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o the start of something new has come. You have probably already noticed the changes since the last edition, the biggest change of all being the name itself. From NRRGG to Niva Magazine. We have chopped and changed, laughed and cried for the past month, but we are definitely pleased at how the new magazine has turned out! Making us smile the most would be the X Section, which is focused at extreme sports such as skating and surfing.
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he Niva Magazine has just recently launched it’s Facebook page, support us in promoting the Cape Town scene by giving us a visit.
See you at The Big Day Out! :-) Nick Owen What is life without giving something back right? If you are keen to hook up a Stones tee, MFE tee, Ed Hardy Energy Drinks, 2 tickets to the Newtown Knife Gang album launch and 2 tickets to The Ed Hardy Energy Drink Big Day Out, simply like us on Facebook and tell us in a post why you should get this awesome bunch of prizes valued at over R700.00! www.facebook.com/nivamagazine
With the recent success of the Johannesburg based band Newtown Knife Gang, we decided to get on the bus and bring you the official Cape Town album launch. If you still don't know who they are, turn a few pages and read the article on them. Niva and Ed Hardy Energy Drink have teamed up to bring you The Big Day Out which will be hosted at Klein Libertas in Stellenbosch on 11 February. The line up is insane with bands and entertainment planned to begin at 2pm. Get your early bird tickets now, you wont regret it! Niva has signed a couple of new booking contracts with Reburn, Silent Side and Obsessie Met Als. Check these bands out on Facebook and keep updated on all their upcoming gigs.
Founded a little over a year ago by the core of the leading South African rock band 16stitch, the remaining band members conceptualized the band based on their past experiences in the music industry. The addition of ex-We Shall Embrace singer Spencer Martin upfront, brings a youthful, energetic and powerful edge to this already established musical force. 16stitch rocked the airwaves and headlined stadiums from 2003 until 2008, raising the bar for existing rock acts and bringing in a fresh new sonic that ultimately paved the way for many bands that emulated their unique approach. With a phenomenally talented line-up of musicians, it was not long after the group’s demise that the members would find themselves exploring new musical paths and stepping back into the rock limelight. In the two years that Newtown Knife Gang has been writing and producing their repertoire, they have secured a record deal with Electromode, home to HeuwelsFantasties and Jack Parow amongst others, signed with over 40 online music stores and secured themselves a comfortable place in the future of SA rock. Their first two singles, Listen and Read Between the Lines, have received extensive airplay on many radio stations around the country. We chatted to drummer Nick about what’s next for Newtown Knife Gang.
Q: Hey man, introduce yourself to our readers. A: Nick Argyros, I am the Executive producer at my company “INJOZI “and I play the drums and sometimes the drunk. Q: Tell us how 16stitch became Newtown Knife Gang. A: 16stitch called it quits a while ago. So, instead of standing around and getting drunk all day, we decided that maybe we should just start a new band. So, I went out and stole Spencer (our vocalist) from some other band and started writing our debut album! And, here we are! Q: Now that you’ve released your album, what is the next goal for the band? What are you working towards now? A: We are playing some awesome shows this year. Touring the album, playing Ramfest with Inflames. We are planning to tour overseas and we are also shooting the video for our 3rd single “Taste Goodbye”, so there is a lot going on for us this year.
Q: How does it feel that first time you hear your song play on 5FM? A: Always feels good to hear your songs on radio…it makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside.
attainable). What are yours? A: I also like to keep it simple and attainable ……. drink more, then maybe drink a little more…have more fun! Maybe smoke less.
Q: Do you guys really consider yourselves to be a “gang”? How do we join your gang? Do you have a secret handshake? A: Hell yes! Well, first you need to have facial hair and weight over 120kg’s to even be considered. An extensive knowledge on beer, whiskey and karate is also essential. You were joking about the secret hand shake …right?
Q: Do you have a lot of friends and family members asking you for tickets to shows and festivals? Do you give it to them? A: Only if they behave.
