking into the music press as ‘the band to make punk rock dangerous again’. Claiming you are inspired and from the same ilk as eighties punk legends like Heresy, Discharge and Crass when you are actually a bunch of floppy haired indie twats with a frontman called Dan Devine, the son of ex-Creation records boss Alan Mcgee is wrong on every level.
Not only is the music total garbage, but Flats are nothing to do with the underground punk scene they claim to be so inspired by with their indie publicist, rider requests and touring with Mark Ronson (how very hardcore!). You can just see them now, turning up to the squat gig with their industry guest list and fashion clad, public schoolboy mates. These guys are total fucking knob-ends, don’t believe the hype.
1. LEE NEWELL
So here we are at the end of the line. The cocky frontman of Brother needs a punch in the face if for no other reason than to end his ridiculous facial expressions every time he’s in front of a camera lens. His attempts to clone the swaggering attitude of Liam Gallagher are limited to a pathetically artificial scowl and ambitions to be ‘the biggest band in the world’.
As for his reaction to Liam’s slagging of his band, he claimed to be more concerned with what his sibling Noel thinks about the band. Who are you trying to fool Lee? We all know where you got your inspiration for being a talentless twat with a gob bigger than his brain. Congratulations you dickhead, this will probably be the only Number 1 you will ever get in your career!
IF YOU THINK WE HAVE FORGOTTEN ANYONE FROM THIS LIST, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW OR ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AND WE WILL INCLUDE THEM IN ROUND 2.
Back in July when we re-launched this mag we had the pleasure of trying out a limited edition version of the First Blood signature shoe from éS rider and Beast from the East, Bobby Worrest and we were not disappointed. Well actually that’s a lie, we were actually gutted that éS had not released the leather version of these in plain black once their collab with graf artist Cycle had passed as they are one hell of a skate shoe and in leather they are as slick looking as Ice-T and his mates on the front of the Power sleeve.
After searching the web for simple black versions I found these black, red and gum sole versions in suede and they were that good that I ordered two pairs. Sometimes if you love a shoe that much and think that it suits your needs it’s always worth investing for the future as they do become harder to find as time ticks on.
Worrest’s kicks come in various other colours and are full of the usual goodness like the System G2 malarkey in the heel and that griptape sucking, vulcanized sole that was just made for skateboarding. It’s the most simple skate shoe ever made and on par with the Etnies Faction- no fancy shit, comfortable as hell with a thin padded tongue with a beer inspired logo fitted with those elastic tongue-centering straps that hold your entire life together. What more do you want from a skate shoe? Everyone has their own styles but for me I need look no further.
Rambo was the last surviving member of his unit in First Blood, the movie that I guess inspired the name of these kicks and with that in mind I believe it’s worth fighting everyone in your path to get a pair of these before they become ‘last year’s collection’.
MT
Volcom’s Fall 2010 range has just hit the shelves and with the furore surrounding Mark Appleyard’s move to Element we picked out his signature denim to see if the fuss was worth it.
These fellas come in a classic straight leg but slight boot fit meaning they sit just over the top of your shoes and are made up of a super soft and comfortable 98% cotton and 2% spandex. You also get a zip instead of stupid button flys for old-man access which suits me as doing up the stiff buttons on jeans tend to really get on my tits – especially when drunk.
This is not the first and will not be the last pair of Volcom jeans I will own. Some skateboard company jeans are made cheaply, badly designed and as a result come with a lame cut but Volcom’s Stone series usually ticks all the boxes and as a result, don’t come overly branded which is important. So many brands who make jeans these days place unwanted logos, embroidery and metallic buttons all over them as a selling point, but for me there’s nothing worse.
Appleyard’s colour choices for these come in Indigo (blue/black) and Mechanic Wash and both work well worn with this Elsdon jacket also from their Fall 2010 range which is out now.
3P
Despite his nickname (that I won’t mention as he hates it) Dave is actually a pretty decent chap. Dave first started sending me some footage a few years ago and it was clear from the start that he had a certain talent on the wooden plank. He’s also raised eyebrows a few times on the Ride With Us tours and he never shies away from a game of skate as he rarely loses.
And I’m still not 100% sure whether he is goofy or regular.
‘ave it Rapey…
Intro: Phil Clutton
Interview: Stanley
Portrait: Nima Elm
Photography: Harry Wheeler
So you’re currently living just outside Brighton, have you been there all your life?
Yeah man, been here since day one!
And how long have you been skating for now?
Round about 7 years.
What’s good and bad about growing up skating in the grand old town of Burgess Hill?
Damn son! Well one of the main pros has gotta be the ledge, it’s perfect, always buttered real good. There are a lot of good ledge spots and local schools, good for get techy and sorting some tasty lines out. But the amount of decaying old people that roam Burgess is unbelievable, the town centre is the epicentre for most of them.
It must be good living so close to Brighton too, right?
The beach is always pretty good after a west pier flatground session, just gotta keep those eyes peeled for the used jonnies and shitty knickers on the beach but other than that it’s good. Summer times in Brighton with the amount of buff nuffs is always pretty healthy.
Handrail ollie
So you’re getting product from Osiris, Dephect, Nueu and Another… how long have you been getting stuff and are you on the way to getting a deck sponsor now?
Yeah they are sorting me out great. I think the first was Nueu about 3 years ago and the most recent being Osiris! Psyched on it! Also check out Kickzoo! Death help me out now and then for boards.
How are you doing for boards? Is the real reason you skate ledges instead of stairs and gaps because you’re trying to make that wood last?
Well normally I am on a ledge hype but when involving stairs you’re bound to get some board casualties. I always try and make my board last as long as possible… I have ridden boards that are long past their sell-by date!
Tell us what stuff you are filming for right now…
I just finished a Dephect edit [which you can see at the bottom of this interview – Ed.], I’m also working on a Tweaker Zine article that will have an edit to accompany it. P.12. Also something with Mint magazine. There is always something going on.
Are you planning on going to uni?
Recently I have been thinking about hitting uni. I am looking into at the moment hopefully moving towards the big smoke next year! Just gotta find the right course.
Is there anything you’d like to get more involved in filming wise if you move away from Brighton?
