Ph: Richard West
She’s long gone and bulldozed but the legacy of Blag Rock DIY still remains. Local skate rat Stevie Thompson managed to shed his seed all over it.
More from this spot can be found here.
If you are unaware of the legendary footprint that Matt Hensley left on skateboarding then you are in for a treat. One of the most respected American skateboarders of all time has hooked up with A Third Foot in Birmingham for a one-off deck run to help raise funds for new concrete to skate in the Midlands.
Here are the digits on the shape, which looks sick.
Width 8.75″
Tail 6.75″
Nose 7″ or 7.5″
Wheelbase 14.5″ or 15″
FREE grip tape and shipping. Pick one up from here.
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Matt Ramiller’s NWS Section
Blurring the lines between ingenuity and insanity Matt Ramiller shows us that if you have a lack of spots, the DIY option is the only way to go. Absolutely genius.
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Get Lesta – Broom Rebuild
With the recent refurbishment of Broom Skatepark Callun Loomes has been very busy indeed filming the shopping and screwing of the park as well as the Get Lesta crew tearing it up. Featuring Unabomber’s Eric Thomas, James Bush, Mark Stern, Kris Vile and many more burning the place down.
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Riding through time with the Palomino
The run up to Christmas, New Year and the first couple of weeks after are the busiest time of the year for the shop, hence the slightly late arrival of this piece on 2015. The year turned out to be another classic for fans of skateboard videos, if for no other reason than the release of Isle and Jake Harris’ Vase film. I make no claim that the choices below are the ‘best of 2015’, and to only pick ten was a struggle, but what you will find is a selection that got me stoked over the last twelve months. With the release of full length videos from Palace and Polar this year, and a whole load more projects from independent filmers on the horizon, 2016 isn’t looking too shabby either.
I really hope you enjoy re-visiting some of these, and hopefully there may be one or two you haven’t seen yet. – Nick.
Supreme/Bill Strobeck: Sickness
Bill Strobeck put together this one for the Supreme X Thrasher collaboration. Some serious skateboarding from, for me, one of the best crews of young skateboarders out there at the moment, and some killer AVE footage. Bill Strobeck’s style of video might not be to everyone’s taste, but even non-fans should be able to overlook that when the skateboarding of Kevin Bradley, Ben Kadow and the rest of these boys is just so savage.
Antosh Cimoszko: Side One
Vancouver native Antosh Cimoszko put out four really great edits in 2015, along with a ‘zine that accompanied one of these, ‘Heat’. Heat was a clip featuring Dylan Fulford and Will Blackley in NYC, but his was the first of the year and the one that brought Will and his crew to many people’s attention.
Ocean Howell Howard House Video Part
Stretching the 2015 rules a little here, but it went online right at the very beginning of the year so I’m calling it! Ocean Howell’s part from Rich Jacobs’ lost ‘Howard House’ video. Howard House was one of San Francisco’s many skate houses, home to Rich, Ocean, and many more between the years of 1996 and 2004. The footage is from 2003, and was one of the main reasons that in 2014 Rich decided to edit all his footage together to form the full length.
Kyle Wilson’s Welcome Rat Signal
Any bit of footage that young Londoner Kyle Wilson puts out is a pleasure, and his place on Slam’s already stacked team is well deserved. London skateboarding has a bright future.
Johnny Wilson: Horny
The amount of footage these guys put out is pretty inspiring. The clips they just put out in Johnny’s regular HD series are so good, and embody the spirit of the crew edits that have become so much more prevalent in recent times. Horny was the first longer video that Johnny put out in 2015. It’s great to see the rise of these dudes, many of whom are now finding themselves getting hooked up by some great companies.
Venue: Prayer
As above, a crew that is so so productive. Richmond, and Virginia as a whole has so many incredible unheard of skateboarders, and no shortage of filmers putting out regular videos, most notably Will Rosenstock. Will released Brick this year, the quick follow up to last years A-Street, as well as contributing much to Gilbert Crockett’s part in the Vans Video. This edit was put together for Thrasher and hopefully opened a few more eyes to their scene.
Bronze: Trust
Of course, the editing isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but the skating in Trust keeps up the undeniably high standards set by the previous Bronze videos. Bronze as a crew/brand has been such a huge influence on skateboarding over the last few years, both in the feel of the videos and the way the crew and series has morphed into what is now generally considered a brand. Every attempt to rip off Peter Sidlauskas’ editing style and aesthetic promptly falls flat on its face.
