Author: Crossfire

Categories
Skateboarding News

Vote Hubba Girls

It’s not often girls are used in the marketing of skate products. I’m sure most corperate publishers would love to over ride the integrity of the skateboard editor and fill their mags with nudity, in fact we know they would.

Luckily for those publishers Hubba Wheels have been providing norks a nd nakedness for teenagers since they ‘racked up’ their urethane, and this month you have the choice of which advert goes into the skate press by voting on their website. Be quick as it finishes on the 28th March.

Click here to vote for your fave pose.

Categories
Skateboarding Product Reviews

WeSC Tight Jeans

Well with the weather being of almost biblical proportions at the moment; torrential rain one minute, hailstones and thunder the next, I haven’t actually got round to skating in these WeSC Tight jeans were going to have their first test drive doing some pretty mundane stuff.

First up was nipping down the shops for a pint of milk for teas, which is always the best test for new jeans anyway. Why? Because you have to half-run, half look cool and that ain’t easy in a brand new pair of slim jeans. These WeSC jeans managed it perfectly though, with their slight stretchiness it didn’t feel like someone had wallpapered my legs.

With the brews made, the next test of any good pair of jeans is how well they cope with a Sunday slob and watching telly on the sofa. I’ve got to say, they did remarkably well. Usually with new jeans, and especially these ones, they seem to have that new ‘sheen’ that means there is no friction between your arse and the sofa until you’ve worn them in and the back starts to fray a bit. Not these though. Perfect already, as I didn’t slip straight off onto the floor from my slouched position, and didn’t spill boiling hot tea in my face. Winner.

Finally, the last test for jeans in Britain is the 100-yard dash to Greggs, with the oncoming threat of rain. Make it there and back in time, or get a drenching and spend the rest of the day pulling demin off your crotch. Unfortunately this time, I lost. Rather severely. And ended up completely soaked worrying about how much dye was going to stain my legs, leaving me looking like a Smurph. Well, almost none was the answer. Not only did these sopping-wet jeans not feel that uncomfortable as I contorted myself into the right position to dry them on the radiator without taking them off, they left very little blue colour on my pasty-white twigs.

So all-in-all these WeSC Tight jeans are pretty much amazing for buying milk, drinking tea, watching T4 Sunday and running out to get sausage rolls. And if they can do that without any problems, they must be ridiculously good for skating in too.

Moose.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Kyle on a Sunday

Sunday’s are definitely the best skate-day. Everywhere is closed, most people are nursing hangovers so the streets are quiet, and you can make the most of it by heading off for a shred.

Kyle Leeper knows this, which is why there is a video of his Sunday sesh up on the Etnies Skateboarding site at the moment, and you can see it by clicking here.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Tucker and Mairena FKD video

FKD Bearing’s ams Nick Tucker and Joseph Mairena have an exclusive video feature up on their site, featuring some painfully sunny skating from across the pond.

Click here for the footage.

Categories
DVD Reviews

The Briefs – The Greatest Story Ever Told

(BYO Records)
www.myspace.com/thebriefs

A very neat DVD/CD package from Seattle’s Briefs, whose rip-roaring live sets and ear-popping recorded output have kept me entertained for the past few years. They are presently on a hiatus, but this DVD documents their story… so far. Following the traditional formula of band members (and friends / cohorts) being interviewed, with spliced live footage, The Briefs story evolves to chronicle their emergence in late Nineties drug-hung-over Seattle, playing their catchy brand of ’77 Punk in small bars and coffee shops/cafes, sticking out a single, and, as confidence grew, spread their wings and gigged further and further from home.

With the release of debut album “Hit after Hit” (Dirtnap Records) The Briefs found themselves very much in demand from Major Labels, and after a soiree at LA’s Viper Room inked a deal with Interscope Records (an arm of the Universal Music Group) A new album was recorded with a ‘hot shot‘ English producer (funnily enough an old school friend of mine) but Interscope stalled and stalled on the release, and then decided they would not be releasing it. The Briefs members for the most part describe this period as strange; initially being courted by the ‘Majors‘, and then frustrated by their chosen Labels choice of producer, and attempts at Management manipulation, and decreasing levels of support. I don’t think in reality they were so naïve to the situation they signed up to, and like any band that takes this choice expects fame and fortune. If ever there was a lesson in getting your fingers burned by a Major Record Label, then The Briefs torrid experience is it.

To their credit they kept on touring hard all through the record label debacle, and (post legal wrangling / Label release) managed to get picked up by independent BYO Records – a more fruitful relationship that has seen the release of two albums to date. The DVD is charged with stacks of extras, inc. music videos and live footage, and additionally there is a most rocking audio CD of a live-to-air Peel session.

Pete Craven

Categories
Music News

Dead Kennedys lose another singer

Dead Kennedys frontman Jeff Penalty has left the band. He is now the 3rd singer to front the band after Dr Know’s Brandon Cruz gave Jello Biafra’s vocal task a go first time round for 2 years.

Penalty says that a number of reasons have brought about his departure but that the fact that his bandmates have been looking for a new singer behind his back brought matters to a head. Which is understandable.