Q: How do you choose which songs on an album to release as singles? A: We normally just put all the song names in a hat and pick 4 of them. It’s a pretty easy process. Then Gareth will say something stupid….. then Gareth gets hit in the face…and we stay with the 4 songs we originally chose. Q: My New Year’s resolutions are to drink more light beer and light wine and to go to the beach more often (I like to keep it simple and
Q: If you had to be in any other gang, which one would it be? A: I’d like to be in a gang of Bitches! A gang of HOT bitches! We could call ourselves “Nick and the hot bitches” …hmmm, that might be the name of a 70’s porno. Q: Van Coke Kartel are doing a cover of Maniac in their live performances. Which 80s song would you add to your set-list? A: The 80’s …hmmm…all the cheese in the world to choose from. 2 Unlimited were from the 90’s (crap)…hmmm anything by the Pet Shop Boys! They were the best ever.
By Ciska Esterhuizen
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Who is Dans Dans Lisa? We are Deon Meiring and Bouwer Bosch. Both of us work in music full time with other projects including some production of music videos for other artists. We just bought a pop corn maker which is keeping us entertained in our free time. How did the band start? We've known each other through our other bands, and both of us studied in Potch. We were doing more and more MC gigs and little campus events together when we decided we wanted to start something that was different from what we've already been doing. How are Dans Dans Lisa, Straatligkinders & Glaskas connected? Who plays in which bands, and what do the names of the different bands represent? How did the names come about? We started DDL to do something that tried to move away from the full-band electric sound, to take on a new kind of challenge. Dans Dans Lisa just sounded cool, it doesn't mean anything, although we've decided to name our Glockenspiel (mxylophone-like toy instrument) Lisa. Straatligkinders apparently have some roots with street lights turning on or off as Bouwer passes them. Glaskas is a metaphor for using music to break through the glass that is keeping us from engaging with the bigger visible realities. Where is the band situated? Where was the band formed? Currently we live in Centurion, Gauteng. We formed the band in Potchefstroom. Which are the bands favorite SA artists? We love what Bittereinder is doing. We also have a certain soft spot for Leanie May since some fans think that Deon is related to her because of his blonde hair. Has DDL played festivals? If yes, which ones? We've played at Aardklop, KKNK, Vryfees (Bloemfontein), Gariepfees (Kimberley) and Dolosfees (Richardsbay) How many releases do DDL have? We only have one album out at the moment - Die gids vir grootword. We've made a music video for most of the tracks on there. Any radio playlisted tracks in the past? At present? Yes, mostly campus/community radio, but we've also had some airplay on Jacaranda. We haven't had a new release in a while, but you'll probably still hear us from time to time on your local stations. You have some awesome videos, people really seem to enjoy them. Which is your favorites and why. We always try to have a lot of fun making the videos and make most of them ourselves. Our favorite is probably for "Die mense hier (Strikfontein)" which was made by our friend Johan CronjĂŠ and references an Afrikaans series (Strikfontein) that they're working on. We like it because it is obviously different from all our other videos and has some beautiful camera work. In second place we liked being on national TV wearing speedos with "Prentjies". Plans for any releases soon? We've just recorded a new track for a competition by Sanlam and LitNet called Sing it. Someone else wrote the lyrics which we chose out of a stack of entries and then we made music for it. You can check out LitNet's website. If you vote for the song it might just win a music video. What lies ahead for DDL in 2012? We'll start working on a new album later this year. Meanwhile we'll be playing gigs and rocking our speedos wherever we can. By Nick Owen
Who is Reburn? Reburn is an Indie Rock Band based in Cape Town made up of 2 Scotsmen and 2 South Africans. The band is very passionate about music, style, football, women and the world around them. Mix that with the thick skin and fighting spirit you need to have in the music industry and you have a melting pot of creativity. Besides playing in the band, what other input does each member give? Alex – Does the financials in the band, keeps a store of all pictures, videos and documents relating to the band and is the internal manager. Craig – Does the design in the band on images and videos. The latest pictures on the web were done by Craig. Scottie – Does the gig booking for REBURN and keeps the gig calendar up to date. Wade –Is involved in the merchandising side of the band. The whole band is responsible for keeping our social platforms up to date. What makes Reburn different from other bands? Reburn doesn’t follow trends and because of the backgrounds of the band members, you have a South African band with a distinct British sound. Your album is being released soon, what can we expect from it? You’ll hear it’s Reburn, but you’ll find more depth in the new music. Obviously the band has progressed as musicians and has learned how to push the limits more. We feel it’s the best we’ve done so far and we’re excited to share it.
