GLENN PP MILLIGAN INTERVIEW.

1) So let's get the basics out of the way, where did you grow up and how
did you get into bike riding?

Brooklyn NY…I got into riding the first time my friend Anthony Scariolla Stole a BMXplus and we tried to the stuff we saw in the magazines…But then all those kids I grew up with started becoming skinheads, and celebrating Hitler’s birthday and shit. So I started playing Basketball instead, One of the kids I played ball with had a Woody Itson picture taped to his school book, he talked me into fixing my flat and it was on again…

2) How is bike riding different for you now than it was when you first started?

Well “riding” hasn’t changed at all, except I ride way less…I mean my understanding of the business of BMX has changed, and always does, but tonight if I go pedal around the neighborhood and try to learn something new, it feels just as fucking awesome as it did back in the day. In some ways It’s more important to me then it was then. Then I just did it, now I really feel the need to go ride.

3) You've worked for a lot of different companies over the years. Standard, Primo, Ride... how did you get involved with BMX as a career and not just as a hobby?

It was so different when I got started. There weren’t many careers’ to be had. So it wasn’t like when I started I ever thought I’d get paid, travel or have a career out of this. First I started making my own vid NYHC (NEW YORK HARDCORE). Then I did some videos for Base and sent footage into a video Magazine called 20 inch…Then actually Robbie Morales hooked me up, he need someone to film him for a standard video, at the
same time who ever was making it fell through, So Rick (Moliterno) asked if I could do it, I wasn’t sure if I could but I was like “fuck yeah I can” That was Domination, and I guess how I got started in the industry.

4) Word on the streets is that you've broken off all ties with Ride magazine. What prompted that? What are your feelings on what's going on over there?

It’s not a total Break off, I mean I’m not working for them, and I quit mainly cause I disagree with a lot of the direction of the company, but Jeff Z and Ryan Fudger are friends of mine and probably always will be.




5) Everyone has been waiting for a long time for the Flipside DVD... what's the hold up on that project? Is it coming out soon?

Flipside is out during this interview. The concept was based on two road trips; the first went amazing, then second never fully pulled through. Scheduling with Mirra is super hard. He was awesome to us on the first trip, but is a super busy guy. Then Mirra got hurt at X-games, Nigel broke his wrist, Ralphy Broke his ankle and when we finally got a second trip (the NY trip) Harrington got hurt the week before…Shit was
cursed. At the same time, I had reached my boiling point with my boss at Transworld and had quit. During all that I was also trying to finish the Volume Video (ON THE CLOCK). It’s been a busy last few months.

6) You got Blackman onto Volume and are probably the main reason that everyone in BMX knows who he is now, but you had a falling out and he got dropped from Volume. What happened there? Are you guys still cool?

If I didn’t put him in a video someone else would have. Edwin was the one who put me on to Black, Ed did so much for that kid. Black was real hard to take on a trip, he breaks a lot of the unwritten rules of the road, plus he is really ungrateful. He owed me NOTHING, I saw him shit on his friend Nigel, and Bite the hand that was feeding him (Edwin). The guys at the shack were giving him a place to live, the kid was wearing all clothes given to him by sponsored dudes in the shack, and he was totally ungrateful, he was selling parts…now don’t get me wrong everyone has got to eat, but he was eatin’ and he got greedy. Castillo is my friend and I asked him to put Black on, I didn’t ask him to kick him off, but I didn’t argue the decision when it came around either. I know Black kinda blames me for what happened in regards to his sponsors, and I kinda feel bad, but the only person to blame is BLACKMAN. I never in the history of bikes saw a kid get so much in so little of a time and ruin for himself.I hope he pulls out of it, Black is a funny, nice, kid when he wants to
be. I have nothing against him, but I’d never go out of my way for him again.

7) Is it true that dudes at Ride have hated on you for wanting to give New York City coverage?

Yeah, but it wasn’t dudes, just the editor of Ride (Keith Mulligan, who is from NY). It was a conversation that started my downward spiral there. To put it in perspective he was bummed I didn’t include him or them in my concept or Ideas for videos. Which is true, but they never really backed my videos, You’d see massive 10 page articles on Road Fools, I was lucky if I got a caption, and they never needed or wanted to be included before. Livin and Exile and Drop the Hammer were my last two videos, and those went over well, so I new it wasn’t a case of me fucking up.

The thing is Magazines are dying, mainly because they aren’t that different then 8 tracks or cavemen painting on walls, Publishing is an art form but a dying one. So, now the editor is getting on my shit, because they need to pay more attention to “alternative” forms of media. Except the problem is, for me video isn’t an alternative form of media, it’s the primary one. So in an effort to be more “involved” told me that himself and “many others” were bummed on how much I try to include NY and NYC in all my videos. Which is crazy 'cause every video I’ve made since I came to Cali had Cali in it and no one was bummed on that. I really don’t totally understand where the weird “ YOU USE TOO MUCH NY” Thing came from, and to be honest I don’t care. I just realized that the ego of the magazine was going to get pushed into my stuff and I couldn’t really go forward knowing that.

That’s how I ended up with VitalBMX.com and VitalMEDIA. Vital isn’t a bunch of people giving you their skewed perspective on things, I mean there is some of that, but the sites are intended to be way more user controlled. So like any rider can go on there, rate product, upload their own stuff, interact with other riders, and then still get news and pro pictures and videos. The whole Idea is way more in the direction that the people involved can now be more involved, and that is a good thing. Now that I just realized what a fucking commercial I sound like, I’ll be done… So check out “ON THE CLOCK” and then go ride don't you know that the internet is only good for porn!

Thanks to Glenn for the interview. Check out his video part from 1999's street classic, Neighborhood Superheroes. Kinda funny how some of the fish eye stuff he was doing then is now becoming the norm...

Big James Interview.

( Portrait photo by Kim )

Big James is pretty notorious in the NY area for being one of the craziest riders with the wildest style. He's getting more and more well known as time goes by, and a bunch of clips in the Animal road trip DVD have people talking non-stop. We did a quick interview to make sure people know what he's all about:

1) Where'd you get the name Big James?

I actually got the name Big James from a tattoo artist. I was getting my first tattoo, 12 years ago. I was gonna just get James on my arm, but the tattoo artist said if I would've got just plain "James" on my arm, it wouldn't have fit me , because I was too big for it (Even at 19, I was a big guy). He suggested that "Big James" would suit me better. And it did; it fits me perfect.

2) What motivates you to ride as hard as you do?

A dialed bike, great music, good weather, when everybody comes out to ride. Plus it's hard not to be motivated, when you have guys like Ed, Rone, Nigel, Blackman, Skinny and Oba killing spots on a daily basis. Well, this doesn't motivate me, but one of the main reasons I ride as hard as I do is pain from not being able to see my kids, my son Kevin & daughter, T'Ajah. But, laughing my ass off motivates the shit out of me.

3) What was the first time you saw yourself in a video or in a magazine and
how did it feel?

The first time I saw myself in a magazine , it was in Transworld BMX. The photo was taken by Dolecki, who I would like to thank.

I was psyched. Me and my girl bought every magazine we could find from Barnes and Noble, Tower, Borders. Wherever they had that mag, we bought it. My whole family had that mag. At the time, even some of my peoples from Dunkin Donuts had it.

My first video part was in the Animal, Can I Eat DVD; it was a tabletop. Me and my girl rewound and slow-mo'd the clip so many times, that the damn DVD don't work anymore. I need a new one.

4) You're known for boosting some of the highest tabletops and tucks off of banks that most people can't get very high off of. What's the secret to popping that high?

Boosting the banks is the best, besides surfing the banks. To blast out of the banks, holding tucks like holding your breath under the water and snapping tabletops like you're doing karate, shit nothing feels better than that, no trick, nothing. As for what¹s the secret, there is none, except for laying down the murder game.



( Footjam tire grab at the banks by Matt Brown )

5) Is it true you're planning on entering all the bunny hop contests this year? Have you measured your hop and do you think you can beat guys like Ruben and Seth Kimbrough who have won bunny hop contests in the past?

If I could afford to, BEWARE...

My hop was measured once, by Bob & Vinnie. It came in at 47 or 48 inches. As far as competing in a bunny hop contest, against other competitors, last I heard, the highest jump was 44 inches -- by my peoples.

6) Who are you sponsored by currently and what are you filming for?

I'm not actually sure. I know I ride for AM:PM, Prototype and J-T Customs and I think I'm getting flow from Volume. I never heard anything officially, but I believe I'm on Animal flow and I'm trying to get on Team-X, with Willie Lopez & Duke Stevens and Larry Bird. Also, I'm trying my best to get officially put on LRG.

Right now, I'm filming for Prototype, Skavenger, AM:PM and possibly for Team-X, or anything else that comes my way; as far as new opportunities, whatever comes my way, I'm on it.

7) It said on the Animal site that your doctor called you an alien... haha
what did he mean by that exactly?

My doctor can't comprehend what I do with or on my bike and he says my strength is phenomenal; that's why he calls me an alien. There's a few other little things, but that's the main reason.

8) Why did you move to San Francisco from NYC and how long were you gone for? Why did you move back?

Well, my girlfriend moved back to Chicago, so I went with her. We lived there for a year, which was pretty good. Then, she got a job offer in San Fran, so "vroom" we moved there for a year. It was great for her, but for me, I missed home too much. Then, her mom died; that's when we felt the need to go back to our real home, New York City baby!!!

