1.25.09. SHAC 7 BENEFIT in NJ. Asbury Lanes.

The SHAC 7 Benefit show is coming up this Sunday. 10 bands for $12. Raffles, great cause, good vibes.
Please come out and support this event so we can do more in the future.
See you there. Peace.

MIKE VALLELY. 4 OLD VIDEO PARTS.

In 1992 Mike Vallely and Ed Templeton started TV skateboards or TELEVISION.
This is the 1992 promo. Notice the first part is from my home town at our local park from the early 90's. Brick was much cooler in the early 90's for the simple fact of that parks existence.

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The footage is from NEW DEAL's 1991 video 1281. One on Mike's best video parts in my opinion. Skating to Dan O'Mahoney's (of NO FOR AN ANSWER/SPEAK fame)band 411.
That's all I gotta say. Watch the part, it speaks for it self.

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World Industries infamous first video...RUBBISH HEAP. 1990.

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This is from SPEED FREAK's which came out in 1989. Mike had already left Powell Peralta and helped form World Industries with Steve Rocco and Rodney Mullen. Mike is riding his famous Farm House deck. Skating to "Freak Scene" by skater loved grungy indie rockers Dinosaur Jr.

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BAD BRAINS. THE DOCUMENTARY.

Anyone who knows me even semi well knows I love the BAD BRAINS. In fact they are one of my all time favorite bands...ever! The Bad Brains had it's initial roots in the late 70's as a jazz-fusion group dubbed MIND POWER. After hearing some punk records they decided to apply the skill they had as musicians to making punk rock at double the speed and 5 times the intensity. Later coupled with their devout Rastafarian beliefs, insane live show, Frontman HR's unpredictable and what many may call "strange" nature and a sound all their own Bad Brains became arguably one of the most important rock bands of the last 3 decades. The reach can be felt in many bands. From Jane's Addiction to the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Fishbone, Deftones, Sublime, Beastie Boys and many others. BAD BRAINS plain and simple are the real shit!
A documentary film on the BAD BRAINS is currently in the works. Judging by this teaser footage this is going to be amazing.
Bad Brains_teaser

Heiroglyphics. A New Era. 1.20.09

Everyone that is really into buying cd's and dvd's knows they drop on Tuesdays. It's Monday night and tomorrow is the release date of HEIROGLYPHICS new full length "A New Era". It's a reacourring theme in most of the shit I write. The connection between Hip Hop, Punk, Metal...just all real music and Skateboarding. I first heard Del from a kid in my class in High School. Then through a skate video, namely 411 (it felt like they were in every video for like a year) I heard Soul's of Mischief. For many 93' Till Infinity was the hip hop skate soundtrack that year. You heard those songs in your head when you skated. The summer of 2003 I was living out in California, playing music and working at a Virgin Megastore. I picked this up from work when it came in. I got a lot of good Hip Hop there that summer...back to the point. I picked Heirolyphics new record Full Circle up while working there and it and is one of the best Hip Hop albums of the decade album, front to back. Heiroglyphics is Del, Souls of Mischief crew (Phesto, Tajai, Opio and A-Plus. Heiro is all the above as well as Casual, Domino and Pep Love (pick up Pep Love. Acension).
I've been waiting for a new record to take my head off like Full Circle did in 2003. So it goes without saying.

1.20.09. HEIROGLYPHICS "A NEW ERA"

THE MIKE VALLELY INTERVIEW.

Being from New Jersey Mike Valley was always the man in my eyes. He had a raw style, attack and bag of tricks all his own. He is arguably the first pro "Street Skater" (at the time...for lack of a better term) to make it from New Jersey which made him an idol to many. When I was a kid, I'll be the first to admit...Mike was like a God to me. Now as an adult I look at Mike as a great inspiration. Someone who has followed his dreams and lived them out. Not many people have the balls to do that and Mike continues to pursue life with the vigor of a wide eyed teen ager. Heading towards 40 Mike still destroys on a skate on any terrain put before him. He is a family man, a touring musician, Hockey player and someone who no matter what the naysayers had to offer continues to walk his own path in the world of Skateboarding and beyond.


