Monday, February 28, 2011

Sound Check: The Bon

Click to the right for the singles Stupid Question and ancient times


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In all honesty I have to admit to not being much of a music buff. I haven't changed what's on my iPod in years. I don't know most of the names of the members of my favorite bands, and I'm not even a fan of much local music. To bare all, I actually only shot these photos because the lead singer is a friend of my fathers, and, after talking to him for a bit at a party, he intrigued me enough to get me to come out to a show, something I unfortunately don't do that often. Anyways, after shooting the show, I decided to try and get a few questions out of Craig Daniels, the lead singer of The Bon, and a friend of my fathers. The answers I found exceptionally insightful into the history of a music that has been loosely associated with skateboarding since the dawn of both creations. Trends change and styles change as nothing remains quite the same, but the basic correlation between fast skateboarding, and up beat edgy rock will always stay the same. Just like hip hop and graffiti, or classical at the country club. Music and passions almost always go together, it's called culture. And today Im happy to know a little more about the local history of

mine.

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Tell me a little about you're influences and what led to to music.

My first album I ever bought was The Beach Boys "Endless Summer". Quickly that segued to punk and new wave as they were hitting, so Ramones, Blondie and Devo weren't much of a stretch.

Getting into my all-time favorite band The Cramps and tracing back songs that they covered led me to discover the whole history of crazy 50's/60's punk and psych.

Also, I was in my early teens when hardcore punk was hitting and I was particularly drawn to the bands that combined surf and punk like JFA and The Dead Kennedys.

Can you give me a brief history of your musical career?

I played in a few punk bands with friends briefly before forming The Leather Uppers in 1991. It was a two piece drum and guitar band that combined 60's trash rock, punk and glam complete with matching outfits. We predated The White Stripes with that concept by at least five years! That was my first band that released any real recordings.

I've also played in more heavy freak-rock band The Exploders and conceptual masked wrestling surf punk band the Tijuana Bibles.

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Describe The Bon's sound.

The Bon combine more late 60's and early 70's hard rock and garage influences with aspects of classic punk and psych. There are more English sounds being put at the forefront than in my past projects and we try to write some songs that take some left turns you don't expect.

Are there any current popular bands that you're feeling?


I became a huge Black Lips fan after opening a show for them a few years back. Black Mountain are a great live band and I try to see them whenever I can.

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What about indie bands?

The blues punk trio Catl are really good, as are friends No No Zero, Saffron Sect and The Weirdies. From New Jersey The Black Hollies are really good, too.

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Do I recall you telling me at a party that you used to Skateboard? Any good stories? Did it relate to your music at all?

Yep, I got into skating in the mid to late 80's.

I had a Vision Jinx board and just futzed around on the street trying to learn basic tricks...There were a few friends who skated as well and we just had a laugh with it. There were no skate parks in Toronto at the time, so ramps and all that were just something I saw in Thrasher back then.

I remember one really fun night spent racing each other down a three story above ground parking lot in Kensington Market (it;s not there anymore) one late party night...got some good speed going and there were some heavy bails!

It totally related to the music....JFA and Sudden Impact were fave skate rock bands of mine and the surf/skate relationship led me to get into surf rock.

