Josh Stewart’s ‘Static 3‘ movie is about to hit London’s big screen at The Prince Charles Cinema this Thursday night and this is your final call to get yourself a ticket.
Click here to watch the trailer for this movie, then hurry up and get your sorry arse down to Slam City Skates where tickets are only £3.
You will be able to sit down, get covered in popcorn, swear at the screen and see some shit hot skating.
Nuff said, see you there.
Athlete have been around since the turn of the century and it seems that their millenium bug has grown even more ever since lead singer Joel Potts managed to check out of a skate shop and into a tour bus.
The band are now 3 albums into their careers and have enjoyed seeing themselves mooching around the top 10, stopping for a short while at the number 1 spot with their 2nd album ‘Tourist‘
Charlotte Russell managed to sneak some time in with Joel before their recent UK tour and this is what went down.
How is life currently?
Very good thank you very much. I like autumn.
Is it true you guys skate board and used to work in a skate shop in Kensington?
Just myself, the other boys can just about cruise along! I used to manage a shop called ‘Slick Willies‘ years ago and would skate a fair bit then, never enough to get any good though really. Now I’m getting old and it just hurts too much if I fall…so I stick to snowboarding.
Are you aware that many skaters are into your band?
No not really. It’s great if they are cause I love the vibe of the skate scene. I remember when Mark Baines first came down to a gig in Sheffield and I was like “Wow…Mark Baines!”. I never really want to be part of any particular scene though; I want to make music that is scene less!
What did you learn the most from releasing your last album?
To make sure we’re always making music from the gut and because we fucking love it. I never want it to be about how many ‘units are we shifting’ – too many bands and artists are worrying about that.
What qualities did Ben Allen bring to the new album?
We really wanted someone who wasn’t an indie rock mixer. Ben Allen comes from a hip-hop background – Gnarls Barkley, P Diddy, that kind of stuff. But he says he’s had enough of hanging out with gangsters while J Lo struts around in a bikini. Basically we wanted our album ‘pimped’.
The second album “Tourist” outperforming the successful debut “Vehicles and Animals“, and single “Wires” won Best Contemporary Song at the Ivor Novello awards in May 2006. When writing new material, is there a constant awareness of having to “live up to” such successful hits?
Like I said earlier, there’s a shit load of pressure on people to sell records and be commercially successful. Our culture tells kids to pick up a guitar, write a catchy tune (preferably with an 80’s vibe), get a weird haircut and a drug habit and you’ll be famous. I want to steer clear of that bollocks. We are fortunate to be on a label that has a history of bands that make creative music from the gut that turns out to be commercially successful. What I love about the Ivor Novello, is that that award was for the song, not the commercial success that came with it. Having said all that…I’m well up for selling a shit load of records!
The songs on new album “Beyond the Neighbourhood” use more synthesisers and electronic beats than the first two albums. Is this a reflection of your personal music tastes and preferences?
I guess so. We all love electronica, stuff like B Fleishman, Efterklang and Justus kohncke. It was bubbling under the 1st two albums but is more obvious on this record.
In what ways have the band progressed and evolved since the first album?
We’re always pushing each other to be better musicians and have a better understanding of music. We are getting better and we keep evolving because of that and because we love discovering new music and being inspired by a variety of stuff. It’s a journey and if I ever feel like we’ve arrived then we may as well give up.
For the songs written on this third album, were the song writing duties shared between the band or were the majority written by one person?
We all get involved. Songs start in loads of different ways. The only rule is – I write the lyrics!
How did the writing of the songs featured on “Beyond the Neighbourhood” differ from the process with the first two albums, if at all?
A few of them began on laptops while we were on tour. Others we wrote from just jamming together which I guess has never happened before.
“Beyond the Neighbourhood” was recorded in a studio put together by the band, without the use of a producer. What overall effect did this have on the band morale and the songs recorded for the third album?
It was probably the most enjoyable record to make. It was exciting being in our OWN new studio writing and recording stuff with my mates. It was also a load cheaper!
For this album, you used organic beats, which are described as “beats made from doors shutting, switches flicking and equipment being shaken, hit or dropped“. Which was the most unusual “organic beat” you came up with and on which tracks are they used?
Oh I don’t know, probably putting the toilet seat down or doing my flies up! You’ll notice them on ‘The Outsiders‘ and ‘This Is What I Sound Like‘.
One of the new album tracks “Flying Over Bus Stops” features female vocals from Londoner Marie-Juliette. How did you get together with Marie for this track?
She’s a friend of Jonny’s (who now plays live with us). She’s got a gorgeous voice.
If you could have anyone as guest vocalist on any of your songs, who would it be and on which track?
