Tag: review

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Skateboarding Product Reviews

Spitfire Formula Four 54mm Wheels

Spitfire_Formula4_WHEELSThere’s been a fair amount of hype in the last couple of weeks around Spitfire’s new Formula Four wheels – undoubtedly fueled by that Busenitz advert, (below) but also built up by the word of mouth that they genuinely offer something new.

After spending the last couple of weeks testing a set of the 54mm’s on every piece of terrain I can find, I can safely say that they are the best Spitfire Wheels I’ve ever ridden. I would normally skate slightly bigger wheels but these have held up well all terrain, even dealing well with cruising around the crusty streets of West Yorkshire.

The main difference between these and Spitfire’s I’ve had in the past is the powerslide potential; at 101 duro you can slide down hills like you were skating glass, but after testing this repeatedly (and with great enjoyment), they have yet to flatspot. This was previously a problem I had with Spitfire’s that finally seems to have been fixed to great effect.

The narrow wheel base means a nicely locked in feel on grinds, even on council built parks with coping set so far in – it might as well be non-existent, and perhaps most importantly, they’re fast. It took a decent amount of truck tightening before I stopped getting speed wobble during a vert session and hill bombs would be a dicey proposition if it wasn’t for that reliable, flatspot-free sliding potential.

When winter comes round you might want to change up and put on the 99duro’s for those oil slick indoor parks that have seen some heavy blader waxing action, but for summer months when the hills and concrete parks are your oyster? Stick a set of these on, find a big-arse incline, put on Devo and pretend you’re in Thrashin’.

Jono Coote

Categories
Skateboarding Product Reviews

Lakai Camby

lakai_camby_maroon

The good folk of Lakai have rolled out the ultimate sunshine tripper this year in the Camby shoe. It’s a simple number that comes in either canvas or suede that perform as a perfect all-round chiller. I have had these on now for a month and just managed to get them in the washing machine to freshen them up, as there’s been no need for socks in this heat, unless you are someone who has adopted the ‘long sock and roll’ look. They came out of this cycle fine, to live another day, just doing what they do best, which is pretty much taking care of business of my feet on a hot summer’s day.

You can skate in these of course as Stevie Perez proves in the clip below, but don’t expect a simple shoe like this to last forever when hitting your grip tape every day. They come with a vulc sole in black, green, port, red, navy and even a cloud design in light blue and fluffy white. The best part of this is that they are made by skaters, for skaters, so take that in the next time you are stood in your local skate shop and #chooseskateboarding.

lakaicamby_maroon

Categories
Buzz Chart Reviews Single Reviews

letlive.

letlive.
‘Banshee (Ghost Fame)’
Epitaph Records

Letlive_TheBlackestBeautifulThe details of letlive.’s long-awaited album ‘The Blackest Beautiful’ have been creeping across the internet in a sort of unofficial snail trail but this is the first actual music we’ve had the fortune of hearing. And bloody hell, was it worth the wait. letlive.’s furious melding of punk and hardcore with undeniable R&B influences comes to glorious life in this music video which showcases the band’s infamous live abilities. Having said that, the skills on show here are nothing compared to what you will witness at an actual live show so make sure this is one band you catch in the flesh (at the Vans Warped Tour in the US or headlining across Europe in Sept / Oct). They will melt your face off and rip your heart in two (metaphorically speaking, of course).

‘Banshee (Ghost Fame)’ has a bass driven groove and all the vocal melody, screams and spitting you could want. Jason Butler proves himself as one of the most versatile and skilled vocalists of the genre, whilst purveying some intense lyrical content. You can bet that this is a sign of things to come with the album itself which is set for release through Epitaph Records on 8th July. The term ‘highly anticipated’ doesn’t quite cut it in reference to this record which many are hailing as one of the albums of the decade. On the strength of this introduction, we can see that they might have a point…

2013 belongs to the Soul Punx.

Categories
Features Skateboarding

Save Southbank Weekend

savesouthbank

The bank holiday weekend of May 2013 will always be remembered as Save Southbank’s due to the phenomenal effort involved to keep the flame alive. This came from locals who worked tirelessly to organise the event, the many skaters that have spent hours sessioning the banks there over the last 40 years and passers-by showing their support for our scene at the Undercroft throughout this three day session.

If for some unique reason you have missed what is going on, catch up with the relocation plans that skateboarders have been proposed here and then catch up on a Q&A session with the answers here. In a nut shell, skateboarders feel short changed by the the fact that the skatepark will be knocked down to make way for more retail units due to a huge investment into rebuilding the area in 2014. It is clear that the Southbank Centre look to cash in on what is definitely a prime location which means relocating skateboarders to a new spot under the Hungerford Bridge.