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Saturday, February 26, 2011

GET SOME

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Every day I seem to find a new reason why I love skateboarding. The freedom, the excitement, the people you meet, the places you see, the self fulfillment and progression, I could go on all day but I have another point to make. My most recent reason for point of admiration is the way skateboarders can, with any amount of dedication, become equals to those which they look up too. It is in effect, the embodiment of social mobility. You can't buy your way in, you can't pose as one of the regulars, and if you try you will stick out like a sore thumb. The only way to be accepted is though hard work and determination, any other method of doing so automatically labels one a kook. In this sense, skateboarding is a real proletariat sport. Our stars are truly with in arms reach, and are not too high to give props to their fans. In the process for filming for his newest video entitled "Get Some" film maker Andrew Roberts found the exact same thing. Last year's video effort "Reasonable Doubt" proved such a success that this year a few new names were added to the lineup. Local legend Nick Fulton took notice of Andrews success and, in addition to filming a part for team EY's spain video, chalked up enough footage for a full part of speculatively high quality. Obviously this came as somewhat of a surprise to Andrew who had originally only intended upon filming Nick a few tricks. This was much the way I felt with this year I found myself shooting photos and filming with guys like Noah T and Morgan Smith. Thats just the way skateboarding works. One day you're watching these dudes destroy your local park, scared to ask them what trick they're trying, and the next they're relying on you for footage or photos. Good luck Teeing off with tiger woods in your first few years on the golf coarse, Its just not going to happen. This is why golf fucking sucks, just the same as any conventional sport with a score, rules, tournaments, and bored spectators. So lets embrace something that doesn't suck, skateboarding, and a fine video produced by a young local featuring some of the best skateboarders in Toronto. Premiering this Saterday (26th) at the Skate Loft, the evening promises to be one of bangers, good music, and as always, inebriated debauchery.


I got some words in with the films creator Andrew Roberts.

How long have you been filming for?

I started filming it February 2010 but there is a couple tricks from november 2009, so just over a year.


Who has parts?

A pretty long list

Aidan Byrant, Nick Fulton, Patrick Dysart, Nick Ouzounis, Ashton Roye, Kyle Hayward, Justin Elliot, Kyle Perry, Nick Pierre, Zack Ferguson and Me (Andrew Roberts)Photobucket

Aidan Bryant-Switch Flip

Did anyone surprise you with the footage they came through with?

Yeah everyone did but for sure Nick Ouzounis he only started filming in August, he got 80% of his tricks in 3 weeks and his part is one of my favourites for sure. Also of course Zack gets crazy good footage without even trying.


Best and worst parts about filming?

The best part of filming is probably being able to look threw clips and each clip reminds you of what you did that day and you remember cool stuff that happened. Worst part about filming is probably not being able to watch the skating like this may sound weird but looking threw a viewfinder its totally different that standing back and just watching trick go down.


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Pat Dysart Back 180 sw fs crook


Favorite session?

Favorite filming mission, me and aidan filmed a lot of late night session with my camera light, so this night we met up at ryerson pond at 8 got a first try line at the pond just messing around, then we got to the step up ledge around the corner and he gets back tail and back tail fakie, so we then take the subway up to davisville to skate the double set right across the street, he's trying frontside flips, he lands one primo next try he breaks his board. I gave him my board to try with he cracks my board pretty bad in a couple tries and he was done. Then i got him to try it one more time before we pack up and he got it. Emma shot a pretty sick photo thats on the dvd cover. We ended the night by going to this up rail spot down from the double set where he got another line for his part. After all that it was like 2 am, emma was shooting photos the whole night. Pretty fun day.


Favorite part?

My favourite part hands down is Nick Fulton's, when i started skating i watch the EY skate videos all the time, and now a few years later i'm filming a video and he has a full part. It came together pretty nicely and he has a good variety of spots and tricks.

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Pat Dysart photo?

Is anyone still getting tricks in?

No the videos been done for a while now, it probably could have came out in december put i was waiting for a good premiere date, the last trick i filmed was probably late October and theres not really any other filmers so i didn't have to wait for tricks to be sent.


My plans for this year is filming a full HD video and im planing a few trips out of toronto and the country so it should be good.


I asked Zack a few questions too


What was the last trick you filmed for it and when?

3 flip unitel in the summer.


Do you feel you met your own expectations?

ye I met my expectations.


Was there a conscious effort to film a part, or was it a more relaxed process of just skating what ever you felt like?

Kinda both, I wanted to film a part so I filmed every time I skated but it was usually chill filming.


Who's part are you looking forward to most?

Justin Elliot.


How do you think your new video part is going to compare to your last?

I don't know But I think this ones going to be better than the last one.