Shout-outs to You Adam, thanks. Also, my wife, Kim, my mom, Ralph, Shane and Oso, Robbie Morales and Nick Benson, Glen Mulligan, Skinny, Edwin, Nigel, Rone, Joey, Bob, Vinnie, Tijon, Ramon, LRG, Erin, Cole, Andy, Russ, Ian, Oba, Blackman, Steve-O, Charles, Marlon, Ralph Berry, Dave, Jerry, A.K.A. Launchpad, Jersey Mike, RahRah and to everybody else that I know in the East, Midwest and the West. Peace!!!

CATFISH INTERVIEW

I didn't feel I could do him justice myself, so Catfish had all his friends submit questions to use for this interview. The product is probably one of the best things that's ever appeared on The Come Up. Check it out:

Who are you? How old? All that stuff?

I'm Zachary Alexander Yankush. I'm a grandpa at 31 years old. I live in Dayton, Ohio with my dog, Simone. My nickname is Catfish. I have an enormous penis.

You've come up over the past couple years. Whats up with that?

I haven't really come up. I've always been here. Just lurking. Bubbling son. No...it's awesome. I think a lot of it has to do with my website.. Catfishcatfish.com . I met so many people in the industry because of it. There really wasn't and still isn't a site like that. I think a lot of riders could relate to my ramblings because they lived the same or similar lives. My website embodied BMX culture. We as riders know we live totally separate lives from "normal" people so riders really related to the site. I couldn't believe how it took off. Next thing I know..I am working in BMX, announcing the fucking X-games and going on Road Fools.

What was Road Fools like?

That was a dream. Every rider dreams about going on Road Fools. I never ever thought i would get that call. At first when Stu asked me...I figured he wanted a commentator..but then when he told me I was going as a rider i was just like "WHAT"? I'm sure the fact that I am a complete baffoon had something to do with it but I'll take it. It was amazing. Watching those boys get down was awesome. Especially the bangers that were on Road Fools 15. It was amazing.

Explain the shift in mindset when the werewolf mask goes on.

I owned a warewolf mask for a while. It was awesome. I wore it everywhere. Long story short..this fat kid that lived across the street from me stole 250 bucks from my house. I gave him every chance to pay me back. He didn't. So one night I put the wolf mask on and waited in his driveway for him to come home from the club. When he got home... I whooped his ass in front of all his boys, a bunch of girls, and a cop. I choked him out and while he was on the ground I kicked him in the face and knocked him out. It will be on the catfishcatfish.com video.

How important was Colin Winklemann to both the sport of BMX, and in your personal life? ( inspiration, motivation, life lessons )

Wow... that really is a good question. Colin was huge to BMX and to me personally for a couple reasons. In the early 90s he was the dude you could count on at contests to go ape shit. He would do the biggest gaps. This was back when I had just started going to contests...I remember being so stoked to just see him at a contest because you KNEW shit was going to go down. I think Colin really pushed the limits before we even knew what those limits were. It also ruled because Colin was from Ohio. Ohio sucks and always has but it's my home and I remember how excited I was that there was this amazing BMX rider..putting in work for Ohio. Jump ahead 5 years... Section 8 skatepark was booming and Nate Wessle brought Colin to Ohio to help build the bowl. Thats where I really became good friends with Colin. We just connected..I guess probably because we were both half out of our minds. A couple years later I have the honor of working for DK and I think the fact that I knew Colin and he put in a good word for me was a main reason I got the job. So here I am... pretty much owing the life I live to a friend that I cant talk to anymore. His death fucked me up pretty bad... just because I don't think he truly understood his impact on people and more importantly on BMX. He continues to inspire me in my riding. I catch myself just pushing it sometimes when a trick scares me... I tell myself... "this is for Colin".

How do you feel about the current state of the BMX industry?

It's awesome and it's lame. It's amazing and it sucks. The industry is so damn fickle that it's hard to answer that from one day to the next. I wish there was more money in it for riders on the comeup (no pun intended), I wish there were more rider owned companies, I wish contests were fair. I think progression in manufacturing has done wonders for us. I just wish more kids understood how things can be improved. Everyone always bitches about not being sponsored yet you are wearing Nike Dunks and a fucking NBA fitted. If we are to keep pushing BMX...we need to spend that way. Fuck the mall. Fuck Lids. Fuck Foot Locker. Oh and Fuck skateboarding on all levels. Why do we keep supporting them and what they do? We need out own shit! BMX has a way more interesting culture than Skateboarding... we need to promote that. Keep our own style. When riders can learn to do that... we'll be headed in the right direction. I get fired up about this shit. It's like hip-hop. You would never see KRS one rocking out in girls jeans. That's not hip-hop. Thats what I am talking about. I'm not saying that we need to conform to one style...not at all. We just need to realize that in order to market the BMX lifestyle..we need to look good doing it. To the outside world...a boy in girls jeans riding a BMX bike is ridiculous. You're not being original if you are wearing girls jeans and doing tailwhips. I know the whole girls jeans thing has been smashed into the ground but FUCK....why would any company want to associate itself with a rider that looks like he fell out of a Dashboard video. If I had my way...Every BMX video would have a hip-hop soundtrack and no tailwhips.



( Catfish with Lil Jon. Seriously. )


How has the contest rider changed over the years?

Actually they really haven't. In 1988 I entered contests against dudes that were hell bent on winning and getting sponsors. I still see that at every contest.

What is more important, doing your own tricks with your own style, or having credibility and doing the "now" style tricks.

Good god. This one is easy. Who stands out more to you? A 16 year old tailwhiping a box jump, or a 31 year old doing a peg manual while dribbling the front end of the bike on the ground? If I am judging a contest...a hang five across a deck wins over a flair.

Best accomplishment on a bmx bike?

A couple stand out for me. I won the King of New York overall in like 97 or 98 for expert street and flat. That was huge to me. It was a series held at Mullaly Rink in the Bronx. So much fun...so raw. I loved it... plus i got to ride NYC three times in one summer. I met so many amazing people at the comps and had the best time ever. I pulled a triple decade in a show one time. I was stoked on that. My first 720 on resi was a big deal. I don't know-I'm old so every day on my bike is an accomplishment. Just the other night i pulled my first tailwhip in over 10 years. That one was for Bradd Simms.

On a scale of one to ten, what is the drama level on a regular day, as opposed to the weekend.

A regular day I deal with a drama level of about 6... on Saturdays its a 7 and by Sunday a 9 or 10.



( Switch footed tailwhip nosepick to switch footer. Peep the sequence here. )

Explain your view on shows, and why they are important to the industry.

I think shows rule hands down. Shows are one aspect of my job and honestly I could do shows the rest of my life and be happy. As riders we all know the first time we saw someone riding BMX. For a lot of us that was the light bulb going off above our heads. Doing shows- I get to be that guy. I love watching the looks on kids faces when I am riding flat in front of them or even better as they are watching someone hit a box jump. Every show I do... there is someone in the audience that gets hooked. I love that shit.

Do you feel you are doing something to benefit the sport, or is it truly just a "circus" industry?

I doubt that there are many kids rushing out and buying DK's because I did a show at their school. I do think that shows help people "understand" BMX more. It's not a circus to them as it's portrayed on TV. When people see shows they can appreciate how difficult BMX is and how skilled BMX riders are. I don't think TV can convey that on a personal level. So the next time they see BMX on TV they will have a much greater appreciation of it.

Best/worst tattoo.

Best tattoo: Loch Ness monster giving a lap dance to a unicorn while bigfoot touches himself and smokes crack

Worst tattoo: Wu Tang Clan (We don't really talk about this one though)

Explain the current state of flatland, and how you are taking flatland to the ramps.

Fuck. Thats what I think about the current state of flatland. It's insane. I have so much respect for kids that are getting into flat. It's so damn hard. I still love it though because you don't need anything, just some flat ground. Flatland today is all about dedication. I like the fact that kids are doing more flatland tricks on street and park. I could never go big so I just incorporated flat onto the ramps. Back in the day we just rode "freestyle" not street or flat or ramps... we rode everything. Growing up watching guys like DMC, Degroot, BV, Nate Hanson, Bobby Fisher, and Rick Molinterno it was just a natural progression. I think this is a HUGE untapped aspect of bmx. There is still so much to be done. I really want to see an uprail or upledge to decade off. Someone has to throw one of those soon. Lino where you at?

What is your rap battle record 100 wins, 2 losses?

Hahha. Not that many. I don't know for sure but in legit rap battles in the clubs-I'm sitting about 25+ wins I have only lost once. I got robbed too. I will lyrically destroy anyone. I put that on my momma.

Does hip hop have a place in bmx?

Absolutely. Hip-hop and BMX parallel each other so much (i.e both relatively new, lots of people making money off both that shouldn't be, still not widely accepted by the masses) . Plus Hip-hop makes BMX look soooo much better than white people screaming. Hip- hop and BMX have always gone hand in hand with me. I swear to God that the first contest I ever entered (OFA, Cleveland Ohio 1988) I rode to Eazy Duz It by Eazy-E. Swear words and all. My dumb ass entered 13 and under flatland riding to the most profane song ever. The dude that put the contest on came up to me after my run and told me i would not be welcome back if I play that type of music in my runs.

You have the power to make or break any bmxer in the industry, what do you look for in a rider and how can people come up?

I wouldn't say that..although I do like to call myself the most powerful man in BMX. I just know a lot of people and a lot of my friends are in the industry. People fuck with me and then I fuck them. There was this dude named New Philly Billy in Ohio...he sucks so I called everyone in my phone that owned a bike company and told them he sucks. Did I hurt his career? Probably not. Is it funny when Mat Hoffman gets a voicemail from me telling him never to sponsor New Philly Billy in a dope freestyle rap? Fuck yes. People that want to come up need to realize that BMX is a business. Marketing yourself is hands down the most important aspect of making it in this industry. You can be the best rider in the world and have a shitty attitude and you'll get nowhere. Attitude gets you so much farther than riding ability. People that want to make BMX better. I am always looking for people that can market themselves. Also being able to compose a sentence without using the word fuck.



