1.Rad and destructive greetings from Peru,Jono! how are you bro! hows going the things there?
Good thanks man, dry enough to skate still and we’ve got Mwadlands and House of Vans for when it rains – winter is looking pretty good!
2.Tell us how you start into your killer skateboarding? how were the beginnings?
I started skating in a small town on the South Coast of England called Bexhill-one-Sea, a massive BMX town, but two of my best mates got skateboards because of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and I needed to keep up with them somehow – I begged my parents for one for Christmas and they hooked it up, a cheap Woolworths board which I snapped trying to roll off a tennis table in the local park. Then I snapped my sister’s trying the same thing, had to save up to pay her the money for that (she didn’t get a new one) and then eventually got hold of a Jon West Foundation board. I watched Headcleaner, Label Kills and Squadrophenia religiously and kept going when my friends who got me into it quit.
3.Which are your influences and motivations to keep breaking the knees and spots?
P-Stone videos (RIP), Stockwell, all the crew, RWTB, BMT, booze, hash, Headcleaner, foam roller sessions, Antihero videos, Cardiel’s frontside airs, Hewitt’s frontside grinds, Carroll’s frontside flips, Negative Approach, Souls of Mischief, Tom Waits, The Pogues.
4.Tell us something about the underground and diy skateboarding scene in your city! diy spots and rad skateparks.
DIY spots get knocked down quick in London, because there aren’t enough chain supermarkets or luxury housing. The Withsection crew have built some rad South London DIY spots over the years, sadly none of which are still around. On the flipside of that, Steve Barrow and the North London crew have built one of the best DIY spots in the UK – watch Ben Raemers’ In Transition section if you need clarification! Mad props to them. Skatepark-wise we have the centre of the known universe AKA Stockwell Skatepark AKA Brixton Beach, a 70s park with updated areas and one which is apparently technically DIY – the original builders had a questionable level of permission when they started laying concrete, by all accounts. Cantelowes, Victoria Park and Clissold are also sick and, like I said before, Mwadlands and House of Vans make the winter much easier to bear. There’s plenty of crumbling brick banks and crusty street spots to keep you entertained when you need to remember how to ollie.
We also have a rad network of skater owned shops and companies as well as plenty of people creating art, music and skate videos who form like Voltron to make sure the scene is constantly kicking off. Big up Blast Skates, Brixton’s Baddest Skateshop, Serious Adult, Withsection, Lovenskate, everyone else getting shit done. RIP Parlour Skateshop!
5.Which are your favorite tricks to do a great and destructive session?
Front smiths, backside bonelesses, heelblocks and badly mobbed worm-burner kickflips.
6.A word to:
DIY: The backbone of skateboard culture!
Duane Peters: Amazing skateboarder, shame he’s lost his mind and turned into a Trump supporting homophobe…
Blast Skates: BLOKES
7.You currently have sponsors?
I feel like Tiger Balm and Jameson’s Whiskey support me pretty well.
8.Tell us about your sick video called Corner Store,are you stoked with this?
I am - it was basically the video which taught me to use a camera so some of the filming is definitely questionable, but I’m stoked overall. I feel like I’ve done South London’s venerable off licenses justice, support your local beer hole. I started making it sort of because I hated the music in 99% of the videos I was watching, so thought I’d do something to redress the balance in favour of ‘things I like’.
The first clips toward the next project got filmed today, hopefully I’ll iron out some of the kinks with this one!
9.You know about the underground and diy skateboarding from Southamerica?
I know Anselmo Arruda’s skate house in Brazil looks insane! Confusion seems to be pretty on the ball with covering the scene there too, it’s definitely one of my favourite magazines going right now and I couldn’t do without that subscription. One day I definitely need to visit the classic ‘Hewitt frontside invert Thrasher cover’ park with the fullpipe.
10.Rad future plans?
I’ve just started filming the next video today, we dodged puddles and dog shit to hit some crusty street spots. I’ve got some interviews planned for Sidewalk which I’m stoked to get done, then when the weather gets better I’ll hopefully hit some skateparks on the mainland – Spain early next year, Belgium in the summer. I’m putting together a zine based on a trip to the Pacific Northwest a few of us did in September too, it’s good to have some projects on the go when it’s wet outside!
11.Jono thanks for your time in this interview,something you want to add?
Cheers fella! RWTB.
1.Rad greetings from Peru Jimbo! is a pleasure doing this interview with you brother! How are you? Hows going the things there?
Thanks! Things are good, been busy creating graphics, doing art shows and running my online store here in Santa Cruz, California.
2.Tell us how you started doing sick artwork, how were your beginnings?
My father is an artist so art was always part of my life, I’ve been drawing since I can remember. My dad had all kinds of rad art around so I would always look at that, along with comic books, cartoons and Mad magazine
And I would draw all the time. After I graduated from high school, I started working for my dad and he taught me a lot about creating professional artwork. After 3 years of working with my dad, I started my own graphic arts business.
3.What are your influences and inspirations to translate them into your work?
I am inspired by surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding, art, music, punk rock, heavy metal, reggae, Beer, weed, cars, girls, tikis, nature, the ocean, forests, cities, comedy, anger, fear, happiness and Love. Etc.
I like to express cool ideas along with intensity, humor and some grossness, I like a graphic that catches your attention, then pulls you in to inspect the details!