Colton Elrod/The Ends: 8.00AM
I’m not sure who put me on to this one, but it has become one of my favourites of 2015. A whole crew of guys, many of whom I hadn’t heard of, who all work in the Deluxe warehouse in San Francisco. No frills, bells or whistles, just intro, skateboarding, credits. It has a killer opening part from Adrian Vega, and Adam Becerra is certainly one to keep an eye out for in the future. The DVD came with a great photo ‘zine by Bram DeMartelaere, further proof if it was needed, that DVDs and print are in good health in the world of skateboarding.
Familia: Maverick
Such a criminally underrated company. Subscribing to the ‘less is more’ philosophy, everything always seems so considered with Familia, from the graphics on their boards (including a collaboration with acclaimed artist Roger Ballen), to the videos they put out. Maverick is three minutes of brilliant skateboarding, filmed and edited to perfection. So rad that Steph Morgan is filmed by his brother Andy, and the edit is by their brother Gavin. Cannot wait for Familia’s full length which is penciled for release this year.
lurknyc: cee-lo
Slipped in right at the end of December. Nick Vonwerssowetz returned with a new video filming with some new guys which is rad to see. More Adam Becerra footage is always great, especially when he is followed by one of the best filmers out there at the moment. Nick’s editing is always great and the soundtrack on this one is a treat. Really stoked to see him making a few bits of clothing, and to see how many people are down to spend their pennies to represent what he’s doing. Cee-lo could be the 411VM NYC Metrospective Vol. 2, this one is just too good. Big up lurknyc!
And the rest of the best….
Honourable mentions also have to go to all the Toriotoko, Rios Crew and KPTokyo edits from the year, Yardsale’s Softcore, Josh Stewart’s London Raw Files series, the Scumco & Sons edit Bite It, the first Car13 promo, the Hockey/FA videos, Alltimers’ Pickle Time, Lovenskate’s amazing Connoisseur of Quality and god knows how many more… Here’s to 2016.
Find daily radness at the Palomino shop online right here. There’s also a January sale on as you read this so grab some bargains before they are all gone.
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New York Time v.14
The Lurk NYC crew bring you the 14th installation of their raw street logs. With plenty of non spots that are now spots and a sprinkle of the not so fragrant faces you encounter skating the streets. Always a pleasure to watch.
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Dustin Henry’s “Duluth” Part
Dustin Henry, the Canadian connoisseur with almost transcendent flow that pulls him apart from the rest. Watch below as he tackles not only the cleanest ledges but some almost criminal curbs in Brian Shannon’s new flick, Duluth.
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GHOST live at Koko
Ghost
London Koko
21st Dec 2015
We here at Crossfire love Ghost, we do. (The Nameless Ghoul who plays bass is our favourite, he’s so much sexier than the others). Clearly, we are not alone, as tonight the queue for the sold-out Koko has to double back on itself long before the doors actually open. The Swedish sextet’s mix of old-school metal, synthesized orchestration and gothic/horror imagery may seem very much at odds with the prevailing Sounds Of 2015, but it makes for a devilishly good night out, and a fine last chance to dance as the year draws to a close.
Dead Soul are armed with some decent melodic industrial rock tunes, but the trio’s minimalist set-up and relative lack of stage presence ultimately draw little more than polite applause from a crowd eager for quite the opposite. They’d probably be more fun in front of their own crowd in a more intimate club.
Ghost, on the other hand, seem completely at home amidst the Koko’s cavernous red-and-gold furnishings. Churches may be heaving at this time of year, but it’s doubtful that many boast as magnetic a figure as Papa Emeritus III to lead their congregations. His increasingly camp between-song banter runs somewhat contrary to his band’s image – with various Nameless Ghoul musicians stalking the stage in black clothes and silver masks – but who says alleged devotees of The Horned One can’t have a sense of humour?
If you’re still tempted to dismiss Ghost as a novelty act, then you really need to wrap your ears around new album ‘Meliora’, which dominates tonight’s set, and on which Ghost have never sounded better. ‘Spirit’ is as atmospheric an opener as you could hope for, whilst the slower ‘He Is’ is sung back religiously by a crowd that encompasses teenagers in Black Veil Brides shirts, a few geezers in 1980s Monsters Of Rock t-shirts, and all folks in between. Quite simply, the likes of ‘From The Pinnacle To The Pit’ and ‘Mummy Dust’ sound bigger, stronger and more memorable than past efforts, whilst still being unmistakably the work of Ghost.