I’d have Bruce Springsteen sing ‘Best Not To Think About It’ cause it’s got a bit of a ‘Philadelphia’ vibe!
The first single from the new album, “Hurricane” was inspired by an article in National Geographic. What other situations have inspired the writing for “Beyond the Neighbourhood”?
I wrote ‘This is What I Sound Like‘ after watching the film ‘Munich‘. Lyrics for ‘The Outsiders‘ were taken from a poem I wrote in backcountry America and ‘Best Not To Think About It‘ started after watching a documentary called ‘The Falling Man‘.
Due to the increased presence of guitar on the new album, it has been necessary to add former Weevil guitarist Jonny Pilcher to the live line up. Has this forced any changes in the way the old material is now performed live?
We’d been talking for a while about having another guitarist for playing live. Jonny is an old friend and an amazing guitarist so it’s great having him around. We wanted Jonny to come up with some new parts for the old material so yeah, it’s different, fresh and even better!
Which venues where you most looking forward to playing in and are there any venues you wanted to play but, for whatever reasons, haven’t been able to?
I always love playing in Glasgow and we’ve never been in the Barrowlands before so that should be class. Shepherds Bush in London is one of my favourite venues and we’re doing 2 nights there. Bring it on.
Which of the new songs are you most excited about debuting on this tour and which of the older songs, if any, are being dropped from the set?
‘Second Hand Stores‘ and ‘Tokyo‘ feel great to play live and have been going down really well. I’m really glad to announce we’re not going to be playing ‘El Salvador‘ from the first album! I know some people love that song but tough shit cause I don’t anymore!
Lastly, your house is burning down and you have room to take one thing with you, what would it be?
My Missus!
Thank you for taking time to answer these questions, and good luck with the album release and upcoming tours.
THANK YOU!
‘Beyond the Neighbourhood’ is out now on Parlophone Records. Visit www.athlete.mu to get the full experience.
Chris Haslam finally gets a fucking shoe out! Woohoo! And i tell you another thing, it’s on Globe and it’s a peach.
Apparently ‘Sabaton‘ means armored foot protection but this is no clog, it’s another take on the classic magnum but it’s a beauty. The first thing you will notice is the fact that the leather is cracked and it’s a lovely touch, quite unusual and feels like your cats tongue. (I wouldn’t though as it would not be as good.)
The speil says that this shoe has a Shock Guard ICS footbed protection system, when i rode them this weekend, i could feel a decent sole with some seriously good grip as you get with all current Globe vulcanized foot huggers.
Haslam has had his chance to get his name out there and he has come up with a bloody good skate shoe. They are durable, absorbs shock and more to the point they look fresh on your tootsies, even though the bear faced hippie has managed to sneak corduroy into the mix!
I really think Globe have got themselves a rep now for great skate shoes and this just adds to the plaudits at the end of this year, go get these today.
Chuck Bangers
The Whytehouse production of the most recent documentary “The Man Who Souled The World” has been released this week in all decent skate shops and is a must have.
We screened it on Sunday night over a beer and it has everything you need to know about Steve Rocco, the skater who decided to take out the corperate skate industry and replace it with anarchy.
There will be a full review on this crappy site next week once we write it up.
View the trailer below or visit www.themanwho.com for all the spiel.
Go, on, start salivating.
Yes, this brand new Globe Pyrenex jacket is looking like the winter warmer you are starting to dream about at night. This Sasquatch, down filled beauty is about to hit the shops any minute and is going to take some beating.
We are wondering what the likes of Element, Etnies, Vans and Matix have got up their sleeves to rival this, only time will tell and will be shared in the best Winter product reviews over the next month or so.
Not to brag or anything, but my video and DVD collection is rather extensive in size, and sadly a lot of the features just gather dust on the shelves and in the boxes. However, I do reserve myself a small pile of audio visual treats that I huddle around my VCR and DVD player. It’s an exclusive stock of sick footage that hits every chord to get me (and my mates) stoked. The Harmony’s Wölfstadt has just been granted access to this VIP selection.
There are so many reasons why this DVD is compulsory viewing: First of all The Harmony is a pretty rad independent team of skaters that span all terrains and types of skating. Joe Gavin skates regular even those his switchstance skills testify otherwise. Danijel Todorovic gets two songs because he delivers more pop than your average friendly giant. Jamie Bolland gets it straight by riding crooked. Eddie Belvedere spends more time honing his skills than at the barbers. Tony DaSilva has the stamina to piece together solid lines. Jak Pietryga flows fluently through the city streets, and Danny Jack applies top knotch technique to asphalt, marble, brick and mortar. Not forgetting the upstarts Verun Tull and Steve Bailey (not the American- a little blonde Brit!) who start the show with a steady dose of street trickery. And finally, The Harmony’s Northern Soul, Paul Silvester who gets by just fine with a few friends.