4.You are currently working for Santa Cruz Skateboards,explain us about your work in this great brand of old school skateboarding.
I am a freelance artist. I like to do stuff for Santa Cruz skateboards, I have been doing stuff for them, on and off since 1989. I love to do skateboard graphics, nothing beats working on a really kickass deck graphic.
And working for SC is cool because they have so much history and my dad is a huge part of that history so it feels good to continue the legacy!
5.Jimbo you work for another skateboarding brands currently?
I've done some stuff for other brands like Volcom, Bell helmets, Nike, Puma, Toyota, and I am currently doing some designs for Riot brewing, Merge 4 socks and Remind insoles.
Along with some posters for bands like Primus, Guns n Roses and Slightly Stoopid.
6.You are fan from terror,horror,gore movies?
Yea! I grew up watching the old black and white classics like Frankenstein, Creature from the Black Lagoon, and the Mummy, but I still watch horror and Sci-Fi movies all the time, some are good and some are bad haha!
7.You listen old school hardcore punk bands?
Yea I discovered Punk Rock in the early 80s with bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Verbal Abuse, D.R.I. and Fear etc. then got into thrash metal with Metallica, Slayer, Sepultura and Pantera etc.
In the early 90’s I started playing drums in a punk rock band and we played a lot of killer shows, it was a ton of fun!
I still love to listen to new punk and metal like Propagandhi, A Wilhelm Scream, Mastodon and Baroness.
And I still like to play the drums every once in a while.
8.What is your opinion about the current skateboarding scene around the world?
To me the skateboard scene is the best it has ever been! There are tons of great skateparks, the equipment has been perfected, and there are so many different ways to skate and they are all good!
Also Skate travel is great, discovering new parks and terrain and it is always fun to meet skaters from other countries, because we all have love for skateboarding in common!
9.How and where the maniac fans from the artwork from Jimbo Phillips can buy and find some from stuff?
My webstore at www.jimbophillips.com is the best place to find my stuff, I have a huge selection of stickers, prints, t-shirts, pins, skateboards and collectables along with some occasional original art.
I also did the new Blake Johnson pro model deck “Venice Origins” available at NSH FUN FACTORY and a collab line of hats and accessories at Grass roots California.
10.Morbid future plans?
I plan to continue to expand my line of products for my website, and continue to do rad graphics for cool companies. Im also planning on finishing my first book soon.
And I’m helping my son Colby get involved with art and produce graphics, we went to Australia and did live art together at Bowl-a-Rama, it was awesome!
11.Jimbo,thanks a lot for your time in this interview,last words!
Keep skating and creating, stay healthy and have fun! Think positive, take care of the planet, and treat people with kindness. Question the media and what you’re being told, find the answers for yourself.
Never stop learning and tell your family you love them! Follow me on instagram, twitter and Facebook! @jimbophillips CHEERS!!!
1.Loud and intense greetings from Peru,Johnny hows going the things in Gorilla?
Johnny - Cheers mate and a big hello to all Peruvian rockers!! Gorilla still going strong, regular UK gigs, and a recent split LPs with UK rockers Grifter, 4 tracks each per side!
2.Tell us how is formed Gorilla? how was been the begings?
Johnny - Me and bass player Sarah Gorilla had just left the Morticians and wanted to do a full on heavy 3 piece band that had super loud to heavy dynamics and encompassed all our favourite bands, Sabbath, Budgie, Grand Funk, Blue Cheer, Fu Manchu etc, maximum fuzz, riffs and heaviness with a big 70's influence!
3.Actual discography from Gorilla?
Johnny - We did our 1st self titled and 2nd 'Gimme Some...' LPs at Toerag Studios in London, and our 3rd lp 'Rock Our Souls' followed. A split 7inch with Italian band OJM, as well as a couple of tracks on compilation albums, and as I mentioned, the split album with Grifter which came out last year!
4.Heavy and raw influences?
Johnny - All the bands mentioned above plus many more, you can guess from the music we play. We love 70's rock and also 60's bands like the Who, the Move, Pretty Things and some garage and psychedelic music, punk like theMC5 and Stooges, Motörhead and many more!
5.Some membe from Gorilla have another proyect paralell?
Johnny - I also do the Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, who have 3 LPs out various singles and just fi wished a UK tour and a European tour with Blood Ceremony this year!
6.Explain some more about the rock stoner doom scene from your city? recommend some bands...
Johnny - There really is no stoner/doom scene where we live, for many, many years we were the only band here playing our kind of music, which is why we played more outside of our home town than any other band. We wanted to compete with the world not the local scene!!
Now things are better, Wytch Pycknyk and Wizard Fight are 2 very good heavy bands from Hastings worth checking out!
7.You know the rock stoner doom scene from Southamerica?
Johnny - Sadly I know nothing of the south American scene!! Please enlighten me!!!
8.Stuff avaliable from Gorilla?
Johnny - Check our Facebook and Band Camp! Plenty of music available and t-shirts too!!
9.Morbid future plans?
Johnny - We are currently working on new songs for the next lp and have a tour of Europe next year, as well as UK gigs too!
10.Last words Johnny and thanks for your time in this interview mate
Johnny - Thanks to you too, hopefully one day we'll get to play in Peru!! That would be FUCKIN AWESOME!! Until then, drink a beer and smoke a joint for GORILLA!!! Rock on mate!!!
https://gorilla-rock-n-roll.bandcamp.com/
