I wrote a post a few days back about a trip to Singapore with the Squadron. It was glorious. Here it is in video.

I once ollie / manualled the Franklins block. It was around ’97 and at the time (along with chasing my first headie) it was a personal achievement. Summer would hit and the heat would drive me back to the ocean, my mere achievement on four wheels would be washed off with my love of the water… A lot has changed since then and to be perfectly honest, I’m not a skaters bag… I occassionally go get the milk and bread, throw down a few sess’s, hunt the odd palm shack and then thank fuck I made it home skuff free.

A few days ago I was in Singapore with a Squadron of kings, it was momentus. The vibes were high, the floors were higher. But it was a crew so different to any I’d travelled with before. For 2 things so similar, surfing and skating couldn’t be further apart. But a good cunt is a good cunt, and god damn we were rife with the smell. I believe I have a picture of some below.

Hooks and Gourlay. 2 of the Squadron’s finest

Mr Sparkes. Possibly the most entertaining being I have ever rolled with. The Devil has God in checkmate on Sparkes’ destiny.

(I think he should take rule of Purgatory, the place would be so hospitably debaucherous, motherfuckers would set up camp.)

Red and Tommy. From the outside in these 2 couldn’t be further apart. From the inside out, Skating is Lord. You aint stopping them.

So theres my textbook as possible intro. Back to the beginning.

I was onboard to make a show and thank fuck for the skills of Matty Hooks ’cause the final product would of been a mess, a mess clearly produced by someone who as I said before ‘Aint a skaters bag’. We arrived and before I got time to talcum the figs I was walking the streets of Singapore slowly sanding the surface off my block and tackle. This is where it was first apparent how far detacttched I was from the skate world. The boys were blazing the streets on wheels and I was in my thongs and boardies shuffling miles behind like a right kook. Thankfully I have worked on and off with Hooks for years, I love the cunt. (If I had of grown up down the road from him he would of been stuck in a suit on my wedding day. Hooks is humble, decked with talent and holder of the driest wit you’ll hear. We get along most because of our stance on a common thread… ‘Treat others how you like to be treated’… Hooks will do anything for ya, but much like myself if the same is not returned your gone. Later cunt. ) Hooks chose to walk with me and hold my hopes of not getting labelled… ‘that bazza cunt’… But it was never the case, it was only the chip on my shoulder that caused such thought, because this crew were kings, this crew was the Squadron and regardless of a badly miss timed hand jive I was in… A ring in, but in.

Singapore is a steamy little bitch, nevertheless it may be skaters paradise. Im not talking about a skate version of that shit hole on the Goldcoast im talking heaven. There is marble stairs and ledges everywhere, rails for days and we had barely left the main drag (insert bangchong joke*). Within a block of our hotel Tommy had already laid down something on the first set he seen. I dont know what it was, but I think it was a nollie something bullshit. It didnt stop, by the next intersection Red found the Eggroll, regardless of the masses of 9 to 5′ers he skated this thing inbetween and amongst them, no-one cared, it was 30 minutes before security stopped by to say ‘hi’. By that time Red had it in ‘the bag’.

What else happened? I’ll think while I throw up some photos.

Pong Knuckle

penis

Singapore Claw

Dali even came to life in Singapore

Kooks

Sloth test

Singapore birthed Red’s first pro model shoe. The ‘Centipede’… Because he was toey as one.

4. Four. For. Fore

zzzz

Ive got a notebook I take on every trip. Its full of that much stupid shit from on the road. Here and there I find time to draw in it. This guy got half drawn on the way there, then semi finished on the way home. I dont draw in this book unless im on a trip, so I will have to finish mutant face off on the next voyage.

Its strange, and i’m not sure if I know how to put it into words. But when I look at surfing and skating it seems to me that Skaters know how to share. They thrive on rolling with new crew, maybe skating hasn’t been polluted by the masses quite as much as surfing, but the Squadron were mates with anyone with a skateboard, and thats rad. I cant count the amount of times i’ve seen crew blow up in the water, fuck, i’m no saint either… I guess it might be that you dont get the suit and tie fuckwits rocking up to the local park or spot on the weekends like surfers do in the water. In the end it kinda came across to me like skateboarding is the best of all team sports, but in a real individual sport sorta way… Fucks me that sounds wack, but im done writing… Singapore was rad, the crew was one of the finest i’ve travelled with. I hope to do it all again another day.

Gourlay if you read this, the photo below is for you. The battle awaits.

Also, We produced this short highlights clip from the event. Unfortunately, these things are all about getting them out on time so its a bit scattered. Fortunately we are working on a show from the entire trip. It may work, it may not, but it will be around eventually. Cheers to Janchai for all your work mate, your footage saved the day. You too Hooks, you fuck. 4

ps: Hows these little funghi creeps that greeted me when I got home.

Client: Monster Energy Drink     /     Location: Lightspace, Brisbane.

Here is a section from a film I Co-directed and Edited with Thai Neave, Shot by Bali Strickland… Enjoy

This project was something special…

The clip below is a collection of shots that summarize the film… John, Nicky and Byron along with Polly, Jamie, Phil, Kester, Robyn and everyone else involved in the project are some of the most amazing souls I have ever worked with… We will keep you posted on the films release… Enjoy!

Photo by Polly Armstrong… keep your eye on this blog, the girl is mad!

Nearing the end of the JBT doco…

Its kind of a strange feeling coming to the end of a project like this… There has been days where I wanted to punch fuck out of this room, there’s been days that I have bounced out of bed to the beat of the project, but Without downs you cant have ups I guess…

I love music… It’s the best thing the world has created and I listen to music from many different pockets, but outside of thier hits I never listened to the JBT before working on this project, I was aware of how good they were but I never thought… ‘I feel lke listening to the JBT’… I have listened to this album everyday for months on end… Play, pause, cut, trim, delete… The music has not worn on me… I think this album will be something special…

Here is a snippet from the ‘Funky Monks’ a film that kept me inspired throughout the project and one that I think sets the standard for Music doco’s… Well, this and Bob Dylan’s ‘Dont look back’…

The trailer for the Doco will be out early next year…

Photo by Polly Armstrong

Amongst piecing together the JBT documentary I got a last minute job to edit up the behind the scenes clip of the ‘One way road’ video… Phil, John’s manager spent the day roaming around with the handycam and sent it up to see what could be done with it… Here is the outcome.

Here is the official film clip

All shots by Polly Armstrong.

A few frames from the days of recording… by Polly

Slowly putting a dint in the John Butler trio project… Slowly, but surely… The project begun with over 5000 minutes  of vision scattered across 5 harddrives… That pile has been culled down into sequences of the best and most relevant moments from the days of recording… Finally at a point where I feel familiar with the footage and have started a few rough edits… In case you care?

Outside of video, a lot of stills were shot during the process… Polly is one creative photographer, but her happy go lucky’ness is what gets the shots… Here’s a few from Polly’s lomo fisheye to keep this place flowing… Enjoy

All shots by Polly… maybe a few sly ones by Jamie.

We are down to the final days of this project and things are outta control in this dingey little office… Excuses aside, I have grabbed a pile of frames from Wade’s part for you to check… I’m probably a touch biased with Wade being one of my good mates, but for me, his section sits alongside Taj and Joel’s, they all have completely different styles and approaches to surfing but when talking ‘entertainment value’ I reckon Wade’s part is right there…

But in all honesty, I know fuck all