Contests vs. video part, what wins?

Video part all day. You can't tell a riders true ability in a 2 minute run.

What is your job?

I am the Team Manager for DK Bicycle Company. I also help out with the System Cycle riders. I do all the TM stuff in addition to handling the Stunt Team. We do a ton of shows all over the place.

Tell us about the job you came from before you got the DK job. What parts of your old professional life do you carry over into the "core" bmx scene.

I worked for Ford Motor Company as an Inventory Control Manager. It sucked but i was making bank. Jobs like that really make you appreciate riding your bike as I would work 12 hour days sometimes. Ugh..it was bad. Plus the fact that it was a union environment and I was non-union so everyone hated me. Plus my Volkswagen was faster than their shitty Mustangs...they didn't like that either. I didn't carry anything over. I left it all there and started fresh when I got here at DK.

I saw you spit in a girls face once, how was that?

If you cross me..I won't forget. That young lady crossed me and never thought she would see me again. I didn't want her to leave without a little piece of me so I gave her some saliva in her eye.

Would you rather ride or announce a contest?

Good question. I like riding contests because I am a damn clown and I think they are super fun. I love announcing too though because I make shit more fun than it normally would be. I would have to say I would rather ride in the comp... especially if it's a good layout.

Best Lou Bickle story you were involved in.

I once pulled into a parking lot of our old warehouse and I saw Lou in the corner of the parking lot huddled over a small smoking mass. I pulled up to him and realized that he was burning money... like a lot. He probably had a couple thousand dollars in 20s that he was burning. They were all counterfit and he was scared of the feds.

Best 4th grade story you've been involved in.

In the same year I personally watched him bite off two separate ears in fights. One I video taped and when we ran back to my car to get the hell out of there 4th showed me that he had a chunk of ear stuck in his teeth.

Explain Local Exposure and how you feel it helps the sport of BMX. Does it make too much of being sponsored? Or is it more about riding bmx with BMX stars.

Local Exposure is an awesome idea. Its a great way to promote BMX, let locals ride with pros, and give ams an opportunity to come up (again sorry) I think everyone makes a big deal out of being sponsored..granted it's nice to get free stuff and certainly helps out riders that wouldn't normally get seen but for the most part LET is just a good time. Plus there isn't just one winner. The riders we meet at each stop are going to stick in the heads of all the pros. Thats networking...and that is one of the most important aspects of the sponsorship game.

Who were your influences in BMX when you were growing up?

Kevin Jones, Chase Gouin, Chad Degroot, Mark Hilson, Chris Rye, Mat Hoffman, Eric Evans, Pete Brandt, Greg MacComber, my little brother Adam, and anyone that made a 'zine.

Best trick you've ever seen with your own eyes.

I watched a trick a couple weeks ago that I never though would be possible. Scotty Cranmer did a LEGIT wallride to tailwhip. Bunnyhop-wallride-tailwhip. Hands down the best.

Future shredders?

Craig Mast, Brett Banasiewicz, Zack Gerber, Charlie Bowers,

Who is Simone and how many casualties has she collected?

Simone is my dog. She's a pitbull and bi-polar as fuck. Her bite count is over 50 people. I tell people don't put your face near her face! Most of them riders. She got Anthony Cico good. Her dumb ass bit my favorite street rider of all time Brad Simms and he had to go the hospital. It was a strippers fault though. She also bit Doyle in the face and he bled.

Why do you talk so much shit on the internet?

I'm actually glad you asked this. I do because we need it. It frustrates me to no end that a new video, rider, product comes out and the message board whores talk shit on it before anyone has a chance to form their own opinion. I understand that it's just the internet and only a small percentage of people online represent the BMX community as a whole, yet it still kills me that morons are out there just to talk shit. Thats perfectly fine...it's America and you are entitled to it. However...when I get fired up..I want to fire other people up. If you talk shit on my friends' video... I'm going to talk shit on your mom. If you talk shit on my dead friend... I am going to make fun of the moles on your face and I am going to mace you when we cross paths. I know how to get to people... I always have. Words hurt way more than fists do. Please keep in mind that I don't talk shit without reason. I have always been a little tiger and I learned how hard words hurt... I cherish that.

Last words?

I just want to thank all the legit riders out there. The ones that are doing it for the love of doing it. I have always been that way... job in BMX or not. BMX is the best thing ever and when you lose site of that... you lose site of everything. So thanks to everyone that has been down. Thanks to everyone that is/was stoked on catfishcatfish.com I owe a ton to all of you. Everyone on the team. All the strippers of the world. Everyone at DK/System Cycle. Wann, Kyle, and Chad at UGP. Povah and Scott Towne at Etnies. Cottle and crew at OBMX. Jim at Konig Wheels. Jeana at Maxxis tires. Marco and Chris at Props. Molly at X-games. Allan and Mary Cooke, Nate Wessel. Steve Luckett. Section 8 Skatepark (R.I.P.) My moms and dad. My dog Simone. Ryan Mills, Brad Simms, Anthony Naps, Ronnie Naps, Zack Gerber, Chris Gerber, BK, Quinn, The secret weapon, Scotty Cranmer and the intimidator. Lianna love. Dane Beardsley. Chris Doyle, Colin Winklemann, RM59, Everyone in Greenville. Everyone with bad tattoos. Most importantly..I want to thank all the haters. Especially on BMXBOARD...you little fuckers make my life sooooo much better you have no idea. Granted I am always stoked to get a huge box of goodies from sponsors but now when I get one...i get even more giddy because I know none of you fuckers are getting it. Thanks for hating me.....it just makes me happier. While you haters are struggling...I'm driving a fresh whip with a fresher whip in the trunk. Holler.

BONUS: Check out this video of a road trip Catfish went on and filmed. His explanation of the events under the video.



This video is wild. Not even too much of me. I filmed all of it though.The first clip is in Albuquerque, NM. Some dude named coppertop thought he could jump a chopper bike. Then me eating shit on a moped. Daddys first 7. 4th grade knocking himself stupid. He almost died from that crash. I had to record it off the TV. Thats me you hear in the background saying "I love it." A very intoxicated double decade in my living room with Quinn playing on mypace.

The next clip is awesome. This enormous man was getting out of his car
at like 2 in the morning. We were on a porch across the street kicking
it with Ice Money. (Long story..but thats how I roll!)
Anyhow..this huge dude gets out of the car with Taco Bell and 4th grade
yells at him 'Give me that food asshole!" and dude sets the food down
and yells back "Come kick my ass and take it pussy!"
I honestly didn't think 4th would step up..but he did. I ran into the
house to grab the video camera. Before I could even turn it on..4th
grade walked up to this dude and broke a bottle over his face. Blood
was everywhere...Then the fight starts. Watch it...it's good.

The last couple clips are Snake. You may know Snake from the Square One
video where he eats the stick of butter. Snake was my dude. I pour
cereal on him.

6 Questions With Mike Ardelean

1) Looking back at old pictures in magazines and videos, is there any one time period in your time as a sponsored pro that you find embarrassing? One style of dress or trick?

Well of course the Mosh Easy Style video was an embarrassment but whatever. Mosh as a bike company easily out-shined every other corporate-owned company back then, despite the wack video, so I just write that off and try to forget the indoor grind box feeble grind they put in, haha. Other than that, the cornrows are whatever... and the footage of me fighting (i.e. defending myself from) Adam Banton in the Samurai video is too funny to regret.

2) Are your pegs gone for good or do you think they might re-appear on your bike in the future? Do you ever roll up to a nice ledge spot and miss being able to just slide a long icepick grind?

I feel like they're gone for good but who knows. Right now I don't miss them at all. I generally keep it pretty simple so I don't really find myself wishing I was hangover toothpicking up 10 to tailwhip. A clean axle grind down a solid rail feels good to me. When I'm at a nice ledge spot, I just mess around with manuals or flat ground. There's always some trick to work on.

3) BMX is clearly more focused now on aesthetic simplicity moreso than ever before. Riders with 4 pegs and front brakes are seemingly a dying breed, do you think that style of riding will ever re-emerge or is brakelessness going to become the standard?

As far as I'm concerned that style of riding isn't dying... well maybe it is but I love watching any style. It's not a BMX issue for me, it's a life issue. The look of a minimal bike makes me want to ride just like the look of a minimal, tastefully done apartment makes me want to chill in it. Less is more for me... clutter gives me mental blocks.

4) Who are the 3 riders you currently find most inspiring?

Eddie Cleveland, Dan Closser, Ian Schwartz.

5) What is the status of your clothing line, Lavar? Do you feel like, based on some of the internet discussion of your stuff that some of your designs might be going over kid's heads?

Not really. My partner Juse is a dope designer but our gear isn't for everyone. We make what we're into and a lot of our influence comes from fashion. Not corny Sunset Strip fashion or wack all-over print street fashion, I just mean we know what we're into. Our idea of what's good is different from what most BMX kids are into, but it's not rocket science. It's just us. We're small, and we get orders for more clothes than we can produce, so we're very honored and very happy. We appreciate everyone's opinion but we think forward, so feedback from forward thinkers is what we take most seriously.

6) What are you working on for 2007 in terms of filming, and your various buisness/creative ventures?

