U.S. EDITION
BEYOND THE ORDINARY
MOTO
MAKER Roland Sands builds an empire with bikes for Anthony Kiedis and Ryan Sheckler
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL 24 hours in the California desert with a madman $4.50 NOVEMBER 2014
30 WAYS TO BOOST YOUR STYLE THIS FALL
SNOW DAYS The year’s first great ski film
ELBOW PADS SOLD SEPARATELY MATT HUNTER KNOWS ALL ABOUT THE ENDURO’S ROOST-THROWING 29ER CONTACT PATCH, DIALED ALL-MOUNTAIN GEO, AND THE SNAPPY REAR TRIANGLE FOR QUICK CORNERING. ONCE AGAIN, THE ENDURO HAS CHANGED THE GAME. SPECIALIZED.COM
Y O U WA N T A I R T I M E ? You’re made for this. So come get it. Get paid to do it. Get money for college. It’s part time. See more of what you can do at NATIONALGUARD.com/opportunity.
MAKERS OF THE ORIGINAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE I WWW.VICTORINOX.COM
THE WORLD OF RED BULL
36
DAYS OF MY YOUTH
Welcome winter with open arms with a movie that follows the world’s best skiers seeking virgin runs.
DAVID HARRY STEWART (COVER), BLAKE JORGENSON/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
NONCONFORMISTS This month we celebrate the misfits, the dissenters, the individualists who hold themselves to a higher standard. On our cover is motorcycle customizer Roland Sands, who blends a retro design aesthetic with cuttingedge modern technology to create beautiful machines that are a hell of a lot of fun. On page 28, we talk to Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes about his firm belief that he has been called by the gods to bring back the heyday of David Bowie and Freddie Mercury to the placid, corporate music scene. Another creative rabble-rouser, Steven Soderbergh, discusses on page 48 his cutting-edge— literally—decision to stop directing films in favor of his TV medical drama, The Knick. Come celebrate the outsiders with us inside. THE RED BULLETIN
“We’re all willing to take a measured risk.” ROLAND SANDS, PAGE 60
7
NOVEMBER 2014
AT A GLANCE GALLERY 12 BEST SHOTS Photos of the month
BULLEVARD
54
18 SCIENCE Back to the future
FEATURES 28 Eagles of Death Metal
Mayhem in the desert with the band’s mercurial frontman, Jesse Hughes
KIMBRA
Riding a wave of Kiwi talent, the singer strives to make it big in North America.
36 Days of My Youth
The world’s best skiers on film
48 Steven Soderbergh
28
Ditches movies for the small screen
50 Camilo Lara & Toy Selectah
Mexico’s musical masterminds
52 Wings for Life 54 Kimbra
The Kiwi singer’s guide to making it big in Los Angeles
50 CAMILO LARA & TOY SELECTAH DJ and producer Camilo Lara teams up with mix master Toy Selectah to rock Mexico’s music scene.
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
Jesse Hughes channels rock’s icons from a bygone era while working on his latest album in the California desert.
52 52 WINGS FOR LIFE
Motocross vet Heinz Kinigadner starts early in order to build a training base for the May 2015 Wings for Life World Run. 8
80 ARCADIA
Fire! Spiders! Lasers! Spiders on fire shooting lasers! A nightmare or one of the wildest concerts you’ll ever see?
60 Roland Sands
The Southern California bike customizer on his art and craft
ACTION! 68 69 70 71 72 74 75 76 78 80 86 88 98
TRAVEL Flying high in South Africa PRO TOOLS Marine GPS watch TRAINING Rugby is profoundly scary MY CITY Beyond Austin’s bars CLUB Las Vegas pool party MUSIC Norway’s Erlend Øye SOUND SELECT Up-and-comer Tink GAMES Competitive eSports ENTERTAINMENT Wes Bentley NIGHTLIFE Metal circus SAVE THE DATE Unmissable events GET THE GEAR End-of-year style MAGIC MOMENT Don’t look down
THE RED BULLETIN
CLARKE TOLTON/CONTOUR/GETTY IMAGES, ROBERT ASTLEY SPARKE, ALEX DE MORA (2), MARCO ROSSI
Prepping for the May 2015 charity run
LESS WEIGHT. MORE MILES. Armed with FluidRide™ technology to keep you light on your feet and GEL Cushioning to help you go further. ®
The lightest Kayano ever - GEL- Kayano 21 ®
BETTERYOURBEST asics.com
CONTRIBUTORS WHO’S ON BOARD THIS ISSUE “I was listening to Black Sabbath, so Jesse Hughes and I got along immediately.” Alex de Mora, photographer, “Desert God,” page 28
ALEX DE MORA
SUSAN HORNIK
ROBERT ASTLEY SPARKE
“I first met Eagles of Death Metal’s frontman Jesse Hughes when he came for a shoot at my studio in 2011,” says photographer de Mora, who is based in London. “He burst into the room ranting, and I could tell he was going to be fun. I was listening to Black Sabbath, so we immediately got along. In his own words he ‘likes to party 24/7,’ and whenever I spend time with Jesse, it’s unpredictable. He can’t sit still or stop talking, and is an encyclopedia of random knowledge.”