Yeah man for sure I would love to work on something like a whole street section that would be dope. Hit the streets of London… East India and Shoreditch, lines for days! I wanna try and hook up with Morph soon as well.
Crooks. Street as you like.
You like to travel I’ve noticed… where in the world have been skateboarding?
I love travelling. I have been to Paris, Barcelona, Prague, India and a load of places around the UK. India is a crazy place to skate man, all about the moped runs… hitting the speed bumps and dodging cows was mad.
Tell us about the time you went to Barcelona and completely ran out of cash… how did you survive?!
Well I was in Barcelona for 6 weeks and the last 2 weeks I had no money which was kinda hard. Beforehand I stocked up on this cereal called nougat which was chocolate parcels with milk; that was a pretty healthy diet for the last 2 weeks. I was just super hyped to be in Barca and tried not to think about the money situations. But on my return journey to the airport I forgot about the €5 bus charge so had to sell my shoes to get back to the airport. But it all worked out! Some guy got some tasty kicks and I got home!
Are there any other stories of you managing to blag it abroad or even at home on a low budget?
Right, where do I start? On one occasion I got a plane ticket bought for me to Barca and left with £20 in my pocket. Ended up getting housed and fed with help from Keith Allan who I met at MACBA and did not know him before that trip. It ended up being a super good trip! On the first Ride With Us tour I managed to scrape together a tenner for the trip and it lasted the whole week! I think I came back with £7 in my pocket. It was pretty good, thanks to all those Shell garages across the country!
Front blunt
You are known for cleaning up at games of SKATE, when did this hobby start becoming a way of getting some income?
Not really sure, it all started with the éS Game of Skate UK final in 2008 and then a bunch of other games all over. I think it’s a good game, you gotta be on point! One fatal primo and you’re done!
What’s your go-to trick when playing SKATE?
Gotta go with the nollie flip. Either that or a nollie heel body varial.
In your recent trip to Skegness all your tricks were either switch or nollie… was this a coincidence or do you just like the challenge?
Not sure really it just turned out that way, I like skating nollie and switch a lot. There was not really any thought behind it just turned out that way. GoofyOoo.
I understand you’re a big fan of chess, do you have a go-to attack plan?
There are a few tactics I use, I try and change it up every time so it makes it a challenge and tests the brain. Sometimes I hit them with the pawn wave or just straight up bishop attack!
As we’re approaching Winter, let’s hear about the wet days… How do you spend your time chilling other than a little bit of chess?
Oh god, well a combination of things, the collaboration of Facebook and Youtube normally hit me pretty hard at the start of the day! If it’s wet then this continues! A few games of chess, brews and gaffas and you got the perfect combination right there! I always try and keep on top of college work but this involves more brews and gafs. There is a bar in Burgess thats nicknamed Jurassic park because of all the grim veloceraptors in there! It’s alright there, once I saw someone giving birth on the dance floor! That was different!
What if you’re too desperate to skate, where would you go to avoid the rain and still shred?
Wet days are not so bad… means I can catch up on a bit of college work. But when it overwhelms you and you gotta skate then we have a couple of warehouses in Burge which are handy. Got a few ledges in there, banks and stuff too… one of them is real crazy! It used to be a cat vaccination centre where they mix up all the chemicals, pots of acid and test tubes lying around you don’t wanna be slipping out in there! It ended up getting called acid house!
But recently we found a real golden nugget out in the middle of nowhere me and my mate found a derelict chicken coop it’s pretty much twice the size of Bay66 and undercover! I am really hyped on this and the construction of ledges has begun! Should be a dope spot!
What does this phrase mean to you – ‘peace out sienana biafera sugunga butraser nollie flippers’ ?
This is crazy! This phrase once started of as “peace out son” and it got more and more warped. I don’t know the actual translation but looks like there is some nollie flip action going on at the end there!
And what words of wisdom would you like to share to the skaters reading this?
Always get on a blackberry hype!
Siempre Rodando
SSBSTS
Go skate!
Right now clubs all over London are wiring their speakers to turntables powered by the late 90s as two-step, funky garage and rolling house beats are making a huge impact on clubbers as the dubstep sound becomes rinsed and wobbles it’s way outside. It’s the sound that hip indie groups are craving for the b-side of their record and if they’re lucky, mega-production troupes like C.R.S.T might take their collection of sharp, warm synths and back-to-the-future garage beats to it.
They’ve already knocked out one of the dopest, most uplifting remixes of the year for one of the only sensible selections for the Mercury Music Award, The XX. Annie Mac has been further blogging their bouncy re-imagination of Count and Sinden’s summer indie/dance crossover hit ‘After Dark‘. The sound that this eclectic South Wales production collective (each member comes from a background of dabbling in various corners of electronic music) is most definitely on the up.
Stanley caught up with Rodski who spends most of his time being one quarter of the C.R.S.T crew, one half of DJ powerhouses Chesus and Rodski as well as being Cardiff’s biggest skateboarding DJ. Read on to learn more about the importance of blogging, why brostep sucks and how DJs are capable of telekinetic powers…
C.R.S.T Photography: Cam Sweeney
Skate Photography: Gareth Phillips
Portrait: Sam Sam Sam @ Bigger Than Barry
What’s your full name, age and current location?
Rodski, I’m 27 and I’m from Cardiff.
How long have you been DJing?
About seven years altogether, too fucking long…
When did you meet Chesus?
I met Che about three or four years ago while we were both working in Size? in Cardiff.
How often do you two DJ together now?
We only play together as CRST now, we’re chilling for the Summer but we’ll probably be playing two or three shows a week once the students get back.
How did C.R.S.T come about?
We just all went down Tony’s one day to mess around and found that it worked out really well as four so we stuck with it.
Who does what in the group? Four-man production crews aren’t too common…
We just all do whatever needs doing at the time. Live we’re pretty much the same as any other DJ set except we have a pissed up roider onstage to keep things interesting, ha.
Briefly describe what exactly is the music you make…
Garage. Not Future Garage, just Garage. And some house, haha.
What does Chesus’ hip-hop experience as ‘Metabeats’ bring to the sound?
Che’s been doing hip hop since day one, he’s the Welsh Dilla innit. He makes C.R.S.T. wonky.