What was your writing process for this CD? The approach was much more painstaking than before. We worked with a few “big” producers and used everything we learnt along the way. We didn’t settle until we’d re-worked the songs and tested them live, then we broke them apart again until we were happy with all of the parts. What can we expect from Reburn in the nearby future? Big things! We don’t want to let the cat out of the bag too much, but 2012 will be our biggest year yet. We had some re-structuring to do in 2011 so we had to delay a lot of our plans but we’re ready now. We can’t wait and we know we’ll be shaking up the industry in the near future. What can a person expect when seeing you perform live for the first time? Most people that know us but have never seen us play are usually shocked after the first gig and can’t believe we’re the same people. We’re very different on stage and our performances have at times been described as electric, foot-tapping, body moving parties. Any big shows coming up? 10 February at Mercury Live with Newtown Knife Gang, Obsessie Met Als and When Karma Sleeps. 11 February at The Niva Ed Hardy Big Day Out, Klein Libertas, Stellenbosch.
Interview by Cape Town Music Scene
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When did FAP’s journey as a band begin? We started out in January 2011. At that stage we were all friends with musical backgrounds and decided it was time to join forces. First practice was on the 1st of Jan and first gig on the 3rd...hehehe! For those of us who have been hiding under a rock, introduce us to the band members? Don’t be afraid to reveal nicknames! Kenne “The Lip” Loubser – Lead guitar, backup vocals Leon “Lawn” Hall – Bass, Robbie “Jahn” Blair – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Marius “Melanie” Vorster – Drums. You guys recently released an EP on the web, elaborate for us? Not exactly “released”, but we did record 6 tracks for free download to get a few tracks out there. Where can we download your EP? FREE DOWNLOAD on our Facebook page as well as www.fourapenny.com Can each of you tell me your all time favourite band and why? Kenne – Deftones! True pioneers with a unique sound. Leon – Killswitch engage! Awesome Sound! Marius – Lamb of God. Robbie – Metallica! 30 years in the industry and they started it all!!
How would you describe the South African Music Industry? Positive? There is quite a lot of junk out there, but also a lot of promise. The cool thing is that there are more and more opportunities for bands to play live shows, but it takes time to build a reputation, gain public support and play bigger shows. Tell us who came up with the name “Four A Penny” and why this name? Our ex drummer (Tuna) had a lyric in one of his songs “for a penny”. As a band we knew that there are many musicians who try to make a living from their music, which is very tough in South-Africa. As a band we wanted to make music for the love of the music and not to make money. Also, there are 4 members, so “FOUR A PENNY” represents four working class guys who enjoys making music for the music and not the money Greatest compliment you have received as a band? “Four A Penny soars on the high notes and gets down and dirty on the breakdowns, bringing dynamic hard rock back in their own way.” –Beer Adriaanse Photo by Lupa Photography Interview by Ezelle Louw
***** The night was started off by a band called My Friend’s Bread who boasted an original array of songs with some classy leads (which were sometimes overpowering though), vocals and bass that could remind you of the Beastie Boy’s and an attitude that you don't see around on a stage much, sort of like white rappers without the bling. Next up, a band I have never been familiarized with before, Verona Walls. The build up in the beginning of their set was intense! Like a balloon, it was about to pop at any second! Before it did though, the vocalist casually went around and handed out his loving to his dedicated supporters, covering about 20 hugs in under a minute. The band presented themselves well to their music and entertained me with a well constructed set of songs that bring you down in the bridges and smack you to hell and back in the build up, with the help of some good old double bass. Good band, passionate vocals - worth another listen. Now it was time for the band that I specifically came to see. Crossfire Collision. This band took me back to my pop-punk days in High School and did a good job at being able to keep me entertained. Fast drumming, fast strumming, and an awesome vibe were on the cards for this