Following the unfortunate loss of one of skateboarding’s greats, legendary videographer Fred Mortagne has released some very early archived footage of Lewis Marnell over the weekend filming and skating with friends in Australia.
Joe Krolick has also released some footage over the weekend too, watch them here and take in this photo tribute from 30shot.com that accompanies Fred’s edit perfectly.
Lewis Marnell RIP.
Ph: Sam Ashley
London skater Nick Jensen sheds some light on the brand new skateboard company project that is in the works with Chris Aylen and Paul Shier this week in an interview on the Slam City Skates website.
Following the demise of Blueprint, the trio are working hard on creating their new brand and team to launch in March this year. Read on to find out more about their plans.
Flip’s Arto Saari discusses his love of photography with Vivianne Lapointe in this recent interview.
French discusses all things Witchcraft over at the Native site this week. Look out for team riders at this year’s Crossfire Xmas Jam.
There is one band that is currently taking over metalcore. You don’t have to look very far to find out who it is, flick through any magazines, browse on sites like Tumblr and they are everywhere. ‘They’ are Of Mice & Men. Not only are the band known for their punishingly heavy shows and bouncing riffs, Of Mice & Men have a reputation for being one of the most positive and enthusiastic bands in the scene at the moment.
Crossfire’s Emma Wallace caught up with vocalist Austin Carlile and drummer Val Arteaga ahead of their sold out London show as part of their Autumn/Winter UK & Europe tour. Here’s what went down…
You’ve been massively busy this year, but what’s been the highlight of your recent touring schedule?
Val: Everyday that we get to get on stage is a highlight. We spent the summer on Vans Warped Tour and every single date of that tour was insane. We’ve just finished an August Burns Red tour, and again every single date on that was amazing.
Austin: We’re here ready to start a sold out UK run, how awesome does that sound? That needs to be a highlight. We played New York last night, woke up, flew here, got here and have to play a show tonight. Its hectic but its awesome.
Sounds very intense, but like you say, awesome too. Do you suffer from jet-lag with all the traveling?
Austin: Oh boy yeah! But today I had an English Breakfast… man! £5 but it was massive. That helps sort the jet lag out.
Val: Oh man I’m so jealous. Can’t believe I missed out on that.
You’ve changed the set list around a bit recently, which songs get the pits started?
Austin: All of them! ‘The Depths’, ‘Ohioisonfire’… Oh and ‘The Flood’ is a banger. Anything heavy.
Well your new stuff is particularly heavy, is that the way your looking to go in the future?
Austin: I’d say it’s more like a step for us. We wanted these last tracks to come out as their own piece, we wanted to show our fans this is a direction we can go but not one we may stay with. For the longevity of the band, I think we’ll stay with the melodicore style, we’re a band that includes singing, and that will be something that won’t ever fully disappear.
Does that mean clean vocals will be coming back when you release new material?
Val: Yeah, for sure.
Austin: Yes. 100%.
When is the new album coming out? Everyone is excited for it!
Austin: 2013…!
Val: If the world doesn’t end.
Austin: What?! I don’t want the world to end. Why’s the world ending?
Val: I don’t know it’s just supposed to soon.
Austin: Oh man. Well I don’t care. As long as the world isn’t dead before our third album, it can explode the week after, but it’s something the world needs to hear!
Who do you think are the best acts around at the moment in your scene?
Austin: Our boys in Memphis May Fire who will tear apart the UK. And, well because of their front men, Linkin Park and Slipknot. Corey Taylor, man he’s just awesome, the best front man around.
He is awesome! Who do you think is the best front man of all time then?
Austin: Frank Sinatra! Haha hands down Frank! And I can answer for Val, he’ll say Michael Jackson.
Val: Hell yeah. Michael Jackson is the man!
Austin, so would you say Corey Taylor and Chester Bennington have inspired you?
Austin: Well obviously a bit. They are amazing. But when I started the band I never thought we’d get anywhere near their level, I’m pretty realistic. And still if someone said to me right now that I would be touring with Slipknot, I’d be like ‘Man… So sick!’.
Is your persona on stage different to who you really are?
Austin: For sure! For Val that’s ridiculous, of course he’s different! Emma you’ve seen him beat the shit out of a drum kit and look at him now, he’s like a like a puppy.
Val: True. I feel like our personas will always be a bit different on stage, but they aren’t massivelly different to what we are really like.
Austin: Hey, mine’s different!
Val: How so?
Austin: Well in real life do I walk around growling at people? No! I don’t spit at people in real life either.
Val: I guess not, but you’re pretty weird in real life and on stage!
