Categories
Features

Skate London

Saturday July 2nd at Bay Sixty 6 Skatepark

This weekend was by far the most enjoyable event that Crossfire has been involved in since we have started. The hangovers we brought to the park slowly whittled away once the comp kicked off and the skating was mental. This event was filled with about 250 people, a much smaller crowd than usual due to the Live 8 event in West London, so a lot of people bottled it cos of the traffic but the people in attendance witnessed the most fun we have in ages.

Here are the results at Bay Sixty 6:

Best Hip Trick

Guy Burchard – Nollie 540 Big Spin Heelflip

Best Koston Block Trick

Trevor – Backside Tail Shuv

Best Rail Trick

Trevor Beasley – BS Smith

Best Hubba Trick

James Gardner – Nollie Heel Noseslide

Longest Manual

James Gardner & Kevin Edwards

Sunday July 3rd at Southbank

“For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful”

That quote rang around my head as i woke up on Sunday morning after no sleep and the biggest hangover ever. I puked in the shower and packed up the stereo and prize money and got down to the Southbank to see over 500 people waiting for carnage. It was gonna go off!

Kids were throwing themselves down the 7 set like lemmings…

The atmosphere at this comp was unlike any other i have witnessed. Everyone was amped in anticipation of this event and as soon as the best trick sessions went down, the hammers were snatched from the tool box and that place was fully worked. The only negative aspect of the day was Vaughan Baker annihilating his knee ligaments after sessioning the ledge. Get well soon man. The other guys from Blueprint Skateboards took most of the cash on the day.

Here are the results:

Best trick down the 7 Set

1. Danny Brady – fakie double flip, fakie frontside flip,
double flip and backside double flip.

2. Neil Smith – backside nollie heelflip, nollie bigspin heelflip,
switch frontside bigspin heelflip.

3. James Gardner – Switch frontside 360

Best trick on the Bank:

1. Danny Brady – kickflip nose stall on bar frontside revert in.
2. Sean – Nollie Bigspin Heel Flip/ Heelflip varial

Best trick on the ledge down the 7 Set

1. Danny Brady – Kickflip frontside 5-0.
2. Chewy Cannon – switch backside 5-0 and backside smith.

“LAST TRICKS AT THE BAR PLEASE!”

Best trick on the wedge into the bank

1. Neil Smith – Nollie backside 5-0 / Switch frontside 5-0.
2. Spencer Eagles – Nollie K/Backside Smith
3. Danny Brady – Flip Nosewheelie

The product toss was mental. A local chav was sent his marching orders or
he would have been annihilated by pretty much everyone present!

If you came down to this event, you have witnessed some history.

Crossfire are proud to have promoted this event.

Thanks for coming down if you made it and big love to XBOX and the UKSA.

Watch the videos of both events on this page…download them and keep them, then you can watch them whenever you want to. Just right click, save target as…and save it.

Categories
DVD Reviews

Pennywise

Home Movies

www.epitaph.com

Pennywise being a major player in the california punk scene have thrown together a bunch of home videos over the years. Don’t expect any high end video footage this is exactly what the title says, Home Movies. Originally released on VHS in 1995, Home Movies has been unavailable in any form since 1997.This is a must for any true pennywise fan, filled with stage dives fights and Fletchers infamous drunken party tricks. Rough footage from shows in Holland and Japan really catch the hard road that pennywise have been on to get to where they are today! One of the most memorable californian punk bands to date. One of the only bands with true fans and a down to earth attitude to with it!
“Home Movies” is a DVD that will fit perfect into any punk rock collection! Out now on Epitaph..

4/5
Greg Atkins

Categories
DVD Reviews

Pitchshifter

P.S.I.Entology

PSI Records

www.pitchshifter.com

2003 was a dark year for British metal. After year upon year of mind boggling creativity, relentless rebellion, and plain old rocking ” noise-mongers Pitchshifter decided to bow out, and bring down the curtain on a long and illustrious career. Thankfully, this has proven to be short-lived, and 2004 sees the Nottingham lads bounce back with a UK tour, and a rather splendid DVD offering in “P.S.I.Entology”. As has always been the case with Pitchshifter, when they do something, they don’t do it half assed ” a fact displayed all too clearly with this delightful offering. Whether you’re looking for a blistering live performance, a behind the scenes documentary styled take on the band and their goings on, sneak peaks at the studio and recording process, or just a run through the bands” promotional and music video history ” it’s all here in copious and wonderfully satisfying amounts. As well as a detailed look back over more than a decade of domination, viewers are also treated to an introduction of the respective members” modern day lives and projects, from clips of mouthpiece J.S. Clayden’s Los Angeles based venture

Doheny, to brother Mark’s Blighty based outfit The Blueprint. Combine all these features and more ” including optional band commentary and secret bonus footage that keep you on your toes and the mystery trail alike – and you have one of the most satisfactory feature presentations to date.

Do yourself a favour ” pick up “P.S.I.Entology” and introduce yourself to possibly the most influential British rock group of the past decade. You may just thank me for it.

Ryan Bird

Categories
DVD Reviews

Sonic Youth

Corporate Ghost

The videos 1990-2002

This DVD is really good! I know that I am a big Sonic Youth fan, but still. Every video the New York alternative quartet ever made (plus live performances) is on here, and each one has at least 2 commentaries to accompany it. Whether it’s the memorable live performance of ‘the Diamond Sea” with Thurston’s wild guitar solos, Kim Gordon’s sultry voice and heart touching lyrics in ‘tunic”, or Guy Mariano, Jason Lee and Spike Jonze skating through the streets of LA in “100%”. It’s all good. I don’t think you can deny how creative Sonic Youth are when it comes to music. Each song is different and every composition touches a different mood. No wonder how these guys have got such longetivity and influence in the game. This DVD is like a historical document tracing the group’s artistic states as they put images to their music. Oh, and let’s not forget the extras! Over 3 hours of interviews, commentary, live shows and more. There’s even the entirety of a young fans video message, filmed on the old camcorder back when Sonic Youth had just released “Daydream Nation”, a seminal album that rocked the youth. Great. Anyway, I”m bought on this DVD and super stoked to own a copy. So should you, now go get it!

Ralph Lloyd-Davis

Categories
Interviews

DVS Team

When the DVS Shoe Team hit Europe to premier the brand new Skate More DVD in Paris, we sent Ralph Lloyd Davis out into the middle of the action for a well earnt cultural piss up with the lads who were on the tour. The interview below includes words from Keith Hufnagel, Colin Kennedy, Torey Pudwill, Daewon Song, Steve Berra and Mike Taylor. Enjoy!

How long did ‘Skate More’ take to make?

Keith Hufnagel: The idea of doing the video came about 2 years ago.

This is the first ever DVS video, so was it hard to live up to any expectations people might have?