For 2007 I'm moving in as Brand Manager of Mosh, so we'll be able to get going with a lot of team-designed products that were on hold for a while. I've been working from home on Mosh stuff for the last two years, maintaining the team and ads and soft goods and getting distribution and everything else lined up, but we had to chill on
most of the parts we wanted to create until now. Basically Ian Schwartz, Eddie, Rich, Bohan and the whole crew have designs and ideas on deck that will all be coming out in 07, and we all feel like Mosh has a ton of potential that's all going to be put on the table for the new year.

Other than that I'm just riding, filming for the United video, finishing my Ride UK interview, and working on the Lavar Spring line. Staying super busy and trying to keep it all together.

ROBBIE MORALES INTERVIEW

Robbie and I have talked a little bit through email about the BMX video world and the idea came up to do an interview with that theme. Check it out:

1) You have so far put out 4 videos through Fit; F-IT, the Barcelona video, the Puerto Rico trip and now Fit Life. When the first 3 videos came out video piracy in BMX was in it's infancy and nowhere near as wide-spread as it is now. As far as you can tell has this new technology affected the sales of Fit Life?

Ironically it may have helped. Right before the release and when we were doing the purchase order for how many FITLIFE dvds to order, I was a bit skeptical on sales. Fortunately its doing well so the piracy may have sparked some increased interest.


2) How do you feel when you see links to your video posted on BMX messageboards? Are you happy that the video is popular enough for kids to take the time to rip it or are you bummed out that kids aren't supporting rider owned companies?

Honestly I think back to when I was young and I never understood everything that goes on behind the scenes at companies. So much work goes in so when its ripped it's shocking but I doubt riders are malicious. They just want to see some rad shit, so I'm down for that.Hopefully it's so good ya want to buy the real thing, especially if there's bonus stuff that ya can't get online, like with packaging and stuff.

3) There was recently a BMX site hosted by a kid from Europe up for a few months that had links to a lot of current videos on it that was shut down. His argument was that videos are extremely expensive and take forever to get overseas and that he just wanted kids over there to be able to see the newest videos without getting gouged, what would you say to him in regards to him having the Fit video posted on his site?

I mean yeah its a bit harsh to throw it on there, but I want as many people as possible to see what FITLIFE is about. So fuck it, post it up, shit Mikey Aitken fell off a bridge for this bitch...

4) Skate videos are even easier to get online than bike videos, as far as you can tell, do skateboard company owners feel the pinch in terms of sales that some bike companies claim to?

I doubt it, the profit margins are bigger on skate decks so they can eat a loss on vids... For us it may get to the point where we just write it off but its scary dumping 30 G's into a project with the possibility of little return...

5) What are the measures you can potentially take once a video has been posted on a site like Youtube? Is it worth the trouble to contact Youtube or Google to try and have it taken down or is it too much hassle?

I didn't even bother, I got plenty of emails with instructions to email Youtube and Google and threaten them with legal action. Thanks to the riders who emailed in but this a new thing ( piracy ) and my stance was to let it be...

6) Some companies are moving towards putting their videos out for cheap ( Mosh, Lotek, Rodeo Peanut ) or free ( Animal road trip ), perhaps in response to decreased video sales. Have you considered going that route in the future?

Possibly our next vid will be a freeo... I know I would be psyched to get a free dvd...

7) Fitlife used a lot of songs which I can't imagine you got the music rights for. Why did you decide to take that risk instead of going the route of say, Props who license all their songs? How high is the risk of getting busted?

Risk is high but FITLIFE was so important to me and the riders, I wanted them to be represented with no restrictions. I have been a part of videos with cleared music and it usually sucked so I winged it on this one...

One more thing, I think the future of BMX videos is getting better... As long as people want to learn to film, edit and be creative we can get some good shit done... Websites like The Come Up BMX help also to get more content out to the masses... Seems like riders are taking in to their own hands, the way it should be.

Thanks to Robbie for the interview.

Discuss this post on The Come Up Board by clicking here.

Joey Columbo/Hi8tus Interview

First off, get up on Joey Columbo's site (click here) to see some wild photography. The guy is out of Vallejo CA, knows YaBoy, and can ride and party hard. Also, Hubba's Hideout is uncapped and getting sessioned. My boy Jackson gets bossy in SF.

The newest DVD out of the North East of England, 'Hi8us', is being premiered in Newcastle, UK tomorrow night. Its the home of the NSF amongst other things, and Pete Greaves is the man with the plan. Read on for an interview...

1. What's the deail with Hi8us?

First off, Hi8-T-us. Everyone says I should have called it Hi8us but I guess that's how my Sheffield tongue deals with the number 8. Basically summertime last year I realised I had a load of footage saved up so I figured I'd make a vid. Most of that footage ended up not making the cut, basically when I started I wanted to do a vid just so I could get to do the editing side and production side for myself really. Then people started sending themselves for it... Tom 'Poindexter' Bright came on board with a load of footage of some of the Sunderland posse, Scott and Dawson wanted to do sections and basically before I knew it there were a load of people who are shit hot on their bikes involved. Having said all that, The creative side of it was still really cool and if theres one thing that me and Tom totally nailed about this video it's the aftereffects and production. Think yeah right without the budget...

2. Have you drawn on any inspiration whilst making the dvd?

From a creative point of view I loved Yeah Right! and wanted to do some of that sort of stuff with BMX. In terms of BMX videos that have come out lately I wasn't really influenced by anything, I can't speak for Tom but obviously as the starting point of the video was filming it with a camera that I got for christmas as a shared present with my bro 10 years ago theres not too much about these days that I could copy! I like what Chad Shack does with having a theme throughout the vid for the graphics and whatnot in Shook but I think they've been getting increasingley souless since its just the person who can drop the most hammers who he films and not his mates. Not a diss, I will always buy Shook for cutting edge riding but they're just a bit too cool for me. It doesn't make riding look fun, which I hope Hi8tus does.

3. Which filmographers do you like, any that you don't?

Joe Cox Innit. That preview he put up on the net was insane, and it still made it look fun. Wicked stuff. Ones that I don't... Fuck knows. Oh man I've just remembered, whoever made San to Van. Jesus. What a horrible video.

4. As a kid, did you look up to any VHS releases and think 'fuck yeah, im down with this?'

Jurassics Park, and I wouldn't say I was a kid when I saw it but my first BMX vid was criminal mischief. Stock as fuck answer but it's still the best video ever made for my money. Apart from fat pat riding to a radiohead instrumental obviously....

4b. where can i get a hold of the dvd from? Any international distributors out there want to join the hustle?

At the moment it's an out the bedroom operation, the good thing about that is I can just make as many as I need. Paypal £7.50 to pete.greaves@gmail.com with your address and drop me an e mail to say you've done so and I will hook you up. Same goes for outside the UK but make it £8 I guess. I'm making this up as I go along. Distributors get in touch if you want to.

5. If anything, what do you want to achieve with this dvd?

I wanted to do loads of editing and production, hence the multiple edits. I wanted to make some cheese as well.

6. whats the deal with the yanks stealing your dvd's name?

That will wind them up on so many levels. It's canadians I think, and they released their video way before me. However my vid has a different name, was named long before I'd heard of their video, and I doubt anyone in Canada will want to see it so I don't really get why they care. It was pretty good from what I've seen so I don't know why they don't just pipe down and let me get on with what I want to do.

7. any bigups or bigdowns along the way?

The downer was getting the original hi-8 camera nicked by 3 radge cunts. It had some good footy on it so it was canny harsh. Too many up points, we've had loads of wicked days out on our bikes and the big one is just seeing a big box of DVDs that you know you've made. I dare say the premiere will be a sweet night as well!

Any news you want on here, email me at dftudistro@hotmail.com. The weekend is here. Lets fucking rage! peaceout

6 Questions With Brad Simms

Brad Simms came through with one of the best sections of 2006 in Shook, along with the stand out part in the Bulldog video. I caught up with him for a few questions about weight lifting, sponsorship changes and 20 stair up rail icepicks.

1) It's pretty obvious from looking at you that you're into weight lifting. How did you get into that and what's your training schedule like? How serious about it are you and have you ever thought about getting into competing?

If I'm home I usually work out every other day. A lot of bench pressing, curls, military press... I'm pretty serious about it, I like to have a well maintained physique haha. I would never want to compete in that because those guys eat, sleep & shit weight lifting plus, they can't wipe their own asses hahahahaa... no need to be that big.

2) Everybody wants to know what was going through your head when you icepicked up that huge rail in your Shook part. What made you want to do that? Is it true you tried to manual up it?

I remember Van doing a huge ice down a rail in CM, so I was like "I wonder how people would respond to someone doing an ice up a rail", of course I had no idea that I was going to pull it, but it took 7 tries. Basically my friend Eric said it was impossible so I said "shut up no it's not" & somehow on the 7th try I pulled one of the most amazing things that I might ever do on a bike... yeah I tried to manual up it. I got scared so I bitched out and stopped trying, but before I move out of MD I think I'm going to go back and do it.

3) You were representing Bulldog for a long ass time but now you're off their team and riding for Hoffman. What happened?

BD had one of the best teams everyone on there was and still is a good friend of mine, some closer than others, but yeah I left because I knew I had more opportunity with Hoffman & I started to feel empty promises from Bulldog. Jimmy mac is a good man and I respect him to the fullest.

4) Who are your favorite people to ride with and what motivates you to do the crazy, progressive stuff we've seen from you?

My favorite people to ride with are people who like to have a good time, crazy riders, people who like to try and learn things, that whole progressive area... crazy riders motivate me.

5) You're a pretty short guy but you can bunnyhop and 180 higher than pretty much everyone. How does that work?