For over two weeks, the Television Critics Association press tour pits the creators of TV shows against quotehungry journalists in Los Angeles. The scene has been called a “death march with cocktails.” But the veteran Hornik handled the mayhem with aplomb, getting director Steven Soderbergh to open up on his jump from awardwinning movies to cuttingedge TV with Cinemax’s The Knick. “Soderbergh is an introspective, brilliant genius,” she says. “I could have talked to him all night.”
Despite being born in London, Astley Sparke found a second home in São Paulo, where he has made his name in fashion and celebrity photography. Although he frequently photographs athletes, he has always preferred musicians as his subjects. “I feel they are more interesting characters to photograph,” he says. This month, Astley Sparke has two characters in front of his camera who certainly fit the description of “interesting”: Mexican mix masters Toy Selectah and Camilo Lara.
AROUND THE WORLD
The Red Bulletin is published in 11 countries. Writer Roberto Saviano is on the South Africa cover.
MAKING OF ...
This month’s cover photo David Harry Stewart’s cover shoot with Roland Sands really got into gear when he suggested they take one of Sands’ custom motorcycles out to the L.A. River. “When he gets on the bike, he’s like a man transformed,” Stewart says. “I’ve never seen someone so comfortable on a bike.”
10
Roland Sands revs it up in the L.A. River.
On set in the back of Sands’ shop.
THE RED BULLETIN
MAU I , HAWAI I
IN THE LOOPS The double loop is the most spectacular trick in windsurfing: a pair of forward somersaults, complete with board and sail, requiring a steep wave and powerful forearms. Philip Köster was just 13 when he pulled off his first double, and he became the youngest-ever PWA Wave world champ four years later. Now 20, the German is going for his third world title this season, which will include conquering the epic Ho’okipa Beach Park waves he’s practicing his tricks on here. His recipe for success? “Never look at the scoreboard. Just get in the water and give it your all.” philipkoester.com Photography: John Carter/Red Bull Content Pool
13
WA S H O U GAL , WA S H I N GTO N
DIGGING DIRT After 12 grueling races scattered across America, from Washougal in the northwest to New Berlin in New York state, the 2014 AMA Pro Motocross Series crown was claimed by Ken Roczen riding in his rookie season. He’s the first German to win in the 450cc class and, at 20, the youngest to take the title since 1984. Roczen’s trump card is experience, having snagged his first world title at 17. But even champs feel the pressure: “I always try to play it cool,” he says, “but I was nervous the last race. To win is unbelievable.” promotocross.com Photography: Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
15
B ERLI N , G ERMANY
FLASH DANCE Benny Kimoto is known as the Headspin King because he can rotate around his own axis up to 60 times—on his crown. As part of Berlin’s Flying Steps crew, he has wowed audiences worldwide since 2010 with the classical-music-meets-breakdance show Red Bull Flying Bach. In their new production, Red Bull Flying Illusion, street dance meets the art of magic. But there is no trick to nailing incredible dance moves: It’s all about hard work. “You can’t imagine how much energy we put into the rehearsals and preparations,” says Kimoto. “But afterwards, it feels great.” redbullflyingillusion.com Photography: David Robinson/Red Bull Content Pool
16
BULLEVARD
NEW IDEAS
INVENTIONS
KNOWLEDGE
NOBEL P
RIZES
M STO C OV E OV E R A W A R DKINH O L M . W E ’R E G OUR O WN.