KH: Sure, yeah! (Laughter)

Colin Kennedy: DVS hired me about 3 years ago on the premise of doing a video. I approached them because I wanted to work with the team, and they were like, ‘Yeah, we really want to do this video!‘ So, the initial idea was about 3 years ago, and it was only in the last couple of years that we have got together and really worked on the project.

Often skaters will be working on several projects at the same time. Is it hard to sit on footage or even lose it to another ongoing project?

KH: Oh yeah! Obviously I have to share a lot of my footage with REAL, but some of the stuff I wanted to keep specifically for the DVS video. When I had to film a part for another companies’ video, I found myself picking bits out of my DVS footage which is tough. Then you have all the footage that doesn’t even get used.

Keith, you’re known for putting out clean, powerful video parts. Is this intentional, or are you secretly stock piling a load of manual madness and after black handrail hammers somewhere?

KH: (Laughter) No! Well. Yeah we’ll be dropping a special edition DVD with all that stuff in there! (Laughter)

Growing up in New York and living in San Francisco, would you say those environments have helped mould the way in which you skate i.e. cruising the urban landscapes of the Big Apple and learning to control the speed of San Francisco hill bombing?

KH: Definitely. I mean it makes you skate that way with the hills, and if you ride them then you’ll learn to go faster. If you don’t learn how to control it then you fall! You can’t look like a pussy on the hills! (Laughter)

Steve Berra: That’s why I live in LA! (Laughter)

Who came up with the Monty Python style skits?

CK: Actually it was the previous DVS art director guy, him and his right-hand assistant that still works with us. One guy came up with the name, ‘Skate More’, like Nike has the slogan ‘Just do it’, and you can translate it however you want. For instance you might just want to ‘skate more‘ often or you could just want to ‘skate more‘ ledges, rails whatever. The art director that came up with the Python idea wanted to make the video more light-hearted and not too seriously, and I mean what is more light-hearted and tongue in cheek than Monty Python?

What would you say is your favourite Monty Python movie?

CK: I’m a big fan of the ‘Search for the Holy Grail’.

Torey Pudwill: I’ve never even heard of them! (Laughter)

Mikey Taylor: Me too. I have no idea who they are.

KH: Yeah, I used to the watch the ‘Holy Grail’ one a lot.

SB: Which is the one where the fat guy blows up?

The ‘Meaning of life’.

SB: That one was kinda sick.

CK: That one has a great song that we used in a commercial.

Do you guys ever get worried about your footage of the video being leaked onto the internet? It happened to Chris Cole and his part from the new Zero video.

CK: We made sure that our video doesn’t get on the internet. It isn’t there yet, and even if it is it’ll just be a bad bootleg from somewhere? It doesn’t worry me that much because the kids who want to see it will buy it.

I recently watched some old videos that date from the early 90’s and you see these guys doing these really long lines, and the camera is all over the place. Do you think it would be possible to put a part like that out nowadays?

SB: I don’t think it is possible to do that anymore. I think it would be career suicide to try and do a video part in 3 days, filmed by your mate. Skating has changed so much since those days, which is sad because I wish we could do a video in a few days. That would be amazing! (sighs)

Looking at you own video parts, is there anyone in the team you would like to swap with, or perhaps swap with a person from an old video?

SB: Ah shit! I don’t know. Maybe someone’s part from the Blind Video, ‘Video Days’.

KH: The Gonz in ‘Video Days’.

SB: Hey Torey, have you ever seen the Blind video?

TP: Yeah! I have seen the Blind video thanks! (Laughter)

Daewon Song: I don’t think kids get the same feelings we had when we used to watch those old videos.

TP: I understand it Daewon!

DS: Yeah, I know you do, but I’m just saying that when we saw the Blind video it had a massive impact on us.

KH: ‘Video Days’ came out before you were even around!

Daewon, you just got voted Skater of the Year by Transworld, how does that feel?

DS: Oh, someone really fucked up with the voting! (Laughter)

Well who do you think should have been Skater of the Year then?

DS: Uhhh.

KH: Daewon! (Laughter)

SB: I think I’d have been pissed if he didn’t get it!

DS: Tyrone Olson.

T-Bone? For real? Are you kidding me?!?

DS: I don’t know. (Laughter) Nobody! I don’t even know who decides these things. I mean, I’ll take it- I took the trophy and it’s at home. It was awesome and I feel privileged. Don’t get me wrong I’m stoked. I’m not like, ‘What? Transworld? Piece of shit.’

You have some European riders on the team, notably Paul Shier. Can we expect to see a part from him or any of the other foreign riders in ‘Skate More’?

SB: I think there’ll be some footage in the DVD extras.

CK: We’re going to release a limited, extended edition DVD later on around Christmas, and they will have their own section in that, like all the international riders. We have a lot of Australian riders, and guys from New Zealand, Europe and maybe even South America, but I’m not sure anyone rides for DVS over there. In any case, all those guys will get a segment in the extended DVD.

How do Americans perceive Europe ever since the Barcelona Blowout phenomena and all the companies and riders over here that are unknown abroad but killing it at home? Did that come as a shock, and how are you dealing with it?

SB: Well look at these spots they get to skate! Such places will obviously churn out sick skaters. It was just a matter of time for Europe to catch up with the level of skating and stuff. Europe and its skaters have always been good, but it was just a question of time. Now you have guys like JB Gillet and he’s unreal!

Speaking of JB, and many others, he had to do the annual pilgrimage over to the States in order to build up his career. However, now the tables have turned and lots of American pros are spending a good 6 months each year flying over to Barcelona and Europe to get things done. Did you ever think such excessive travel was going to happen?

SB: I think that from the very first time I came to visit Europe, I could see that it was going to be inevitable because the spots and architecture were just mind blowing. Plus, the fact that so many pros live in California meant the place got bled dry pretty fast, so it was pretty natural that we should start coming out here. But, the pros still keep California as their home and base because like that you can maintain a profile as a pro by actually being there. It’s hard to be an American pro and just go and live in Barcelona forever. I mean, you can come over and film but you still have to be around at home.

KH: Some people are doing it, but others have family at home and other priorities. If you don’t have any of that then you can just go live in Barcelona for however long you like.

Do you think there is a stronger medium that touches the public and the kids more than videos? On a personal basis, how important are demos and getting out there to meet people?

SB: I think magazines and tours are just as important because you can have guys that film video parts, but no kids have ever seen them! If you take someone like Jamie Thomas for example, a guy that all he did was tour for years and years, and create a demand for his brand, his name, to a point where every kid across America had some idea of who Jaime was and how good he was on a board. So I think it is equally important to film a good video part but then follow it up with tours and demos where the kids can actually see you live.

CK: I think that from watching these guys on tour and seeing how stoked a kid is as they turn up at a spot, like ‘Is that really Berra?!?’, and then actually shaking hands with the kid.

