The latest issue of Grey Magazine is out right now. Featuring a ton of images captured during the filming of City Of Rats as well as an interview with Henry Edwards-Wood and NJ of the cover…

We’re shipping this with all our mailorders HERE

London’s original skate rat tag team drop some lines that didn’t make the final cut. City of Rats premieres this Sunday at The Prince Charles cinema in London. All tickets have now sold out so if you missed it keep an eye out for local premieres to be announced soon.

Steph skates for Familia skateboards, and DC shoes uk. Lucien rides for Palace skateboards, DVS shoes, Altamont uk and Autobahn wheels.

THE SLAM VIDEO IS COMING!

Southbank’s original Lost Boy has found himself, making his video debut in City of Rats.

Here’s some more HYPE in the form of some throwaway footage from the Palace, adidas UK and Krew rider.

ALL LONDON PREMIERE TICKETS SOLD OUT. INTERNATIONAL PREMIERES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.

Henry has been the driving force behind the Slam video. His massive amount of dedication and enthusiasm towards documenting skateboarding in London really shows in the video, which is a solid hour of raw street skating from almost everyone in the capital’s scene. The pre-orders for the Slam video are in the post today, and you can grab yourself a copy from here, so here are some words from the guy behind the whole project..

Why do you personally film skateboarding?

I film skateboarding because it needs to be filmed, and I just ended up being that guy. Skating needs to be seen and shared, and presented in an emotive way so as to inspire and educate the young and impressionable …and I guess I just took the aesthetics of it all, skateboarding is just aesthetics and accomplishment and I get some sort of satisfaction from being able to bring that from the streets to an audience.

The Slam video is your next full skateboard film since Writer’s Block. Do you reckon much has changed in London in the last 5 years?

Ha, well Writers block seems a long time ago, nothing like this video. I think skating has changed a lot in the last 5 years, it’s changed differently in different parts of the world but in London the main thing that happened was it became popular. There’s so many packs of kids in the city on the weekend now, to the point that you don’t even really acknowledge each other like we used to. With that comes the rinsing of spots, increased Police interest and security is so tight. The plus side of this is that the Slam riders have been thinking outside the box bit more, skating lots of shitty spots, and exploring even further into the outskirts of greater London. Skating here has become a lot more focused on style, finesse and speed.

How is it filming for a full film in comparison to the web edits you’ve been producing? Web edits have become companies main output recently, what’s your opinion on them in comparison to a physical DVD?

Well at the filming stage skating is always the same, the process of going out and getting clips is the same hard graft as ever. The good thing about some of the web edits I have been doing lately is that they can have a concept or a visual idea to drive it, so I’ve been directing the skaters a lot more in those situations, they don’t have to be so skate heavy, its more about telling a little story or whatever. The biggest difference in making a full length DVD like this is the timescale, I have been stacking clips for this video for over 2 years now, just tucking them away on my hardrives, sometime stuff I filmed a year and a half ago gets blown out by someone else doing it and putting it straight on the internet, which sucks as that’s then a wasted clip, but that’s how it goes. Most of what we got is too good for the internet in my opinion.

How’s it going filming everything in HD? Filming skating can get pretty risky, or just being in sketchy areas, have you had any near misses recently that could have been expensive?

HD is just a different format, the ins and outs of filming are basically the same, as far as I’m concerned anyways… I haven’t changed my approach, the camera is a hell of a lot heavier but I’m used to that. A lot of people seem to get HD cameras and suddenly don’t want to film lines, or cant film them properly. I don’t really understand that and don’t really like the direction most people who shoot HD are taking, everything has to be so epic and over dramatised. My camera has definitely taken a beating, its held together with stickers and elastic bands at the moment, the lens is covered in scratches which is inevitable if you film skating properly everyday, a random stray board is gonna come your way at some point, but I just deal with it. I think my reactions are pretty good, there have certainly been a lot of near misses lately!

How do you go about finding new and interesting skate spots to film at?

Well I grew up in London, so I have covered pretty much all of it to a certain extent. I know where I have and haven’t been and will spend hours on Google streetview scoping the places I haven’t for potential spots, then use them as a guide and go scope that area, maybe half of them turn out to be skateable, but more often then not you find something even better just round the corner. It’s the only way to be productive as so much of the inner city spots have been rinsed to oblivion.

The deadline for the video was in the middle of winter, what was it like filming through those last few cold and dark months? Can you realistically use generators in London nowadays?