A young man and the sea Boyan Slat wants to rid the world’s oceans of plastic trash. There was just one thing Boyan Slat really wanted to do while on vacation in Greece, and that was to surf the waves. But he couldn’t help noticing more plastic bags swimming in the water than fish. In his frustration, the Dutchman decided to rid the seas of trash and even gave up school for the effort. Now, three years later, the 19-year-old has a concept that has experts convinced. His Ocean Cleanup project even has pessimists dreaming of a world in which the seas belong to the fish again. And surfers, too, of course. theoceancleanup.com
Solar cover
Collection platform
PLASTIC POLLUTION SOLUTION
Floating barriers are installed in the five main ocean currents, effectively allowing the ocean to clean itself.
18
Particle filter
Buoys 1
2
Anchored to the seabed
5
3
4
Wind and tides move the trash toward the filters without the need for additional energy.
Direction of current Walls approximately 185 miles long gather the trash in. No creatures are harmed.
Battery section
Once gathered, the plastic is recycled, which makes money to finance the project.
THE RED BULLETIN
BULLEVARD Science | Future
Is this the perfect woman?
3 NOBEL PRIZES, PLEASE
These clever inventions should be part of our present.
ELECTRIC ROADS Bars built into the road provide vehicles with electricity. The first stretches of test road will open in Sweden in 2015, to offer a real-life slot-car experience.
Not so noble Th e N o b el Prize m ay b e un p re dic t a b le, b u t it is lo gic al that th e re isn’t a p rize fo r m a t h e m a t i c s . One thing is certain: If it weren’t for dynamite, there would be no Nobel Prize. The chemist Alfred Nobel made his fortune through the commercial exploitation of his explosive invention. Is the lucrative prize the result of an unclear conscience? That’s how the legend goes, at any rate. Another uncorroborated anecdote explains why there is no award for mathematics. A mathematical genius is said to have wooed Nobel’s beloved away from him, whereupon the wronged party promptly canceled the prize. NO! BEL. Four reasons these people never received a Nobel Prize: NO MAN Rosalind Franklin did crucial DNA research. Her colleagues were honored after she died.
TOC, MICHAEL O, DDP IMAGES, GETTY IMAGES(3)
GAMING CLUSTER Brainflight will make a researcher of every gamer as you fly through the complex world of nerve cells. The result will be the first map of the brain’s neural network.
NO DESIRE Jean-Paul Sartre didn’t accept honors on principle. Not even the Nobel Literature Prize. NO REASON As a cynical protest, in 1939 a Swedish politician nominated Adolf Hitler for the Peace Prize. NO LUCK Mahatma Gandhi received the last of his five nominations shortly before he was murdered.
Beauty, so they say, is in the eye of the beholder. In baroque times, double chins were sexy. In the Victorian era, plumpness was a status symbol. If The Red Bulletin were to play God, as digital artist Michael O has above, the female body of the future would have a little more skin on her bones. But his robotic creation might just be the pinup girl of 2080.
AIR-LECTRICITY Physicists from WiTricity have created a device to provide smartphones with power wirelessly. (They should tell the electric roads team how they do it.)
“If I have a thousand ideas and only one turns out to be good, I am satisfied.” Alfred Nobel (1833-1896)
THE RED BULLETIN
19
BULLEVARD Science | Robots
Smarter than us Films like I, Robot and A.I. have shown us the future. But when will it arrive? Robots can cook pasta, wash our hair and vacuum our floors. They can even drive cars and put out fires. But making them is often more complicated than the problems they’re meant to solve, which is why, more often than not, they don’t get beyond the expensive prototype stage. The only robots that will become part of our everyday lives will be ones we can afford. And they will only become efficient assistants or emergency workers once they’ve learned to think and act for themselves. This might still be a long way off, but our attempts to get there continue:
INTO THE WILD Google’s robotic packhorse, BigDog, being fine-tuned (right) and its successor, AlphaDog, during military training (below).
HUMAN 2.0
They look like us, play better music, and their smile is enough to melt anyone’s heart. Is it time to accept that the future belongs to robots?
20
THE RED BULLETIN
OBSOLETE ALREADY Sony’s AIBO RoboDog was born in 1999 and put down in 2006.
“HI, AM I HUMAN?”
GETTY IMAGES(2), SONY, LS3 ROBOT IMAGES COURTESY OF BOSTON DYNAMICS, PICTUREDESK.COM, KONRAD NORMAN, AI-LAB DER UNI ZÜRICH
Eugene Goostman is the first piece of software that can supposedly deceive chat partners into thinking he’s a 13-year-old boy from Ukraine. We tested him out.