SB: Do kids actually call out for me? (Laughter)

CK: Yeah they do! The moment where they actually cross that line between fantasy and reality is great. I see it from an outside perspective and it’s cool to witness such scenes, It’s very important. The kid will ask some random question and when the pro answers, they’ll just be blown away! I think its times like that that have more of an effect than a video part because you get a taste of the skater’s personality.

Some of you are veterans of the touring circuit. When a new young amateur like Torey here is doing the first rounds, are there any good words of advice you can give the kid before his travels?

CK: Don’t drink the water in Spain.

TP: Yeah! I learnt that the hard way! (Laughter)

CK: He’s a good kid actually. Torey has got a good head on his shoulders.

TP: Thanks!

SB: Don’t forget your wallet either!

TP: Yeah, I tried that one too, surprisingly! (Laughter)

I heard you had some awful experience during a DVS tour in Phoenix, Arizona. Care to divulge?

TP: Oh the Phoenix trip!

MT: It sucked! We had our gas tank siphoned so we were nearly stuck in the middle of nowhere with no gas.

TP: So many things went wrong over those couple of days, like every time we got the cameras out and were about to film it would just pour down with rain!

CK: Yeah, the weather wasn’t great! Every time we tried filming it would rain, so when it stopped and dried we’d get psyched to film again and it would rain. Again! (Laughter)

TP: Oh! We also went to that bird poo spot.

CK: That spot was like an old abandoned car racing track with a roofed seating area that you could skate, except all the pigeons had their stoops up there so the floor was about 4 inches thick of bird shit in places! And Torey slipped out and fell in it!

(Laughter) So what Torey? Have you got a third arm growing out of you hip or something?

TP: (Laughter) That sucked so bad. Our lungs were hurting after that experience.

On a random note, I remember seeing a fuck-off massive DVS sticker on Joey and Chandler’s fridge in ‘Friends’. How did that get there? And which of the two skates?

KH: I think its connections, like one of those guys knows Kevin, Brian or Tim (Gavin), and someone in the show throws it on. (Laughter)

CK: It changed over the years as well! (Laughter) I think it started of as one DVS sticker, then two, probably some Matix in there also for good measure. (Laughter) I think was through connections with somebody. Just a little product placement for free.

For you Steve, can you think of any actors or actresses you would like to see skate?

TP: He knows a lot!

SB: (Laughter) No. But some people skate, like some actors for instance the kid in ‘Almost Famous‘ can skate and he does kickflips down some big sets of stairs.

KH: Dave Chappelle skates.

SB: Oh yeah Chappelle!

With your career in acting, have you ever found any parallels with skateboarding, in other words does one help the other say with concentration, or emotion..?

SB: Basically my skating would help me with anything else because I learn things through it. I found myself doing jobs that I didn’t really like, and it didn’t parallel with what I was trying to build in skating, so that is one of the main reasons why I kind of stopped acting, unless it was something that I had a lot to do with in so much as developing it. Gosh! I haven’t acted for something like 5 years now because I’m just more focused on my skating.

I’ve seen footage at the DVS website that was filmed at Steve’s skatepark and it is clearly replicated from various original street spots, for instance the blue wave in Paris or the USC ledges. Was that done on purpose, and are they exact replicas?

SB: I’ve never been to any of those spots! (Laughter) They’re not exact replicas. That whoop-dee-whoo thing, the blue wave, I had seen in the new Stereo video so we tried to build it a few times and replicate that, but it actually turned out like shit! (Laughter)

TP: That thing was horrible!

SB: Then those pillars that Jason Dill does a backside 180 fakie manual on are 15 minutes from my house and I’ve never even been there! (Laughter) We just guessed at maybe what size they might be. Then the big barn door place, like barn yard roof type thing, we just came up with that.

Seeing as it’s pretty hard to street skate in America nowadays, did you find yourself suddenly making ‘new friends’ after you had built the park?

SB: When I first opened that park I got a bunch of ‘new friends’ so to speak, but not really, I mean I’m kind of friends with everyone anyway. But it’s true that there were a few pretty crazy people just showing up that I didn’t imagine I’d ever see.For sure! (Laughter). Anytime a new spot appears, especially in Los Angeles where it’s getting so hard to really street skate, people always want to try it out. There were some visitors at the park who I actually ended up becoming good friends with like Brian Lotti, who lives nearby and comes to the park all the time. I’ve been friends with Brian since, and I only knew him a little bit before. It’s weird because 12 years after meeting him for the first time, he comes down to the park and we hang out together.

With street-plazas popping up everywhere, do you think they will become the norm? Do kids not want to skate tranny anymore?

KH: Well, I think we already have a lot of skateparks built in the States.

Yeah, but don’t you think it’s strange how they are always replicas of spots long gone, for example the DC Plaza recreating Love Park, or the Vans Combi pool..?

CK: It would be cool if there were replicas of places like Love Park everywhere, but truthfully there aren’t that many huge skate plazas in America. We have hundreds of transition parks in California, so if you want to ride quarter pipes or a bowl there’s no problem. It’s the open space reconstruction that is the hard part.

This was more a question for Jason Dill, but seeing as he’s MIA, perhaps you guys could answer for him; Skateboarding comes across as being very image orientated with ads coming out showing the newest rider rocking a gold chain and striking a pose. Some might even go so far as to say that the companies will favour sponsoring somebody because of their marketability. Do you agree? Are you influenced by such phenomena, a victim of it or playing along?

KH: Yeah, people definitely go through with such plans if they know they can make money off it, but you also have to know how to skate- it’s the skating that should get you noticed.

SB: I’m sure some people have thrown in the extra bit of flair to get noticed, but other times that is just their shit. I mean I’ve seen a couple of guys do that, like throw a little something extra on and flair it all up a bit.

But when you have companies with team line-ups that read like an 80’s glam rock band, surely they can’t be relying solely on the skater’s talent..?

SB: That’s definitely. (Laughter) But seriously that’s what’s great about skating-

it’s known for that kind of stuff.

CK: I think it’s all about substance. If the person has a stupid name or a stupid gimmick, but they can back it up with substance then its fine. It all boils down to the skating. In a way it is the end all and be of the situation, like ‘Ok, you can have this stupid name blah blah blah.’ But then if you see the whole team doingthat then you know it must be a gimmick and the company probably sucks.

KH: It happens in other sports too; Tennis, for example with Anna Kornikova.

Yeah, but she just changed career altogether and grabbed the modelling money.

CK: Yeah. She never even won a tournament!

SB: What? She doesn’t play tennis anymore?

KH: Nah, she’s just hot!

SB: She probably makes more money than Venus and Serena Williams just through the fact that she looks hot and sells the image. But now there is this new female tennis player who is super good and super hot, so watch out Anna! (Laughter) I think she’s Russian.

Alright, now we are going to do a bit of word association. Just tell me the

first thing that comes into your head. Brussels?

SB: Waffles.

CK: I think political institutions.

KH: Fries.

Speed?

CK: Chino. Meth labs? (Laughter) No, Busenitz!