B-More has always had a place in club music, but in the latter end of the decade we saw it become a bit of a trend after Diplo and others made it more popular. That’s passed a little but do you think that B-More could ever be unpopular?
Well, pretty much all the new hip hop and R&B stuff that’s in the charts is essentially Baltimore club. As soon as they get bored of it it’ll die off. Theres only so many 80s classics you can run that break over…
What about dubstep?
I like some of it, just not all this bait bro-step stuff that all the students are bumming. It gives me a fucking headache.
You’re probably one of the most prominent DJs in Cardiff right now, what’s the club scene like there?
Shite. Without the students it’s dead but that’s the same all over. It’s getting better but still not a patch on places like Bristol and Leeds. Bigger Than Barry is always good. The night they do at The Mint in Leeds is madness.
You’ve supported some pretty gnarly acts, who has been your favourite to play with?
Rico Tubbs is always a good laugh, Martelo and of course Swansea’s finest, Doc Daneeka.
What are your top three records right now?
Any Hudson Mohawke, all the new Girl U.N.I.T. stuff and Ganja by Scratcha DVA
Blogs and regular charts seem to dominate and dictate DJs playlists, what’s your opinion on the influence of blogs, is it a good thing or does it take away the special something of going to record stores and seeking out rare gems?
Without blogs there would be no way to get stuff out to the public and overseas, so blogs are definitely a good thing as long as they don’t bootleg stuff.
Tell us about the radio show you do on Sub FM, who’s running it and what’s a regular night like…
We do 3-5pm every other Saturday afternoon and play pretty much whatever. Biggups to Whistla for running the station and supporting new music.
Tell me, what’s your favourite garage track of all time?
Haha I dont know, anything by Todd Edwards is up there.
Favourite Daft Punk track?
Probabaly Teachers or Bangalter’s solo stuff on Roulé
Okay I can dig that, how about the best drum beat you’ve ever heard and the best break to sample…
Fuck knows, ask Che. He’ll tell you…
You’re welsh skateboarding’s most famous DJ, who’s killing it in Cardiff right now on the board?
Pirate Man, the retard brothers, Gareth Leak and Josh Underwood.
Did Dykie snake your wallride footplant trick in May’s Sidewalk?
Yes! He’s a player hater.
A lot of arsey people would combine the bikes, the boards and the turntables with being a hipster. What would you say to these people?
Fuck off you stupid cunts.
You went on Clever Vs Stupid… you won the mind power race car thing right?
Yes, because I am an evil genius.
Lastly, what’s coming up this year for you?
We got about five releases out in the next two months then three EPs and possibly an album on Cheap Thrills starting from August, plus loads of remixes and shows. Fun times!
Any shout outs and biggups to make?
Thanks to all the labels, DJs and friends who’ve helped us along the way. And to Lau’s in Cadoxton for general excellence in fried cuisine…
You can download C.R.S.T’s funky garage flex Dubplates 2 mix for free directly below this sentence. Scroll down a little more for the tracklisting…
C.R.S.T Dubplates 2 Mixtape by C.R.S.T
1. 1 4 Byron – C.R.S.T (Dubplate)
2. It’s Like That (C.R.S.T. Remix) – Tuff Wheelz (Dead Speaker Office)
3. Music Takes Me Up (C.R.S.T. Remix) – Proper Villains (Nightshifters)
4. Redeye – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming Catapult Records)
5. Baduka – Chesus and Diverse Concepts (Forthcoming 10,000 Yen)
6. Ultra 64 – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming No hats No Hoods)
7. Dial The Operator – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming Well Rounded)
8. Bump – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming 10,000 Yen)
9. Turn Away – C.R.S.T (Bigger Than Barry)
10. May Not Be Real – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming Well Rounded)
11. Need You – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming Well Rounded)
12. Roulette – C.R.S.T (Forthcoming 10,000 Yen)
13. Shelter (C.R.S.T. Remix) – The XX (Forthcoming ???)
What happens when you cross Croydon with a love for punk and rap? Apparently you get lele[SPEAKS]. Not content with making all sorts of crazy videos and dropping tons of music, she also has a hand in some of the best t-shirts around. We caught up with her to discuss upcoming projects, nightmares and just what happens to a Lost fan when their favourite show ends.
Interview: Abjekt
Photography: Dom Marley
I read that you were a big fan of punk music when you were younger, what sort of bands did you listen to most?
I still listen now, my favorite band in the whole world are The Descendents for me they are so ahead of the rest nothing can touch them.
And you played the guitar too? Did you ever make any punk music yourself, or get a band together to do that?
I played the tiniest bit, I was so into writing poetry and songs I never bothered learning more than 6 chords. I’m very impatient so as soon as I found a friend who played better than me I got her to play so I could focus on writing and vocals. That was as close as I got to creating a band.
But talking of bands I am working in more of a band structure at the moment, I’ve started working with a group of musicians on tracks and it’s so different from working with a producer. Everyone is adding to each song it’s so much fun. I’ve been working with Daniel P Carter (an amazing song writer and member of the band A), the banging guitarists Lags and Steph from Gallows and the sick drummer Gareth Grover from Haunts. These tracks are sounding amazing, I can’t wait for people to hear them!
What made you start making more hip hop style music? Did you just gradually switch or was there one album or track that made you think “Damn, I need to be doing this too”?
When I was 17 I started writing raps. To be honest I became a lot more open minded about a lot of things at this age, it was a real turning point. It wasn’t a particular person or song, it was more to do with me struggling to get everything I wanted to say out in one song. When you’re singing there just ain’t room for too many words! So I started rapping, though at the time I saw it more as speaking that’s when I came up with the name lele[SPEAKS]. I’ve been rapping almost 5 years but I’ve been writing songs for longer, I recorded my first song at 10. I know lyrically I’m killing it on my verses but I don’t battle, I respect it a lot, that stuff takes balls and skills but I am not just a rapper I’m a song writer.
A quick look on YouTube shows that you’ve got a number of videos up for tracks that all seem to be a bit on the weird side – you’ve got Uhh Ohh which is like something from The Shining and Volcano which is Barbie in a homemade volcano – are these ideas you think of yourself and film? Or do you have mates who like to chip in?