There isn’t a single generator clip in the video so far, I recently moved to Holborn, 5 minutes from Slam and its too expensive and not necessary to run a car when you live so central, so I cant lug a genny about, its all just been fish eye with a light, which I’m quite stoked on as it keeps the footage looking as raw as possible. It bloody cold now but I just wrap up warm, I’ve got hand warmers, foot warmers, thermals, whatever u can think of to keep me warm out there. Nothing beats winter London footage though – big hoods, gloves and leafless trees just seem to optimise English skateboarding so I’m always stoked when I come home with clips even if I’m frozen solid.

What’s your approach to filming with different skaters? I guess some skaters know a specific spot and have a trick in mind they want to get down, whereas other guys may just want to tear down a street and see what happens?

Everyone has different agendas, some have to work half or all the week, some don’t, some always have a spot in mind, especially slightly older guys like Jensen, Snowy and Joey; they have been doing this for a while, so when I’m out with them I let them take the lead. With some of the younger riders we just got out and see what happens. My favourite formula is to come up with two spots to hit, a fair distance apart and then skate between them hitting stuff on the way.

How do you see the filming process in comparison to the editing process? Do you try to get the skaters involved with the editing, or does that just get a bit complex?

Filming is the real chore of it all, although I obviously love it, and it’s where all the hard work lies. It’s super rewarding when you get the clip, but sometimes depressing when you don’t. Editing is the most fun part for me, I love the puzzle, knowing that all the clips I have will work in one perfect order, and just finding that order is the best thing about it. I like to keep working edits of everyone’s parts and invite them to come and watch it whenever they want, I want their input but ultimately know whether something will or wont work editing wise, and I think most of the riders trust me to represent them in the right way. I’m always open to suggestions but wont hold back if I don’t think what they come up with will work!

What’s the usual ratio of stuff filmed to footage used? Are there any sections in progress that have become lost on your hard drive and you wish you’d had a chance to complete?

I get everything out eventually, this is the longest I’ve sat on footage for a while, any offcuts I will blog as soon as possible. Everything in the City of Rats is basically everything I have, Its not just only the best tricks technically, but just whatever looks good aesthetically, there will be some fairly simple stuff in the video but its looks fucking amazing and that’s why its in there.

Obviously skate films have a massive influence over what you produce, right? Does any of your work get influenced by films outside of skating? Any favorite directors?

Lately I have been getting more into the story telling aspect of film making, and trying to bring that across into my work without taking away from the skating or making it too glamorous and arty. I don’t actually watch many films at the moment as I pretty much have to work all day everyday. I have always been a big fan of British cinema, especially the more gritty films, old and new. No specific directors inspire me that come to mind, I might just see little things here and there that give me ideas. My biggest thing is to get a feeling across with the skating, to create atmosphere and convey a certain emotion without being to over the top and obvious.

Are there any particular sections or moments you are really hyped on?

Haha, I’m not going to pick favourites, I don’t think I could if I wanted to, all I’ll say is there going to be great parts across the board. The video covers the full spectrum from seasoned pros like Jensen, Snowy, and Joey, to the new generation who are in their prime like Lucien, Rory and Smithy, to the young up and comers who will be the future of London skateboarding for years to come. Seeing Casper and Darius progressing at such an emphatic rate makes me smile, I’m almost like a proud dad with them two!

* Portrait Photo by Sam Ashley

Tickets went on sale in the shop over the weekend, and will soon be available in our online store. Heres a minute of unused Casper  footage to remind you why you want to be at The Prince Charles on March 4th.

Sunday 4th March 2012 is the date for your diary, we have two showings available, 6pm or 7:15pm.

City of Rats will be shown at The Prince Charles Cinema, 7 Leicester Place, WC2H 7BY.

Tickets are £4 per person and come with a free Slam City Enamel Pin Badge while stocks last. You can buy ticket online HEREor instore at our Covent Garden store.

Everybody knows he has one of the best styles in skateboarding. Everything he does is just so effortless, you see him doing a flat ground kickflip and its just unreal. The way Jin skates is definitely individual but not in a typical arty way, he does things that not many people would even think about. Not only is Jin ridiculous at skateboarding he’s also one of the nicest people, you never hear a bad word come out of his mouth. His part in the video is gunna be next level so you better watch out for Jinsamu!

Casper Brooker

You were born in Japan, right? Does visiting the cities there alter your view of London at all?

Yea completely, it’s a real culture shock. People you meet there are so polite and courteous; not saying that that doesn’t exist in London! It’s just a different mentality. I think they concentrate a lot on doing things efficiently, so things work well there, trains are never a second late.