By the time they treat us to an encore of sorts, Papa has long since discarded his papal hat and robes for a tuxedo, and the almost reverential vibe has somehow seamlessly evolved into one of fun and celebration. He compares his band’s traditional set-closer ‘Monstrance Clock’ to an orgasm, and indeed, tonight it proves a deeply satisfying end to a sweaty evening, with many a shit-eating grin amongst the hordes filing out of the Koko. Ghost – come again?
Alex Gosman
Fat White Family
The Continental, Preston
Sunday 13th December
Living in Blackpool, I usually have to venture into Manchester to see any live music worth watching, however, recently the local city of Preston (or as others know it “Depreston”) has had an uproar of amazing live acts coming through. After seeing an advertisement for Fat White Family at a venue of which I have never heard of, I couldn’t turn up such an opportunity.
Fat White Family may sound like nothing new to this scene; we’ve seen these outrageous statements about discerning topics such as oral sex and pedophilia so frequently before, much like the shock factor of Sex Pistols firing swastikas to their clothing. However, what make Fat White’s so special is that they exist in a time where music is so scared of being offensive, forcing any statements into a small corner of political correctness, and supplying this degenerative sense of creativity, where everything is clean cut. These guys are fucked and have something to say; they’ll say it as loud as they can.
My nostrils began to sting, pre-empting their appearance, as the wandered through the croud flaunting clean skinheads. They intiated the storm by teasing the crowd of eclectic post teens with the intro of a new song called Tinfoil Deathstar before melting into one of their most recognised numbers Auto Neutron. I can almost taste the Lysergic Acid in the back of my throat, tainting my lips as his fingers lick the psychedelic tones of the guitar.
FWF play other classic songs from their debut album “Champagne Holocaust” such as “Is It Raining In Your Mouth” which gets the crowd moving delightfully as Lias erupts, his neck popping and his half naked body dowsed in all kinds of fluid. He coats the crowd in Stella before grinding over the surface of his own residue, bellowing the lyrics “c’mon baby shoot your load, c’mon baby I’m gonna explode”. The sexually suggestive lyrics from his tarnished, belligerent mouth, of which you can almost feel taunting its way up the back of your neck, leaves you feeling slightly violated and creates an essence of insecurity.
Whilst playing their newest single “Whitest boy on the beach” the PA system failed mid-song. Stealing other mics from the stage, Lias makes a combined effort to howl over this somehow orchestrated clash of sounds. Electrifying his lips, the microphone sparks to his mouth; thinking on his feet Lias fires one of his shoes into the crowd before brandishing a stiff sock around the mic, dampening the shocks.
Ensuing this, the band try to discuss what they can actually play and “Fuck it, let’s just Bomb Disneyland and this place,” is heard as their drummer begins to play the beat, swiftly followed by everybody else. Lias drags the mass of microphones out into the crowd as he screams, “all your kids are dead kids” fighting over the words with the crowd as he becomes one of us. A deranged scattering of legs and screeches. The song closes as the band make a final attempt to rescue the set by being as loud as humanly possible, before hurling their instruments in an abrupt halt of sound and make for the back door.
The lights stay down and one reveler launches for a nearby working microphone, calling for more. Only to be met by the bands road manager. At this moment a return becomes unexpected, the lights flash on.
The set may have been cut short but they made the absolute most of what they could play. They saw the final embers of rock burning out and brought the fire back to an antagonizing eruption. They’re a band, which touch a deep part of you, a place in which can only exist within that room; you truly will believe all their kids to be dead kids and you will belong to the cream of the young, before returning to reality through the exit of a door.
Fat White Family far surpass any expectations and the only way to understand these sensations would be to see them live, they’re an entity in which nobody can currently rival.
Henry Calvert
With all this christmas hype we were sure to miss a few things, this is definitely one we shouldn’t have.
Korahn Gayle has swept his way across our screens since day one, and that tidal wave of footage is not slowing down. Skateboard Café kingpin Rich Smith and Phil Parker have combined their VX voyeurism to bring you this new part from Korahn, including footage from a recent expedition to Paris recently.