band, thoroughly enjoyed. When Karma Sleeps have been playing a good few shows lately and importantly for them, their performance level seems to be on the rise. The bass player should be called Mr Stage Presence himself, with his full hearted movements that seem to take him across the stage a few times a minute. Build ups and break downs throughout the band’s time on stage were probably my favorite part of WKS. Its that time of the night, the last band. Silent Side. A performance that reminded me of Alanis Morisette..then they played Zombie.. Coincidence? I think not! Awesome set of songs, much mellower than the other bands, but thumbs up to the band and especially the lead guitarist, that man can shred! By Nick Owen
***** First time going to the Roger was for this show and to be honest, I was not impressed with the sound inside the venue. A lot of feedback started to get my tail up. Die Gunstons were there to put on a show, and that they did. Very dirty and expressive rock ‘n roll with vocals that suit the genre, which would definitely compliment the band better with a little more diversity and control. Besides puking on the stage, pretty fun band to watch. Obsessie Met Als are a band on the rise, so watch out! A few very catchy Afrikaans pop-rock songs, no problem that I couldn't understand the language, the band simply rocked! Last for the night were the girls from Junkyard Lipstick. The band did a good job to keep themselves looking confident on stage a with pussy cat attitude kind of vibe, whilst jamming songs that could well have been written by The Runaways. The band is still very young, so maybe some time will do them well.
Mercury and their Manic Monday has always been a good place to get cheap booze and if you lucky watch some awesome bands. Monday 30th of Jan was one of the awesome ones! My Friends bread were on first and got the party off on the right foot. I particularly enjoyed the songs ‘Suck my bank account’ and ‘Bejizzle Town’. The Mysticcs brought the weapon of ‘blues with an attitude’ to this show with the frontman Ebi doing what he seems to do best - play like a God! The band delivered a tight set with my favorite track being ‘I’m not Lying’. I am pretty pleased to see the band has moved away from playing covers at shows. The last band had me head banging and spilling my drink all over Mercury’s floor - My Flawless Ending. The band has come a very far way since last year and they don't seem to know where the breaks are, but that’s a good thing isn't it? They tore Mercury apart with their dirty rock ‘n roll sound, turning even the most conservative (like myself) into a possessed fan. Keep your eyes on these boys in 2012!
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The month of January saw the first (and possibly only ever) Band Wackoff, hosted by ROAR and the Niva Rock&Roll Gig Guide. The first round, held on the 5th, saw Still to Fall and Dutch Phobia go through to the finals, and the second knockout round, held on the 12th, saw Chaos and Chasing Friday also secure their spots in the final. The first knockout round on the 5th gave Chasing Sanity, Diverge, Dutch Phobia, Very Ape and Still to Fall the chance to battle it out on stage to see who progressed to the final round. The two
finalists were by far the best bands on the night, although Chasing Sanity and Diverge impressed a good few people too. On the 12th, ROAR was packed from front to back as Playing With Reason, The Insubordinates, Chasing Friday, Chaos, Fax Police and Forgive Us Not took to the stage. Chaos impressed on their first gig as a band and Chasing Friday put on a tight show. Honourable mention should go to Fax Police who, in my opinion, should have gone through to the final round. The two youngest bands on the night, being Fax Police and The Insubordinates, held their own against the other bands and no doubt gained a few fans on the night. Two weeks later the finals saw ROAR pull a good sized crowd again as the four bands spent hours and hours the week before Facebook spamming everyone they know. Although all four bands put on good shows, Still to Fall dominated with an awesome set that ended in a confetti canon. However, this is was not the complete end of the Wackoff. On the 2nd of February, the three metal bands - Forgive Us Not, Diverge and Chasing Sanity - will be competing in their own metal finals. These bands were just so good in their knockout rounds that the organizers couldn’t let them go without a fair shot at taking the prizes. All in all, I was impressed with the talent that this small competition managed to find. Thumbs up! By Ciska Esterhuizen