Alright, so that pretty much sums up a total that will have you screaming, “SKATEBOARDING!!!” and out the door as soon as the credits roll. Sick skaters, 90% new spots, and a soundtrack of sublime tracks from the likes of Peter Jorn and John, Brian Eno, Black Sabbath, Patti Smith, Prince and Sly and the Familystone- Adam Mondon has filmed and edited a gem right here. Oh, and don’t forget the hour or so of bonus footage. No less than all the web exclusive edits, promos and cutting room floor footage, and four individual guest edits, each 5 to 10 minutes long and summarizing the end product nicely.
For those of you who question the title, let it be known that Wölfstadt originates from the following prose: “Live by the ocean, die on your back, crawl to the edge, become one with the Wölfstadt”. Right… Your guess is as good as mine.
Ralph Lloyd-Davis
To help raise money for Southsea Skatepark to stay open, there is a fundraising night on Saturday Nov 10th at the Havana Bar in Southsea.
The night will include skate films, art, raffles, DJs, b-boy jam, and loads more, all for a measly £3 entry that will help keep Southsea park alive.
For more info, peep the flyer.
Bellows Skateboards have released their 2007 range of hardware with some bellows-inspired animal graphic decks.
The brainchild of Euro tech styler Love Eneroth, you can find out more about Bellows by huffing and puffing over to www.bellowsskateboards.com
Cargo
20.10.07
Walking into a music venue full of toff rugby fans watching England’s egg chasing beefcakes lose the World Cup Final isn’t the most inviting of situations, yet that’s the predicament I found myself in as I entered Cargo, ready to see Ohmega Watts.
Having missed his last two jaunts over to the UK, I was determined to see the producer/rapper supremo so when he announced he was bringing Lightheaded crewmate Braille over with him, it was definitely one not to be missed and from the off it was worth the wait. Flipping beats from his laptop, Ohmega, or Milton Campbell as his mum named him, strode out front and got down with the rhyming, breaking out tracks from his brilliant new album Watts Happening.
Joined on stage by Theory Hazit and the quirky Braille, the trio ran through a variety of tracks such as the banging Roc The Bells [with TH filling in for missing Lightheaded member Othello] and Eyes & Ears [with Braille knocking out Jneiro Jarels’ part]. Both the guest MCs got their solo shit in too with Braille’s The IV being particularly impressive.
But what set this show apart from many others is the amount of fun Ohmega was having. During one song when Braille was busting out some hyped up running man steelo, Ohmega was behind the decks running through every cheesy dance move in history, his a smile the size of a small country. This is what uplifting hip hop is all about – listen to some rap, dust off your dancing shoes and have a ball. Fresh.
Abjekt
Photo by Ian Hsieh
Islington Academy
14.10.07
It’s encouraging to see the Islington Academy so completely and utterly sold out for a metal bill of this calibre, and it’s entirely appropriate that Reading-based upstarts Malefice get the party started not with a bang, but with a sickening crunch.
Leviathan riffs rain down into the crowd like sonic boulders, whipping the pit into a maelstrom even at this early hour; and the overall impression is that the owners of the Barfly chain (where Malefice are touring in January) should take out some hefty insurance on their venues before the New Year.
According to their t-shirts, God Forbid are ‘metal’s best kept secret’; and whilst few here tonight would dispute that claim, it’s baffling as to how they remain relatively unknown, especially in the light of tonight’s ferocious performance. Man-mountain frontman Byron Davis commands the stage like a deranged, dreadlocked heavy metal preacher, exhorting the crowd to greater efforts; and the mayhem that greets the likes of ‘Better Days‘ and the Dimebag Darrell-inspired ‘To The Fallen Hero‘ speaks for itself. Be warned, these underdogs have sharp teeth, and they’re still hungry.
After their semi-legendary performance at this year’s Download festival and the release of a storming third album ‘The Last Kind Words‘, this UK tour seems more like a lap of honour for Devildriver. Except that they’re not ready to rest on their laurels quite yet; with opener ‘End Of The Line‘ proving a suitably brutal start to an hour-long lesson in how to pulverize the sense. There’s no tiresome grandstanding from Dez Fafara and co, no unnecessary between-song banter; just one prime quality blast of melodic death metal after another, and no shortage of energy or conviction on display.
Granted, the Academy’s acoustics could be better, but the venue does at least lend itself well to the set’s climax; a reprise of the mammoth Download circle pit for ‘Meet The Wretched‘. It’s an excellent finale from a band that started life as a mere side-project, but who are now sounding more than ever like genuine heavy metal contenders.
Alex Gosman