Austin: It’s a bit like being in a theatre, you are different on stage, you play a character. I’m like Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde, a bit like the single Austin and the not single Austin… too completely different people!
Val: Aww…
Austin: Dude that wasn’t meant for an ‘Aww’, it was meant for an ‘Oh. Shit’. I’m dangerous. Actually I’m being stupid, I’m not at all. But single Austin is tastefully playful, like I am on stage.
Val: Dude no one cares…
Before you go on stage, how do you get ready?
Val: It’s a secret.
Austin: No, I’ll break it down for you. Phil and Tino set up and do all the gear and stuff and Alan and I stay on the bus and we get pumped to music, something heavy like Lamb Of God or Korn. We head bang together! Then the tour manager is like ‘Guys come on!’ And we meet up with other guys, have a little huddle, get more pumped. Alan yells at us. He’s a bit mental. And then we shout at each other, go more mental. Then we are ready. I love it.
Last time I spoke to you guys, you felt something was lacking on tour, do you remember?!
Austin: No.. Oh wait. Yeah. A tour kitten. Yeah I caught up with Emma before a show and went on about cats. We wanted a tour kitten to come on the bus with us. A cute kitten to cuddle. Actually last time I spoke to you I was dressed up as a cat, and now I’m all over Tumblr like that, a bit embarrassing…
So my last question is do you have a tour kitten now?
Austin: No, unfortunately not. Although Alan does have a kitty back home, she’s real cute. I moved on from cats, I want a tour puppy now. Man I’m so metal…!
Words: Emma Wallace
Portrait Photos: Tim Easton
Live Photos: Emma Wallace
Girl and Chocolate team manager Sam Smyth discusses how Sean Malto’s sponsor me tapes got him a place on the Girl Skateboards team. Was it easy? Find out below and get more about Sean’s part in Pretty Sweet from this week’s interview.
With 10 days to go before Pretty Sweet drops onto premiere screens across the planet, Kansas born, Girl Skateboards pro, Sean Malto spills some beans on his trips to the UK, what’s coming from Pretty Sweet and a little bit more.
How different has this year been, knowing you started 2012 wearing a pair of Nike‘s?
Man, it’s so crazy. I’m just starting a different chapter in my skate life. I’m just grateful for the opportunity that I have to skate for some of the best companies in the world. With that though, it creates much more traveling for me.
This was your second trip to London in 2 months, what’s your take on the terrain we have here to skate?
It’s tough, but I love the way footage looks in London. I’m a big fan of all of the Blueprint videos.
Have you found how rough our streets are a hindrance or a challenge?
It’s definitely a challenge. Getting stuff in London does not come easy! It’s a lot of walking and skating just to get to the spot. Then you have to deal with the weathered ground. I have a lot of fun in London though so I try and go there when I can.
Have you managed to film any footage for Pretty Sweet in London’s streets?
I got a few things in London that are in my part. Feds (Girl Filmer) and myself came out and skated around for 10 days and filmed kinda everything from skating spots to taking the tube. I’m not sure how they ended up editing my part but I’m sure some of that footage is in there.
Any particular UK spots that you enjoyed most?
The bench that turns into a flatbar is amazing. I’ve never skated anything like that in my life.
What about the culture, the people and the food. Some Americans hate our food…
I’m the least pickiest eater. I like all types of food, so that doesn’t bother me at all. The people are always nice and I definitely enjoy a good pub every once in a while!
Growing up in Kansas, did you have any knowledge about the UK skate scene at all?
I didn’t know a lot about it, other than the Blueprint videos. When I started hanging out with people that have visited the UK, everyone always mentioned that Nick Jensen was killing it.
Which UK skaters do you rate the most?
There’s so many talented people. Neil Smith, Nick Jensen, Danny Brady, Jerome Campbell, Paul Shier…..they’re all so awesome to watch skate.
Is your Pretty Sweet part finished yet?
Last day of filming was October 15th, so I’m all done!
Where was the majority of your footage for this production filmed?
Kinda a little bit of everywhere. Over the past few years I’ve spent time all over Europe, China, and the US, so it’s just a collection of everything I’ve filmed.
Which trick was the biggest pain in the ass to get down and where?
I filmed one of my last tricks a week before the deadline of the video. It was one of the scariest tricks I’ve every put myself through. It sucked so bad. When I landed it, I was more happy that I didn’t have to try it again than I was about landing it!
Did you have to go back to any spots to re-shoot tricks you didn’t particularly like?
There were a few things I had to go back to. Towards the end, it was more about trying to do tricks I’d been putting off until the deadline.