***** 6 Bands...Free Entrance....What more can you ask for? As the people started flooding in, Still to Fall opened the show on stage with some progressive Rock tunes. Having heard a lot about "Still to fall" I was rather impressed with the combination of songs they delivered. Hard Rock songs to some songs being a little softer, but still to the liking of any Rock music fan...great combo! Expect many things from this 3-piece in the future. Next up was Ballistic Blues. The name says it all...These guys brought a mixture of Rock and Blues riffs to the table, and quickly had the attention of the entire bar. Covering a Elvis classic, Hound Dog, the band had everyone singing and dancing to end off their set. Four A Penny was next on stage. A Hard Rock band from Stellenbosch. These guys brought some energy into Buckley’s with some power guitar riffs and amazing crowd interaction. They soon had everybody banging heads with a few people creating a mini mosh pit right in front of the stage. Truly a band to watch in months to come… Skelmbosch was up next: Very energetic 3 piece delivering a Rock/Grunge mixture of Afrikaans songs. With some very potent lyrics comparing a teacher to Paris Hilton, the band grabbed the attention of many with there 2nd song. The Mysticcs. They do deliver a exciting blend of Rock and Blues....some excellent guitaring from the front man and good stage presence had everybody watching The Mysticcs intently. The last band was Dogtown. Many will compare the bands genre to a mixture of Kings of Leon and the Killers. Good song writing and stage presence had all the Dogtown fans singing and jumping. Definitely a band to watch in the future. Nice job by all the bands and the organizers, hope to see a good jam out happen at Buckley’s really soon!
Newtown Knife Gang
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Newtown Knife Gang Electromode
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am going to start by saying this - Buy the album! The band, which comprises mainly of ex-16 Stitch members, have seemed to have found the missing ingredient in the SA music scene which is in fact, Newtown Knife Gang! The album has 12 well produced tracks ranging from complete head banging material to mellow and even dub step! Yes, there’s a dub step track on the album which is firstly an epic track, and secondly a possible hint that there is a lot more to come from this young and talented band. Best tracks of the album are definitely their first single ’Read between the lines’ and ’ Lotus Eater’. Similar to - The Used & Escape the fate
You have an awesome band, lots of ambition and the potential to get somewhere in the SA scene, but instead of taking your band to the next level, you feel stuck and don't know what to do next. You want to be seen, heard and remembered. You want to get discovered and signed. You are tired of playing gigs and simply getting nowhere. Does that sound like you? Obviously, there are countless bands in South Africa that face the exact same problems as you do. To most musicians, how to get up the ladder and over the fire trenches remains a mystery. Some bands persist with their own way of doing things and often once they do what they want to do, they realize that it isn't working. Here are some of the biggest mistakes bands seem to make when trying to become successful:
Mistake #1
Mistake #5
Most bands focus either on the wrong things, tiny insignificant things or no specific things at all.
Most bands put a lot of effort into their music (which is good), but very little effort into the many other critical elements needed to make it in the music business.
Most bands severely underestimate the importance of their image. Yes, music is about 'music', but music business success is about a total package which includes music, image, visual stage show among other things which need to be fully developed in a congruent way. (This is where the term "Artist Development" comes from!)
Mistake #3
Mistake #6
Mistake #2
Most bands don't think of their band as a 'business' and therefore don't run it like a business. Of course being in a band is about having fun and creating great music, but fact is, in order to be successful in the
music business, you need to run your band operations like a business.
Mistake #4 Most bands have a fundamental misunderstanding about what record companies look for, and what they would expect from new
bands. This misunderstanding puts bands on the wrong path. A label or agency will simply look at a band as an investment, would you put thousands of Rand into your band?