Weird side? Really? I thought that was completely normal! The brains behind the ideas is my sister Kelly (from The Sick Kids) and me. Sometimes we try to create the visual we get from the music and sometimes it has nothing to do with it we just go with a theme. Uhh Ohh and Horror are pretty strange and scary that’s our favorite kinda imagery. Volcano takes from a lot of things but mainly the stuff with us in the lab coats with the old film effect is based on the old Dharma tapes in Lost. Not Sober and Back to Bed are more random. Over all my videos are about dark comedy, that’s our style in a nutshell.
Do you think that maybe your Barbie in the volcano was a voodoo doll that caused all the ash earlier this year? Are YOU to blame for all those planes that were grounded?!
Yes.
Do you have any new releases planned for this year? Bang us all the details!
I’m working on my album with these guys at the moment, I’m so stoked on how sick it’s sounding. I’m not sure when any of this new stuff will be released but when all the tracks are done, you’ll know about it! I have a mixtape coming soon for free download, it’s a duet mixtape with fellow Croydon rapper Micky Worthless. We are recording it now, so it should be released by later this year via our sites. I’ve been meaning to do some more free tracks, so I’m so happy to be working on this mixtape. It’s going to be hammer time!
You also put out the Sick Kids clothing stuff with your sister which ranges from t-shirts to denim jackets to accessories. What made you want to get started with that kind of thing?
Well Kelly is very talented, she was born for this and like the way she helps me with ideas, I help her. We are a great creative team, we have similar tastes and being sisters well you can’t beat that. We love street fashion and just fell into it naturally, I guess from living in London and being a part of the music scene. For us, this is it, we’re living the dream dude! Even though we still live at home in a council house we are doing what we love.
Do you and your sister do all the designs yourself?
Kelly draws everything by hand, you should see her doodles! She loves painting portraits aswell, she just gave me one of 50 Cent! check them out on our blog!
Are you the people behind the now infamous “Wasteman” t-shirts, which appeared all over the place a couple of years ago (Toddla T loves it innit)? Did you think it was going to go as far and wide as it did?
Hell yes that is a Sick Kids Tee, in fact it’s one of our top sellers still today. We recently saw Kele from Bloc Party wearing it at one of his gigs (check it out here). We knew it was a good t-shirt because people reacted to it so well. I love my Wasteman tee!
I had a quick look over your twitter and saw a couple thing I wanted to pick up on. You said that you wish people didn’t make music videos with them singing to their reflection in the mirror – why does that creep you out? Any personal experience thing? Maybe a nightmare as a kid that it would jump out and strangle out?
No man. My kiddie nightmares those involved bears eating my Dad and ET coming to get me. People singing at themselves in the mirror is one of those embarrassing things nobody should see right?! So it creeps me out and makes me cringe when people put it in their music videos.
Big question now, how are you gonna cope now Lost is done?
I was such a huge fan and now it’s gone I feel so lost. Nothing compares to Lost, everything else that’s on is so easy to predict but with lost there is so much going on, so many characters, I’m always surprised. I spent hours trying to figure stuff out, watching reviews and recap videos online. It’s been so fun and it sounds mega cheesy but I don’t care, I loved this show!
I also see that you’re pissed Dr Dre signed The Game back to his label. How come you’re not a fan of Game?
He was OK when 50 was writing his hooks but after that his sound just changed into whoever he was working with. I’m not a fan.
And finally, I see you mentioned on your blog that you’re a big Mario fan. Who are the best Mario characters and why?
I like Toad the best especially for Mario cart because his really fast, but Mario has got to be the best overall on all games. I must mention that the new Mario Bros for Wii game is insane, it’s so sick!
Make sure you check out everything Lele and Sick Kids related on Twitter, YouTube, their Blog and their Shop.
Interview: James Brewer
Photography: Tim Borrow
Gnargore was started in 2002 by three skaters from the West Midlands. All three were doing as young skaters do and started a local crew. Yet somehow, in its eight years of existence, Gnargore has turned into something much more, and now appear as a representation of the West Midlands scene. Not just a group of skaters that make a video and flog them to ‘Timmy Turnstains’ down the local park, they have become a powerhouse for producing them, with their fifth in the last six years just being released! Not only that but working with local skate shops Ideal and Spine they have come together to organise great events over the years that has really benefited the scene. For all the jip Gnargore get, there’s no denying that there a good thing to have in a scene that finds itself struggling at times. So here’s a little insight to the warped mind of Gnargore ‘founder’ Tom Gillespie and life seen through the eyes of Gnargore.
So first up explain what is Gnargore?
Gnargore is a crew of nobodies that you shouldn’t really of heard of. And if you hadn’t, good. We’re just some mates with with camera, who can’t skateboard very well but don’t give a shit. But we have a lot of fun being shit.
The crews been productive for eight years now, what’s different now to when it first began?
Nothing! Other than producing videos that the shops actually want to stock. Sale or return, you know how we do. Spine actually sold out, so thanks to Chris for that!
In your eight years or skateboard domination, there’s been more internet controversy associated with Gnargore than there was with 2 girls 1 cup. How did that happen and how do you feel about it now?
I think I was a bit keen in trying to promote the first video and got on peoples nerves on the Sidewalk Forum. Now I know they’re all ‘cunts’ so I don’t care. Apart from Steve75. But especially Gawkrodger
Dan Jordan – Treeride
You’re well known for producing mini-edits regularly on the website. How easy is it making these, do feel any pressure from your audience, seeing as this is pretty much the only representation the West Midlands scene seems to get?
The mini-edits are pretty much the stuff that are too shit to be in a Gnargore video. The shittest of the shit. Like drunk dudes and parodies of other internet videos. Epicly Hater’d being a good example of this…
You’ve just released your fifth video in six years, which most will agree is more than impressive. Has this always been the plan, and how has it been filming them?
Five videos is more than enough for anyone. It’s just really a way of documenting a scene with me and my friends. We used to film it on a shit DV camera with a fisheye meant for an SLR camera gaffer taped on. Now I’ve got a proper camera so the production quality has gone up, but the skateboarding hasn’t, hahaha…
You premiered the video at The Mixing Bowl cinema at the Custard Factory in Birmingham. How did that go?