This event to highlight this news was graced by the sun’s rays beaming across the Thames whilst the stereo pumped out tunes to a game of S.K.A.T.E. All heads were held high and most importantly, everyone was there for each other from all sides of the scene. Chewy Cannon was one of many who dedicated a lot of time into the organisation of the weekend. His arms are probably no longer functioning after 72 hours of holding that huge megaphone, but he also found time to douse the new blocks that Chris Oliver and friends had spent time building with his switch skills whilst hitting every wall in sight. These blocks were sessioned hard all weekend by many as you will see in the gallery shots below, and are now added to the many other creatively built objects that have changed the landscape down there allowing new tricks to enter the history books.

This feature is short and for those who live too far away to be present in such an important movement for British skateboarding. If you managed to make time in your busy schedule to put a face in the door this weekend, then our hats are off to you. If you didn’t, take in what you missed and thank the people involved for getting to the heart of the matter and doing something positive, rather than watching it all from Facebook or writing negative blog posts on why people should give up the fight and just take it on the chin.

This is phase one. Do your bit and let everyone know that skateboarders would like their home to stay exactly where it is. We do not need another burger or coffee joint at the Southbank, we don’t need another concrete skatepark built in a new location either, we would just like to take SB back to its roots, clean it up and protect its incredible history. Hopefully, someone, somewhere will one day realise that this shared space means so much to so many people and that the magic created here will never be replicated anywhere else.

Have your say by completing this short survey that conveniently doesn’t mention skateboarders. Over 27,000 signatures had been logged by Saturday afternoon, share/like this feature and ask friends to get involved.

Big thanks to all involved in running this event all weekend, Dan Joyce who filmed these clips below, Session Noisses on the beats, and Gorm (B&W) and Maksim Kalanep for the use of their photos here alongside some of our own.

Visit www.longlivesouthbank.com for all info.

Zac

Enjoy some skating and an overview from Saturday’s event:

Henry Edwards-Wood discusses how this all came together in this short interview shot on Saturday:

SaveSouthbank

Save-Southbank

Save-Southbank

Save-Southbank

Save-Southbank

kyron_mcgrath_davis

rorymilanes

salarkooshki

chewycannon_nollie

Categories
Album Of The Week Album Reviews Buzz Chart Reviews

Parquet Courts

Parquet Courts
‘Light Up Gold’
(Dull Tools)

The words Parquet Courts may not mean much to most just yet, but punk and indie listeners on both sides of the Atlantic are going to get a fine taste of pure American post-teen rock rowdiness coming their way soon.

This New York four piece throw out pumped-up attitude with the passion and devotion for great, original rock music before coating it with the texture and flavour of a steak done rare. The band previously released a 4-track EP which was exclusively available on cassette and have followed that with a stunning fifteen track LP titled ‘Light Up Gold’ that pays homage to the likes of the 80’s US post punk scene and has the drive of the very best indie out there.

Vocalist Andrew Savage leads the pack with gritty, iconic vocals on opener ‘Master of My Craft’. His lazy style emanates the East Coast’s post-punk scene beautifully and he also delivers some pretty tasty lyrics too.

Parquet Court’s personality shines with every snare that drummer Max Savage makes. Don’t assume the brothers are doing all the hard work though, the marvelous rhythm, lively guitar and driving bass fuse together to move with soul in ‘Tears O Plenty’. What really works on this full length though are the jagged chords that are filtered with a vintage fashion in ‘Borrowed Time’, ‘Yr No Stoner’ and the absolutely must have: ‘Stoned And Starving’. This record has a wide variety of tunes that include the moody ‘N Dakota’ and gratifying melodies in tracks such as ‘Disney P.T’ plus title track ‘Light Up Gold’.

This album is one of the most exciting finds of the year so far. Look out for them this week as they cruise through London to play three debut shows. If their live sets are as spiky as on tape, then you will be in for a treat.

Jenny Chu

Categories
Features

Xerox and Destroy

When introduced to the concept of the Photocopy Club you cannot really dismiss it due to its simple but effective nature.

What is it then? Essentially it’s all about bringing people together to contribute their photos, whatever the subject, and sharing the tales. Once these submissions are photocopied and stuck to the gallery walls, the doors open, free beer is delivered to fuel the chit chat and the photos are set for sale to help cover the costs of the gallery hire for one evening only. The walls are then stripped by drunk people wanting to wake up with a memory of their favourite shot of the night. It’s a perfect idea.