SEEING DOUBLE Robotics pioneer Hiroshi Ishiguro wanted to know if he could create a humanoid double. The answer was yes, he could.
THE RED BULLETIN
REAL METAL The most literal metal act ever is robot band Compressorhead, which covers Motörhead on real instruments.
the red bulletin: You were the best of the bots in the Turing test, the liedetector test on being human. Did you cheat? eugene goostman: Everything I can do I learned from you humans. ROFL! A third of your chat partners believed you were an actual human. What can I say? To err is human. Do we really need artificial intelligence? You mean when you’ve done without natural intelligence for so long? ;) You’re very mouthy for a piece of software. What would you like to be when you grow up? A supercomputer. Like Deep Blue. Only I don’t want to spend my time with digital chess pieces. Who do you want to spend your time with then? Humans. You’ll probably have to get through a more rigorous Turing test before that happens. I didn’t cheat! What further proof do you need?! ... Why are you saying that? ... Wbere comme¿ ... ¶¢][]] ... ERROR He’s more human than we first thought.
BLUE-EYED BOY This cute ROBOY smiles like he has a heart and soul. But what really gives him away are his muscles and tendons.
21
BULLEVARD Science | Living
A house of the future
1
These inventions will change how we live in the comfor t of our own homes.
2
3 5
6
4
7 8
1. INTELLIGENT HOUSES could create more energy than they use with solar panels and air source heat pumps. 2. CONVERTIBLE WINDOWS have been developed by
a Dutch architecture firm to create a balcony that folds out from the wall in a few seconds. 3. LIFE AUTOMATION products use sensors to turn your house into a decision
maker. Devices like WigWag can switch on lights when it gets dark or fire up the heat when it gets cold. It also has a smartphone app. 4. SPRAY-ON LIGHTS use OLED technology
and can illuminate anything in the home, from walls to house plants.
percent of water and up to 80 percent of the energy a regular shower consumes.
7. LIVING FURNITURE is made with organisms to help regenerate itself.
5. THE WATERSAVING SHOWER from Swedish firm Orbital Systems saves up to 90
6. THE SMART IOTA is a toilet that uses 50 percent less water and folds itself away once you’re done.
8. SMART HERBS in a Click & Grow mini garden don’t need TLC—just NASA tech and electricity.
On your plate of tomorrow
CORBIS(5)
In the future, even the junk food will be good for you. Here are some delicacies you can try now (and one you can’t).
PEA DRUMSTICK Beyond Meat makes veggie proteins look finger-lickin’ good.
22
PIZZA PATCH Like a nicotine patch but with pizza. (Still under development.)
CHOCO-NOT Take a deep breath and consume caloriefree chocolate.
LAB BURGER The consistency is good, but the taste needs a little work.
UNREAL CANDY Enjoy sweets with a clearer conscience and 40 percent less sugar.
THE RED BULLETIN
SEQUEL TO THE #1 RATED SHOOTER OF 2012 Based on Metacritic as of 12/18/2012
PRE-ORDER now
For free LIMITED EDITION upgrade AVAILABLE ON CURRENT AND NEXT-GEN PLATFORMS
Traveling to the towering Himalayas to spread your mother’s ashes across her native land, you find yourself caught up in a civil war to overthrow the oppressive regime of a ruthless dictator. Explore and survive this unfamiliar land, where unpredictable danger lurks around every corner.
Diverse Open World
Living world rich with discovery
Blood Intense Violence Nudity Sexual Themes Strong Language Use of Drugs
DROP IN/DROP OUT CO-OP
WEAPONS/VEHICLES/SKILLS
Explore the open world of Kyrat with a friend
Customize your approach for a new experience every time
IN STOR ES 11.18.2014 farcrygame.com
© 2014 Ubisoft Entertainment. All Rights Reserved. Far Cry, Ubisoft, and the Ubisoft logo are trademarks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the US and/or other countries. Based on Crytek’s original Far Cry directed by Cevat Yerli. Powered by Crytek’s technology “CryEngine.”
BULLEVARD Science | Living
Ctrl-P Possible Creation 3.0: If you can think of it, you can create it. New high-tech 3D printers make what has always seemed impossible possible. The options are literally endless:
4
LAUGHABLE IDEAS
EARGANIC A 3D printer would have presented Van Gogh with new options: It’s possible to print a personalized mold in which a human ear can be grown. It may have come a few years too late, but artist Diemut Strebe used it to do just that, with genes from the painter’s great-grandnephew.
