The verdict is out on one of the most anticipated sponsorship moves – Darrell Stanton will now be setting up Element Skateboards.
Be on the look out for some sweet Stanton footage in the next full-length Element video due to drop for Go Skateboarding day! June 21st.
Comeback Kid and theAudition will play some headline shows to coincide with their upcomcing support slots in the UK.
theAudition will play the Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes on January 17th, and are currently touring with Biffy Clyro, I Am Ghost, The Bronx on the 2007 Kerrang Tour.
Comeback Kid, who will support Alexisonfire’s UK tour, will play a headline gig at the Peel in Kingston on 6th March.
Not to be confused with the UK Subhumans, these Canadians rode in on the first wave of Punk Rock, releasing their debut EP in ’78, the seminal ‘Death to The Sickoids / Oh Canaduh’, and the phenomenal album ‘Incorrect Thoughts’ in 1980.
Following mucho touring in their homeland and the US West-Coast, their second album ‘ No Wishes No Prayers’ was released on Black Flag’s SST label, but by then the band was as good as finished, with singer Brian Goble having departed to pick up bass playing duties in DOA.
Gerry Hannah, the original bassist in the Subhumans had already quit the band after the debut album to become involved as a full time political activist in a group calling itself Direct Action, who really did walk it like they talked it – their targets included blowing up an environmentally unfriendly hydroelectric substation on Vancouver Island, and bombing a plant which manufactured parts for the American cruise missile. The group got caught by the authorities, and Gerry was sentenced to ten years in the can, eventually getting released after five.
In ’95 Gerry and Brian reunited as The Subhumans and have played sporadically during the ensuing years. In 2005 they solidified the line-up with the return of original guitarist Mike Graham, and veteran drummer Jon Card, who has previously seen active duty in Personality Crisis, SNFU and DOA. And the upshot is this album of 14 brand new songs, and having spun it a number of times, I have to say it’s pretty damn great. There’s nothing fancy as such is what these guys deliver, just solid straight up Punk with a melodic punch and some hard rocking tunes to boot. There are some really wry lyrical statements, with the War on Terror getting much attention, and American Foreign policy in general.
I’d go as far as to say the Gerry Hannah penned ‘Moving Forward’ is one of the best songs I’ve heard in a long time, a power packed number that totally nails American political hypocrisy – “heard your rhetoric again today , I don’t believe a single word you say. Telling us you’re gonna make the world free, But I know my history. You’ve never minded tyranny, As long as it was used against your enemy. You’ve always been willing to look the other way, As long as it was good for the USA”. The opening track ‘World at War’ is actually about the personal struggle of homeless and oppressed people to survive. Really thoughtful and compassionate sounds and an album I can thoroughly recommend as worth your attention.
Pete Craven
Junk mail is a the bane of any normal person’s doorstep. That is until a gem pops through the letter box and makes you wonder- “What were they thinking???”
Here’s a shot of Stereo’s Benny Fairfax getting extreme (facial) for the new Mazda car range. The Dutch spiel underneath probably says “This boy will ollie your car and steal your daughter!” but it actually says “Exceptional Introductions at Mazda“. What do we know though is that coverage is coverage.
Make your way to Ravensthorpe (between Huddersfield, Leeds and Wakefield) to skate the Ripped: the sickest skate terrain ever built by one of the UK’s greatest minds, Mr Snoz.
The park will be open on Saturday 27th January from 10am, £10 on the door for a rampant session.
For more visit Sidewalk’s site. Cheers to Smiley John and Lawrecium for the photos and info!
Found this delightful bit of news over at the Cornish skatehaven, SJZ skateshop:
“For the last 3 or 4 months a small group of skaters (Mat Perham, Simon Harvey, Stuart Titmus, Leo Smith and Jody Smith) have been working with a professional designer (Anthony Greenwood) designing the new skate plaza for the city of TRURO!.. Yes you heard correctly TRURO.
The plans are now completed and are being put forward for planning permission. The plaza will be situated at Hendra where the old ramp is. This will surely be a great thing for skateboarding in Truro and will hopefully put Truro on the tour schedules of all the big skate companies. Fingers Crossed everyone!”
For a bigger image of the Truro park plans, click here
Between complimentary drinks and business card exchanges, the European Action Sports tradeshow, Bright (Ludwigstrasse 18, Frankfurt 20th-21st January) shall also host some good old skateboard fun.
Element Skateboards are putting on a Manual Challenge pitting Euro skaters to get two-wheeled on a selection of balancing plains. Qualifications take place on Saturday, then the final on Sunday.
To view the layout, click here
Crossfire had been watching the odds escalate on young Torey Pudwill as he toured, demoed and filmed over the last couple of years.
In a bizarre twist of affairs, Torey has been board sponsorless for quite a while now, but finally he’s found a home over at the Almost camp. If Rodney, Daewon and Chris want to ride with the boy, what more convincing does it take?
Cheers to Sketchy Skateboarding for the sick photo!
Oh! It would have been so sweet… But alas it couldn’t be. Bobby Puleo turned down the offer to ride for British Landscape Skateboards, and stuck to his East coast roots by finding a spot on Traffic with fellow roadhog Ricky Oyola.
Despite the mix-up, Fos still thought Puleo was worthy of a guest board on the ‘Scape. The team isn’t left too shabby though with a new upstart, Jin Shimuzu repping the company on the streets of London.
The Ataris have put up a new song on their myspace page called The Cheyenne Line. The track will be featured on their upcoming album Welcome The Night, which is due out at the end of February.
The new album will be the follow up to 2003’s So Long, Astoria record.