Penalty says: “It’s likely that, if asked, the band will attribute my departure to scheduling conflicts brought about by my documentary work, but in reality it’s a tediously long story involving personality conflicts, creative differences, arguments about splitting money equally, arguments about how the band should be run, arguments about the wisdom of hiring a band manager whose other star client was a Christian folk artist, arguments about whether we should or shouldn’t go on MTV, and arguments about many other wretched things.”

He continues: “I thought about quitting numerous times over the past year, but I officially did so on Thanksgiving when I found out that the band had been recruiting a new singer behind my back and had even played a secret show with one at a bar in my neighbourhood”.

Zac reckons “they should just give up altogether. It was never the same once Jello left and the karaoke has been seen once already. Either get Jello up front again or don’t bother.”

Categories
Live Reviews

Velvet Revolver – Live

Manchester Apollo
17th March, 2008

With volatile lead singer Scott Weiland fresh from spending 28 days in rehab, there was always going to be much scrutiny surrounding the bands performance on this tour. After a string of show cancellations around the world due to various problems it’s no wonder the crowd are a little dubious as to whether tonight’s show would even go ahead.

But go ahead it does, and finally at 9.30pm the band stroll out without a care in the world. The stage feels rightly uncluttered, with just a ‘Libertad‘ banner in place, and serves to be more of a platform for the music rather than a distraction. As they launch into their relentless setlist and blaze through a few technical difficulties, they sear through the first batch of songs including ‘She Builds Quick Machines’, ‘Big Machine’, ‘American Man’ and ‘Get Out The Door‘ it’s the spirited sound of a band in charge and despite all his dramas, Weiland is still an enigmatic frontman. As he lurches and leaps around with a wide eyed stare, he exudes stage presence in abundance and it seems any worries about his health are thankfully unfounded tonight.

One of the biggest cheers of the evening goes up when the lights dim and opening whistles of the old Guns’ n Roses favourite ‘Patience‘ ring out through the old walls of the Apollo. Despite being 20 years old, the song still sounds as raw and emotionally charged as it did the first time you heard it and yes, predictably it’s time to raise the lighters/mobile phones aloft.

Said illuminating objects stay in place for the spine-tingling ‘Fall To Pieces‘, with Slash working the blistering riffs effortlessly and displaying exactly why he is one of the best guitar players in the world. Ultimately it is Slash’s signature guitar sound that holds this rock n roll beast together, as the rest of the band exit the stage, the iconic guitarist stands under the spotlight, just a lone figure with top hat in place and proceeds to unleash a melee of urban rock blues with his solo’s still sounding as reckless and beautiful as ever.

Now whether the band are still around in five or ten years doesn’t really matter, Velvet Revolver have only ever been about the now and as far as taking rock music back to it’s fundamental principles goes, VR are doing an exceptional job. All in all, if you are looking for incorrigible hard rock, played at its best then without a doubt Velvet Revolver are the best live ticket your pennies can buy and as for anyone feeling slightly bored by nu-rave, then heed the message that Rock and Roll is still very much alive and fucking kicking and I for one am truly grateful for that.

Words and pictures by Jane Hawkes.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Jeremy Fish interview on Slap

Legendary skate-graphic designer and artist Jeremy Fish has an interview over on the Slap site right now.

Well worth a read, as this guy has done graphics for the likes of Consolidated, Real, Element, and upcoming stuff for Black Label. Click here for the full interview and a small portfolio of work from Mr. Fish

Categories
Skateboarding News

Tampa comp results

Results from the Tampa Comp 2008, which took place this weekend, are below. Greg Lutzka and Adam Dyet cleared up again with Greg taking the top street prize, and Adam pocketing the best street trick prize of $3000.

John Rattray also got on the podium this weekend bagging second place, and in the vert Am contest, our own Sam Beckett got himself fourth place.

For full info and video of the contest, www.skateparkoftampa.com

Street results
1. Greg Lutzka $20,000
2. John Rattray $15,000
3. Mike Peterson $10,000
4. Matt Beach $5000
5. Ryan Sheckler $4000
6. Kyle Berard $3000
7. Danny Fuenzalida $2000
8. Eric Koston $1750
9. Dennis Busenitz $1500
10. Stefan Janoski $1250
11. Chad Fernandez $1000
12. Shuriken Shannon $1000

Street Best Trick
1. Adam Dyet – Nollie Cab heel boardslide $3000

Pro Vert results
1. Pierre Luc Gagnon
2. Danny Mayer
3. Buster Halterman
4. Adam Taylor
5. Neal Hendrix
6. Jussi Korhonen

Am Vert results
1. Ben Hatchell
2. Pedro Barros
3. Ronaldo Gomes
4. Sam Beckett
5. Martin Andre

Greg Lutzka sequence taken from Transworld

Categories
Skateboarding News

Antwuan in jail

Antwuan Dixon was arrested in Tampa this weekend at the annual Am contest after being caught in possession of drugs.

The 19 year-old was found with cannabis and cocaine, and was arrested with two other counts of assault on police officers. No word on whether he will face conviction yet, but we’ll keep you posted.