It's been almost 6 years since the last time I've interviewed and as per usual with you, you have a ton of shit going on. So the first thing I want to touch on is the root of it all for you which I would suspect is Skateboarding. It's insane because when I was a kid it seemed there was no life for a skater passed 25 let alone 35 but it seems you just keeping going. You have worked hard and have been blessed to be one of the few who have made a solid career for almost over 2 decades.So my question is where are you at now with 2008 coming to a close with Skateboarding?

Thanks man. Yeah, I've been doing this a long time but you know I still love it and value it as much as the day I started. The actual act of riding and what I get out of it and what it means to me has never changed. Professionally, through the years, I've been up and down, championed and shit on -- that's just the way it goes, especially when you don't play by the rules. I just try to find a way to participate and be a link in the chain every step of the way and I don't really pay much mind to what the industry is churning out. I'm too busy and too focused on my own skating, on my own projects.

Last time we spoke at length it was after a Mike V and The Rats show you had played with Greg Ginn, I believe in Santa Monica. I dug The Rats stuff but I have to say Revolution Mother is a huge progression and I'm glad to see the band is doing so well for you. What are the plans for the band this upcoming year. Record releases, touring, etc???

I think 2009 will be a good year for Revolution Mother for sure. We will start recording a new record in January and hope to have it out by late spring where we will begin touring the world in support of that record. We feel primed after almost two years of touring to really make a great record and be able to support it with a rocking show that no one in attendance will forget.

Now in addition to Skateboarding and Music you have all this other stuff happening. Man, you are like a fucking machine. I heard you etched a deal with The Anaheim Ducks and it's pretty well known you are a pretty big hockey fan and player. What exactly is the deal and how did that come about?

I'm not a machine, just an intensified and inspired individual. I believe we only get one time around in this life and I'm not about to waste a minute of it. I get up early and I give it my all across the board all day long. You know, I just love life and I go about staying in love with life by doing what I want to do and pursuing my passions. Hockey is and has been a great passion of mine and from that this relationship with the=2 0Ducks has formed. Being a Ducks fan, one thing lead to another where I now have a mini-reality style TV show that airs on Ducks broadcasting, I do a blog on their website and I am coming out with a cobranded line of apparel with the Ducks and Element that will be sold exclusively at the Ducks Team Store at the Honda Center in Anaheim. On top of all of that I am pursuing playing in a professional hockey game or games in the ECHL or with any league that will take me.



Alright man, as if all this wasn't enough you got in a movie Mall Cop. I've seen the trailer and it looks pretty damn funny. When is the movie coming out, how was the whole experience and do you plan on doing any more acting ventures in the future?

Paul Blart: Mall Cop starring Kevin James hits theaters on January, 16. It was a great experience working on the film and I feel like it's going to be a really good, well received movie. I feel great about my role and work in the film and I can't wait to see it. I definitely plan on pursuing more acting and stunt work in the future, I found it agreeable with me for sure.

What about the wrestling, you were going hard with that for a while and imagine somewhat like skateboarding it has to be pretty brutal on the body. Is that something you are still doing or has that been put to the side with all these new projects?

I haven't wrestled in a long time. It was something I did at a certain level at a certain time just to do it. I would definitely wrestle again, I still love and watch and am a fan of professional wrestling. If I could work with the WWE at some point I would drop everything and do it.

I was watching the Drive dvd and noticed when you were in Africa you were eating what looked like meat. Yourself, Ed Templeton, the influence of hardcore music and Eastern Philosophy turned me onto vegetarianism in 1991. But the first initial thought of it was when I heard you were and at that point it was almost something I had never heard of. I was just wondering is that a dietary choice you still follow somewhat or have you decided it no longer makes sense for you at this point in your life?