How do you think growing up skating London has changed the way you skate?

It makes you think about skating a lot more; it is a bit cliché but spots in the UK and London are never perfect, so there’s less of a training ground mentality I suppose, trying to do the biggest flip down the biggest gap. You have to work out how to utilise the spot in the best way, or what to hit in order to do a good line.

Do you remember your first time in Slam?

No I don’t remember it actually! Though I distinctively remember Jake’s ‘over-it’ face when a Scream-o band was performing live downstairs back when it was Rough Trade; that is a pretty early Slam memory.

How do you personally explore the city and find new spots?

Mmm… This is quite hard now because London is so rinsed. As Casper said Hold Tight has pretty much covered everywhere via street view; we went skating in Barking! Sometimes finding a spot occurs naturally when your skating in the city though, like we found a couple of spots when we were skating towards other spots, a hole in the floor, and also four of those red and white barriers in a row. That’s kind of sick because you know that they probably won’t be there next week. Other than that if I’m in a new area sometimes I decide to take the bus rather than the tube home just in case I see something new.

Do you think much has changed skating-wise in London, in the last 5 years?

Yea loads and loads of skateparks have popped up all over. This means more kids are doing it and are getting good fast! There are so many different crews of kids I see about at South Bank or exploring the city, it’s really good.

What do you enjoy about filming? Do you approach filming a section any differently now, compared to when you were filming for Writer’s Block, or Horizons?

I am stoked to be involved in such a sick project. I enjoy slowly building up something trick by trick and ending up with something concrete that is going to be part of a big video. This isn’t to say filming ain’t stressful at times! With my previous parts it was more like I’d get taken to spots in a group and we’d session them. That still happens but this time I thought more about spots and tricks to do there. As you grow older you know more spots and what possibilities there are at them. Also I have been skating and filming with Henry for so long now, maybe something like 7 or 8 years. He has this relationship with a lot of skater’s but he can suggest tricks to do at spots because he knows your skating inside out. I think these factors helped a lot when filming for this part.

Riding for Adidas, what do you think about the whole ‘skate brand vs. sports brand’ thing?

Personally, the people who have sorted me out with adidas are legit people who know what’s up and what they’re doing in skating – Ches and Lev; and for the Euro team it’s Jascha so I don’t see anything wrong with that. They make good shoes and help skateboarders do what they like for a living. You can’t front on Busenitz or Chewy.

And your top 3 London heroes?

Snowy and Jensen are who I look up too in my generation as typical London skateboarders, but there are too many to mention. Hold Tight Henry for going through hell and back for this video!

Jin rides for: Landscape Skateboards, Adidas, Stella Supply Co., Hélas and Slam City Skates

* Portrait Photo by Sam Ashley

** Video by Hold Tight Henry

I first met Joey when he worked at the old Slam warehouse with Fos in west London. We’d always witness the dicking about that made Slam distribution what it was (or wasn’t) back then, ha, ha! We’d occasionally go shred Playstation skatepark on our lunchbreaks. Joey used to rule that place as well as Meanwhile 1. We hung out a lot on Heroin trips to Japan and some of my first years in town were spent skating with this guy. Since then, Joey’s gone from strength to strength with Nike SB, Landscape and now his own hardware company in the form of Stella Supply. A great bloke and a constantly super positive human being. There’s not many like Joey Crack…

Where did you grow up skating and when did you move to London?

I grew up skatin New Milton, Bournemouth and Southampton, moved to London 11 years ago.

Do you remember your first time in Slam?

Yeah I traded a hoody with Seth Curtis for some Panic wheels and the raggy clothing video!!

Do you think London has altered the way you skate at all?

Yeah of course! Skating a to b in any city will do that.

Any advice to someone new to the city?

Go out and shred and always have manners.

What do you think of the concrete parks that have popped up over London in the last few years?

They’re great sometimes for a good sweatout with the boys usually go for a Stockwell sesh before a spot.

Do you think there is much difference between the generation growing up skating now and the one you experienced?

Yeah they all skate so well so quickly!!

How’s filming for City Of Rats going? What do you enjoy about filming?

Was out with Henry a lot in November which was good, I’m in LA now though! Filming is fun because its just an abstract idea at first then with a little effort its reality.

Do you still skate with the same group you grew up skating with?

Been skating with Benny everyday out here and we are from the same town so yeah!

Is the PWBC still going strong?

You bet! Stronger than ever!