The Osiris D3?

MT: Rage!

CK: Retirement money! (Laughter)

KH: Yeah, the money.

SB: Ravers. A gimmick.

Keenan Milton?

(Quiet)

CK: The bomb!

KH: Keenan just makes me laugh when I think about him.

SB: Not the last time I was in Europe, but the time before, Keenan and I were sharing a room in Prague. We had a really important flight to catch the next morning and he just wouldn’t go to sleep. I’m there trying to convince him to get some rest and he’s just playing his music super loud. I’m so tired and all I want to do is sleep so I can wake up and catch my flight home, but Keenan just won’t stop! He’s like, ‘It’s alright. I’ve only got 2 more hours to stay up, it’ll be fine!’ So, I’m up the whole night listening to his crazy music, and then 15 minutes before the alarm goes off, he falls asleep! (Laughter) Now I’m the one that has to wake him up so he won’t miss the flight! (Laughter) No sleep because he’s been blaring music in my ears all night with his little DVD player or something.

Finally, what does DVS stand for?

KH: It just means ‘devious’ I think.

Is that it? Have you heard any bizarre acronyms of it over the years like ‘Dodgy Varials Suck’ or something..?

SB: Dae Von Song! (Laughter) Hey, DVS- Dae Von Song? (towards Daewon)

DS: People really believed that for a long time! (Laughter) I swear, I’ve seriously had over a 1000 people come up to me and ask me that! Is it Dae Von Song, or something with my middle name in there..? I’m like, ‘Dude!’ I told them, ‘Yeah. sure.’ (Laughter)

TP: DVS doesn’t stand for anything?

CK: It stands for ‘Devious’, that’s it!

DS: I wish it had been my name. (Laughter)

Alright guys, that’s it for me so thank you very much for answering my questions.

All: Thank you! And thanks to Crossfire.

SB: (Looking at a magazine) Holy Shit! New Plan B boards!

Categories
Interviews

Craig Robbins

So, explain Eothen to those who don’t know.

Eothen is a small independent UK skateboard brand.

Why Eothen? Where did the name come from? What does it mean..?

I wanted the brand name to be toned down, subdued but still distinctive, not as obvious as your average branding, particularly American branding. I also wanted it to have a loose meaning with no connotations, so that I could create the meaning with my own marketing. It came from the title of a book that I found in my Granddad’s house, A.W. Kingslake’s ‘Eothen‘. It is a book about a travelers journey to the east and Eothen roughly translates from Greek ‘from early dawn – from the East‘, so I was stoked with the meaning, and started working on the graphics .

What were you doing before Eothen?

Ralph, I lived down the road from you in Chelsea! It was important for me to discover London, as it is the most important city in the UK and one of the most influential cities in the world. I had several retail jobs, which were not much of a challenge and on my days off I would go exploring. In the Summer I gave up work to concentrate on starting Eothen. I was already broke, so I spent the summer in a cheap room in Holborn burning the midnight oil.

I met you for the first time down in Brighton. I know you went to the Art school down there. What was your specialty? Has your time down in Brighton at Art School or the certain techniques you worked at helped you with Eothen?

I studied Fine Art Printmaking. I worked with the screen print process so this helps for skateboard and t-shirt printing, but I value my study in Fine Art much higher. I became interested in Eastern aesthetics and my work became very minimal. I practiced reducing things down to the fundamental basic elements of creating. I felt that I was very focused at this time and enjoyed my work very much. The lecturers at Brighton are very positive so the environment is really constructive and confidence building.

What sparked the idea for you to have a go at starting your own company?

I had been skating for 13 years. I was watching young people get in to skating for the first time, and it was a reflection of how far skateboarding has developed in the time that I have been a skater, which made me realise that there is still a lot of room to develop the world of skateboarding further. The opportunities skateboarding has to offer are really amazing, and I felt like I should open up a bit and encourage it. I had been studying art for over 5 years, and could see my design skills helping me to make a unique brand.

Were there any other names or ideas floating around before Eothen?

I played with the name ‘Vertigo‘ for a bit. The sickness, a fear of heights. It worked graphically and I thought I was going to learn to skate vert, but I never have and a French company own the trademark so it ended there.

What differentiates Eothen from the rest of the British skate companies?

I know that you are a bit of an all terrain vehicle, does this reflect in the company?

My aim for the Eothen brand is to build a high level of communication that can encourage people to be enthusiastic. I hope to provide quality products and ethical graphics of a sublime nature. I am not trying to associate the brand with other popular movements, such as punk or hip hop, but am focusing on the nature of the present moment and people’s potential. I think that the all terrain business is something that is definitive to UK skating and not just myself. Of course, growing up as a British skater, I have a lot of respect for British companies and have always tried to support them, but this is my own project and I want to see it grow.

You grew up in Stafford, moved to Brighton and finally London. What differences did you notice in these various scenes?

The scene in Stafford is the same as in most small towns. There is no single spot that is that amazing, so it encourages you to explore a lot. As there were no skateparks, we were always street skating. The older skate generation died out so we were all doing our own thing and had no preconceptions. Most of us went through art college and then on to university, and have remained a good group of friends. Brighton was different because it has a lot more skate industry and skate history, going right back to day 1. People would always tell me about the vert ramp and old ghosts likeLuke Mckirdy. The first Rad magazine that I bought had a Brighton section, issue 101 back in 1991. I guess it was subconscious that I ended up there. It was rad skating at the Level skatepark. You could go down there at any time and there would be someone there to chill with, and a lot of good skaters as well. When I moved to London I wasn’t even skating because I had an ankle injury that put me out for over a year. I felt really lucky to be back on a skateboard again but it took me a while to feel comfortable again and I was working full time, so only skated once a week. In the end I settled to going to Meanwhile bowls on my days off, because that place is amazing. London is so big with so many people that you couldn’t some up or experience all of the scenes.

As Eothen’s creator, are you the only person involved or are there other people helping out?

I started Eothen with nothing but 2 pennies to rub together. Now I have a great big factory with umpa lumpas and a glass elevator! I did a lot of designing in the previous 2 years before it started, so now I am concentrating on building up a customer base. My mum is retired now, so sometimes I give her a little puzzle to deal with and Paul Haywood (friend, skater, photographer) helps me out a lot. It is a small company, so I am a jack of all trades.

You mentioned that you went on a trip visiting loads of parks. Where did you go? What was it like? How have people taken to Eothen?

I have trekked all over England and Wales and Scotland to visit skateboard shops and I always try to get a skate in if I got time, so I managed to catch the new dreamland bowl complex in Penzance for example. I keep it low key with the Eothen promotion as I am still in a start up period, so there is no point making out that it is the biggest thing since sliced bread. It keeps me inspired to skate different places all the time. Sometimes kids come up to me and say that they have seen my design on a skateboard in a skateboard shop, which makes it all worth while.