Did you manage to get any NBD’s down in this section?
Haha! I’m not sure. I’m not the best at skate history. I’m sure there’s a couple tricks that seem to be NBD’s, but someone probably did it at EMB 20 years ago.
We always discuss the skateboarders, but the filmers are equally important to mention when it comes to film productions. Out of Ty Evans, Federico, Ryan Lovell, Sam Newman and Roger Bagley, which one person gets the very best out of the team for their parts on the day, which filmers do you like working with mostly, and who filmed the majority of your part?
I love all those guys. Ty Evans, Ryan Lovell, and Feds filmed the majority. To be able to work with all those guys has been an amazing experience. I did work with Ty Evans a lot for Pretty Sweet. He’s so motivated, and knows what it takes to get a video done. I’ve never been on more productive trips than Ty Evans’ trips.
Sean hits up a bs nose blunt at the Ladbroke Grove rail, poached by Matt Anderson’s phone cam.
Do you know what other names came up first before they chose the title Pretty Sweet?
There was one other name that I really liked, inspired by Keenan Milton. I don’t know if I should say it, because I think it could be used for another video somewhere down the road!
Brandon Biebel mentioned in a recent interview that Guy Mariano’s part is going to blow minds. Have you been on any filming missions with him for this production?
I’ve seen a few things on trips, but Guy is a very talented and motivated person. His part is going to exceed any expectations. To me, his part is going to be one of the best parts ever in skateboarding.
Who is everyone hyped on for this video from the Chocolate camp?
Obviously MJ is the man. All the new guys on the team killed it as well though! Stevie Perez, Elijah, Raven, and Vincent took this video to a whole new level!
Any words on Gino, Koston and Howard?
Watching Gino is, and always will be amazing. No one makes it look better than him. Rick Howard is a big reason why Girl is so awesome, and why this video is even happening. I have so much respect for Rick and always have such a great time hanging out with him. Koston’s the best skater in the world! But you guys already knew that right?
For all the new skaters out there who may not have seen classic Girl Skateboards videos, Mouse or Goldfish. If you had to choose a section from each film, which ones would you choose
Koston in Mouse and Jeron’s section in Goldfish.
Tell us something about Pretty Sweet that we don’t know?
Trunk Boyz are always fun and funny to hang out with. If anyone from London wants a dose of the Trunk Boyz, I would suggest going to the premiere in the UK! They’ll be there, and in full force!
Last words….
Don’t piss into the wind.
Pretty Sweet premiere’s in the UK at the Richmix Cinema, London on Monday November 19th. Girl and Chocolate team riders Raven Tershy, Elijah Berle, Rick Howard, Cory Kennedy, Vincent Alvarez and Stevie Perez will be in attendance on the night. Pre-order the deluxe DVD boxset from your local skate shop this week.
Watch Sean’s latest footage for Kansas City skate shop Escapist, whose latest video ‘Red and Yellow’ just dropped this weekend. This part also features footage of Tyshaun Johnson.
Watch this clip of how Sean was sponsored by Girl too.
Dallas band Memphis May Fire are rapidly emerging in the metalcore scene and blew away many fans and critics alike with latest release ‘Challenger’. This autumn the band headed over to our shores with Of Mice and Men for a fully sold out Rise Records tour. We sent Emma to catch up with singer Matty Mullins backstage at the London date. Although Matty has been reported as coming across with arrogant swagger on stage, the Memphis May Fire front man is actually impeccably polite and full of honest truths about the scene and his band. Here’s what he had to say…
Your older brother is also a musician, do you think his example has influenced you?
Of course, 100%. When I was growing up, his band was doing really well in the Christian scene, and they were touring in a bus just a few months into their career, so seeing that was like ‘Wow’. I also found his live show really inspirational, it wasn’t just his success that motivated me.
My sister dated a lot of musicians, so I got to meet lots of interesting people through her. My whole family has influenced me really, my mum took me to contemporary Christian concerts! I went to DC Talk as one of my first shows, my mum used to take me to Creation Fest, so musically I think I had a privileged upbringing.
My brother was living it and my mum and sister also got me involved, so I guess I was involved musically from a very young age. I’ve always known how the game works, I thank my family for that.
Which songs are you most proud of lyrically?
Jeez… I know it’s not really a proper answer, but I guess all of them. I can’t say a specific song as the albums are all different from each other.
