Baysixty6 Skatepark in London will be holding a Mini Ramp Comp on Saturday 8th April 2006 at 2pm. There will be a best trick comp for under 16’s and also over 16’s, with the top 5 going into the final.
Normal session prices apply with comp entry £2, expect prizes such as an Xbox 360, Xbox games, T-shirts shoes and boards from Insane, DVS and Ortega to be won.
Get down to Baysixty6 for the 12-4pm session and get amongst it.
Check www.baysixty6.com for all details.
By James Cheetham
I suppose it’s only natural that kids are learning the digital ropes of film making nowadays with 1 in every three skaters having a handy-cam at their disposition. That said, Scene videos rarely reach center stage due to their simple editing, mediocre skating (Bar the local hero) and a soundtrack reminiscent of all the previous year’s greatest hits. James Cheetham’s Cheese on Tape is the exception to the rule.
Hailing from Brighton, home to the notorious Level Army (this video has footage from every generation) and knife wielding teenage mums, the quality of the skating on this DVD is way up there, and that really surprises me because Brighton is one the last places you want to go for street skating. So, what’s this visual mind melt got that others haven’t? There are lots of skaters featured, but here’s a run down of the strongest parts:
The video kicks off introducing the riders featured, but also takes the unorthodox route of interspersed edited montages featuring everyone. Surprisingly, this works and gets you hyped on what’s about to come with each skater’s individual part.
The first skater up to bat is Duncan Christy – a fine young chap who has been turning heads since many moons ago in the local scene. Duncan likes to get tech, and his recent growth spurt has added -dare I say- a Jensen-esque air to his effortless style. Just watch his opening line, and then watch him pick apart various obstacles in his path. Duncan Christy is a definite name to remember.
Hometown hero, Amir ‘Chubbs’ Williams has come a long way since comping and bugging everyone down at the Level. He is now pro for Karma Skateboards, and rightfully owns the place. Don’t bother trying to snake this kid because it’s a losing battle. Amir skates everything and fast. I especially liked the small snippets of wreckless downhill barging because Brighton is full of hairy descents to test your nerves, but Amir doesn’t break a sweat.
Tom Felix is a storm in a teacup. You know this right away when Tom throws himself a few feet higher than everyone else when he ollies. Whether it’s a huge backside bigspin or a tweaked stalefish grab, this kid has got it down- bolts. Don’t let this quiet teenager fool you because his skating can pack a mean punch.
Top heavy on the style tip, James Kilpatrick cruises around and mixes his flips with his gaps. James’ skating has character, mixed with mischief, so don’t be surprised if the kid with golden locks shuts down your local spot and simply smiles back at you.
Tom Banham is the younger half of two Brothers, the older being Sam, that know the Level like the back of their hand. Every time Tom steps on his board, you know you’re in for a treat. The ridiculous style and catch must run in the family blood.
Finally, the last part goes to Louie Cooper who is definitely going to become a familiar name in the near future. Louie is smooth and nonchalant, but as you watch in amazement, you forget just how hard some of the stuff is that little Louie does. A particular nollie heelflip salad grind at Milton Keynes has already set the ground for fame.
Alright, sorry this review has run so long, but Cheese on Tape is well worth your hard earned cash. Some might look at it as a little skatepark heavy on the footage, but like I mentioned earlier Brighton is shit for street skating. Luckily James Cheetham and Co. have really worked hard to find legitimate street stuff to make this video well rounded spot-wise. The editing is neat and tidy and the different sections are put together smartly and smoothly. Also, don’t forget the bonus footage that shows how some of the lads featured are a threat to anyone’s parks or spots. Very good stuff!
Ralph Lloyd-Davis
28/03/2006
There are not many artists out there that can say they have 18 albums out there that have changed a part of musical history but Stereolab can and this latest offering from the cooky, indie specialists is simply beautifully crafted from every angle.
All tracks recorded in their Instant Zero studio in Bordeaux have a quirky sound that i find very difficult to categorise as i write this as the entire album fitted like a glove, has left me in a trance like state that can only be described as lush.
This is a record that fits the same dreamlike stature of when people talk about the future, like the soundtrack to the film Gattica: dust free space walks, education checks and segregation yet, the style factor of such a unique sound bursts through like sunrays in an Arctic chapel, glittering and spare.
The beautifully haunting vocals of Laetitia Sadier are either going to make or break you, but with the mysterious underlay of moogs, samples, guitar licks and precision drum beats, this album may not sound live but it’s fresh out of the box and should have you hooked in two listens. Every track on this album has been available as a ltd edition single so far via 7″ but now you can have all 12 tracks on one CD for your listening pleasure and believe us when we say you will have a spring in your step after owning one of these, perfectly timed, finely tuned and simply stunning.
