The ‘Slingers are back at it again, with a whole lot of love to give! Keep your eyes open for a slew of dates this summer as they chalk up 10 years in the biz!
Vinyl Slingers @ Alhambra photos here
With my recently hectic schedule, it’s been a while since I’ve hit up a DnB party and that could be why DnB tends to mean debauchery and bass!
So of course mayhem and craziness ensued and good times were had by all!
Deliverance Preparty ft. Babylon System & Drumsound & Bassline Smith photos here
Stepping out of the hotel, those Arctic winds still can catch you unaware even near the end of March. If you’re travelling round this time of year, keep your softshell on you at all times. Trust me, you’ll thank me for it. Your other senses like your smell might also take a hit from the Air de City Pollute’. Some say its like someone set fire to the Valley (Brisbane), a smoke filled aroma ballasted with rich exhaust fumes, road grime, a dash of hot garbage with a hint of urine. But like any over populated city in the world be it London, Hong Kong or Sydney, its more an expected garnish than an obstacle. Still, would it kill the street vendors to clean their frying grills once every 5 years?? Note, that “seasoning” is added to your – charcoal outside, old tyre rubbery inside pretzel too. Best to stick to retail chains if you want something that resembles bread. The hotdogs are a little better albeit rather small and for $3USD (quite possibly inflated due to the pre-included tourist tax) you can easily find something more filling. Contrary, those roasted peanuts and cashews are absolutely delish and work great as a temp. hand warmer!
When it comes to shopping however, there’s very few cities that come close to NYC, especially when it comes to “street” culture and a weak US dollar. Larger shopping centres and thrift stores like Walmart are off the list in Manhattan but for everything else, you’ll find it here.
We started towards Uptown with Nintendo world – a multi storey store with, you guessed it, everything Nintendo, right down to a mini museum of retro consoles, controllers and portables. Remember to check with the store clerk when buying games, some American versions wont work on AU consoles.
Nintendo world NYC
THE NBA Store a little further north – if you’ve ever had a passing interest in the game then this is the store for you. It has everything to do with basketball; memorabilia, uniforms, apparel, the works; even a life size Lego version of Celtics’ big man, Kevin Garnett. Sneaker wise however its rather limited to sport shoes, no retro or “street” style releases. You can however get a bit of a dose a couple blocks up at Niketown.
NBA Store
While not the mecca some would like it to be, Niketown still has enough oo’s and ahh’s to deserve a good look through, just don’t expect any retros or rarities, in fact nothing that isn’t a current model. They did have a small sale section which had a couple odd/older models and colourways but nothing to write home about. The floors are divided into sporting applications with the ones to note being the basketball level – complete with a display case of every Air Jordan all in a white with red trim colourway and life size Lebron James mannequin. Top floor is the most interesting with the Nike iD studio, wall of sneakers piled behind glass in the change rooms, ceiling art made entirely of white sneaker soles and our new favourite sub-brand “6.0“, targeted at the crowd that spends any amount of time upside down in the air with some kind of sporting equipment.
Niketown NYC - Air Jordans
Niketown NYC
The piece de resistance of the store however would be the very Futurama/Jetsons style tubing that whisk your boxed sneakers from the basement to and from the levels and registers. Cool? Way.
Niketown NYC
Also up that way is the Apple store for you Lemmings ;p and a few blocks north is Dylan’s Candy bar for those with a sweet tooth.
Getting back down to mid-town is as easy as jumping on one of the many buses travelling on 5th Av. If you don’t have a Metrocard make sure you have those Quarters ready as they don’t take notes!
Back to Times Square you’ll be hard pressed to miss Footlocker, Journey, Modell’s and Champs. All with a huge range of models and colours and plenty of items on sale as well. Footlocker had the biggest range and had a lot of the winterized boots on special being end of season. Plenty of other clothing items too including jerseys, singlets, hoodies and tees all reduced, some down to single figures! Girls will need to look no further when they can get a Mets game jersey as a nighty for $20US (yes yes, its still the Mets but you’re sleeping in it, not wearing it to a game!).
Journey’s, as on the west coast has a more alternate/skate range with a wide selection of Dr. Martins, Converse and Vans. They also had a good assortment of Adidas (Superstars and similar skate models).
Modell’s reminded me a bit of Rebel Sport for some reason, possibly the layout, possibly the exuberant prices on some items. Sneaker-wise the selection is similar to Rebel sport, only current models and an unusual selection at that, mostly in the sporty vain. Where they differ is they also have sporting equipment, work wear and jeans. Work wear in the way of Dickies and the like are average priced, possibly a bit on the high side but the jeans are a steal for $10-20US for Mecca Apparel and similar.
Finally Champs is like a smaller version of Footlocker but they had a few “in between” models that Footlocker didn’t. They also had many items on sale, some being cheaper than Footlocker.
The best thing about these stores is they’re open till 11pm-midnight some cases 1am so if you get back to your hotel and realise you just HAD to have those 2010 Spiz’ikes then it’s a only a short walk back to buyer remorse heaven.