Top 3 London heroes?

Guy Fawkes, Lenny Mclean and Toby Shaull

Joey rides for: Nike SB, Landscape Skateboards, Stella Supply Co. and SlamCitySkates

* Portrait Photo by Sam Ashley

** Video byHold Tight Henry

Nick Jensen: the skateboarder’s skateboarder. We’ve known Nick since pretty much the beginning of his career as a skateboarder, although ‘career’ itself is just a small part of Nick’s contribution to U.K. skateboarding.  Its apparent that Nick holds high, the ideal, that skateboarding is driven by your environment and how you perceive it and therefore exploit it. His tireless drive to discover and create new spots in a city that many would consider ‘rinsed’ stands testament to his eye for skateboarding. Nick Jensen: the skate-rats’ skate-rat…

As a skater, what was it like growing up in London?

Great, realistically it all started as hanging around with my friends and older brother. It was only until about 4 years on that I realised that London was so different from where skateboarding had originated. I now feel really proud to be from, and a product of London. The city tests your commitment, due to its conditions, such as weather, security and its busyness.

Would you say being from London has had a big effect on the way you skate today then? How do you see the London in comparison to other cities you’ve visited?

London although really busy at times and not having the best run ups or ride outs etc, is one of the best cities for me to skate. When you go to other more well known skated cites, you constantly come across; ‘someone has already done that’. I feel like there is so much untapped potential in London, and because I live there I get more time to search for stuff etc, which is also more rewarding.

Have you got a first time in Slam story?

I do remember this local Southbank dude, holding Sharon at knife point, he used to complain that Slam was too warm and as a result his board had warped.

You witnessed Southbank change from what it was originally to how it is now. How do you feel about it now? What’s your opinion on the concrete skateparks that have popped up all around the city in recent years?

I think its good that the city is recognising the importance of skateboarding so bring on the concrete parks! I suppose with Southbank I am not that sad because I had the best years of my life skating there, and I will never forget that, I would rather just not go there anymore.

How would you advise someone new to the city on finding skate spots?

I would suggest getting the train somewhere East to where the parameters of the new Olympic site is being made.

Do you reckon you’ll stick around for the Olympics? What do you think of it all?

I will be in London for the Olympics. I mean it sucks for all of the old community zones, where theatres have been torn down to be replaced with a terrible ‘modern’ high rises to house some tourists for a couple of months and then, nothing. But its good for skating it helped Barcelona out. Lets just hope they let us into the zone soon as it is still cornered off.

Would you say your interest in making art is linked with skateboarding, or do you try to keep it separate?

I don’t try and keep my artwork separate from skateboarding, I am just more interested in conceptual art. I do love certain graphics, but I always got more stoked being at the Tate and seeing a Salvador Dali painting or something.

On an average day, how do you balance skating and making art?

I will Work in my studio most days Monday to Friday, skate in the eve, and one weekday as well as both days on the weekend.

How is filming for the Slam video going? Do you enjoy filming or is it more the reward of seeing the footage back?

I enjoy it but I have been really busy setting up a gallery, so at times I have found it difficult to balance the two, but I am stoked on filming with Henry and I just have to keep going with it to make it better.

Top 3 London heroes?

Toby Shuall, Channon King and Nugget

Nick rides for Blueprint Skateboards, Lakai, Thunder Trucks, Spitfire Wheels, Fourstar Clothing and Slam City Skates

* Portrait Photo by Sam Ashley

** Video by Hold Tight Henry

Welcome to our new ‘City of Rats’ mini site that for the next 6 weeks will be bringing you daily blog updates, behind the scenes video content and general Slam video gossip on the run up to the premier of our first and only full length video.

We’ve talked about making a Slam video forever. There have even been a number of false starts and diverted efforts along the way.

The planets have aligned and this thing is actually going to go down. Never has the London scene been so strong. We’ve got some of the most talented skaters in the land riding for us right now, guys who’ve grown up skating near and far. London has it’s own skatemag in the form of Grey and  Hold Tight London has been documenting the thriving scene for many years. It seemed 100% correct and proper to ask Hold Tight Henry to create the Slam vid.

Henry’s dedication to portraying the London scene authentically by practically living on the streets with the skate rats comes through in everything he’s produced to date. City Of Rats will be no execption.

Our new City Of Rats mini site will document the last moments of filming and bring you interviews with riders, anecdotes straight from the square mile and offcuts as well as trailers and a ton of other rad stuff. Make sure you bookmark this page…

Here’s to the next 25 years.