It went really well, better than I expected. The disc worked for a start which was great! I had a lot of trouble burning them all myself and trying to get them to work.. The menu screen kept crashing my computer, so in the end I sacked the lot of it off! I sold all the DVDs I’d made to people and shops and got rid of the twenty-five Wizard Council t-shirt’s too. Wig and I ended up on the radio talking about it!
Joel Taylor – Crook
And how was the response to the video?
Really good. Everyone liked it who saw it on the day! I’ve had people come up to me saying how hyped they were off it too. It was pretty rowdy in the cinema. Everyone had brought beers so there was lots of cheering and shouting!
A Third Foot, Fallen, Witchcraft, Krew and Supra all sponsored the event and we held a raffle to give away the prizes. They were all really generous with the product they sent through, so most people left with something! The ramp jam afterwards kicked off too! Everyone was going all out to win the A Third Foot board. Ryan ended up winning via a vote!
Something that stands out for myself is that the video came across a lot cleaner and with more of a direction than the other video’s you made. Is it true practice makes perfect or was it all an lucky accident?!
Before I edited Wizard Council I looked back on the other Gnargore videos and came to the conclusion there was no particular theme holding them together.
For Wizard Council I wanted to make sure all the parts fitted together coherently. That’s why there’s no titles or names in the video and the gaps between sections are really small. Also, there’s no bullshit in this video. No arty montages or shots. The only non-skate stuff really is some bro shots and some high 5’s as I wanted to keep the feel of how tight the Gnargore crew is.
With this DVD you’ve offered a free zine with artwork from people involved in the project. What pushed you to do this? It’s definately something I have never seen with a scene video before…
It just kind of happened! Me and the other lads have always talked of grand schemes and ideas when we’ve had a beer or two! But this time it really just kind of happened. Wig’s girlfriend Aimee works at the Birmingham University in the Print Department, so she has access to all the screen printing machines. Wig, Dan and some of the other Gnargore boys are talented artists and got together to do some drawings for a zine! It ended up being an 8-page booklet that when unfolded turns into an A3 poster. I was a bit worried the video was shit and wanted to give people value for their money, so the zine was a way of giving that to people! It was also really fun to get stuck in and print. A massive shout out to Aimee for all her help. Without her it wouldn’t have been possible.
Wig Smith – Indy Nosebone
You’ve got rather an eclectic group of skaters in the crew… How does the Gnargore program come to pick up new people? Is it a picky process or can anybody be in?
Nah, you’ve gotta be able to handle Dan Jordan and Tom Hinton torturing you. Hanging out and bro’ing down. It’s not a case of being good at skateboarding. It’s just about being a mate. Powerslides, going fast and a good bbq technique are a must to be on though. Double fisting beers is a requirement at all times as well. Early grabs needed, flips not necessary. Training provided. Apply within.
So who is Dan Jordan and where did the illustrious ‘Porno Denim’ nickname come from?
Dan is a human foghorn, and he is my friend. Porno Denim came from Ben Powell and Nicky Howells when they reviewed the last video for Sidewalk Mag. He’s a girl’s size 0 because he’s a vegan. He is the nicest prick you’d ever wish to meet.
You’re known for skating some rugged spots. Do you look for these on purpose to represent what your into?
There’s pretty much fuck all where we live since all the main meet up spots were shut down. This was right when most of us started skating. So we all pretty much started skating ‘non spots’ resulting in some people calling them ‘Gnargore’ spots. They would usually end up being a wallride or a curb to slappy. The dream being both at the same place. I guess it’s just a case of trying to make the most out of what you’ve got within your range on a Sunday afternoon.
So let’s give some of the Gnargorians their 15 minutes of fame. If I name them I’d like you to give a brief description of them…
Right: James Denning – Backside Flip
Tom Hinton – Tom emigrated to New Zealand with his family, but returned to the UK to go Uni. He’s done with his art degree in Worcester now, so I’m not sure exactly what he’s got planned for the future.. He’s a talented artist and had an exhibition at the Spine Gallery space recently. www.thomashinton.co.uk
Wig Smith – I’ve known Wig for years. He was in an older group of skaters from my hometown that I kind of looked up to when I first started. He’s the last one of that group still rollin’, and we’ve been skating together since back in the day. Wig’s got an enormous book and CD collection thanks to him working at HMV and getting hella discount!
Daniel Jordan – We’ve already touched on the porno denim persona about Dan. He’s also a talented artist, and is working hard on his graphic design work for bands, like logos and thirst and stuff. He won some award for the National Trust at Uni. Kid’s got skills!
Arran Burrows – Arran was the super annoying kid at school in my year, and he happened to be in my form! I’ve been skating with him the longest of everyone. I remember one day when he turned up for school in some Osiris D3s and we all freaked out that he had what we thought were the best skate shoes of all time on… how times change! A couple of years ago he put himself into a coma and nearly died after falling off his board onto his head whilst skitching on a car at the train station. I was really scared for a while that I would lose someone I’d been so close to for so long (no homo). Luckily he pulled through, and can move all his limbs and talk. For a while after he couldn’t! He’s super into his cars at the moment, and has a flash Mazda that he burns out and wheel spins at every opportunity!
James Jones – James is the man of mystery. He is super quiet until you get a few drinks downhim. He’s also got a million nicknames including Nudge, Nudgey, J-Rock, JJ, Jellington etc he used to roll with the Bromsgrove crew, but he moved to Halesowen with his family, and the bus route between the two towns sucks so he hopped crews and chills with us!
Ryan Price – Ryan a.k.a Clever is the raddest kid ever. When I first met him he was about 13 at Perdiswell bowl. he came up to me and was telling me all about his new setup. Most kids at 13 get Grind King trucks or some crap, but he had full-on 149 Indys and an 8.25 Creature pool shape board!
Below: Joel Taylor – Pop Shove
Harrison Thom – Harrison is another artistically talented member of the ‘Gore. He’s off to Uni in September to do Fashion. He’ll whip you up a dress no worries if you want! He’s Scottish so it’s easy to make fun of him. His boot doesn’t work on his car so you have to access the boards in the back via the back seat.