Did anyone give you any advice before you decided to start a skate company? What advice would you give anyone with the same desire?

I knew that what I was doing was competitive and that it would take ages to build up a plan and get the cash, so I kept it largely to myself. Some would say that there are too many skate companies in the UK and there is no room for another, but I think that this goes against the nature of fashion and the creativity which makes skateboard products so unique. I see it as healthy competition and people should always be encouraged to be creative. The Princes Trust helped me to keep it nice and small, so I have done it without a bank loan. My advice would be to do 3 drawings every day for a whole year and to go skating.

For the moment, Eothen has no pro riders – will it stay that way i.e. just Eothen boards and no names screened on them? Are you looking for riders, if so who?

Signature models work for marketing, because you can associate a person and their story to the product, and in return, the rider gets support for their talent. I would like to take it that way eventually, but it requires a lot of commitment from the rider. I hope that I can find young or undiscovered talent as well. I am open to sponsoring skaters, and I have a budget for sponsored riders. Some kids have approached me to ask for sponsorship, but they need to send in a video. I am not going to give out things for nothing! If you show that you are committed enough to put together a video, then you are 90% on your way to getting a sponsor.

Seeing as you’re the boss, who gets the teas on?

I am chilling with my 2 dogs most of the time but they don’t know what a kettle is.

What are you plans with Eothen? How can people contact you? Shout outs…

As long as I can inspire someone out there then that is cool with me. Check out www.eothen.co.uk. Ask your local shop to stock Eothen products. Thanks to all Stafford skaters for your support. Shout out to the Level Army and to everyone else that I have ever skated with. Thanks to Haywood, Crossfire and my mum.

See you on the streets!

Categories
Interviews

J Mascis – Dinosaur Jr interview

Formed in Massachusetts in the early ’80s from the disparate ends of quasi hardcore band Deep Wound, Dinosaur (the Jr. came later) originally featured J, Murph and Lou Barlow.

Eventually, the bad mojo between J and Lou prompted Barlow’s departure in 1989. Barlow poured the resulting resentment into all of those tasty manic-depressive songs that came with his successive band, Sebadoh. After years being left to most of us as a classic indie band that spurred a generation of indie rock, Dinosaur Jr are reforming after the re-release of the first 3 albums “Bug”, “Dinosaur” and “You’re Living All Over Me” on Sweet Nothing Records here in the UK.

J. Mascis has a reputation of being one of the hardest people in music to interview due to his presence being much like a sloth! In an interview years ago he described himself as the kid in the high school cafeteria who was always making animal sculptures out of his food. Zac phoned him for a chat one Friday afternoon so see if this was all true and this is what went down…by the way, if you read Zac’s questions like he is on speed and J. Mascis” answers like he is whacked out on valium, it will all make sense.

How’s it going J?

Pretty good. (drawled out!)

Where are you at right now?

I’m at home.just getting up.it was kind of a late night so.I guess I have been woken up by an interview. So…

Ah, did I wake you?

No.

Well if you are up and about, I have some questions for you fella.

Alright…(drawls)

Full name please mate?

Joseph E. Mascis Jnr…

Is there a senior then?

Yeah, there was…he’s dead though.

(Oh shit, not a good start. Quickly moving on!)

Where were you born?

Massachusetts.

What was your first job?

I worked at the public works to unblock the sewers and the sidewalks. After a week I got a job at a gas station so I quit.I used to just sit around. (it took him ages to say this!)

What gets you out of bed in the morning apart from people like me interviewing you?

I have been trying to record some solo stuff, I walk my dog, and this and that.

What kind of dog you have? I would at a guess have you down to own a Bloodhound.

Nah.I have a bulldog.

I know they say that some dogs look like their owners, is there an affiliation there J?

Er. I don’t know.(as he says this, he laughs, I feel like I have finally cracked him) my dog can skateboard a little bit too.

Really?! Haha, has this been going on for a while?

Yeah, have you seen the footage of a skateboarding bulldog on the internet?

Yeah, I have seen it, is that your dog?

Nah, my dog is like that dog, she can do it a little bit but she is not as good. Haha!

Wow, it sounds like your Bulldog is better than me on a deck mate!

Let’s talk Deep Wound, how long did that band last?

A couple of years I guess.

What kind of bands did you play with in the punk scene at that time?

Er…we played with SSD, DOA, MDC…er..Haha!.

Any bands without 3 capital letters in the title or was that not aloud?!

Nah, there were others..Jerry’s Kids, The FU’s and others… (laughs!)

Is it true that your Mum actually knitted you a Deep Wound cardigan?

Yep, she did. In fact my wife wears that now!

Lou Barlow has had some pretty bad sweaters along the way as well huh? Would he beat you in a bad sweater wardrobe comp?

Yeah, most definitely, he is a huge sweater guy!

Who gets the J.Mascis vote for the worst dressed man in Rock and Roll?

It’s hard to say.. (huge silence)…Eric Clapton I guess. He made all the hippies wear suit coats and cut their hair and cured beards!

I heard that you love your hardcore and punk rock, what are your fave bands from back then that you still play at home now?

Yeah I do. Negative Approach, Minor Threat, Bad Brains..in fact I was just talking to some kids yesterday at this show who were into hardcore when they were kids, and I said, “when I was your age I used to go and see Minor Threat play” and they were freaked out. Haha!

I guess Minor Threat were, and still are one of those seminal HC bands from DC that will always carry respect. I hear that you are into English Punk Rock and Oi too, do you still have affection for that style of music?

Yeah, I still listen to bands like Blitz, The 4-Skins, Disorder, Chaotic Dischord, The Business and others.

The Business are still going strong here.

Oh really, the same band on Captain Oi?

Yeah man. What about Upside Down Cross, you played drums in that band right? Would ever consider going backwards to playing punk rock again?

Well, it’s funny you say that because at the moment I’m in a band called Witch. We have only played one show and we are kind of more Sabbath oriented. I play drums and there are 2 kids in the band about 22, and another 2 guys who are like 39 years old. Those kids in fact just listened to Upside Down Cross yesterday and they were like “whoa, you were in this band?” Haha!

Skateboarding and Dinosaur Jr always went hand in hand and still do in the naughties, why is that?

I dunno, I have no idea! We went to LA on the Bug tour and there were all these skaters everywhere. We met Neil Blender and some other guys and I always let them use the music and stuff.

So are you proud to be associated with skateboarding then?

Yeah I guess, sometimes I even get sent t-shirts and skateboards here!

Did you ever skate back in the day?

Yeah, mostly we would skate quarter pipes, 8 foot high ramps and stuff. I mean this was long ago now.

Do you remember what your first board was?

My first skateboard was a Flight. They were like this company that ripped off Alva. I had Mid Tracks and red Kryptonics 65’s…until my Dad gave it away.

Neil Blender did some art for you, do you remember which sleeves?