Heading south down Broadway take a right on 34th-35th and pop into the Kmart for some bargain clothing or travel amenities. Probably not everyone’s choice of a must see, but for licensed game apparel on clearance its worth a look. Knicks sleepwear, Yankees tee’s, jerseys, jackets etc fill several clearance racks along with the standard “Dad” affair at a fraction of the cost, it was perfect for souvenirs. The work wear re: Dickies were some of the cheapest non-sale prices we came across at around $20US for pants and $13 for shorts. Just hope its after they’ve received an order as a lot of the sizes and colours were non-existant.
About half a block further is B & H Photo for all your camera bits and pieces.
Back east passing Madison Square Garden (say Hi to Spike and Jack for me) and over Broadway, pass another Footlocker and another Forever 21 (the American Supre/Jay Jays, yes, keep walking) is one of our fave one-stop shops, Dr. Jay’s. If you’re into hiphop clothing then this is the place for you. Every major brand is covered from LRG to Adidas to Lacoste and the unintentional brands like The Northface, its all covered. Caps on street level, a level for menswear then a level of women’s wear. They also have an ok selection of sneakers, some with decent reductions, especially out of season stuff like the Nike winterized Spiz’ikes and Goadomes. Both were the cheapest we saw for $100-120US, so it went with out saying that the Spiz’ikes found a new home. Good selection of work wear and one of the few places that we saw in Manhattan that sold Dickies Girls. For those girls looking for black pants that actually fit them, try the Bullpant or Lowrise models, you’ll never look back đ
Nike Air Jordan winterized Spiz'ikes
Most of the other clothing was all around standard retail prices though there were quite a few models that we didn’t see anywhere else. Some of their range is available online with some great sale items, at the moment the deal is sweetened with a 20% off all orders over $100. With the AUD at almost 1:1 its definitely worth a quick browse, Dr. Jay’s.
Around the corner is the Empire state building but brave the lines, wait and security at your own peril. More on that later.
Down to W30th Street between 7th and 8th is one of the best anime, toy and collectibles shops that we came across in NYC, Image Anime. They have a very respectable range of figures (inc. Revoltech and Figma), busts, models, Manga, clothing and general knick knacks from all your fave anime and animated shows. Just take caution when buying large or boxed items, you’re suitcase space will disappear very quickly. Also remember that some of the more fragile items will have to go in your carry on, so even less room there. Personal experience acquired from purchasing an 18″ hard plastic Gloomy Bear. At <$30US it seemed like a good idea at the time but when it couldn't fit into any bags and had to be carried separately everywhere it got very annoying very fast! The final point of interest for florists and wedding organisers on W25th between 6th and 7th is the famous event organiser, Preston Bailey. Absolutely stunning work but with an office on the 30th floor and no visible street level show room, its all appointment only, if you can afford him!
Preston Bailey
Next up we swap the concrete jungle for an actual jungle. Ok its more like a woodlands at best, but we’re they’re to see the animals not the trees at the Bronx Zoo!
Times Square NYC
New York City 2010 part #1 â The flight inâŚ
New York City part #3 â Bronx Zoo
New York City part #4 â Sight seeing â Manhattan
New York City part #5 â Sight Seeing â Brooklyn Markets and Gardens
New York City part #6 â Shopping: Soho
New York City photo gallery here
Noy is next on our list from the Alhambra Lounge shoot. He has a yarn to 3D World about, unco drunks and 90s pub requests.
Check him out in the Social Club section of this weekâs issue #1033.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read it online @ 3D world magazine – Brisbane
Greatest city in the world? Or just another big city? Have we all been hypnotised by Frank Sinatraâs pied piper call? But like a groupie getting offered a backstage pass at a Gunnerâs concert, the lure is too great to not at least take a peak⌠just nothing below the waist.
Weâll get into that shortly, first, rewind about a day.
Getting up while its still dark is never fun, but with the notion of heading to what some call the greatest city in the world, there was extra motivation to drag ourselves out of bed and make a bee line to our shuttle.
At the departure airport, by now I donât think I need to tell you that its best to get there early, at least 2 hours for domestic flights. Security is just as bad as international flights along with the snaking of ridiculously long lines and a dogâs breakfast kind of organisation. Moral is, get there early and head straight to the self check in, worry about potty breaks, breakfast etc after you clear security. If you arenât travelling alone get one person to grab a spot in the baggage check line while the other does the self check in.
A side note when going through security, if you have toys with small parts re: Revoltech or model kits, let the x-ray person know, seems these tend to come up as âsussâ. Also remember snow globes are still classed as liquid so you wonât be able to have them in your carry on, make sure you wrap them good to store in your checked luggage.
As far as the cross country flight was concerned, Iâd have to say, Iâve had better. We flew with American Airlines, while the thoughts of near and actual disasters were distant before hand, they became a lot more apparent when we boarded the flight. The seats were
slightly larger, no doubt to squeeze in those tubby Americans, but all the cushioning was so compacted you could feel the frame work underneath, not so good for an 8+ hour flight. The general state of the plane didnât get much better, plastic fixtures and compartments sported a 20 year old computer dirty cream, off yellow colour. Everything shook and rattled like an old railroad carriage, even one of the overheads popping open randomly, just like in the movies.