I've been eating meat since 1999. I would say I have a pretty well balanced diet at this point in my life and that although I eat animal products I'm still a very conscientious eater, maybe even more so then when I was a vegetarian. I was a vegetarian since 1988 and a vegan for several years but those dietary choices were more like religious subscriptions than dietary or health decisions. When the hold of the cult of vegetarianism got old for me my diet changed and I think and feel in many ways it's personally for the better. The vegetarian diet never actually agreed with me physically so it was a very hard thing to maintain for nearly 11 years.




When we spoke in 2003 it was post 9-11 and the country was in a pretty crazy state. I thought you had a lot of thoughtful things to say in reference to the political and social climate that was present at that point in the United States. I'm curious how you are feeling now with Bush finally exiting the White House, Barak Obama entering and all the challenges this country now faces?

Politics absolutely bore the hell out of me. I don't really value the people, processes or propaganda associated with any of it. I don't care who the president is, I don't care what the political or social climate is, I don't have time for the rat race -- not one ounce of my energy gets spent on any of it anymore. I'm more interested in true freedom, true liberation and I don't see politics as an answer. No government, so system and no political or religious ideal can solve any of our problems. It all comes down to the individual. I'm only interested in individual revolution -- that's the only thing that matters.

Ok those were to serious questions in a row. Maybe I need to lighten the mood a bit. Mike, tell me about the insane hair growth. You went full on gnar rock star with it. You got the Hesh hair and beard going on. You were always the dude with the shaved head. What prompted the hair farming?

I broke my leg three years ago and I was laid up for awhile, the hair just started growing. But more so, I just wanted and needed a change. Just when you think you've got me figured out... well, I go and change it up.

How is the family doing? Everyone knows you are a solid family man and for us fathers out here you are an inspiring guy. You have a ton of creative things going down but you still maintain the family. How do you do it because I imagine it can be hard.

The most important thing is being consistent. The same energy and passion I put into my skating and music or whatever it is I'm doing -- I put that same energy and passion or more so into my home life. Beyond that, I have an amazing wife who covers for me and who supports me and believes in me. It's really not hard at all -- or I don't look at it that way. This is my life, these are choices I made, I embrace each moment and give it my all, nothing hard about that, that's just my life, that's just what is required of me.


So that's all I have for you today. Any last words, shouts, etc?
Thanks for the time my friend, it's appreciated.


Mike I wish you a great 2009 man. Thanks for the interview and 20 years of inspiration.

Thank you.

THE BELMAR SKATE CREW. 1995. NJ, Philly, NYC.

You may have seen this video as I know I have posted it on my previous Blog DESTROY BABYLON. I'm putting it here for archive purposes and for that fact that once in a while I enjoy watching it.
It takes me back to a simpler time when you could work all day, then drive to the city of your choice and skate till 2 am. Get home @ 4 am, hit work the next morning and do it all again.
We had some great times. But I'm not living in the past. I still skate today, not like I did when I was 25 but I still get out there and do what I can do at 35. The point is just to do it for the reason you fucking started, to have fun and be creative.
The skaters in this video are Don Binaco, Myself (Shawn Zappo), Brian Binaco and a very young Tim Plunket (1 Trick).
Enjoy.

THE GAVIN VAN VLACK INTERVIEW. PART 1.

Gavin Van Vlack is arguably one of the most creative and influential guitarists to come out of the New York Hardcore Scene of the late 80's early 90's. Playing in many bands from the Young Republicans to Side by Side, New York Hoods, Absolution, Burn, Die 116, Pry and Big Collapse...Gavin has been creating music longer than some of his fans have been alive. The first time I got to see Gavin crush on stage with a guitar was with Burn in 1991. I was already a huge fan of Absolution and Burn was the next evolution of that vibe, I would blast a cassette recording of the 7" in gym class and people didn’t know what to think. For the time the shit was some of the harshest shit out. Still to this day Burn stands the test of time as many hardcore records get filed in the “forgettable” section. Recently Gavin did a reunion show with Absolution at the Knitting Factory in NYC and they were amazing. The show had an eclectic mix of people and you could fell those old vibes that made hardcore such an amazing force in the past.