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Tre flip


21 Questions with Zack Ferguson

If you are a skateboarder in Toronto, and you don't live at under a rock, you have probably heard of Zack. If you have ever been to a skatepark in the east end then you definitely know him. He's that kid skating the biggest and most unconventional obstacles, doing the most unconventional tricks, and landing them with an uncanny consistency and style of someone years in advance. Have you even seen anyone forward flip a set of stairs? Or not miss a single trick in a two minute contest run of pure hammers? How about do so within a year of breaking their femur? How on earth is this kid unsponsored? He's creative, he cleans up at competitions, and seems to recover better than ever. If he wasn't a good homie of mine I might suspect him of being an alien cyborg, sent from a hostile planet bent on enslaving earth starting with skateboarders. If you don't believe me just wait for his video part in Andrew Roberts new video "Get Some" on the 26th of this month.

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bs Disaster- Zack rides for HAMMER skate shop http://www.hammertoronto.com/


How old are you, and how long have you been skating?

Im 15 and I've been skating for I've been skating for 8 years.


How did you start?

My neighbor had a board and he skated outside my house all the time and he gave me an old board so i started rolling around.


If you had to choose between skating street or skating tranny for the rest of your life, which would it be?

I'd skate tranny because its easier on your legs and shit so you can skate way longer.



Do you enjoy skating competitions and filming or are you a less goal orientated dude just looking for a fun session?

I like filming and contests but im usually down for whatever.


You don't have any corporate sponsors, what's up with that? are you picky or just not trying?

Im loafting hard.


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Mellon


Tell me about the femur incident?

Last november I was skating downtown with some people and we went to hilton rail that shitty small 7 rail on the roof, we weren't even really skating it so right when we were about to leave I was like fuck it ill just do a boardslide and when I popped my wheels were in a crack and I jumped over the rail and landed on one leg and it didn't bend. it was loose.


It seems as though the you spent recovering fermented your desire to skate to a point that you came back harder than before, would you agree?

I guess so because I couldn't skate for so long.


Favorite skateboarder of all time and why?

My favorite skater of all time is probably Dennis Busenitz because he gets buck skating street and tranny.


Favorite spot?

Scarborough junkyard.


If you had the chance to be on one of these reality TV shows about skateboarding, would you take it?

Ye id probably be down.


Wu Tang Clan or NWA?

WU TANG.


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TRE FLIP FAKIE FOR WU TANG


Loose trucks or tight?

loooose.


You get to bang one of Charlie's angles, the asian, red head, or blond?

all of the above.


You have to fight one dude on team EY, who is it?

Pep hahah.


A year and a half ago we lost a dear friend of ours, Sebastien Parez. What effect, if any, did this have on your skateboarding?

It effects the way i skate every time I step on my board, he helped me progress so much in skateboarding. So now I try to progress for him, I skate for sabby. R.I.P buddy.


Thanks, shout outs, and sponsors?

Thanks to my Mom and Dad, Dave Buchanan at HAMMER, Brett Keon, Beth Margolis, Everett Maclean,Nick Pierre,Nick Fulton,Sebastien Perez R.I.P, Ashton Roye, Derek Day, Pat Dysart,Ryan Hanson,Andrew"butters" Roberts, Ryan Edwards, Jesse Bras, Yash Presswalla,Tosh Towata-Roy,Ben Paterson, Jon cos, Nolan Waller, Nick Ouzonis,Nicky Young, Will Bartlett,Emma Feir,Jason Shoemaker, Carl from x-village,Joel Scullard, Andrew Davidson, Justin Elliot,Everybody from EY, Everybody from vanderhoof. Sorry if I forgot anybody but if i forgot you thanks.


How do you think your new video part is going to compare to your last?

I don't know But I think this ones going to be better than the last one.

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Ollie to flat

What was the last trick you filmed for it and when?

3 flip unitel in the summer.


Do you feel you met your own expectations?

ye I met my expectations.


Was there a conscious effort to film a part, or was it a more relaxed process of just skating what ever you felt like?

Kinda both, I wanted to film a part so I filmed every time I skated but it was usually chill filming.


Who's part are you looking forward to most?

Justin Elliot.


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Tre flip

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