Nah, I can't bunnyhop higher than everyone, but I can 180 really high I can 180 higher than I can hop I can't hop 44" but I can 180 it... being shorter I guess you have to have a lot of technique.

6) What can we expect to see from you in 2006?

More progressive riding.

Comment on this post by clicking here.

Tommy Petrillo Video + Interview

EDIT: Thanks to Joof for doing this seriously funny interview with Tommy for me:

Where and about how long ago do you first remember learning tuck no handers?

Alright it was probably about a year ago, I was riding some abandoned warehouse with some ramps in with Joof, Teague and some other kids, and I was like hey Joof watch this and I just went up a bank and did a no hander and then that became my signature trick haha.

What's up with the Federal Fraction frame? Isn't it made for flatland? Where is it now?

Well I'm short and its a 19 inch top tube and I used to idolize Steve Hamilton back in the day so I had the opportunity to buy one for 30 dollars so I did it. I guess it's made for flatland but whatever. The first one I had for about 7 months and it got stolen at the banks jam (fuck you whoever it was) but I just recently got another one so hopefully I don't get this one stolen since they don't make them anymore

What's your relationship with your dad like? I've gotten the impression you guys are kind of close, correct me If I'm wrong.

Meh I dunno, hes always stressin' on me to pay my bills on time and be a hard worker and shit but he's awesome. He bought my first bike back in the day and he used to drive me to the skatepark all the time when I didn't drive. And hes always helped me out with bike parts and shit when I didn't have money and something broke. I've actually tried to get him to buy himself a bike haha.

Yeah I've seen that picture in your kitchen haha.. What is your definition of "grimey life"? More-so, what sort of role does it play in your life?

Haha that picture is the best. I guess my definition is just doing whatever it takes to get by in life and not giving a fuck. I guess some people have different interpretations but that's just me. It plays a role in my life pretty much every day. Like stealing Ipod chargers from Wal-mart and returning them for cash so I can get cigarettes and food and shit. Siphoning gas from cars 'cause I got no money. Going to parties and stealing 100 dollar bottles of liquor and pumping off random girls hahaha. All that good shit.

I heard Shitluck wanted you on their team (good one!), how many Sidekicks have you broken? And your car? Also, explain the Quick Check incident. No one saw that coming..

Hahaha Shitluck? Who am I Jeff Cort? Hahaha. I've broken 2 sidekicks. Well I'm postive ive broken one and the other one I left on the roof of my car so I'm pretty sure it fell off and got smashed on route 80. Something breaks on my car at least once a month so its been at least 13 times not counting flat tires. as for Quick Check they leave 8 packs of water right by the door so I used to take one every time I left, and one night I took one like usual and there's some hero standing outside and he yells "did you pay for that?" and I'm like "uhh yeah" and hes like "NO YOU FUCKING DIDN'T!" so he goes into the store and gets the guy working and he's yelling at me saying how he called the cops and I'm going to jail so I'm like fuck this and I start to jog away when all of a sudden the random hero blindsides me and knocks me to the ground and puts me in a choke hold. I couldn't breathe so I bit his arm and then Wade started yelling at him and shit so he got off of me and then the cops came. And they're like "so what happened?" and I'm like "I was trying to steal this water" and some hick ladies like "don't you deny it I saw you take it!" So I yell at her "I'm not denying it you fat fucking whore!" and the hero yells "THATS MY WIFE. YOU JUST OPENED UP A CAN OF SHIT!" and he starts to charge me again but the cops stop him. They took me to jail and my Dad had to come get me because I was only 16 and that was it haha.

Anything going on with the next LSD video? What's up with the nipple earrings? Is it true that LORD clothing flows you sticker packs?

I don't know what's up with LSD, me and Roman Stefanie were supposed to film a split part but I don't really talk to him anymore so I guess thats not happening. I also don't know what's up with the spoke nipple earrings haha. I guess I just rock them because if i ever lose one I have 10 million more. It's not true that Lord flows me sticker packs hahaha. That was Bob and now every time I see him he asks me for cigarettes. I guess I owe him haha.

What can we expect from Grimey BMX in the future?

Eventually I'm going to buy my own camera and make a video. I wanted Wade Young to do it but he's busy with Shook and other shit so I can't really depend on him since hes always going on trips and whatnot. And I guess for shirts if someone asks me for one i just make one. Stickers will be made eventually. Haha I don't know I'm a slacker but sooner or later I'll start getting shit done. www.myspace.com/grimeybmx

Ahh yes, the Shook universe... rumor has it that you're sitting on about 115 quality clips. Why not share them with the world? (You dont have to answer that one hahah.)

It's because I'm out there all day everyday killing it for nobody buy myself. I could have a Standstill or Shake bio if I wanted to, easily. But my shit is too legit for those companies. ( thats joke that not everyone will get so don't bitch at me ) hahah But seriously I don't really film that much shit. Most of the time I go out riding I sit there and just talk shit and smoke cigarettes. Steve-o said he wants to do a hidden section of me in the next Nation vid so I guess I'm filming for that right now. And maybe I'll film another internet video for all the critics out there who didn't like it. ( Fuck all you wack Candian kids who hated on it. YOU KNOW I'M NICE! ).

Anyone, or anything, you want to thank? Shout outs??

Yeah, definitely my Dad and my Mom for everything they've done. Wade Young and Anthony Villani for taking me on all those trips and introducing me to tons of new people. Joof for being my bike mechanic. Steveo for giving me bike parts all the time. Jeff Dupaul for being my shoe sponser. Ryan Taylor at the State clothing company for hooking me up with clothes. Adam for posting my video on the site. Mike Brennan, Bri Guy, Collinson, Chris Marshall, C-beef, Connecticut boyshshs, all my friends that I ride with. Everyone who liked my internet video and all the haters for talking shit on me and making me even more siked to do even more tuck no handers. I'm sure I'm forgetting people, so sorry! If i missed you.

Comment on this post by clicking here.

6 Questions With Jared Washington

Jared's one of the best street riders out which might explain why he's sponsored by Federal and Animal. His crew Rodeo Peanut just dropped their new mixtape and I got at him for a few questions.

1) So what can people who buy this project expect? Is it officially a video or a mixtape?

They can expect to get a pretty good video for under 10 dollars. This is definately a mixtape, no parts, no names on the clips, it's just a bunch of footage we compiled over the spring. When we would get out of class or work we would go hangout and ride and film, eventually the footage started adding up on the computer and we decided to make a small video. We just wanted to make a video that was straight forward and would get you pysched on just going riding. The whole video was done by my boy Evan Nutt, he gets the credit for it.

2) Who is in charge of Rodeo Peanut and who stars in the video?

I dont even know what Rodeo Peanut is honestly. Like 5 years ago I was sitting in class and I think I got a text message from Chris Reyes saying that Rodeo Peanut would be a funny name for a company or something and it kinda just stuck as a joke, we made a name for ourselves pissing some people off when we were younger, but Rodeo Peanut doesn't really exist. The video consists of riders like Mike Brennan, Chris Reyes, Brian Tunney, myself, Gallop, Alfredo "The Fridge" Wilson, Evan Nutt, Tom White, Quiet Chris, Edwin, Rat kid, Little Jeff, Roman Stefaniew, Dominic Biro and Jesse Dewlow.

3) Does Paul Horan have many clips in the video? When can we expect to see him killing street again?

Nah unfortunately theres no Paul Horan clips in this one. We'll see him killing it again before we even know it, if he's good sooner than later.

4) What are the 3 street spots you ride the most?

The black rail, The dime Bank, and Deiner park

5) When you first started getting coverage you had brakes on, now you're
brakeless, are they gone for good? Are the dreads gone for good?

The Dreads are most definitely gone for good, should have been gone a lot sooner but it took me a while to see the light... as for brakes I was pretty much always brakeless on and off back then and happened to have them on when I first started to get coverage, I stopped using them because I couldn't help but land with my hand on the lever while doing barspins, other than that i like them, bike riding does feel a lot better though with out a lever on your bars though and I can not see myself ever putting them back on.

6) Where can people get the mixtape?

They can get it through Animal.

Thanks Jared.

The video isn't listed on the Animal site officially yet so just shoot them an email at info@animalbikes.com and tell them you want to buy it. And buy some shirts and parts too while you're at it ya cheap fucks.

6 Questions With Nigel Sylvester

Nigel is one of the hottest riders in many years to come out of New York. Anyone who's seen him ride has been impressed and he's picked up a small army of sponsors in a short period of time including coveted spots on Mirraco and Animal. I caught up with him to ask him about what his life's like and he even got in a few questions for me in the process. Feeeeeeeeeel meeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

1) True or false, you're getting your own reality show on MTV.

First i want to start this off by saying what's poppin B to all my peoples out there "feeeeel meeeeee".

I have to say that rumor is false, but I would of loved to see all the hater's faces when they read that. I'm not getting my own show even though that would of been official hahahha. MTV holla at ya boy!

2) You're sponsored by LRG and Nike now, neither of which are known for sponsoring riders, how'd you get hooked up with those sponsors?

Hahah, yeah I'm really excited to be riding for both companies, things happen for crazy reasons and I just happen to be in the right places at the rite time, know the right people and putting that work in "ALL DAY" feeeeel meeeeee.

3) Was it scary 180 barspinning the 10 stair at the banks? How do you build up to doing a 180 barspin that big?

Nah it wasn't scary I had my mind set on doing it for a while now. It felt real good letting them rip down that set. Feeeeel meeee.

4) Who are 3 riders that don't get the credit they deserve for their riding right now?

Three riders that don't get enough credit for their riding let me think........ they're so many good dude out there so I'll just throw out a bunch of names off the top of my head.... Ralphy aka RR, Big James, Marlon, Lil Jeff. Those are just a few dudes that came to the top of my head real quick.