Yeah….he’s done several record covers for me like Without a Sound, J.Mascis and The Fog, Leaving on a Jet Plane 7″, and the back cover of another one.

Have you seen any recent skateboarding? What are your thoughts on it?

I see various stuff from Alien Workshop as Neil Blender sends me stuff. It’s cool I guess.

What was it like playing in The Stooges?

That was cool. I was playing with Mike Watt and we invited Ron (Asheton) to jam with us and then after that we played a gig at All Tomorrows Parties in LA, then got offered a tour. The Stooges then got back together with Iggy and then I was out.

How did you feel about that?

Haha, well, I was stoked they were back together but I was bummed to be left out!

What happened with Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie clobbering a fan in the crowd at the Shepherds Bush Empire?

Some guy spat on him, so he pummeled him with an iron mic stand. Yeah, whilst singing No Fun of all songs…it wasn’t nice.

Any plans to write with Mike Watt right now?

No. No plans.

So is it just Dinosaur JR related stuff that is on your horizon right now then?

Yeah, that’s all that happening now, kinda.

What kind of set will you be playing? Have you started rehearsing for it?

Well, I guess we will practice a couple of times and then play a couple of shows here in the US and then come over to see you guys.

What made you reform after all these years?

I dunno, the first three records were gonna get re-released and we had some offers.

So, you are playing the Download Festival this year here in the UK.

Yeah, I don’t know much about this festival though..

Black Sabbath are playing, Iggy is on, Slayer and others and there is a monster Snickers Bowl with Steve Caballero and loads of other guys who will be killing it.

Cool. I think we will miss some of those bands though as we have to go to Europe after our set.

Looking back, what was the best time throughout your Dinosaur Jr peak?

Maybe the best time was the first tour. We opened for Sonic Youth and that was the best time we had.

Lou Barlow mentioned that he was kicked out of Dinosaur and then worked as an orderly at a VA hospital, do have the same plans for him again?!

Haha!. Maybe, that was a good one!

Have you guys kept a relationship since Dinosaur split?

Yeah, kind of. I just see him once in a while around. I haven’t talked to him much.

Have you heard his new solo album EMOH yet?

Yeah, it’s alright. He played here recently; it was alright..folky stuff you know. I like some songs on the last Sebadoh record, I was kind of overdosed on Lou though, but maybe I should go listen to more of his stuff.

Is The Fog on ice then?

Nah, I have been recording, there will be a record at some point.

Freak Scene has gone down as one of those classic alternative tracks ever. Where were you when you wrote that song and what influenced its lyrics?

Er…I know I was in New York going to college at the time. The track is about the people I knew, a kind of mish-mash of relationships.

I have had numerous arguments over the correct chords for ‘Freak Scene’ (Mike Vallely, ‘Speed Freaks’) Please spill the beans.

You know what, I don’t know the chords but I will play it for you when I come over, how’s that?

Sounds good to me. OK, I have some stupid Quickfire questions here for ya, ready?

Ok, go for it.

So, what’s your fave Dinosaur?

Er. Shit. I guess a Stegosaurus or a T-Rex.

Tea or coffee?

Both I guess, but if I had to go with one…er..nah, both! Fuck it! I can do what I want!

George Bush or Death?

Oh, Death!

Drum solo or guitar solo?

Guitar..how many good drum solo’s have you heard?

True..OK smart arse – Minor Threat or Black Flag?

Oh, that’s tough. I guess I would choose Minor Threat as they really spoke to me at the time. That was when I realised that other kids were into punk. I was already straightedge in this hippy town and rebelling about people doing drugs and I thought all punks were junkies and stuff until I heard Minor Threat. I could then relate to the whole scene because I wasn’t alone anymore.

Spontaneous combustion or suicide?

Spontaneous combustion sounds great! Doing it anywhere would be cool.

Street hockey or Mercury Rev?*

Ooh, I have to go with street hockey!

* = A personal one that relates to J.Mascis kicking Mercury Rev off a tour back in the day as they played Street Hockey in the sound check warm ups. He hated it and kicked them off the tour allegedly!

Fog or Rain?

Fog….

Folk Implosion or Sebadoh?

Sebadoh, but with Eric Gaffney.

Mudhoney or Nirvana?

Er…Nirvana I suppose.

Pain or pleasure?

Pleasure.

Rock, fire or scissors?

Rock!

Okay I got scissors, so you win Joseph!

I’m out of here, enjoy reforming Dinosaur Jr with Murph and Lou for the tour, see you soon.

Thanks Zac

Byeee

The first 3 Dinosaur Jr albums have been re-released on Sweet Nothing Records out now and the band with the original line up will play at the Forum in London on 8th and 9th of June then at the Download Festival on 10th June. Don’t miss them.

Categories
Interviews

American Head Charge

2 years ago the future looked bleak for American Head Charge. A seemingly loveless relationship with their label, personal addictions and a generally bleak future spelled the end for the American sextet. However, with new album ‘the Feeding” showcasing a true return to form, 2005 may just be the year that American Head Charge have been waiting for all along. Prior to the bands” show at London’s Mean Fiddler, bassist Chad Hanks and guitarist Bryan Ottoson caught up with CITC for a few trips down memory lane, as well as a vision of the months ahead.

Your new album has been almost 3 years in coming. How does it feel to finally have it out there for people to hear?

Chad: I think the only word that springs to mind for me is ecstatic. It was a long time in the making. After years of sending demos backwards and forwards and getting no response from Rick (Rubin) it’s amazing to finally have it out.

Bryan: It was 3 years of sheer hell, so it feels good for me, man.

Chris Emery (drums): Horny is the word for me

Bryan: It’s weird to go to the store and see it on the shelf. It makes me go “Oh, yeah, we actually have a new record out!”

What kind of reception has it been receiving thus far?

Bryan: We did a short run of dates here in the UK just before the album came out, and they were all sold out and people actually knew the words to the songs already. It was amazing

Chad: We just went on tour with Otep in the States and as the weeks went on you could see more and more people actually singing the songs back. It was unbelievable for us after everything that’s happened.

What would you say are the main differences between ‘the Feeding” and ‘the War of Art”?

Chad: Well, I think that this was definitely more of a band effort, and it was certainly much more to the point. We didn’t spend hours on end just playing around with a certain guitar sound and trying to pump out 16 songs to fill 68 minutes or whatever.

Bryan: Our producer Greg Fidelman was basically like “Right, come on, let’s go. Grab the guitar, grab the amp and let’s go, come on.” We really needed that I think rather then spending like 9 months holed up in a fancy studio.

Chad: It doesn’t have the Rubin “wall of sound” as we call it. It’s a much more raw and live sounding record.

Bryan: Definitely. There’s guitars out of tune all over that record. Not horribly or anything but it’s slightly off and it worked.

You’re now on Nitrus following the split from American. How has it been to leave a label that seemingly didn’t give a shit about you anymore to suddenly becoming possibly the biggest band on the roster?