James Denning – AKA Creepy Den because he bought a young girl some crayons in an attempt to flex her! Den has the same camera as me and has been a real help filming double angles or filming stuff when I’m not around. He’s also working on a local scene video called “Shropside”, focusing on the skaters he knows from the Shropshire and Hereford areas.
Joel Taylor – Joel started wearing full on pajama bottoms out skating last year. I’m not really sure why! He want through a bit of a punk phase too. He’s off at University in Aberystwyth, and filmed his entire part about 6 months ago. He really went off on one in the last month before he left. That’s when he did his ender, which is pretty dreamtime.
Tom Carr – Race Carr is from up North and moved down to Worcester. He’s recently moved to Bristol. He’s one of the most stylish people I’ve ever seen on a skateboard. Even in videos!
And of course yourself – I’m Tom. I work at A Third Foot at the moment answering the phones, making the tea and fetching Ken’s lunch. Sometimes we work on some graphics too! It’s a dream come true to work for those guys. I’ve been buying their boards for years before I even knew where the factory was.
With there being a lot of skate companies starting off as ‘crews’ such as yourself do you ever find it tempting to branch this into something more than it is already and start it up as a board company?
I’ve always dreamed of starting a skateboard company and taking over the world, but I feel the market is over saturated at the moment. All these local/small skate companies that open up and do a short run and sell them out their cars at the skatepark are just depriving the more established companies and skate shops who support the scene of valuable board sales. I don’t have anything against people who stump up a grand to get a short run produced and flog ’em, after all everyone has to start somewhere, it’s just not for me.
How would you compare the West Midlands scene to other scene’s in the UK?
It’s hard to say about other scenes, because I don’t really “know” any other scene apart from my own. The West Mids scene is really friendly. I think it helps to not have any skate media industry around here.. There’s not really any sense of competition between different groups, or at least any I’ve experienced. Everyone gets on really well and helps each other at.
Obviously there’s been a lot of scene videos coming out across the UK in the last few years. What would say separates you from them?
I think the Gnargore videos have always been in their nature about raw quirky street skating. It’s pretty no nonsense too. I’m just gonna throw it out there. I can’t stand all this slow-mo, HD camera, dolly rig, city scape time lapse, soft music bullshit. It’s skateboarding, not a car advert! Give me a Thrasher video any day.
A few years back I remember you nearly got hustled by Stevie Williams over some footage you’d filmed of Lenny Rivas, do you care to go into that?
DGK and Reebok did a demo at Creation (Formerly Epic) Skatepark in Birmingham. I was there with my camera and filmed a couple things. When the session was over they wanted to go see some street spots, so we took them up in to town. We ended up at the Smiths rails. I filmed a couple tricks of Lenny on the rail. Stevie came up to me afterwards and offered to buy the footage off me when they got back to the States. I just said he could have the tape out my camera and so he offered to give me some boards in exchange for it. When we got back to their tour vans, the one with the boards and the rest of the team had already left the city. All they had in the van that was there was these massive RBK shoes! I didn’t want to be a dick to him and refuse the shoes so I just took ’em. Suffice to say I didn’t skate in them and just gave them away!
Harrison Thom – Crailslide
And when is the Gnargore/DGK collabo coming out?
Didn’t you see?! They’ve already “dropped” on Hypebeast last week!
Not only yourself but a couple of the members through the crew have organised events at local parks etc. What motivates you guys to do this?
I guess it’s because there’s no one else out there doing it for us. There aren’t really many tours/events that come through the West Mids for whatever reason, so we just put them on ourselves. I can’t really speak for other people, but I assume they do it for similar reasons. More people should put events on. It’s not hard. A couple of emails to the right people will blag you the prizes. Then you just need a Facebook Group and a thread on the forum and you’re sorted for promotion. D.I.Y!
Is there any inspirations that you think are used when making Gnargore videos?
At first I used to watch videos and study how the tricks were being filmed. Like how many steps down from the top the filmer was on a set of stairs for instance. Sometimes if there was a double angle you could see how the filmer with the fisheye moved to capture the trick. I’m not down for the whole over the top fisheye movement some people are doing! I really liked the way the new Blueprint video was put together. Enough non-skate bits so you got the vibe of the company, but overall it was raw street skating with a great soundtrack. In the past videos, I pretty much let the guys pick their own section music within reason. Arran was trying to convince me to let him have the Hulk Hogan intro music for a while but I couldn’t handle it! For this video I set out with an overall feel I wanted to get across. Grimey, gritty and raw. These values were reflected in the soundtrack too. Dan Jordan helped out a lot with this area.
So what’s in store for Gnargore now ‘Wizard Council’ is done and dusted?
I’m going to take a vacation from filming for a little bit I think and just take it easy. It’s really hard work editing the video and very stressful putting everything together. Maybe around the end of Summer I’ll have a word with the lads and see what they want to do. A few of the guys are off to Uni so it’d be a smaller and/or slightly different crew if there will be another Gnargore production..
And finally is there anybody you’d like to thank?!
Kris, Zippy and Bob at Ideal for giving all an awesome ramp to go to when it rains and for helping us out with the cinema space for the premiere; Fallen, Witchcraft and A Third Foot for sponsoring the premiere; Ken, Joel and Steve at ATF; Ben Powell for being kind enough to review our videos; The Sidewalk Forum geeks, all the locals, anyone who’s taken us to a spot or shown us around their hometown, Wetherspoons, Zac at Crossfire, and to you for reading this crap for so long!
Gnargore’s latest video ‘Wizard Council‘ is out now and available from Ideal Skateshop and from their website. For more inflammation check www.gnargore.co.uk and to have a further glimpse into the Gnargore world check out the video below. Metal.
Interview: Sleekly Lion
Photography: Tom Halliday
In just a short space of time Rolo Tomassi have gone from the hardcore kids at the foot of an indie bill, to a mighty headline rock act in their own right. Their explosive performances alongside the likes of Biffy Clyro, The Bronx and Enter Shikari have spread their music wide, bringing in legions of fans from some unlikely sources.