5) What are you filming for now? Is the Flipside filming all done?

Well right now I'm filming for the new Skavenger mixtape which is going to be FIRE so go cop that EARLS feeeeel meeeeee, and over the next few days i'm going to be finishing my Flipside part. The video is pretty much done, but I got a few last minute things. I gotta give a shout out to Glenn PP aka Double PP all day. Hahhaaahah.

6) There are a lot of new rap albums dropping now, what are you listening to and what are you looking forward to hearing?

Yeah theres a lot of new fire dropping now a days so I listen to a bit of everything, but I just got the new Jay-Z album I haven't formed a solid opinion about it yet but so far it's pretty good. I'm really waiting for the new Young Jeezy to hit the street 'cause his music is fire feeeeel meeeeee.

So let me ask you a few questions.

1) What made you want to start this site?

I realized that there were a lot of hot videos being posted on the internet, but for a lot of people they were hard to find so I had the idea to start collecting them all in one place. Over time I've tried to post news and interviews with the riders I'm into on the site too. I feel like there are a bunch of good BMX sites online but that they show love to corny ass riders that nobody's checking for so I try to focus on real deal street riders that people want to read about.

2) What do you think about the state of BMX right now?

To me, BMX is just me rolling around with my friends. The shit I do on this site is fun and it's helped me meet a lot of cool people but I'm not thinking about all this shit when I'm riding a dirty ass ledge by myself alone at night. There are a lot of fake ass people in BMX who think that they're worth something because they can do a 360 whip or because they got a picture in a magazine and I really don't give a fuck about all that. Thanks for this interview!

Got more questions for Nigel? Hit up the messageboard and I'll try to get them answered for you.

3 Rail Firsts with Ralph Sinisi

Ralph's another one of my childhood riding heroes. His part in DQYDJ was revolutionary. Tons of opposite shit, wild moves down rails and he wasn't scared to wear knee pads on the outside of his jeans. I recently got the chance to meet and ride with him and he was every bit as cool as I figured he'd be when I was a kid. He says he isn't 100% sure if he was the first to do all of these moves so if you take issue with any of these hit me up on the messageboard.



1.The over crook grind.
I am pretty sure it was a nice day. Same type era that George D. was talkin about with Jeff and Bob filmin for DQYDJ. Everybody was sessioning the peako rails real quick before we got the boot. I really don't remember what happened to well, but I think I was smithing it and the back wheel kicked over the other side of the rail. I figured I might as well kick it over a little more. I think the one in DQJDJ my foot blew off. It wasn't any great locked in one.

2.The overtooth
That first went down on these local rails that are real good but have a down hill runway. One night i was over there just getting killed and figured I would just try an overtooth for the hell of it. I was thinking about trying it, but it was a pretty short steep rail and it was tough to judge speed with the run up. I think the first one went pretty well but i clipped the stairs. I was real psyched and think I got back up that got killed a bunch more times. I like that trick though.

3.Overtooth hanger
I was out with Lugo, Z, Will Taubin, and somebody else riding around mid-town. We were out riding for a while and i totally destroyed my bike. I jumped on Lugo's woop and started to session these rails. Z was filming me for a props interview and i was hyped up and real focused. I just pedaled at it and did a nose wheelie on the front peg down it. I think the first one was pretty good and the second one went even better. I don't even remember getting killed too bad that night.

Also while googling his name I came across this old Ride interview with him which is a good read too.

Thanks to Ralph for doing this and you can Comment on this post by clicking here.

3 Rail Firsts with George Dossantos

If you're like me and grew up on Don't Quit Your Day Job, George D isn't just some rail boss, he is THE rail boss. In '99 I didn't think you could do much on a rail besides double pegs and icepicks, but George changed all that and helped usher in the era where any trick that can be done on a ledge or a mini ramp can be taken down a handrail too. He was nice enough to fill me in on 3 tricks that he did before anyone else ( he opted to fill us in on his smith to half barspin instead of my first choice, the rail ride, because he says he thinks he was the second person to do it ). Check it:


Crooked 180: When I was 18 I got my license. I had a blue Plymouth Horizon. We used to go down to Philly EVERY weekend. Jeff and Bob had just finished Don't Quit Your Day Job, and everyone was psyched. There was this rail down about 6 or 7 stairs... I forget what building it was in front of. That day I remember Rich Andreu being there, along with my friend Mike. I don't think Bob was there. Me and Rich started riding the rail (no homo). Started doing some tricks down it, I did a feeble, a crooked, and even a double to manual to no footer. I was always good at spinning off of stuff, so in my head I was like, I'll let her rip. Did a few more crooks and the one time that I locked on good, I just swung a 180, and it worked! I wasn't sure if it was gonna cause the rail was down stairs. We all just laughed and my friend Mike started yelling. He still brings it up whenever I see him.

Smith to Half Barspin: This was pretty much around the same era, another Philly trip. Jeff Z. was getting damn good at taking pics and Ride BMX was gonna run a bio of me. This went down on the LOVE park BLUE RAIL. I loved that rail. There were soo many sessions on that thing I get them all mixed up. I remember getting to the rail and wanting to do something cool. I was already pretty confident with smithing down it, so I did a few of those, and even tried a smith to 180 and landed 90... after that didn't work out too well I thought "I still wannna do something different", so I thought of throwing the bars I think I ended up doing 3 or 4 smith turnbars until I finally handed them off. There was no way at that time that I could've thrown a full. I was happy though. I even remember seeing Butcher months later and he was psyched on it... that was awesome.

Half Cab to Rail: This one was kind of weird. Jeff Z. had already moved out to Cali, so shooting pics with him was few and far between. He was out here for some reason I forget. Anyways he wanted to meet up and shoot something... at this point I had already done a half cab to rail, in my Standpoint interview but never shot photos of it. But that was in Ohio so that wouldn't work. So I picked Jeff up at his parents house, and went to the Monroe rail 3 towns over from where I live. It was strange 'cause it was just me and Jeff, and he didn't even bring his bike, just his camera stuff. He asked what I wanted to do and I was like I guess half cab to rail, and he was like "ohhhh man that would be awesome"... I laughed and said, if I get on I'm gonna 180 out of it. So I did a couple of 180's and rolled backwards to the rail a few times. And then within a few more I got a perfect setup and just hopped up, I couldn't believe I didn't miss, slid down and as I got to the end of the rail I made sure I 180ed out. I heard the shutter on the camera going crazy. I turned around and just started laughing and Jeff was doing his laughing/yelling "YES! YES! George muthfucking D!" and then he got on his cell and called Losey to tell him what had just happened. Very interesting.....

You can comment on this post by clicking here.

PEG LEG INTERVIEW

( Jeff Martin by Jay Elling. View it full size here. )

I did this interview with Devil Feil from Peg Leg a few months back. Check it out:

When did Peg Leg start and what was your goal in starting it?

My older brother and I started Peg Leg up in the summer of 04 with no set goal in mind. More than anything it began as a creative outlet and a project to put some time into. I already had an interest in video, and it seemed like fun to learn how to put together a website and manage a small clothing operation.

I know you guys have been working hard on the DVD, how is that coming along and when do you think it'll be out?

Like I mentioned before I always had an interest in video, and thats what I enjoy most about running the company. Getting out filming with the crew and editing the footage really is the fun part for me. I have set a deadline for filming for end of winter and plan to stick to it. Injuries and other hang ups prevented things from moving along quite as fast as we would like to have hoped, but now things are on track and going well. Everyone can expect the video to be out by spring and be on the look out for the trailer sometime shortly beforehand.

Is the video going to be all street? If so, how come you're going in that direction?

Yeah, the dvd will be all street. In short, there is something much more appealing to me about watching people ride outdoors utilizing obstacles not designed specifically to be ridden.

True or false: Street is the best type of riding.

Ride what you enjoy. Street is definitely my favorite though.

What riders were you influenced by during your earlier years riding? Also what videos influenced you?

Certain riders were definitely influential when I began but I think it was particular videos that left more of mark than anything. Domination was the first video I was really hooked on. After that Nowhere Fast, Dont Quit Your Day Job, and Neighborhood Superheroes were watched non-stop til the first Animal video came out. I remember going to the shop hoping the Animal video would be there. Low and behold it was and I went back to my friend Bens house and we ordered pizza and watched that video like 3 times in a row and loved every minute of it. Ells Bells videos, and in particular the Gonz and Ratboy footage were also among my favorites.

How did you guys hook up with Chad for your section in Shook?

It was a last minute decision to get a booth at the Subdivision trade show. I went with some shirts, my computer to play some edits, and a whipped together carboard display for our table. Chads booth for Shook was like 2 down from ours and he happened to come over and watch some of what we were playing. He seemed into what we had filmed and asked if we would be interested in doing a trip or some sort of section with Shook in the future. I kept in touch with him after the tradeshow and shortly thereafter got working on our section for We Are Everywhere.

Have you gotten a good reaction based on it? The riding was pretty crazy in it.

Thanks man, and for the most part the reaction has all been real good towards the section. It was probably the best thing that could happen to Peg Leg at that point in time and I really appreciate Chad giving us that opportunity. We probably werent ready then to take on putting together a full length dvd, and it sort of served as a warm up for our current undertaking.

As a company have you made efforts to get your shirts on sale in stores or are you content just selling them through your website? How difficult have you found it to be getting your brand out there?