Chad: It’s a lot more hands on. You don’t have to speak to like 12 different people just to have a cheque signed off. There’s like 3 different people you talk to and that’s it, that’s all there is. They’re really working for us.

Bryan: Derek, Ron and Ted ” DRT. That’s what we call “em.

Chad: We left American with like a million dollars to pay off or whatever, and it happens to so many bands. They sign to a major label, get all this money in advance and never pay it off.

Bryan: Dude, don’t talk about that.

Judging from various interviews, it sounds like this band is really all that some of you guys have. Would you say that’s a fair comment to make?

Bryan: It was weird for me because I joined after they recorded the first record, toured for almost a year on the back of it and then they had to fire me because of all this shit with American that was going on.

Chad: It just totally broke me down.

Bryan: I think I speak for everybody when I say that this whole experience pretty much broke everybody, but we built it back up ourselves and kept it all together. It feels like home again.

How difficult was it to cope without the band when everything seemed to be stuck in limbo?

Bryan: Hell.

Chad: Totally. Sheer torture.

Surely even when the band is active it must be nice to have just a little time off every now and then?

Chad: Maybe like the odd week or so here and there, but overall we just wanna be out there on the road to be honest.

Bryan: A couple of days after we finish this tour in the UK we’re flying back to the US to start an 8 week tour with Mudvayne. We’re just hoping to jump from tour to tour as much as possible really.

There have been several line-up changes in the past several years. Are you now at a stage where you feel totally comfortable at last?

Chad: It seems to be the most cohesive so far for me. It’s hard to say though because you have different faces, different personalities, different situations etc. Obviously there’s good and bad sides to every line up change. Right now though I’d say the leaves are green in the land of Head Charge. We’re pretty happy for the first time in a long time right now.

Bryan: Nicely said!

Very profound indeed! That’s deep, man. I”m tearing up.

Chad: Haha!

Prior to the album release you hit the UK for a few very low key shows. How did it feel to come back and start from scratch all over again?

Chad: Flattering. So, so flattering. It’s a pleasant surprise. To be gone for as long as we were and then come back to this and be remembered is an honour. We could’ve so easily been forgotten.

This time you’re playing bigger venues. Is this something you’re happier with? What sort of reaction have you been getting thus far?

Chad: Well the venue last night (Exeter Cavern) was actually the smallest stage we have ever played on, by far.

Bryan: It was like this *makes orange sized circle with hands*

Chad: I kept hitting Bryan in the face with my bass. Accidentally on purpose that is

Bryan: You’re gay.

Chad: Ha! Anyway, the reception thus far has definitely been pretty good, possibly as good as the first time we were here to be honest. Like I said though, we’re just so honoured that people are showing up and we’re selling as many tickets as we are. Hopefully we’re not gonna be disappearing again any time soon.

American Head Charge’s new album ‘the Feeding” is in stores now through Nitrus.

Unfortunately Bryan Ottoson died on April 19th prior to the group’s performance in North Charleston, S.C. According to a spokesperson, the guitarist was found dead in his bunk on the group’s tour bus. The cause of death is unknown pending an autopsy. This was one of the last interviews he did before his death…R.I.P

Categories
Interviews

Hatebreed

Jamey Jasta is possibly the busiest rock star around right now. When he’s not on the road with genre titans Hatebreed, he’s almost certainly tied up with one of his numerous ventures and projects; most notably as the face of MTV’s Headbangers Ball. Prior to the final date of the bands” sold out UK tour at Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms, the tireless mouth piece found a spare minute or two to converse with CITC’s Metal advisor Ryan Bird about just how tough it can get being Jamey Jasta.

This is the first time in a long time that you’ve done such an extensive UK tour. How’ve things been for you so far?

Just about every show has been sold out so far. Only one or two haven’t and even then they’ve been down to the last dozen or so tickets. The fans have been absolutely amazing and really appreciative, so I guess we couldn’t really have asked for a lot more.

It’s good to see that you’ve hit Ireland this time around. A lot of bands overlook it nowadays. How important is it for you to reach fans in countries that usually get the short end of the stick?

We”d been and played in Ireland before and promised them that we”d come back, so I don’t think we really had a choice to be honest. They came out and supported us the first time around, and even though the shows were really small we knew we”d have a great time doing it. It’s really important for us to reach as many of our fans as possible, regardless of location. I get letters all the time from people in Israel, South America, Iceland.

Iceland seems to be developing an awesome scene as of late.

Yeah! I”d love to go there and check it out. I”d love to go to all these places we haven’t been to before. I guess I”ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Your fans are a pretty mixed bunch. You have a lot of hardcore followers, but also a lot of metal kids are into you as well. What do you think makes Hatebreed appeal to both sides?

I think we just have music and lyrics that don’t alienate people. We’ve only ever tried to put across the way that we’re feeling, while at the same time emulating the bands that we ourselves love. On the one hand we’re into hardcore bands like Madball and Agnostic Front, but we also love bands like Slayer, Obituary, Sepultura.

Has such a diverse audience ever caused any incidents or confrontations at shows?

Maybe in certain places there’s been the odd fight or two break out, but I think nowadays everybody for the most part just gets along. We’re a crossover band after all so people have just learnt to respect each other and realise that people from all walks of life are there for the same reason.

Since the horrible tragedy involving Dimebag, is there occasionally a part of you that gets a little edgy or nervous when you meet a psychotic fan or see a particularly violent individual in the pit?

I feel that whole situation was just one horrible, isolated incident. It was just a terrible example of gross injustice.

As well as Hatebreed you have a number of side-projects ” including the band Icepick and of course hosting Headbangers Ball. How difficult can it sometimes get for you to hold down so many things at once?

I”ll be honest, it’s been really hard. I’ve been spread a little thin at times. Hatebreed has some time off after this tour is over so I”ll be able to take a little breather and progress with some other things that I’ve previously had to push to the side somewhat.

Is there ever a time when you’re NOT doing something?

I”m pretty much always doing something to be honest. There’s no rest for the wicked! Someone is always trying to get a hold of me which is why I’ve gotten myself a world phone, and even right now I”m sat in front of a laptop checking emails and stuff like that.

What about when you do find that odd hour here and there? What do you do to unwind?

I just enjoy my house and my home life to be honest. I recently purchased one of those digital video recorders which enables me to watch all my favourite shows that I usually wouldn’t get the chance to see from being so busy on the road and such like. There’s nothing better for me than just having that odd couple of hours to veg out on the couch.

Let’s talk about Headbangers Ball again for a moment. How did that come about?

Basically it started about two years ago when they first decided to bring back the show. About 400 people or so came and tried out and they didn’t really find anyone that they felt had that X factor. So, at this point I met with the producers and told them my vision and what I”d like to do with the show and stuff like that. Everything definitely had to be on my terms. Anyway, they invited me over for a test screening which didn’t actually go too well. However, they gave me a second shot which was basically a homework assignment where I had to go away and interview bands and come back to them etc. I did interviews with Candiria, Ill Nino, and bizarrely; Vanilla Ice of all people. Anyway, they called me up and said that they loved it. Now, 100 episodes later we’ve had everybody from Metallica, Velvet Revolver and Iron Maiden to Lamb of God, Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage come on and talk some shit.