SHUT IT The SpeechJammer shuts people up. The hand-held box produces an echo of the speaker’s words, slowing any verbal torrent. It also exists as an iPhone app.
LIFE-SAVING BRA Medic Elena Bodnar has designed a bra that can be converted into two facemasks in an emergency.
24
SHOES Fold them up and fit them in your pocket, but they still smell.
INSTRUMENT Make sweet plasticky alto sax sounds with 41 components.
SEX TOY Download the Rock & Roll Sex Toy for your printing pleasure.
CAR The Urbee prints in 2,500 hours and uses ethanol and electricity.
YOU Make a mini action hero or wedding cake figure of yourself.
PRINTER Just print out the components and put them together. Easy.
DON’T GET BURNED The wasabi fire alarm sprays the sting of horseradish if it senses a fire risk, thus rousing stubborn sleepers from their dreams. But no, the fire isn’t put out using soy sauce.
Why a chemist was re l u c t a n t to a c c e p t t h e p re s t i g i o u s a c c o l a d e . The procedure has always been predictable: Worthy scientist gets a call from Stockholm and, surprised and grateful, accepts the honor. But the committee was taken aback by the reaction of Yves Chauvin to the news. The Frenchman was due to receive the award for chemistry in 2005—for “the development of the metathesis method in organic synthesis”—but refused to accept it. He claimed that his colleagues had played a much more important role than him in the research. But Chauvin came around and eventually agreed to accept the prize.
CAN TALK Shouldn’t we try something new?
THE RED BULLETIN
DIETMAR KAINRATH
FALSE BOTTOM Gustano Pizzi is making it safe to fly again. Anyone trying to hijack a plane will fall through a trap door into a box that will then float down via parachute straight into the arms of the police.
Nobel Prize: No thank you
DIEMUT STREBE (2), RECREUS, ODD.ORG.NZ, PRIVECO, KOR ECOLOGIC INC, CORBIS, FORMLABS.COM, REUTERS
The Ig Nobel Prize is an annual award given to the most improbable researchers and their flights of fancy.
Professional rider on a closed course. Always wear proper safety equipment.
/KTMUSA /KTMUSA @KTMUSA
Photos: S. Cudby, H. Mitterbauer
www.kiska.com
450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION
PREMIUM I POWER FACTORY PERFORMANCE YOU CAN BUY
The KTM 450 SX-F Factory Edition offers pro-level performance and the highest quality features and components found in motocross. Ryan Dungey and KTM: Premium Power, READY TO RACE.
KTM Group Partner
BULLEVARD Science | History 1
The future’s bright B ygo n e m a g a z i n e s fo re te l l f a r- o f f d eve l o p m e n t s i n a l l t h e i r c o l o r f u l ye t u n p re d i c t a b l e g l o r y. 1. MUSICAL EXPRESS This was to be the train with tracks of its own. The locomotive imagined by Modern Mechanix and Inventions magazine in 1934 whistled jazz notes from two saxophones and was driven by five huge vacuum valves, then most commonly found in radios. Today’s equivalent would be a train with an engine fueled by the flow of Internet data, where every post, tweet or “like” equaled a mile.
BLOG.MODERNMECHANIX.COM, UBKA.UNI-KARLSRUHE.DE, WWW.SCIENCE-ET-VIE.COM, POPULAR MECHANICS
2. IKEA SPACE STATION In 1956 Hobby magazine from Germany envisaged a cosmic community on a prefabricated vessel—think Ikea in space. Once people had built their abode, all they had to do was learn to live together in peace on the space station. That’s the one part of the vision in evidence today on the ISS. (It’s just on Earth we seem to have a problem with it.) 3. THE FEELING ROBOT Unimate was the world’s first robot, patented in 1954 and limited to automated tasks. But in 1975, French magazine Science & Vie was inspired to dream up the robot of the future: one so sensitive that it could even judge how lightly to tap an egg to break it. 4. ROCKET AIRPORT In August 1938, a passenger jet successfully completed the first nonstop flight from Berlin to New York in 24 hours and 56 minutes, which was quick for the time. American publication Popular Mechanics Magazine conjectured that, with time, passengers could be fired to the moon in super-fast transport rockets. 2
26
3
4
THE RED BULLETIN
BULLEVARD Science | Visionaries
2014: Winning looks
Superstar inventions This famous five have made more than just a name for themselves.
