West London’s upcoming crew attended the Pixels comp at MW2 last weekend and took some product off Shiner’s finest. Watch them get amongst it in this new video from Alan Glass.
Pixels: Episode 5 from Pixels on Vimeo.
Tag: london
Monster Magnet,
23rd November
Electric Ballroom
Camden, London.
It’s extremely rare these days to discover an album of this magnitude. Monster Magnet‘s ‘Spine of God‘ was, and still is, one of the very best stoner rock records ever made. When this dropped back in 1991, it blew everything else out of the water. This album, made up of the most potent, acid-tinged, psychedelic rock, is so strong, and so deep, that it will forever live in the top 5 albums ever made in my book. No other album released since could push it down the pecking order. Not even QOTSA. You can argue amongst yourselves on this one, but i’m sticking to my guns. This album is fucking blazing and the OG since Sabbath.
Tonight, singer/guitarist Dave Wyndorf and his current band mates have traveled to London to drop an atomic bomb on a sold out Electric Ballroom. Now 56 years of age and looking the best he has done for years, he takes to the stage to unleash Monster Magnet’s debut album ‘Spine of God’ in its entirety and tells the crowd that he has come only to give all to the “emotional”. As a result, his worshippers give him everything as the band leap into the awesome, spiralling drum roll of ‘Pill Shovel’, one of the truly great album intro’s of all time.
The riffs that follow make a sea of heads nod as the deep, dark crunch of sludge is served up like a tsunami. This is hotknife material that you are fucking with here. The very best airplane toke you ever rose for. This show is for the microdot you lost under your fridge in 1992, the lump of hash you dropped at a festival that was never found. The first ever line of coke you blew onto the carpet in front of a room full of drug dealing Hells Angels. None of this is fiction. This is reality, and this, is the soundtrack of our lives.
Wyndorf’s voice is spot on. As he delivers the intro to ‘Medicine’ with the lyrics “Place the stones in the circle of twelve” we could feel the pre-empted anxiety from everybody around us, all ready to explode from the atomic pounding that was unleashed from the opening riff of this beast of a tune. His evil screams sent shivers down every spine in the house before the epic crescendo burst its banks and made way for that one and only “whoooooooooooooooooshhhhhhh, ……..” as the head rush from the needle point of ‘Nod Scene’ slowmo’d through veins and crashed gently into a mulch of psychedelic bliss. By this point, minds had gone all over the venue. This is the best fucking experience EVER! “Screw you if you think I care!”.
The evil riffs of ‘Black Mastermind’ bring the zodiac levels up to full capacity once again. Air guitar strings are snapping all over the fucking venue as people lose their minds from an overdose of space rock. After a nine-minute jam of frenzied guitar solo’s, Zodiac Lung sees Wyndorf turn from jamming into the drums to fronting classic lyrics: “When I die, It will be cos of you:. “It’s fuck up’s like you, that never seem to die.” I guess he seems pretty thankful he is still alive at all, after a lifetime of drug fueled touring, breakdowns, prescription drugs overdoses and personal trauma, Wyndorf has lived to tell the tale. At the end of set following ‘Spine Of God’, ‘Snake Dance’, ‘Sin’s a Good man’s Brother’ and ‘Ozium’, he apologises to the audience for not writing a longer album. Just like on record, the only way to get over ending this masterpiece is to press play on the first track again, but sadly, this is not possible live. So once the band have a well earnt breather, they return for an insanely good version of ‘Lord 13’ from ‘Tab’. This is where everything changed.
As ‘Traktor’ delivered its laughing pill, Wyndorf moved away from the mic by 4 feet but the vocals rang out through the PA perfectly. I had to ask my buddy next to me for re-assurance, who to my surprise, saw the exact same thing. We looked at each other with jaws open-mouthed. Is Dave Wyndorf fucking actually singing or what?! Is a tape of his vocals playing throughout the entire show? Is it just some helpful backing track for certain parts he can no longer reach? It turns out that the sound man controls a lot of the reverb on his vocals, so that’s that cleared up.
I came here to melt, to indulge, to reminisce, to appraise, to be electrified, and thankfully, I was rewarded with all of the above. So thank you Monster Magnet, for delivering the best gig you have played since we saw you at the Windsor Old Trout on the 4th of September back in ’92, and the Underworld show a day later. It’s a Satanic drug thing…..you wouldn’t understand.
Zac
Sampled are back with another banging sample sale in the capital scheduled for Saturday 1st and 2nd December at the Vibe Bar in East London. We have partnered with Sampled to bring you a huge selection of quality skate threads at amazing prices so you can get all your Xmas shopping done in one hit.
Sampled is not just a bunch of clothes thrown in the corner for you to rummage through, it combines a top quality streetwear sample sale with a record fair and a solo art sale. Expect some of the best clothing brands at a fraction of shop prices, sat alongside many of the UK’s best record dealers selling crates of vinyl, DJ sets with a selection of original Soul, Jazz, Funk, Disco & Hip Hop breaks. There will also be a nail bar for the ladies set up.
Samples from LRG, Habitat, Independent, Krooked, Anti-Hero, RVCA, Fourstar, Santa Cruz, Girl, Volcom, Chocolate, Spitfire, Real and many more will be available to pick up over the weekend. Put the 1st and 2nd of December in your diary for this and expect a day out with a happy ending. You can find Sampled on Facebook and Twitter who will be updating what’s being planned in the lead up to the event.