Most bands' live show is mediocre at best. The music might be good, but a live 'show' requires more than great music. If people only wanted to hear the music, they would save their money and listen to the music at home. Both fans and record labels want (and expect) to see a REAL show. Neglecting this area results in talented bands becoming quickly forgotten.
Mistake #7 Most bands falsely believe that the number of 'fans' they have is the holy grail for success. The fact is, it is not the number of 'fans' which matters most, it's the number of
FANATICS which will contribute more directly to your success (or lack of it). Bands need to focus more effort on converting existing fans into raving fanatics of the band.
Mistake #8 Most bands do not understand nor have an effective music marketing strategy to promote their band. Without this you will continue to struggle.
Mistake #9 Most bands who do work on becoming successful typically focus on 'getting their name and music out there'. Their objective is to be seen and heard as much as possible. The biggest mistake is these bands usually do little or nothing to become totally unforgettable!
So I really hope this assists at least one band in the local scene. Don’t be afraid to get some assistance from more established bands either, sure some ‘larger’ bands can act like dicks, but the truth is that at some point in their careers, they were exactly where you are now. By Nick Owen
Afsana Khan is the Creative Director and Brand Therapist at Endor Media and Events, her own company. Some of the websites Afsana is responsible for include www.earthalienclothing.com, www.iba-global.com, www.goingcapetown.com and our own www.nivarecords.com This young entrepreneur is also a part time lecturer in graphic and web design at UCT and 2ko International. In addition to all this, Endor Media frequently hosts social media workshops that help businesses and bands make the most out of their Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Google+ accounts. Q: What degree/diploma/certificate should a person study for if they want to become a web designer? Web design is a tricky one – you do not need a fancy piece of paper to be a web designer, you need experience. Everyday you should be learning something new, especially since web design trends change constantly, you need to be on top of you game at all times. That being said, I have a B.A in Film and Media Production from UCT. Short courses in Dreamweaver and other graphic design applications are available almost anywhere. Adobe does offer certified exams that will give you official accreditation.
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Q: How easy is it to get a job in this field? It is quite difficult to get a job these days as there are a lot of multimedia designers in Cape Town. The best advice that I can give you, is that you need to set yourself apart. What makes your websites the best? Build a strong portfolio, and you will not have hassles with getting a job or clients (if you choose the freelance route). Q: What salary can I expect in my first job, having just qualified with no working experience? Expect around R6000 per month (after deductions) in Cape Town. The remuneration in Johannesburg is much higher for web designers. Q: As a web designer, what other things are you also doing during your day except physically working on a website? I research latest trends in web design. The best website for this is www.smashingmagazine.com. I play around with new types of writing code and exploring interesting tutorials. I really enjoy getting lost amongst interesting websites that lead to others, for example, band or film websites.
I also work on getting new business in and keeping my current clients happy with regular communication, whether it is via email or a quick phone call. Updating of Endor Media’s website and Facebook page does fill the remainder of the time. It is good practice to update fans or potential clients with progress on current projects or any exciting news. Q: If I just finished studying and want to work from home rather than joining a company, how much can I charge for a website? Your hourly rate should be around R100 an hour as a newbie. R250 is the average hourly rate for designers. Website prices range from R3000 to R20 000. You can charge according to the quality of your website and your overall experience. Q: How do you generate work for yourself, if you want to go at it on your own? You can register yourself as a company, which is what I have done. I found that people take you more seriously if you a company than a freelancer. To generate work, you need to establish a relationship with business owners by attending business network breakfasts and listing your services on several directory websites available including the classifieds. Market yourself, everywhere! Q: What are the most important skills that I need? Patience. You need to be able to be patient with clients who struggle to provide you with a ‘clear’ brief on what they want in a website. Never be rude. Basic people and listening skills will help you with this progress. Q: Best part of the job? Solving that piece of code-riddle. The pat on the back. Q: Worst part of the job? Working with clients who do not know what they want. The trick is to tell them what to want ;) Asking for overdue payment, Set your terms from the very beginning, so that no payment issue arises. Check out Endor Media online at www.endormedia.co.za, find them on Facebook or Twitter, give Afsana a call on 021 534 5241 or drop her mail at info@endormedia.co.za.
