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Skateboarding News

The etnies Big Five Tour in SA

etnies_skateboarding_shoes_logoDavid Reyes, Silvester Eduardo, Albert Nyberg and Barney Page visited South Africa for an etnies tour and came back with some sweet footage.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Globe EU Trippin Tour video

Ph: Paul Hart – Switch Heel on SB7 shot by Maksim Kalanep

Paul-Hart-Switch-Heelflip-Globe-EU-Trippin-Southbank-Demo-London-July-2015-Photographer-Maksim-Kalanep

Watch Mark Appleyard, David Gonzalez, Rodney Mullen, Louie Barletta, Ryan Decenzo, Chris Haslam, Paul Hart, Anton Myhrvold, Fries Taillieu, Charles Collet, and Phillip Schuster skate Oxford and Southbank plus other European spots in Globe’s new EU Trippin Tour video from their tour this July.

Categories
Live Reviews

Poison Idea live at the Borderline, London

Poison Idea
The Borderline, London
May 7th

jerry_a_Poison_idea_borderline_lond

Poison Idea have history right in the centre of London. All of their 90s appearances in the capital exploded in the centre; from that first incendiary performance with the Hard Ons at ULU in ’91, to the legendary Marquee and Astoria gigs, tonight Poison Idea returned to hit the centre dead-on again at The Borderline. With pretty much all of the rock n’ roll now flattened and demolished in Central London, the heart ripped out of it, it’s fitting to have Jerry A and his kings of punk return to the ruins and re-charge it once again with their vital metallically-charged hardcore punk.

As we climb down the stairs into the pit of punks crammed in to The Borderline, the first thing that hits you is the stench of puke and sweat, the deathly aroma of punk. The room is buzzing (and gagging on the smell) with anticipation for the return of Portland’s legendary Poison Idea who are very much back. Their new album ‘Confuse & Conquer’ is the best they’ve recorded since 1992’s ‘Blank Blackout Vacant’ and Jerry finally has a line-up that is committed, settled and does the music justice. Currently three-quarters through the longest and most gruelling tour they’ve done in many years, Jerry’s punished voice may be raw and ripped but from the moment the band hit the stage, they are bone-tight and packed full of power. With ’87 era-guitarist Eric ‘The Vegetable’ Olsen back in the band and stick-thin drummer Nathan Richardson pounding the skins with more power than his appearance might suggest, Poison Idea kill it tonight.

Yes, it takes a few songs for Jerry’s voice to settle in but once it does, it’s as snarled and powerful as it ever was. “This one’s for Nigel Farage,” he says as the band steam into ‘Discontent’ (“listen Nazi, never again,”) and the entire room detonates into a flurry of limbs and sweat. And the hits just keep on coming. They play pretty much every essential song you could want to hear – ‘Just To Get Away’, ‘Getting The Fear’, ‘Punish Me’, ‘Taken By Surprise’ and ‘Give It Up’ , all of which square up well with the sprinkling of new ‘Confuse & Conquer’ tracks the band play tonight.

At the end a woman’s boot is thrown onstage. Jerry picks it up, empties half a bottle of cider into the bottom of it and swills the contents into his mouth. “Tastes like a size 6,” his says before the band wind the set up with a double stab of Johnny Thunders and Avengers covers. A perfect punk rock night. We’re so fucking glad Poison Idea are still here.

James Sherry

Categories
Music News

Mac Demarco details new album

Mac DeMarco.ColeyBrown

Mac Demarco has announced the follow up to his critically acclaimed Salad Days with a new 8-track mini album titled Another One for August 7th.

Famed equally for his goof ball tendencies as well as his blurred guitar pop, the new album’s ‘making of’ video sets fans up for more of the same. Be sure to catch him on tour at the below dates and read about our last encounter with the man himself here.

UK Tour Dates
June
6 Manchester, Parklife Festival
7 London, Field Day Festival

September
6 Salisbury, End of the Road festival
7 Glasgow, ABC
8 Bristol, Motion
9 London, Roundhouse
10 Birmingham, The Institute
12 Manchester, Beacons Metro Festival

Categories
Skateboarding News

LRG Unite Nations European tour video

Follow the LRG team throughout Europe in this very well put together Unite Nations European tour video featuring Jack Curtin, Tom Asta, Felipe Gustavo, Rodrigo Tx and Rob Gonzalez. The London section includes footage filmed at Southbank and Kingston skatepark in Surrey.

Categories
Music News

Enter Shikari: ‘The Paddington Frisk’ video

Hertfordshire’s Enter Shikari have recently released their new song ‘The Paddington Frisk’. The song is a mere 1 minute and 23 seconds long and comes with a packed punch.