Share this for us today to spread the word and we will see you down there.
This is Steve Caballero‘s choice of rig, set up for this weekend’s Vans Warped vert session at Alexandra Palace. He celebrated his Birthday yesterday and will be waking up this morning in London ready to get down to Slam City Skates for a signing tonight at 6pm alongside Christian Hosoi. Details here:
A movement to secure funding to build the first indoor skatepark in London is underway, headed by AnnMarie Lawless. The City’s skate scene has always craved a fully indoor, world-class facility and with semi-indoor options such as BaySixty6, Southbank and Meanwhile on offer, London’s skateboarders know that expensive land rates have always been an issue for those who have dreams of building one.
Let’s hope that this is the first wave of something that takes off and we see more structure behind this story in the Islington Tribune. We will back anyone out there willing to make it work.
Categories
Sean Malto 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.
Categories
Impericon Never Say Die Tour
The Impericon Never Say Die Tour (INSD) has been tearing its way across Europe since 2007. The mini-touring festival -comparable to Vans Warped Tour- showcases exciting upcoming and established acts in the world of Metalcore, Metal, Hardcore, Punk and Deathcore with previous bands on the bill including Emmure, Architects, Suicide Silence, Bleeding Through and Parkway Drive.
2012 sees the tour feature an all-American line up with headliners We Came As Romans joined by blessthefall, Stick To Your Guns, For The Fallen Dreams, Obey The Brave, At The Skylines, The Browning and At Dawn We Rage. The tour stops off at 20 dates across Europe including 3 in the UK.
On 18th October the 8 band bill tore apart Camden’s Electric Ballroom with headliners We Came As Romans showing how dynamic the genre of metalcore can be. However it was reported that Obey The Brave (who took our ‘Album of the Week’ spot with ‘Young Blood‘ back in early August) stole the show. As ever Stick To Your Guns impressed with their uplifting brand of hardcore whilst blessthefall and For The Fallen Dreams were widely appreciated due to impressive performances from their charismatic front men. We sent talented photographer Jake Owens to capture the annual jaunt through his lens, here are his results…
Words: Emma Wallace
Photos: Jake Owens
Those who are London based or nearby and itching to see the much anticipated Bones Brigade: An Autobiography movie will be happy to know that tickets have now gone on sale for a screening at the Prince Charles Cinema in W1 on November 2nd. Tickets are £11.50 for either the 6.45pm or 11pm showings and will go very fast. Get them now if you can’t wait for the DVD to be released.
Grab yourself a free download of Animal Chin and a load of other stuff that’s on sale alongside the ticket link (scroll down) here.
Yeah, Daryl’s working it…Yeah, Daryl’s working it…Yeah, Daryl’s working it…Yeah, Daryl’s working it…Yeah, Daryl’s working it…Yeah, Daryl’s working it…Yeah, Daryl’s working it…Yeah, Daryl’s working it….
4 Block With Daryl Dominguez from Jus on Vimeo.
Categories
The Xcerts Live at The Borderline
The Xcerts
The Borderline, London
13th September 2012
I remember the first time I saw The Xcerts. It was a cold and damp late summer night up in Glasgow. Having just moved there, and therefore knowing nothing about the Scottish music scene, I was truly happy and surprised to be watching them play in the crypt of a converted Church. So I set off for Soho, pumped and in an almost euphoric state, to see this trio blast their own brand of distorted punk-rock pop laced music into the faces of Londoners.
The first thing to mention is that the Borderline has never been the biggest venue, but tonight it is rammed, as you walk down the stairs you have to squeeze past people trying to get a view of the stage. On top of this it’s hot as hell, but there’s a real buzz in the air as we all wait for the band to walk on stage. All of a sudden they appear and the music starts.
Now this is the part where I’m suppose to tell you how much I loved the show, and how it was ‘THE BEST GIG EVER!’, but it wasn’t. The sound at the start of the set was shocking, and when I say shocking I mean really crap, as you can hardly hear the guitar or vocals beyond a wall of distortion. Thankfully after about three songs the problems with the P.A. is sorted, however, although the majority of the audience seems to be really loving this play-through of their 2011 Scatterbrain album, I’m not blown away at all. I loved their first album, 2009’s ‘In The Cold Wind We Smile’, and I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of ‘Scatterbrain’, but I really thought it would gain a whole new dimension live. It didn’t really have that effect. While you can’t really say it’s a bad album, in my opinion, it’s just not as good as their debut effort.
The crowd are ready enough to sing-along towards the end and the band thank everyone for their enthusiasm. You can really tell it means a lot to them to see an audience who has embraced their music and a gig format such as this completely, but then it’s all over as they round up the set up after about 45 minutes and there’s not a trace of any earlier material, just one older track could have done the job.
You can’t fault the band’s musicianship, they played exactly the same way as the very first time I saw them in Glasgow, but the poor sound at the venue added to the lack of a truly gob-smacking set list made this, very sadly, just another ‘good but not great’ gig.
If you went and were new to the band, then I can appreciate you’re going to disagree entirely, but for anyone who’s seen them play live before this was not the best gig the boys have played.
Words: JJ Nattrass