The attendants werenât much better. Half looked like their first attendee job was serving moonshine on the Wright Brothersâ airline, while the rest were just not happy to be there, cant really blame them though, you can only be terrified for you life for so long before you stop caring.
Never mind, after breakfast (I think that’s what it was), a couple Neurofen plus was all that was needed to set a drift on memory bliss.
Out of JFK and into the ever reliable Super Shuttle bus. Plenty of stop start peak hour driving through Queens on our way to Manhattan.
Travel Tip: If youâre staying in Manhattan and assuming you know where your hotel is (not too hard to work out even if you donât, âstreetsâ run horizontal, âavenuesâ run vertical) its best to just get out at a nearby hotel stop and walk (if yours isnât the next on the list!) a couple blocks. As our luggage was already getting to the point of âexcessiveâ we opted to stay on. Looking back, it wouldâve saved us a good 30-45min if we got out and dragged our way to the hotel.
Speaking of hotel, we stayed at The Comfort Inn on Times Square reasonably priced, rather small rooms (still bigger than Tokyoâs! The big plasma makes up for it), worldâs smallest and slowest SINGLE elevator but on the plus side, they did have a free brekky spread, free internet and gym and very attentive staff.
The Trip Advisor whingers will say the FREE breakfast is sub par but come on, its not a restaurant nor does it pretend to be, just a tea room with what you would probably have at home on a normal day. The variety of cereal, bread, buns, bagels, muffins, pastries (including croissants), tea, coffee, juice, fruit and yogurt is more than enough to fill you up before heading out. If you want a greasy start, just head to Maccaâs otherwise grab an apple for the road and hit the shops!
Times Square - NYC
New York City part #2 â Shopping: Midtown
New York City part #3 â Bronx Zoo
New York City part #4 â Sight seeing â Manhattan
New York City part #5 â Sight Seeing â Brooklyn Markets and Gardens
New York City part #6 â Shopping: Soho
New York City photo gallery here
This week in our run and gun editorials for 3D World, we cram 6 of Brisbane’s local talents into the lush surroundings of Alhambra Lounge. MC and singer Kel on Earth gets the ball rolling dropping the science on being a lady and dealing with wankers in hiphop.
Check her out in the Social Club section of this weekâs issue #1032.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read it online @ 3D world magazine – Brisbane
Apack QLD – Open Night 09/10/10
Photos from Apack QLD’s Open night. Demonstrations by floral designers Mark Pampling and Greg Block.
Sales enquries: www.apack.net.au
Apack QLD – Open Night photos here
Rounding off our X & Y bar shoots is Brisbane’s first lady of drum and bass, Kim Delahaye. She chats about her international gigs and country music requests.
Check her out in the Social Club section of this weekâs issue #1031.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read it online @ 3D world magazine – Brisbane
What a day! A proverbial rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, but it just goes to show that not even crazy torrential sideways rain can ruin a good vibe!
Much love to all those that turned up and showed their support for our talented locals!
We’ve already got some big plans for next years bash! In the meantime, stay tuned for spin off events đ
Shout out to all of those that made the event possible…
Production Team:
Lisa – Performances coordinator
Eve – Promo and marketing coordinator
Mel – Art cordinator
Kym – Production assistant and advisor
Knovell – MC and Stage manager
Sholto – Stage manager
John – Production manager
Dion – Production assistant
Alicia – Administration
Katie – Stall assistant
Sponsors:
Footlocker
3D World Magazine
Urban Wear
Postal Entertainment
Paul from Reliabledesigns.com.au – Banner and stickers
Dave from Speaker Wrath – Advertising material
Support the businesses that support you and your scene!
Stalls:
Postal Entertainment
Yungrif – designer tees
Andy DeLore – designer tees and canvas art
Eve – kicks
Nelson – kicks
Afro Denim – designer tees
Chamellieon – photo art, custom toy art
Ben – photo art
Ryan – kicks, bags, tees
Mystique
Urbanwear
(and of course the soulbridgemedia/Fresh Out stall with all the Kidrobot items đ )
If you want to chase up any items that you may have missed out on during the day, or couldnt make it on the day, give the sellers a yell on the Fresh Out facebook page.
Performers:
Kuts and Drops
Mark Lowndes
Cat Thompson
Gamarang
Fergie aka H1pe
Karmin Lyricist
Macbeth dance crew
Dastardly Kuts
Hopey1
Morgan Macmanus and Omegachild
Rola D
Yojay
Illkid
The Drone Tree
Elements dance crew
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Like what you heard/saw on the day? Add your favourite performers and get along to their next gig for a full set!
And finally James and all the top staff and organisers of the Chinatown Mall and Markets!
Fresh Out 2010 Festival photos here
The rain managed to hold off for most of it and stage closures were kept to a minimum, win win!
Highlight photos for Parklife 2010 Brisbane here