Perhaps most unlikely of all was producer Diplo. Having produced for everyone from Britney Spears and most famously M.I.A, it feels strange to now include Rolo Tomassi in that list, after he took control on their latest album Cosmology. Fans can rest assured, though, because it’s still the same old Tomassi, who we recently caught up with before they took the stage at our Camden Crawl event.
So then, do any of the band skate?
A few of us messed around with skating when we were younger but never really pursued it. I was never really into it but Ed skated for a while. I remember once trying to come down a ramp, the board going from underneath my feet and smashing the side of my head on the hard edge of the ramp. I was put off after that!
Everything seems to be going well for Rolo Tomassi right now, are you excited to be playing larger stages?
We’re excited about everything. We have some pretty big shows coming up with festivals and whatnot and also some cool smaller shows too.
How was the recent tour?
It was great yeah. We were out for a week opening for Biffy Clyro with The Twilight Sad also playing. We got on really well with both bands and the shows were all great.
How would you account for your crossover success in, for example, the indie press, given the amount of heavier music that is virtually ignored?
It’s a difficult thing to pinpoint. I guess the fact that we don’t really look like we play in a heavy band helps, as lame as it is to consider that the way our band looks should even matter.
Having supported some bands that sound quite different to yourselves, you must have played to some pretty unresponsive crowds. Do you alter your performance to cater to different audiences?
I wouldn’t say we change anything about the performance but we might choose to play different songs. The Biffy tour was a good example of that. We used it as an opportunity to play almost entirely new material as we knew the majority of crowds wouldn’t know our band and we wanted to introduce people to our music with the new direction we’re going in.
What are the best and worst gigs that you’ve played so far?
We’ve been fortunate to have played a lot of amazing shows. I really don’t think I could pick a favourite! Recent shows that have been great would include our set at Great Escape last weekend, our headline show in Glasgow and the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool supporting Biffy. I tend to put a mental block on bad shows so I don’t realy remember any particularly bad ones.
What band have you had to follow on stage that you thought could be quite a difficult task after their stunning performance?
Trash Talk. They were consistently brilliant when we toured with them.
You worked with Diplo on the new record, how was the experience in the studio in LA?
It was unreal. We’ve only ever recorded locally before so to go to the other side of the world was ridiculous. He was great to work with and we’re all really pleased with the record.
What were you hoping he would bring to the table, rather than, for example, an experienced rock producer?
Just a different outlook on doing things. I think it would have been an easy choice to go with a more obvious rock producer but we would have made a more obvious rock record. We wanted to challenge ourselves and move outside our comfort zone.
Lyrically what does this record tackle the most?
The lyrics are about the experiences we’ve had on the road inbetween releasing Hysterics and beginning the writing of Cosmology. We spend a lot of our time in vans so theres plenty of time to think and get pretty philosophical with things. A lot of it, from what I wrote, deals with self assessment.
How do Eva’s vocals withstand the strenuous studio sessions and live battering?
She does a vocal warm up and looks after herself.
Any other band members other than Eva dating other band members?
No. Those of us who have girlfriends are all dating people who are studying!
How does Cosmology differ to the first album? And how do you feel about Hysterics now that the dust has settled?
Cosmology is a much more rounded and complete album. Hysterics was us trying to learn how to write an album. Looking back at it, Hysterics is definitely flawed in some areas but it means it served us well as a learning curve when coming to write the new record. That’s not to say we’re not proud of what Hysterics did for us. I don’t think we could have made a better album at that point in time.
Does it feel good to read articles about your band these days that don’t mention your age or is that still a ‘thing’ for journalists?
It seems to be mentioned less and less but it will still occasionally get brought up. Eva turned 20 recently so none of us are teenagers any more!
What other bands/records are you all excited about at the moment?
I’m really pumped about the Fang Island record. It’s so posi it’s ridiculous!
Did you all vote in the recent election?
I think 3 of us did. We were away during the run up to the election and I didn’t find time to register to vote. I’m not trying to make an excuse for myself as I’m pretty embarrassed about it.
What’s your take on the hung parliament?
It’s not the best thing that could have happened. I think it’s too soon to judge. A lot of people were seriously freaking out about Cameron being made PM. It was almost like the ‘About Last Night‘ episode of South Park that mocked the American election with supporters of other parties thinking the world would end the following day. That’s not to say AT ALL that I was backing him. Purely an observation. I think only time will tell with whats happened.
Pick 3 artists/songs that you would play David Cameron, Gordon Brown and Nick Clegg to sum up their characters…
Gordon Brown: ‘It wasn’t me’ – Shaggy
David Cameron: ‘Eton Rifles’ – The Jam
Nick Clegg: ‘The Kids Are Alright’ – The Who
Last words…
New record is out, we have a bunch of festival dates coming up. Check out our blog. Thanks to everyone who reads this!
Here’s some words with Rolo Tomassi from the Crossfire hosted Camden Crawl at the Barfly this year.
Words by James Brewer
Photos shot in New Zealand thanks to David Read from Manual Magazine
I first met Kris 6 years ago at the opening of Stourbridge’s ‘Ramparts’ skate park. Back then he was a kid on the ‘come-up’ being shoved into the limelight thanks to Channel 5’s ‘Rad’. I remember being amazed at how easily he seemed to find skateboarding and 6 years later I still feel the same.
He started to move up in the world of skateboarding by picking up coverage from the many trips he makes across the world. Birmingham may be his home but he’s no stranger to traveling and it’s a rare sight to actually catch him in Brum which has led to him recently becoming more of a ‘myth’ than real person. Whispers of what tricks Kris made at certain spots are rife round here and then usually backed up by footage and photos to tell the tale.
Kris is not only enjoying his life to the full, but he also works it to make it the best. His most recent section featured as the illustrious ‘last part’ in the new Vans Europe video ‘1966’ proved just how hard this guy pushes his skateboarding, but whether he’s filming for local scene videos or going on tour with team mates Mr Vile is always down for a session and is ever the optimist.
A long line of respectable sponsors grace his CV starting with his introduction at A Third Foot, where his skating lead him to Blind Europe before hooking with Santa Cruz (as a direct international am) but these days he currently finds himself on the newly launched ‘CLAN 010‘ team alongside European skaters such as Danny Wainwright, Alain Goikoetxea, Florentin Marfaing, Manuel Palacios, Alex Carolino and Cristian Vannella, certainly a team that should be more than capable to produce a video worth waiting for.