I met with Gavin in August and we sat down at a local spot in Brooklyn and had an hour long conversation. Gavin always had an intimidating aura while on stage but face to face he is one of the most down to earth, chill cats I have met in recent years.
I’m glad to have had the chance to chat with him and I hope we hear more from him and his Les Paul in the future. Be on the look for a few more Absolution shows coming up in the near future. I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did.
Peace.




How did you get involved with playing music?

Music was always there, when I was brought up as a kid music was always around the house. There were always instruments. There was always a guitar around the house and it was never “Don’t touch my guitar”. It was something to play around with. Kids are inherently drawn to rhythm. If you put a baby around something with a beat you’ll see they’ll start to move and that’s just how I was as a kid. I was fascinated by it. I’ve always been one those people who wanted a little bit more and I was raised in Vermont, New Hampshire where there was always a little bit less. I’m not saying that to dis on Vermont, New Hampshire but I was one of those people who was like, “What’s next???” What’s the next thing? There was always this void I was trying to fill and music did it. First it was music. Then it was Rock! The earliest stuff for me was Glen Campbell and that was fucking glamorous to me. My first live show and it was accidental was Waling Jennings and it was at a Roadhouse spot he would play all the time. They were up on stage and people loved them. I gotta be real, that was a draw to it. People always think and talk about music...and I try to keep it as real as possible because it is an art form and I do look at it like that. But when you are a kid at that age and you see these people...you’re like WOW! Like Kiss cause back then...not this new Kiss that came up in the past decade but the real Love Gun, that era Kiss. There was that fantastic bigger then life Kiss. Kiss, Alice Cooper. One of the most monumental albums in my life was Pink Floyd’s The Wall. Even though that is one of the most anti-rock rock records ever.

There was just so much stuff. Black Sabbath. Early Ozzy Osbourne with Randy Rhodes because I cannot stomach anything after that. When he turned into the soccer mom, that whole shit I didn’t acknowledge. People can be like, “Gavin is being a snob again” but the Randy Rhodes era stuff is the quintessential Ozzy Osbourne. That was the real shit that made him and the other shit was ehhhhhhhhhh.

I grew up in Vermont and it was a slate mining town and there really wasn’t anything there. I remember being into AC/DC and people calling that punk rock. Lord forbid when I found out about The Ramones, X, Spizz and what was really punk rock back then. Circle Jerks! Oh forget it! You may as well call it a day, write 666 on your forehead because you are punk rock. You jumped around on glass and all this shit. To me it was so much different. I am an iconoclast by nature and I’m not saying that so that Gavin is Mr. Different. No! I’m trendy. I’m super fucking trendy because when everyone follows one path I’m garunteed to walk the other way. I’m absolutley predictable. An iconoclast is. Where not that different, we just don’t want to follow the same path. I feel ridiculous bringing up that word because I’ve used it for a long time. Now I guess it’s a big ad campaign for a shoe company which it is, it’s just funny.
But yeah that was it. Music got me into music. Music...honestly. But then it was the fantastic that really kept me there. That was the thing with Kiss, you saw this big rock show and there was that dark side that was introduced through punk rock. Stuff like that. It was like...ahhhhhhhhh, this is cool. This is real friggin’ cool! These guys don’t care, they are playing balls out and it was beautiful. It was absolutley beautiful.

When did you get to NYC?