music and the multi-racial comradely that was certainly not on the surface during the apartheid regime. The documentary not only focused on the political music coming out of South Africa but also our neighbors from Zimbabwe (Evicted) and Mozambique (340ml). South Africa today showcased my favourite punk-ska bands, Hog Hoggigy Hog and Fuzigish. They discussed how punk is still
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Three chords of Punk. The one night only screening of Punk in Africa at the Labia on the 17th of January was a real treat for all punk supporters in Cape Town. The documentary was skillfully Co-produced by Meerkat Media (South Africa), Bohemian Lion Productions and Peligroso Productions (Prague, Czech Republic). The significance of punk. The documentary helped me understand the importance of punk in South Africa. During the three decades of apartheid, music was seen as a catalyst for the revolutionary as it promoted a mindset which was unfavorable to the government. The general message of punk (in South Africa and the rest of the world) is to celebrate uniqueness and unite against the oppressors of power. Punk in Africa celebrated four significant eras of punk music in South Africa; the origins (early 1970s), Punk and the Political Struggle (1976-1990), International Outreach in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and South Africa today. The epic journey began in Durban where the first punk band in SA, Wild Youth was born. Drummer, Rubin 'Wildman' Rose (why don't we have names like those anymore?) revealed interesting events that was provoked during the apartheid years. Rose showed us the location of the street gig they threw in front of iconic Durban parkade. The cops, of course, broke up that party. 80's punk heavyweights and multi-racial bands, Koos got the audience excited. I must I was rather envious of those who punked-out during this era. The scene was so underground, that the fun was heightened. Bands struggled to find venues that will 'support' the
relative, installing that African pride and comradeship. This well-structured curation of African punk surely inspires the revolution and pride that punk itself set out to achieve. The amazing archive footage made me want to be part of the pivotal revolution in our country's history...or at least, inspire one. The DVD will be available towards the end of March 2012 at major retailers.
One of the world’s most iconic and legendary skate shoes is turning 20 this year. Perhaps what makes the Half Cab stand out more than its patented sticky, waffle sole is the shoes' origin. Like the checkerboard slip-ons of Fast Times at Ridgemont High fame, the Half Cabs were created by some of the company's core consumers. In this case, it was skaters. The Half Cab started out in life as a pair of 1980s high top, signature skate shoes designed for pro skater extraordinaire, Steve Caballero. When the sport started transitioning from concrete pools to concrete sidewalks, skaters did what skaters do best, get creative. The high tops were too restrictive for executing street tricks so skaters began lopping off the tops of the shoes and strengthening the newly exposed edges with duct tape. The improvements caught the eye of the shoes' namesake and in less time than it takes to bust out a kickflip nowadays, the Half Cab was born. In honor of the Half Cab's milestone, Vans is planning to release 12 limited editions of the skate shoes throughout the year.
Buying a skateboard can be tough - you want to make sure you buy the right skateboard for you, plus you want to make sure you get a good deal and most importantly make sure it lasts. Well, unless you just have piles of extra cash laying around ... in which case, I can help you there! The first thing you need to know is to NOT buy a cheap skateboard from the toy store or nearest superstore. I'm referring to skateboards with ‘Extreme’ or ’Kung Pow’ on the bottom, made by companies that have mass produced their skateboards with little concern for the quality of their product. Skateboards are, by nature, dangerous. You don't want to skimp on the skateboard, and get something that will make skateboarding even more dangerous, because the wheels are made of poor material, the trucks are weak, the bearings freeze up or the board breaks, right? True skateboard companies actually spend a great deal of time trying to make their boards better, safer, and last longer.