I would love to get Peg Leg into more shops out there. Right now we have our stuff available through our online store, Noble BMX up in Canada, Dans Comp Mailorder, and as of recently DFTU over in the UK. It hasnt been the easiest trying to get the brand out there, but at the same time we havent been really focusing on that so much. There has been a greater concentration on getting content up on the site and work towards our dvd. I figure whats the point in getting your clothing into shops if you havent gotten things out there a bit prior. Some people might purchase the shirts based solely on their appearence, but for the most part people want to know what they are supporting.

It seems like a lot of companies try to brand their company as being either a hip hop company or a rock n roll company but you guys don't seem to have a real set style going on. Is that a conscious decision or are you just going with the flow?

We just try to produce clothes that we ourselves would want to buy and wear. I dont feel any need to confine the image of the company to fit within others' categories of style. Ray Kelly, who makes a living as a tattoo artist, has done a good portion of the shirt art here at Peg Leg and that influence has clearly carried over.



( Alex Platt by Jay Elling. View it full size here. )


What is your opinion on the current state of BMX in Boston? How come the riding scene in Boston isn't really very cohesive like the scene in NYC?

I think bmx in boston is on the up. I only lived in boston for about a year and a half, and have visited NYC a handful of times. Maybe things arent so cohesive because Boston is such a college town and a good number of the riders in there are not originally from the area. I dont know enough about what is like in NYC to begin to make a comparison. I do know that Albie Bennet is one Boston native that people will be hearing more about real soon.

You've said online before that you think the new skatepark they are building in Boston is going to fuck up street riding for everyone. Can you elaborate on what your opposition to the park is and why?

I didnt say it would fuck street riding up for everyone. There was a topic about the park online and I was simply giving my 2 cents about what I thought the ultimate impact of the park might be. Well for those who dont know, there are plans in Boston to build giant concrete park similar to Louisville. Boston is already a real bust at times and a park of that scale will obviously bring a hell of a lot more riders to the city. The more people out riding spots the more likely they are to be shutdown. Also with a giant park like that right in the city, the first thing the cops are going to say is that there is no need for you to be riding street anymore. I live like an hour outside the city so it really wont affect me all that much even if Boston was shutdown street wise. Who knows maybe the park will do the exact opposite of what I am thinking, and Boston will be fine with us riding whereever we want.

Who is this Alex Platt dude and what is he thinking doing these huge gaps I keep seeing him doing online?

Alex Platt is a good friend of mine who lives out in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts and has been a big part of Peg Leg from the beginning. I think he was just always psyched on seeing riders like Stricker and Levan firing out high speed gaps and big shit so thats where he took his riding. Alex has been out for a couple months now with a broken wrist but dont count him out from coming through for the Peg Leg DVD.

Check out Peg Leg online here. And add them on Myspace.

6 Questions with Mike Hoder

Like it or not, Mike Hoder is one of the most exciting street riders doing it today. Pretty much every time I see coverage of him it's something crazy and whether you show love or not, everyone's got something to say about him. Peep game:


1) What does the term "came up" mean to you? A lot of people stay hating on the whole concept of it.

To me that shit means came up. If you're coming up on money, drugs, free bikes, shoes, you know anything. That mother fucka came up.

2) Are your pegs gone for good?

Yeah, I think their gone forever. I was never really good with them anyway so why ride them? I can do ten times more tricks without them than I could with them. Pegs are wack!!!!

3) You and Davey Watson both got the cover of Ride within a couple of months of each other. Why is the north west pumping out so many bangers??

Yeah, me and Dwatts were siked on that shit but we gotta just keep it comin' from this point. We also both got 7 page interviews comin out in Ride UK so be ready. And why does the northwest keep having banger after banger, 'cause everyone out here no one really knows about, so we got to just pump them out until the NW blows up. We keepin' our motha fuckin heads up.

4) Blackman told me you and him have a joint-venture popping off called STREET KILLAZ. Can you speak on what that might entail?

Yeah this street killaz thing bouts ta pop off real hard so I suggest everyone watch out for that shit. And I got one thing very important to say, if you're a hater on Blackman that's fucked up 'cause you know he puts in his work and he does bigger and better shit than most of you bitch bike riders out there so quit hatin', punks. Keep it comin', Blackman 'cause I got your back.

5) I don't think many people have got a chance to see it yet, but the Facad video just dropped. Are you happy with how your part came out? What are you working on next? I haven't seen it yet but I'm anxious to.

Yes, of course the Facad video, yeah I'm real happy with how my part came out and the whole video. I just tried to make my part who I am and it worked but I was just fuckin' around in it, but watch out cause I promise my next part is gonna top that by ten. And for other videos I am working on the Goods video, and the "Came Up" video, and the next Facad video........

6) Why does your Myspace have a picture of you punching some kid in the face, in an empty swimming pool with boxing gloves on?

Because out here we have little jams where everyone meets up at a time and just shreds the little skateparks. And then we drink and that turns into boxing each other. But yeah that is a good friend of mine Andrew Carpenter and no one will ever fight him cause he is one crazy ass mother fucker so I did that day and thats how it turned out.

5 Questions with Vinnie Sammon

Responding to Myspace messages is clearly not Vinnie's top priority, but if you give him time ( in this case well over a month, LOL ) he'll usually get back to you. Check it:

1) Can you go on record with the real reason that Blackman got kicked out of the Snoff Shack and everyone kinda stopped hanging with him? Are you still friends with him?

I'm still friends with him and got love for the critter and all that, but he's on his own shit... Blacks a character and I hope he stays out of trouble... Not really my business to air out the personal stuff for people who never met him.

2) What happened to www.merked.com ? It was up for a week or two and seemed really good but the link is down now.

I wanted to do a site for a while... Then a bunch of shit popped off on top of me being a bum. The site went down and the dude doing it was going through some real shit, so I wasn't about to bust his balls about it... It's a cool thing maybe i can contribute to some sites or some shit... The grimaldo video on Youtube and Russ thing on Defgrip were supposed to be my first pieces of 'content'... this was like 4 months ago. Haha.

3) You took off 2 of your pegs after many years and have been doing some cool shit like Derek Dustering the Banks rail and doing that weird crooked feeble thing on the benches off water street... why'd you decide to switch your set-up up?

I like grinds... I always switch it up and fuck with the pedal and pegless shit... I wish i could learn crank arm slides, but that trick shows me no love... I still don't know if i can do derek dusters or if I just hold on for the ride.. It's a bizarre trick.

5) What is everyone who was living at the shack doing now? I know you're back in Jersey and hear Ed's in Philly or something.

Me and bob are in jersey chillin'... Rone and Ed are still in BK, and Jerry is a mama's boy back in the bronx... Polito the chicken got adopted by some lady on the block... We're all still boys.. It was seriously the best times of my life... It was nonstop with general laziness and people just chillin'... I got stories for days... I hope some other heads get a BMX house going in Brooklyn so I can come through and leave trash everywhere and clog the toilet... Haha.

6) I heard you were getting mistaken for an undercover cop while living in Brooklyn, haha, true or false?

It's true... I never really got fucked with living out there. I'm a big white dude in baggy clothes looking for shit at 3 am... That's every undercover cop in Brooklyn for the most part haha... I was always the white kid growing up so I'm used to the bullshit... The DTEK, b...

6 QUESTIONS WITH BRIAN VOWELL

I've interviewed a lot of riders that I look up to in the time I've spent doing this site, but you really can't fuck with BV. Pretty much everyone shows dude respect and he definetly deserves it. Check it:

1) What have you been up to? You kind of fell out of the public eye a few years back.

I've been working a lot... trying my best to be a good husband and father. I still ride a day or two a week, but it's definitely slowed down a little for me.... most of my spare time these days is spent with my lovely wife and son.

2) Did you have a falling out with Standard? Are you involved with them in any way now?

NO... not at all. Standard and I are just fine. I just needed a change at the time, and I thought that Rick was pretty cool about it. I really owe a lot to him for doing so much for me over the years... it goes way back. Standard was the first sponsor that I had that actually allowed me to travel to comps and demos and such... still love the products and I still have some SBC stuff on my bike right now...

3) You were one of the firt guys to come out doing a ton of hang 5's all over skateparks, now we see a lot more of that, usually with no front brakes, do you feel like you helped to usher in the change of everyone doing everything on their back wheel to people doing front wheel stuff too?

Man... I KNEW this one was coming... I would like to think that I had "something" to do with bringing on the hang 5 stuff, but I think it would have happened anyways... with the way this sport progresses in so many crazy ways, it was bound to happen... I love watching the no-brake guys do stuff because it's so much harder that way... most people don't realize that. Props to those guys. Either way, it's just a fun trick, and I'm psyched to see them more and more these days.

4) Are you still sponsored by Etnies or any other companies?

Yeah... I'm still currently riding for Etnies and UGP. I do get a lot of help from MACNEIL these days... as well as SHADOW CONSPIRACY and ODYSSEY... I really can't thank them enough... they have all been so great to me.

5) How old is your son now and how has raising him been? Would you say it has been more or less difficult than you expected? Any plans for more kids?

OH BOY YOU'VE DONE IT NOW! Raising my son thus far has been the absolute highlight of my life. There is absolutey no way to put into words the feelings that your child can bring about. Preston is about 2 1/2 now, and I would have to say that it's been pretty easy for both me and my wife (beautiful Stacy) to handle him... Every day with him it's a new word, or a new facial expression, he's always full of surprises. We may have another one, but not anytime in the immediate future...

6) What's the last thing you learned on your bike that really made you excited?

The last time I was REALLY psyched is when I pulled that 360 to hang 5 over the street spine in my run at the roots contest... that was the first one I ever pulled, and It was first try... IN MY RUN! I bet I tried that damn trick 500 times... blew out 3 front tires... I knew it would happen sooner or later... I get just as excited when friends do new stuff too. I'm just like that.