We moved down to the city in 1981. My mom had cancer, they moved to the suburbs because they realized it wasn’t smart to take a kid who was originally raised in the swamp and throw him in the ghetto. I got into some trouble real quick. Then I moved upstate and went to school up in Westchester. I was always coming down to the city because that’s where all the shows were.
I was constantly between NYC and Stanford/Norwalk. Everyone remembers it is as the Anthrax but I remember when the Anthrax was in Stanford and the Sheridan Brothers owned it. It was a basement of an Art Gallery they ran next to an abandoned gas station. I remember seeing the Chilli Peppers there on their first tour. 7 Seconds would play there on the regular. It was like they lived in the next town they were there so much. Then all the great CT. Bands that were out at the time...Vatican Commando’s, Violent Children, Reflex from Pain, 76% Uncertain...there were so many great bands. CT. Punk rock bands are almost completely unknown now and many were groundbreaking bands. At that point it was the whole east coast corridor from D.C. to Boston. Everyone talks about the violence, this, that and the other thing. I want to talk about the bands! I want to talk about Eye for an Eye, Wrecking Crew, Swiz...all the bands...there are so many. Bands that people don’t even remember anymore. God, just think about the Pagan Babies from Philly! They were really out there and is I like to put it “On the Tar”. We were out there playing from town to town. I don’t care if you can set us up in your basement, We’ll play! That was a really big part of it. I got down to NYC in 1981. So I was a young kid. One of the first things I remember seeing was John Golden/Wrecking Machine in this denim jacket, 7 inch nails sticking out of it. I was thinking, “Oh my Lord, this guys is scary”. He was a huge kid and he was Jewish. Back then there was a contingency of White Power Skinheads and John didn’t take any shit. He was very vocal and combatant to all that stuff. I remember seeing guys like him and Vic Venom who was the guitar player from Nausea. I remember the first time I saw Vic he had this Venom jacket which was just the most awesome thing in the world, he had soaked out hair and it was just like he was the coolest guy in the world. He was one of the best punk rock musicians... actually he is one of the best musicians I’ve ever known in general. The guy can play anything and make it sound amazing. He just has always been able to do that. He is a very humble, humble, humble cat on top of that, which is pretty hard to find. For some of us punk rock hardcore kids, we’ve taken this style of music and we just think we are the shit. We think we are fucking amazing...God bless us and Fuck us!


What was the first band you played in?

First band I ever played in was around 1983 with John Porcelly from Youth of Today, Sam Collins who runs a production company on the West Coast now. He does production and mixing for a lot of Alt/Art type groups. Everyone knows Porcell from Youth of Today, Judge and Shelter. The band was called the Young Republicans, we used to play the Anthrax. We played aq bunch of High School parties and stuff like that. That was the really legitimate first hardcore band I did. It was generic three cord hardcore but the reason they liked me was I had started playing guitar a long time ago and I had a very, very metal influence. I saw Metallica on the “Kill em All” tour. I saw Raven, I saw Anthrax when the first singer Neil was with them. I was a metal kid! Metal kids...we became Hardcore kids. But metal kids...we basically sat in our bedrooms and practiced a lot and got really fucking good and that was kinda it. We were nerds!
We listened to records religiously and learned them note for fucking note. I don’t even think I’m a fraction of how technically good I was between the ages of 16 and 19. Then from 19 to 24 I got really out there and really weird. I consider that a different type of good but not the technical prowess I once had. I think my song writing ability is much better as I realize I don’t need to play as much now to put something across. But at that point it was like “Let’s get this guy, he is outstanding” and it was great. I was playing with this band, I was the best musician in the band but they much cooler then I was. Porcell went to the most un-punk High School in the world....John Jay. He was a punk rock kid but I remember seeing him because he played football. He had taken his pads off and underneath he was wearing a Sex Pistols shirt. I was like this guys is so fucking cool, he is riding both sides of the fence. Porcell was always that guy. Ever since I’ve known him he has been that guy. Super even keel, super sweet, super honest...a real Human Being! There was a point when my mother had passed away and I was living from place to place and Porcell used to sneak me into his parents house. I would sleep on the floor next to his bed until his Pop “The Big V” caught me and kicked me out at 2am. Porcell has always been a really good friend and always looked out. So yeah..the Young Republicans was the the first legit hardcore band I was ever in.

(More coming soon, be on the look. This is about 13 minutes of an hour interview. Much more to come!)