If you listen to all our albums back to back you can see that my lyrical style changes. ‘Sleepwalking’ was more poetry and philosophically influenced, ‘Between The Lies’ was more me writing politically and morally. From then on we went to ‘The Hollow’ and that was a significant change, it was written about people that I know and experiences that people go through. Not necessarily things I have personally experienced but events people close to me have. Death, divorce and other issues are mentioned there. I think it gives our fans an outlet to relate to. ‘Challenger’ is different again. It’s about us as a band and who we are as people, and it reveals some things we struggle with.
As every album is different, my lyrics don’t stand alone. It’s more like a journey. I love that some people are touched by my lyrics, but I’m not hugely proud of them currently. I don’t think I have peaked. There is still a long way to go and I perceive myself to write much better lyrics in the future.
Do you think your personality comes across differently in the media and on stage to what is actually is like?
Yes. For sure. Our music is somewhat heavy and wild. This isn’t my personality. I’m not a manly man. I don’t drink massive amounts or like tough sports. I don’t live a ‘heavy’ lifestyle. A little bit of my personality comes out through my music, but the bold image I display on stage is quite different to who I really am. I’m quite quiet and through our music I can release emotions that I can’t release day to day. I feel I can articulate myself and get my point across in a louder fashion through music than I can through any other means.
Who would you consider to be the best front man in history?
Oh my gosh! That is a difficult question. I’m going to have to really think about this one. I reckon some people might hate me for my answers, as my musical upbringing was very different from many others. I reckon everyone would be like ‘Iggy Pop’ or ‘Mick Jagger’, but for me, it’d be Toby Mac from DC Talk. Despite being in his late 40s he still goes wild on stage and he does a hip-hop project on the side that’s really cool. There are some great front men in the heavier world currently. Jake from August Burns Red is amazing. In our genre, he’s hands down the best. I also want to mention Anthony Green, he’s amazing too.
If we are talking about stage presence, I think Christian from Blindside is so different, but in a good way. His moves are like no other. He doesn’t do metal stomps or hardcore hand movements. He just does flowing dance moves, it’s like he really connects with the music.
You’re on tour with Of Mice & Men at the moment, Austin Carlile is another much loved front man, what do you think it is that makes him so popular?
I think it’s because he’s developed so much over the past few years that he’s been touring. I saw videos from the Attack Attack! days and he’s made massive steps since then. And what’s more, it’s really inspiring that he’s doing this, and so well, with such a serious heart condition.
He has to be careful on tour because of his condition, but it doesn’t stop him being awesome on stage. He’s a real passionate dude as well, he loves his fans and he always tries to give the best performance he can which is really important when you are fronting a band.
What qualities make up a good front man?
To be original anymore is impossible. Everything has been done. So taking something that’s not original and putting your own twist on it is really important. Showing individuality is the key I suppose.
So Memphis May Fire are on the latest Punk Goes Pop album, how did you get involved and why did you chose ‘Grenade’?
Well, we were approached, there was a huge list of songs, and ‘Grenade’ looked like it suited us best.
You see, we’ve never been a funny band. We don’t try and be popular by acting stupid, so we wanted to pick something that still reflected our style. Lyrically, I think it transcends the sort of thing we write rather than being a more stupid style of pop song. On ‘The Hollow’ there are a lot of songs about heartache and ‘Grenade’ is sort of similar. It was fun to sing it. I’m not the biggest Bruno Mars fan but I think his voice is really cool, I respect him. Although I’m pleased with the song, and I think the whole album is great, its not something we are looking to perform live. We don’t want to be a band that rides off someone else success.
What are you planning for the rest of 2012 and 2013?
Literally two days after we get off this tour we will be heading out with Asking Alexandria, As I Lay Dying and Suicide Silence in America. That’s going to be massive- maybe the biggest tour we’ve done as a band. I’m so stoked to be going out with As I Lay Dying, they are iconic. Then after that tour we are off to Soundwave Festival in Australia, then there are two more US tours that haven’t been announced yet.
It sounds very full on! Will you be back over in the UK at all?
Yes. That I can confirm. The details are still a secret at the moment, but it’s going to be awesome!
Words: Emma Wallace
Live Photos: Emma Wallace
Portrait: Tim Easton
Ex-Death pro Lee Blackwell came down for a session at the Bay yesterday and popped into our office for a quick video interview.
Lee’s answers will come very soon once the edit unfolds, but tales of serious injury, Death Skateboards, plus a new pro deck in the works will be discussed.
This post was edited on 4th October, 14.40pm
Nollie back heel. Ph: Sam Ashley
Back in July this year, Kingpin Magazine interviewed Palace rider Lucien Clarke and today it’s online in full for you to read. Click here for the feature covering what makes him one of the friendliest and very best skateboarders in London town.