Look out for them live on May 11th at London’s Koko, as it is their only UK show booked this year.
You know what it’s like, doing wheelies on the flat is the most fun ever and you know it.
But have you ever gone this far? Will you ever go this far? If you can beat this, film it, send it to us and we will host it.
Click the image to view the manny.
Arguably the worst indie band in the UK, Embrace have been handed the opportunity to bore football fans this summer to prepare the official England World Cup song. The Leeds based bores were apparently quoted by the FA as “a top guitar band” and handed the deadly task in question where only New Order have retained credibility in the past with “World At Your Feet”.
With their drab vocalist Danny McNamara fronting the track, Crossfire think Embrace will be the hoodoo the England team are hoping to avoid this summer and should have approached Chas’n’Dave for credibility.. The tournament, which kicks off in Germany on 9 June should be a belter and rumours are surfacing that games will be shown on a large Snickers screen at the Download Festival this year.
If you would like a World Cup planner to insert into your outlook diary with every game listed, then click here and ask for a copy to be sent back to you.
Everybody is searching for Animal Chin in their own way, and if wasn’t for local scene videos, most of us would have given up the hunt years ago.
Seeing as skaters and digital equipment seem to go hand in hand nowadays, it’s only right that scene video’s are stepping up their game and the quality is pretty much on par with mainstream videos from not so long ago.
Here are a couple of trailers for three UK videos that are clearly worth checking out:
Who?
By Scott Magill from Bridgend, Wales featuring Chris Wilson, Chris Jones, Nick Batt, Jess Young, Alan Williams, Caradog Emanuel, Dylan Hughes, Nicky Howells and more…click here for some footage or ecven here for the scene: www.bridgenders.com
Cheese on Tape
By James Cheetham from Brighton, England featuring the Level Army, Amir Williams, Duncan Christy, James Kilpatrick, Wojcek Smith and more…click here for some footage.
Writer’s Block
By Henry Edward-Woods from London, England featuring Scott Howes, Shaun Currie, Greg Conroy, Fares Hassen, John Edwards and Jin . Click here for some footage.
The guys over at Globe have decided to launch a site dedicated to their Euro team consisting of Jan Kliewer, Eero Anttila, Kilian Heuberger, Gabriel Engelke, Matthieu Hilaire and Chami Laprebendere.
The site will be updated with news and tour info which is very useful. It’s nice to see big companies acknowledging their Euro cohorts for once. Is this the end of Distro-Flow..? Click here to visit.
On another Globe related Euro tip, the European team riders will join Mark Appleyard, Matt Mumford and Greg Lutzka and Euro riders on Wednesday April 5th at The Works Skatepark at Airedale Industrial Estate, Kitson Road in Leeds. Contact 0113 244 6015 or go to www.theworksskatepark.co.uk for more info.
The Globe team will also be visiting Stoke and Prissick plazas BUT these are NOT demos. So please be nice and let them enjoy some of the world’s finest spots….
Former Smiths frontman Morrissey has refused to tour Canada as a protest to their seal culling exploits. He wrote on his website:
I fully realise that the absence of any Morrissey concerts in Canada is unlikely to bring the Canadian economy to its knees, but it is our small protest against this horrific slaughter – which is the largest slaughter of marine animal species found anywhere on the planet. The Canadian Prime Minister says the so-called ‘cull’ is economically and environmentally justified, but this is untrue.”
Check it out here: www.morrisseymusic.com
Ex-Beta Band front man Steve Mason is back with his new King Biscuit Time project, with the release of new single Kwangchow, which will be coming out on April 24th. Kwangchow will be put out on Mason’s own No Style label [with Alan McGee]
The single will include 2 mixes of the Kwangchow and also Tears Dry which will be unavailable anywhere else.
A new album, Black Gold, is also ready to be released, with a due date of May 15th. To coincide with the album, King Biscuit Time will be going on tour on the following dates:
May
Fri 12
Galway, Roisin Dubh
Sat 13
Limerick, Dolans
Sun 14
Cork, Cypress Avenue
Mon 15
Dublin, Whelans
Wed 17
Edinburgh, Venue
Thu 18
London, Scala
Fri 19
Birmingham, Barfly
Sat 20
Brighton, Hanbury Ballroom (Mojo Stage – Great Escape)
Mon 22
Manchester, Academy 3
Tue 23
Glasgow, Oran Mor
Check out www.kingbiscuittime.co.uk for all the rest.
Jack White, who is currently wowing crowds with his new band The Raconteurs, has told fans that he is not about to leave The White Stripes, and already has new songs waiting to be recorded for a follow up to Get Behind Me Satan.
The Raconteurs album, Broken Boy Soldiers, has been given a May 15th release date and the group will be touring for most of the year to promote it.
www.whitestripes.com and www.theraconteurs.com for more.