I finally pinned Kris down in Birmingham and got an update with what’s going on in the life of a ‘skateboarding gypsy’.
So how many years have you clocked up now in life?
21 years in now.
Who is hooking you up?
Vans, Volcom, Red Bull, Clan010, Krux and Type-S wheels.
Where did all of this begin?
My brother got a skateboard for his birthday, then about 6 months later I asked for one and finally got it at Christmas. That’s where it all began!
You’ve been sponsored for a long time now, how did that all come together?
I’d been skating for about 18 months and got to know the people at Ideal Skate Shop in town. I was just a little kid, overly excitable and stoked on skating haha! I was progressing pretty quickly though and one day I went into the shop and told Bob (Sanderson) that I had managed to boardslide the WH Smiths rail in the City centre- it was a well known spot at the time. There was a smaller handrail and a big one there and he told me to go and try the big one! I went back that evening and made it! When I went into the shop the next day I told Bob and he gave me an A Third Foot board and said that if I kept on skating he’d give me one of them every so often, 18 months later I was placed on the Vans Junior team- I guess the rest is history.
Would you say that ‘Rad: The Groms Tour’ helped out with your rise in skateboarding?!
I wouldn’t say it helped! But yeah it was cool as a kid to get to travel around with some mates and skate some different stuff, seeing a bit of the world etc.
Since working with Andy Evans on that show you’ve appeared in his videos This ‘n’ That and Heel Toe Magic. How do you go about filming for those when your traveling around the other side of the world
Well Andy is amazing! So even though i’m not around much to film with him, whatever footage I get I always tell Andy he can have it if he’s making another project. He’s always stoked to receive it and I can’t actually wait for the next one!
You dropped out of college to pursue a career in skateboarding, big decision?
I enjoyed my time in education but it came to a point where I wasn’t able to do my best. I always had to be away on trips, tours etc. When someone wants to send you somewhere to help you get by for something you love doing it made me have no need to stay in college. Most people go to college to try and get exactly that so I guess I’ve been pretty lucky.
Vans have sponsored your feet for sometime now, how far back does that go in your life and what has made you stick with them?
I think I got on Vans when I was 13, so it’s been 7 or 8 years now. They have always taken care of me and I really like the shoes! I can’t really imagine skating for anyone else now, and you know, in this business, the more stoked you are to do things with a company, the more stoked they are to hook you up. So if you enjoy going to an event and going on trips then you can get support to do so and I always have.
The ‘Vans Europe: 1966’ video is currently premiering around the world, how was filming for that?
It was cool but it was pretty intense. We didn’t have long to film a part and it was mostly filmed on trips with the rest of the team which was heaps of fun but when you’ve got 5 people that all want to skate one spot but all differently then it can be a challenge. All in all though it was a fun experience and considering other companies can spend up to 4 years to film a video then I think the end product in this one is pretty amazing. So keep your eye’s peeled, it will be in stores near you!
Did you know you were going to have last part when filming for the project?
Not at the start but maybe about mid way through filming I was informed…
You’ve recently found yourself alongside a list of illustrious European skaters on Clan 010 right?
I’m really stoked to be a part of the CLAN project from the beginning. All the riders have been good friends of mine for years. I ride alongside Danny and Flo on the Vans team, Alain with Volcom and so on. That sold the company to me even more plus Manuel Palacios who is running the team is rad so we all are part of something special!
How was the ‘break-up’ with Santa Cruz?
Wasn’t bad at all, we left it on good times. But to ride for a company like Santa Cruz, I suppose you have to spend a little more time in the States! I travel a lot within Europe so it just didn’t work out for us, big thanks to Mouly for all the support though!
With all the traveling and coverage you get surely it’s not long until a Kris Vile pro board or shoe colourway is released, have there been talks of either of these?
Well it’s funny you should say that. Keep your eyes peeled in your local shop!
With the skateboarding industry primarily being based in California do you feel any pressure to go over there and ‘take over’ the States?
Haha! Well I don’t know about a take over and no there’s no pressure, but I would like to go out there a couple of times a year and maybe get a big more coverage in US mags and so on. Plus I have loads of friends out there who I don’t get to see very often so I’m looking forward to going out there in July and working with Vans and Volcom- go on some trips and get some footage!
Let’s head back into Birmingham for a bit. The scene took a bit of a battering over the past 10 years thanks to a lot tighter rules on skateboarding on the City, did that make growing up as a skater hard there and is it any different now to when you were younger?
Yeah, like any City, the scene fluctuates up and down, but the heart has always been there and will always remain! Big ups to Ideal for staying strong, and growing stronger!
Your known to travel up and down to events all round the country as well as representing the Red Bull UK skate program in the Red Bull ‘Manny Mania’ contest. How do you think events like this affect the scene in the country?
I think events like this do great things not just for British skateboarding but skateboarding all around the world. Without companies like Red Bull there would be no events like this. They have the mind and money to come up with the ideas and fun the events too and I hope they can inspire more people and other companies to do this too.
What do you think you would be doing if you were not a sponsored skateboarder? 
I have no idea but I would like to think having just as much fun and living life to the full!
Lets get a few Top 3’s.
Top trips you have been on…
1. Australia/NZ skate missions
2. Spain in general
3. Then the rest! haha!
Inspirations…
1 Good skateboarding
2 Good music
3 Good vibes!
People from Birmingham…
That’s way to hard to narrow down to 3 singular people but…
1. Ideal Skateshop
2. Birmingham posse…you know who you are!
3. The fam of course!
Top 3 events…
1. Slam Trick, Italy
2. Bondi Bowlarama, Sydney
3. Damn Am, Amsterdam
What’s coming up for you over the next few months- anything you are working on?
I’ve just been to Portugal, Latvia and Bilboa then off to the States in July and back to the UK for a few events in August…then there’s more ha!
Right lets wrap this up with the obligatory thank you’s…
Cheers to all my Sponsors: Vans, Redbull, Volcom, Clan010, Krux, Type S, Ideal and then to everybody else! All the homies, brother and sisters! You know who you are!!! Peace.