-------------------------

If you've got any more questions, leave them in the comments and I'll try to get him to answer them in a future installment ( even though he's pretty insanely busy ).

Greg Walsh Interview

If you don't know who Greg Walsh is, you will after reading part one of this interview. Part two is coming soon, hit me in the comments with any questions you might have for him.

1) What's your name, how old are you and where were you born?

Greg Walsh, I’m 31, and I was born in Syracuse, NY

2) What came first, BMX or hardcore? How did you get into both?

BMX came first. I started riding at 11 after a kid in our neighborhood showed me how to wheelie and jump curbs on my Ross leisure bike. I saved up money and begged my parents and later that year got a BMX.

As for music, I went to a couple weird metal shows with this kid Rory and his older sister in 8th grade. At a Testament show I got a flyer for an Overkill show that DRI also played. I took a bus to Rochester to see it, and that was that… I loved DRI, and within a few months I had seen Sick of it All, Excel, Slapshot, Judge, Danzig, etc. mostly at this club called Backstreets. I made a friend in 9th grade named Jay Zeller who was into hardcore, and after I had a partner in crime we took the bus to Rochester to buy records and go to shows constantly. I guess for “scene points” I can say that I started going to “shows” in 1989.

3) Was Primo your first job in BMX? How did that come about?

Nope. I got recruited to work at Primo after working at Kink in Rochester for a few years. Before that, I worked in a skateshop in Rochester and put a BMX area in there. It didn’t do very well because there weren’t too many riders, but it created a cool little scene. When Zack decided to bring Kink back to Rochester, I started working there. I cold-called 3,000 shops one winter, and that was at a time when normal shops didn’t give a shit about BMX, so explaining to them why they needed durable (and expensive…) aftermarket parts from a company they had never heard of was tough.
I met Brian Castillo on Road Fools 2, we got to be friends, and when a position opened up at Primo/ Tip, he asked me to come out. I went out to visit, took the job, and started working there on January 10th of 1999.

4) What happened leading up to you being fired from Primo? You were there for a long time and I think in a lot of people's eyes, solidified it as a strong brand.

I’ll give you the slightly abridged version so no vert riding Canadians get their feelings hurt… Colvin, the uninterested, money-laundering schiester that owns Tip and Primo, hired, as he usually did, a completely inept employee for the important job of general manager. The guys name was Henry Chen, and he was literally the worst person that I’ve EVER dealt with, ever, and I’ve had some fucked up jobs and dealt with some fucked up people. The guy had total small man’s syndrome, and tried to play that “employees best friend” shit, when really he was just a lackey that delivered the messages Colvin was too much of a pussy to deliver himself. The guy started mistreating our vendors at Tip, who were my friends, mistreating our staff, and screwing with everything from our production, to our advertising, etc.

He was making our already hard job WAY harder, and so I treated him like the useless dick that he was. I would shush him, and wave him out of my office, mention in meetings that he was unqualified for his job, and so on. If authority has respect for me, I have respect for them, but he was a detriment to the company, compromising relationships I had worked for years to build, and frankly, was only there because he fit the, uh, “special qualifications” that Colvin had for his office/ management staff - ALL of those things made it impossible for me to respect him. Around that same time, one of our vendors at Tip was playing bullshit strong-arm games, being ridiculously demanding, underperforming sales-wise, etc. and we were going to drop them from the distribution. The owner of the brand freaked out when he didn’t get his way, and sent several maligning emails about me to Colvin and Henry (I still have them…) and also tattle-taled on me for a bunch of stuff that was irrelevant to the company and my job there, but provided the perfect excuse, along with the untruths in the emails, for them to fire me. So that’s what they did.

5) Taj and Joe showed a lot of loyalty to you by dropping Primo as a sponsor as soon as you were fired. Did you expect them to make that decision?

I worked really closely with all the brands at Tip, and most of the team guys, but Taj and Joe were the one’s that I’d been through the most with. When we brought T1 to Tip, it took a lot of work, and we got to be really close during that time. I was honored that they left the team when I left the company, but what was a much bigger deal was that they immediately pulled T1 out of Tip Distribution. THAT was a step of faith. I had mixed feelings, because I didn’t want them or their brand to suffer by leaving, but at the same time, I was grateful that they stuck up for me.

6) In one of the issues of 411 I remember you made some comments about Snafu ordering all their parts from Taiwan, which led to McGoo basically calling you out on the Snafu site ( correct me if I’m messing this story up ). Did you regret making those comments ever?

No. Just to be clear- I was in no way making a statement about Taiwan, it was about Harold and “his” brand. Primo and Coalition both order most of their products from Taiwan, and the people we work with over there are great.

Harold used his high I.Q. to write some shit on the Snafu site that my friend and our engineer Joe responded to and I never even read, and then he proceeded to mock me in several ads. His “piece de resistance” was a fake interview with Sean McKinney that he wrote with his ego maniac sidekick Chris Moeller. They put it in an S&M catalog a few years ago. It made fun of the work I did at Primo, our contests, the fact that I believed in that “straightedge hardcore bullshit”, talked about how little my dick is, and so on. Brilliant stuff.

It was no surprise coming from little Harold, but fuck, I’d been an S&M customer literally since they started, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t suck to have a childhood idol malign me in print. I talked to Chris about it, and being the spineless pussy that he is, he denied any involvement in front of his entire staff, even though there was information to the contrary.

7)If you saw McGoo right now, how high would the tension level be?

To say there would be tension would imply that I feel in some way that Harold could physically or mentally harm me, which he can’t. Even though I’m quite used to criticism, the stuff he wrote sucked, but all it did was prove what I initially thought about him.

Of course I’ve seen him here and there, and he scurries away just as I’d expect of someone that useless and pitiful. The only reason him or Moeller are still waking up warm is that I had the discretion to call off the dogs when the not-so-nice people that know and respect me read the shit they wrote. They should be sending me thank you cards and chocolates.

8) What made you want to start Coalition? You've been around for a few years now, do you feel like you've accomplished what you wanted to so far?

Well, I feel that when Primo was running on all cylinders that it was really, really good. Even at its’ best, there were things that, logistically, we could never get done right. The company was too big to pay attention to certain things, and those things are what really give a brand its identity. I wanted to do Coalition because I knew we could offer something image-wise and visually that wasn’t out there already. There were also a bunch of guys that had some great product ideas and concepts that would never have come to me at Primo. As far as what I’ve wanted to accomplish so far, it’s a mixed bag. We have so many great international distributors, more than I ever expected, but we’ve also had some product setbacks that I would certainly not have chosen. Overall, I’m happy with where we are, and know that we’ll grow a lot in the next year or so.

9) I've heard kids say online that they expected Coalition to maybe be out there a little bit more. I guess people think you've been somewhat quiet, do you think that's accurate and if so has it been intentional?

I agree with that statement. We definitely have not blown ourselves out coverage-wise. That is somewhat intentional. We are a privately owned company, and we have financial limitations that most “larger” parts companies don’t have, so I didn’t want to blow our wad on advertising and promotions, and not have the capital to keep the parts in stock. If we’re not selling parts, we can’t do anything, so that has to be top priority for the first few years of the company.
Once we’re on steadier ground, then you’ll start to see us in all the conventional channels. We’re not going anywhere, and I am a believer in “slow and steady wins the race.”

10) Has the Coalition team changed at all since you first started? I remember it being noticeably huge when it was first announced.

It’s changed a little bit. The fact that it was so big was due to three things: there were guys who were displaced at Primo/Tip that I wanted on the team, there were other guys I was stoked on and wanted to work with, and there were the guys that are my friends and that I wanted on the team because they rule.

We’ve added a few guys, and a few guys have changed direction but are still good friends.

11) What is your involvement with hardcore like these days? Do you still go to a lot of shows? What bands keep you excited about it...

I go in spurts of “involvement”, I guess. One way we’re constantly involved is that we sponsor bands and put on shows through Hell on Earth. Hell on Earth is a clothing line we do, and we give stuff to a handful of really great bands- Terror, Ringworm, Achilles, Lamb of God, Psyopus, The Red Death, Walls of Jericho. We are still selling Hell on Earth through fairly limited sales channels, so a lot of the kids that see the bands wearing the gear probably can’t find it, but we’re working on that all the time. My brother has put on several shows this year under the Hell on Earth moniker, and I have been booking shows under it since 1995.

I go to shows when I feel like I can handle the sociology experiment that the scene is now. I don’t want to sound like one of those “back in the day…” guys, but it is sometimes really hard to take all the fucking petty bullshit these kids are worrying about. All the complaining at the top of their lungs just doesn’t sound that sincere when they’re either dolled up in some nerdy outfit, or acting like a fucking prick to everyone, or preaching about something on stage that there is NO WAY a 21 yr old can have a grasp on…

Music-wise, I like the angry stuff- the world is not a happy place, and the music I listen to reflects that. I’m up and down the spectrum when it comes to hardcore. As long as it’s got passion and emotion behind it, I can appreciate it. Bands can’t fake that stuff, so I can tell pretty much right away if I have any interest at all. I hope that doesn’t make me sound like a snob.
For example, I really like Tragedy, and the next record I listen to might be Dying Breed from Troy, NY. Those aren’t bands that share many fans, but when you break it all down, they’re both angry at society and distraught and have been fucked over and they channel it into some brutal music. They might not sit down and have a beer together in the real world, but in MY world, they do.

I love Nick Cave; I think he’s a fucking genius. Danzig up to the 4th record, and Samhain too. Nobody can ever replicate what those guys do.