Did you ever have any fears about tempting to host such a prestige show?

The thing is, I come from a scene which is full of these loudmouth complainers that have nothing else to do than put people down, so I wasn’t really too concerned about that. I’ve been putting up with their crap for years now. Luckily I”m not one of those people myself so I basically said “You know what; I”m not one of those people. I”m going to go in there and make a positive change“. It’s great for the smaller bands like Lamb of God and co because since they’ve been thrown at a more mainstream audience they’re selling two or three times as many albums as they were previously.

Aside from the previously mentioned ventures ” what does the remainder of 2005 hold for both Jamey Jasta the person, but also Jamey Jasta the front man?

On the Hatebreed front it’s simply to continue trying to get to as many places to perform as possible. As I said earlier I”m desperate to get over to Iceland some time and rip it up. We hope to have a new record out at the end of the year as well. On a personal level, I”m right about to re-launch JameyJasta.com so people can see what I”m up to 24/7. I”m also hoping to push on with my clothing company and get some stuff out there. We’re just negotiating with some distribution companies and such right now.

So there’s no chance of some kind of salsa or tango orientated project?

Errrrr no!

The Rise of Brutality is available in stores now through Roadrunner Records UK.

Categories
Interviews

Millencolin

Millencolin have been recording and touring for well over a decade now, and their imminent new album “Kingwood” is sure to cement their reputation as Sweden’s most successful punk rock export. Alex Gosman spoke to guitarist Erik Ohlsson and drummer Fredrik Larzon at London’s Brixton Academy, halfway through a UK tour supporting Good Charlotte.

How’s the tour going so far?

Erik: It’s been going well, although it’s a little bit different for us, as this is not our usual crowd at all ” but that’s what makes it fun! We’ve never really done anything like this before, so it’s a good experience, and it’s a great way to get warmed up for our own tour ” which is gonna start almost as soon as we finish these shows.

Do the Good Charlotte fans seem to like you, then?

E: Yeah, the shows have been better than we expected, actually. I bet only about 5% of the people in there have heard us before, and the rest haven’t, but the crowds have been great ” it’s really surprising how good they’ve been!

How did the tour come about? Are you and GC old friends?

E: No, we’ve never met them before, but they wanted to have us on the tour, so they asked our agent ” and we thought it would be a good thing to do just before our new album is released. It’s also a good experience, to try out our stuff on people who haven’t heard us before.

Could you update us on what you’ve all been up to since you finished touring [previous album] “Home From Home”? I know Nikola [vocalist/bassist] did his solo record [“Lock-Sport-Krock”] ” how about the rest of you?

Fredrik: Well, we took a very short break ” but we’ve still been working on Millencolin stuff all along, because we have an office near the Burning Heart Records [their record label] office, so we were working on our website, hanging out, taking care of our families.and even when Nikola was doing his album, we were already trying out some new stuff.

E: I don’t think we really had a break, because even when he was doing his own record, we were still touring as Millencolin. These shows feel more like the last of the “Home From Home” shows to me, as when we get home, the “Kingwood” tour starts. The whole recording process for “Kingwood” took about one and a half years, but we were always out playing shows here and there.

F: Yeah, it was very spread-out.especially since Nikola lives in Gothenburg, and he only comes up to our town around once a month.so when he does, we get together and rehearse like crazy for about a week!

The new album “Kingwood” seems more varied than your previous efforts. Did you plan to broaden your sound, having ditched the ska element around the time of “Pennybridge Pioneers”?

E: Well, yeah, the songs come pretty naturally to us.but this time, it was really good that Nikola did his record, to show his softer, more emotional side ” because it meant that now he had more energy than ever, and it felt so good to play fast again!

F: It also meant that he gave a bit more room to [guitarist] Mathias, more room for Mathias” ideas, and I guess he’s listening to some harder stuff now.

E: Yeah, but it was Nikola who wrote ‘simple Twist Of Hate” ” a really hardcore song, he really wanted to scream it and stuff. It’s great ” there’s more energy in the band than ever before!

I quote your lyrics: “It’s in my nature to be changing ” (“Ray”); “I don’t think contrast is a sin ” (“No Cigar”). Would you say that people are accepting of your need to change, as a band?

E: The fans have been very accepting.it’s kinda crazy with fans, because you can’t really tell when they started listening to us; the fans who started listening to us around our ska era really miss the ska songs, but newer fans, who came around the time of “Pennybridge Pioneers” or “Home From Home” ” they don’t like the ska songs at all, because Millencolin just isn’t that way to them. Nikola is always dealing with those kinds of issues in his mind ” he wants to keep changing, doesn’t want to settle down, so like us, he needs people to respect that we’re changing.

Do you have good memories of playing in the UK? Have our crowds been nice to you?

F: Yeah.apart from one time, an early tour we did back in 1995 with Pennywise.we thought we’d never go back to England, because we hated it from that tour. But two years later, we went back and it was fantastic!

E: Yeah, we played the Reading festival, as part of the European Warped Tour, back in 1997, it was great, and it’s been great ever since! But when we did that first tour, this whole American style of punk rock was nothing in the UK ” and the crowd were all, like, Exploited fans, and they figured we were skaters; they weren’t into us at all.

F: It was the first time we”d experienced an audience standing there and spitting at us!

E: Yeah, exactly, it was the true old-school UK punk crowd, and that was weird.but ever since 1997 it’s been great, especially here in London.the shows we’ve played here and at the Astoria are some of the best shows we’ve ever done.

Over the years, you guys have shared stages with countless bands ” is there anyone out there who you”d really like to tour with, or any local bands from your area that you”d like to mention?

E: We always try and bring the local bands we like on tour with us in Sweden and Europe ” sometimes the States too ” but we’ve never toured with Rancid, and I”d love to tour with those guys. We’ve met them before, but we’ve never toured with them, and I”d love to do that.

What are your plans for the near future, after the Good Charlotte tour finishes?

E: There’s tons of stuff happening: the album is released just after we get home, and we have to sort everything out for our own tour. We’re booked up until around February next year!

F: We”ll be doing Europe in April, the US and Canada in May, and then tons of festivals over the summer, including the Warped Tour in the States. Then there’s another European tour in the fall.

E: Yeah, and then we’ve got Australia, another US thing, more Europe, and then

more Australia. And we’re also hoping to fit in Japan and South America somewhere! We’re aiming to do a couple of UK festivals ” not sure which ones yet – and then we”ll do our own week-long UK tour around September/October time.

“Kingwood” is released on Burning Heart Records on 4th April.

Alex Gosman