Skorpion has gone with the classic Cruiser shape that has a somewhat similar shape to a normal skateboard in that they have a kick-tail on the back. Whilst it is accepted that the greater size does makes them less suitable for many skateboarding tricks, the Long Board design does contribute to a fluid motion by providing more momentum ideal for cruising, plus the Skorpion Cruiser has the added advantage of allowing big turns or quick short carves similar to the motions of surfers or snowboarders.
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Paul Van Doren was born and brought up in the Boston area from the early 1930’s. Paul lasted in the schooling system until grade 8 where he then decided that he didn't enjoy school and simply left! He spent his time around horse racing tracks from the age of just 14, carrying the nick name ‘Dutch Clutch’, and for pretty much any amount of cash Paul would give you the odds on the races. Paul’s mother was obviously not impressed that her son was unemployed and no longer attending school so she decided to drag him into a local shoe factory where he was later employed and was responsible for making shoes and sweeping the factory. Little did Paul know that just 20 years on, he would be the Executive Vice President of Randy’s, a Boston based shoe manufacturer. Paul was very well know during this time period and crafted shoes for Bob Cousy and a flashy Boston Celtics players who was later voted as one of the top 50 NBA players of all time. During the early 1960’s, Randy’s had become the third largest producer of shoes across the entire US, but things were not as good as they have appeared as their factory in California started to loose around $1 000 000.00 per month. Paul, his brother Jim, and long time friend Gordon Lee were responsible for straightening out the California factory, and after 8 months had taken the factory to a point where it was even smoother that the factory in Boston. Just 3 months later, Paul sat his 5 children down and announced that he would be quitting his job
to start a new shoe company. “Don’t worry, were going to be fine”, he said to his children, who weren't concerned at all about the news. At this point, Paul had been crafting shoes for most of his life, pushing out thousands of shoes but not bringing in the cash he would have liked. His dream was simply to have his own factory linked up to his own retail stores, cutting out the middle man. Paul was a great business man, his brother Jim was an amazing engineer, and their close friend Gordon knew all the ropes when it came down to manufacturing of goods. They combined their skills as well as partnered with Serge D’Elia who was a Belgian friend of Paul’s who had been supplying the factory with shoe uppers imported from Japan to the US. Now there was the recipe which would later become one of the largest brands of shoes in the world. The company was formed with Paul and Serge owning 80% with Jim and Gordon owning a total of 20%. It took them over a year to set up the factory which was situated at 704 East Broadway, Anaheim. The factory was built from scratch with equipment that was bought from all over the US. Back in those years, there were only 3 companies that were manufacturing vulcanized footwear namely, Randy’s, Ked’s and Converse.
And now there is Vans… By Nick Owen
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So your probably wondering where it all started. Well, skateboarding first started in the 1950s, where surfers in California got the idea of trying to surf in the streets. These first skateboarders started with wooden boxes or boards with roller skate wheels slapped on the bottom. Once surfers realized they could simulate wave driving on the street, skateboarding started its evolving history. Nobody really knows who made the first ever skateboard but a good few people have tried to claim the invention of it, but it still remains a strange spontaneous creation to this world. A lot of people got hurt in skate boarding's early years! Not that it’s ever been a safe sport! It was a sport that had just been born and discovered, so anything went! This is how tricks were created and developed as the skateboarding days moved on over the years. Boxes eventually turned into planks, and all of a sudden companies were making decks made out of pressed layers of wood -- similar to the skateboard decks that are made today. During these days, skateboarding was seen as something to do for fun after a decent surf session. In 1963, skateboarding was at its peak. In the years between 1960 and 1963, over fifty million skateboards were sold. Companies started hosting skateboarding competitions. At this stage, skating was mostly either downhill, slalom or freestyle. The most well-known skaters in those days were Torger Johnson, Woody Woodward and Danny Berer, but the way these dudes skateboarded almost looked completely different to what skateboarding has become today! It was more like ballet or ice skating on a skateboard back then. I strongly recommend to all those skaters out there to never give up! Don’t give up the lifestyle to please your parents! Skate, skate and skate some more! Hit up those streets with all you’ve got! By Jeremy Sykes