Frontman Rou Reynolds said that the new single is a part of a trilogy, and that they’re currently unsure on what will happen to the other two songs that the band recently recorded alongside The Paddington Frisk. The track is co-produced by the band and Dan Weller, who also produced A Flash Flood Of Colour.

Enter Shikari are currently on a mammoth tour alongside Hacktivist. Get some.

APRIL

Wed 10th –  Weston Supermare – Grand Pier
Fri 12th –  Swansea – Brangwyn Hall (Sold Out)
Sat 13th –  Ebbw Vale – Leisure Centre
Mon 15th – New Brighton – Floral Pavilion (Sold Out)
Tue 16th –  Kilmarnock – Grand Hall
Wed 17th –  Inverness – Iron Works
Thur 18th – Aberdeen – Garage (Sold Out)
Sun 21st –  Galashiels – Volunteer Hall
Mon 22nd –  Lincoln – Engine Shed
Tue 23rd –  Scarborough – Spa. Grand Hall (upgraded from Ocean Rooms)
Wed 24th –  Scunthorpe – Baths Hall
Fri 26th –  Hatfield – Forum (Sold Out)
Sat 27th –  Northampton – Roadmender (Sold Out)
Sun 28th –  Peterborough – Cresset (Sold Out)
Tue 30th –  Belfast – Mandela Hall

MAY
Wed 1st – Derry – Nerve Centre
Thur 2nd – Cork – Pavilion
Fri 3rd – Dublin – Academy
Sat 4th – Liverpool – Academy (Liverpool Sound City)
Sun 5th – Coventry – Kasbah (Sold Out)

Categories
Skateboarding News

Watch Death Skateboards at The Vault

death_skateboards_logoThe Vault welcomed the Death Skateboards team when they toured their most recent video ‘Ordinary Madness’ this winter. Watch the footage with Dan Cates, Patrick Melcher, Boots, Mikey Patrick, Mike Simons, Adam Moss, Benson, Sam Murgatroyd and Moggins.

Categories
Skateboarding News

Watch Lifeblood’s summer tour video

lifeblood_skateboardsThe Lifeblood and Blood Wizard skateboard teams were filmed on tour last summer. Watch Toad’s footage of Jack Given, Bryce Kanights, Chet Childress, Cody Lockwood, Kevin Kowalski, Mark Scott, Mason Merlino and many more here hitting up sun-blasted concrete.

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Music Music News

Enter Shikari announce intimate tour

Enter Shikari have recently announced a 24-date tour, which will not be visiting your average towns/cities. The tour, which has been named as the “Return To Energiser” tour, are mostly in small capacity venues.

The most expensive show, in Hatfield, is set at a price of £20 – the band say that this is because they are raising money for ActionAid UK and that they have “something special” planned for the show.

The Hertfordshire band said: ““We speak to a lot of people who come to the big shows and we’re very aware that a large number of them travel distances to come and see us. Not everyone lives in a major city, so we figured it was time we went out and tried to visit some people a little closer to home. It’s going to be awesome to be in small rooms and up-close-and-personal with crowds again, plus visiting some new places along the way”

Support for the shows comes from Hacktivist.

The tour dates are below:

APRIL
04 – DORKING Dorking Halls
05 – FROME Cheese & Grain
06 – PLYMOUTH University
08 – FALMOUTH Princess Pavilion
09 – SALISBURY City Hall
10 – WESTON SUPERMARE Grand Pier
12 – SWANSEA Brangwyn Hall
13 – EBBW VALE Leisure Centre
15 – NEW BRIGHTON Floral Pavilion
16 – KILMARNOCK Grand Hall
17 – INVERNESS Iron Works
18 – ABERDEEN Garage
21 – GALASHIELS Volunteer Hall
22 – LINCOLN Engine Shed
23 – SCARBOROUGH Ocean Rooms
24 – SCUNTHORPE Baths Hall
26 – HATFIELD Forum
27 – NORTHAMPTON Roadmender
28 – PETERBOROUGH Cresset
30 – BELFAST Mandela Hall

MAY

01 – DERRY Nerve Centre
02 – CORK Pavilion
03 – DUBLIN Academy
05 – COVENTRY Kasbah

 

Categories
Features

Of Mice & Men Interview

Of Mice & Men InterviewThere 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…!

Austin Carlile, Of Mice & Men

Words: Emma Wallace
Portrait Photos: Tim Easton
Live Photos: Emma Wallace