The beautiful part of all of this is that Xerox and Destroy was open to everybody, so you get to see many different photos that you would never have seen before. These are showcased alongside various stills from skate photographers whose work you may well be familiar with, such as David Hopkins, Ben Larthe, Richie Hopson, Rich West, Jonnie Craig, Sam Hiscox, Jenna Selby and many more, all mixed up together, and all telling their own story. It’s an historic journey from start to finish, so long as you are quick enough to see them all before they are snapped up.

Last night’s gathering at the Doomed Gallery in Dalston was a huge success. Photographs filled the walls, Atticus provided the beer, the gallery was packed with people all night and the rest is now history.

Thanks to Matt Martin and Marc Vallée for making the effort to put this together.

xeroxanddestroy10

Categories
Skateboarding Product Reviews

Fourstar Koston Stretch Denim Pant

Are you that bloke that can’t tre flip perfectly because your jeans don’t allow your legs to widen that extra two inches? The solution has been out there for years with the combination of cotton and polyester but Fourstar have nailed it in their latest Spring 2013 collection. Every signature jean is made with both so that the denim is allowed to stretch slightly, meaning you can actually move and are not limited when you skate.

Eric Koston’s new signature pant was relased last week and comes in either slim jim or standard fit. I chose the black ones with a button fly but they also have zips and come in Indigo Stonewash, Indigo Rinse, Black Stonewash and Black Rinse colours. Grab some of these to get you through the summer month’s ahead and you will thank Fourstar come September.

Categories
Skateboarding Product Reviews

Etnies Marana

etniesmarana-black

A pair of these Etnies Marana’s were sent to our office in January. No note, no info, not even a follow up to this very day, they just arrived awaiting to be skated, sat in a box on their own, looking shiny, Black and brand new.

I’ll get straight to the point with these. As soon as they are on your feet they feel strong all round. You feel protected. It’s definitely due to the combination of various materials used to build this shoe and put to the test, the Marana stands up and delivers a multitude of positivity. The protection simply brings confidence which is not a feeling derived from the many skate shoes made today that are actually designed for the mainstream. These are built for skateboarding and come with a tough shell to cope with that in mind.

The padded tongue stays straight and doesn’t droop to the sides and overall the shoe doesn’t seem to wilt like some others after a few skates. It helps also that these are made by one of the only remaining skater owned shoe companies left. The Marana’s are worth your investment and retail at about £60. Out now.

etnies_marana-black

Categories
Album Reviews Buzz Chart Music

Sabazius

Sabazius
‘The Descent of Man’
Earache Records

Earache Records have surpassed all previous attempts of longest doom records by unleashing the beast that is SABAZIUS. 11 solid hours of drone, feedback and noise that is called ‘The Descent of Man‘.

Now, most people will presume that this is a gimmick, but delve a little further into the world of drone and you will find that this is taken with as much seriousness as any other music genre out there. I used to have a flat mate that would have drone blasting through his NS10’s when I got home from work almost daily. The smell of weed and the whiff of booze obviously helped him on this noise-filled journey of feedback and bass hums, but essentially he would sit there for hours on end taking in aural hits of distortion and probably even wanked himself off in the process.

Who knows on the latter, thankfully I never found out, but this ‘ritual’ exists and SABAZIUS has just blown the doors off with 677 minutes of doom tinged tones. This beast, the longest song ever made, (surely?) was recorded live to desk in one continuous session at Foel Studios in Wales over the weekend of 24th and 25th November 2012. The track was produced by Chris Fielding who surely must have fallen asleep at the desk at least once. Try it, maybe it’s for you.

Categories
Buzz Chart Music Single Reviews

Wildmen

Wildmen
‘Haters Gonna Hate’
Shit Music For Shit People
Facebook

wildmen_hatersgonnahateThose who picked up the limited edition, spaghetti stained ‘I Spit On Your Graves‘ 7″ that was released by the Italian based label Kuma Records will be stoked to know that the duo known as the Wildmen are ready to release a full length in February and this is the first offering.

The band bring their own version of 60’s garage-punk back with a tashe-tinged groove similar to our favourite four-piece, the Black Lips but brings a dose of goodness that we keep coming back to this month. The duo simply rock and roll at the perfect temperature.

‘Haters Gonna Hate’ is the latest slice of Wildmen magic that is served up with a message to go fuck yourself. You know Haters Gonna Hate. So just keep walking down the road. Get some of this here.