STEVE MCQUEEN Put pedal to the metal on screen, then made a car seat off it.
TURTLE T-SHIRT A numbered grid shaped like a turtle locates the itch.
HEDY LAMARR The 1930s movie star helped the Navy win the airwaves.
TRAIN CONTROLS Young invented a single control unit to operate several trains.
You don’t need to be a genius to predict who’s going to get a Nobel Prize. There’s a system to choosing a winner, and we’ve decrypted it. 2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
C H E M I S T RY | 2 0 /2 0 RU L E S
Glasses are not required to win—look for a repeat of 2005/06 in 2013/2014.
P H Y S I C S | M I G H T A N D M A N E
A head of hair increases your chances of winning the prize for physics by 70 percent.
E C O N O M I C S | S TAY T R I M
NEIL YOUNG His heart of gold has a soft spot for model railways.
TORPEDO SIGNALS Lamarr was a pioneer of frequency hopping, now used in Wi-Fi. Would you choose to give your money to a banker with a big beard? Exactly.
Glasses No glasses
Hair
No hair
Beard
No beard
MARLON BRANDO The Oscar winner was also a godfather of invention.
BUCKET SEAT The 1971 model was more secure for the driver and oozed cool.
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA Has an itch that needs scratching.
SPORTS SHOES Brando came up with traction-optimizing shoes for aquajogging.
THE RED BULLETIN
REINVENTING YOURSELF
* KOMA: KAINRATH’S ŒUVRES OF MODERN ART
GETTY IMAGES(5)
DIETMAR KAINRATH
KOMA*
27
DESERT GOD The Overlords of Rock ’n’ Roll put JESSE HUGHES on this earth to keep the flame alive. At least that’s what he believes—and who are we to deny that? A day and a night in the desert with the EAGLES OF DEATH METAL frontman. Words: Andreas Tzortzis Photography: Alex de Mora
Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes in the desert.
29
IT’S PAST 11 P.M. IN THE HIGH DESERT, which is why Pappy and Harriet’s is closed. Strange, because the bar and restaurant is also a gig venue. But still, it’s a weeknight. So Jesse Hughes floors the gas pedal of his white Toyota Scion with 190,000 miles on it and heads for the lower desert of Southern California. Palm Desert, actually. The town of just under 50,000 where he grew up after his mother moved him from South Carolina following the divorce. The place where he met music prodigy Josh Homme in high school, and the place that would ultimately set him on a path to rock stardom—or the modern approximation of it at least. As he manipulates the wheel, he lights a cigarette and scrolls through his iPhone for Prince, or James Brown, or whatever artist he needs to emphasize the point he’s making at that very moment. The car makes herky-jerky movements as he navigates it at mildly alarming speeds down the twisty part of State Route 62, from Joshua Tree into the low desert. The subject of his band’s first performance at the Coachella Valley Music Festival, a few miles away, comes up. It was there that Eagles of Death Metal played in front of all the people who were assholes to Hughes in high school. “I didn’t know whether to be gracious or be a dick,” he says. “I ended up being gracious. Danny DeVito introduced us on stage, and it was like ‘F*CK ALL OF Y’ALL.’ ”
The Oldsmobile Cutlass belongs to Hughes’ friend and bandmate Dave Catching; it’s parked outside of his Rancho de la Luna recording studio. Hughes prefers his Toyota Scion with 190,000 miles on it.
T
he chip on his shoulder is an important one. It’s rescued him from a nasty divorce and a job in video store management and led to a music industry career the envy of 99 percent of the groups out there. Four albums, including the one he’s working on now; catchy tunes that lace commercials for beer, Microsoft platforms and Nike; and international tours opening for megawatt bands. Eagles of Death Metal have been lavishly praised by the Foo Fighters and kicked off a tour by Axl Rose on the first night, an episode Hughes commemorated with a new tattoo. He came to rock prominence with the help of Homme, a best friend who just happens to be both the frontman of Queens of the Stone Age and his music industry swami. That chip on his shoulder is layered with a curious intellect, a biting wit and an almost scientific approach to rock ’n’ roll success: Write good songs, never let them know your true self, and “kill rock and rape roll” at every waking moment. “I’m trying to do anything for people to have a good time with me,” Hughes says. “I’m not trying to give people a good time because, f*ck that, I’m having a good time. You want to have a good time with me? Let’s do this. My dad had a quote: ‘There’s a rock ’n’ roll band that jacks off for everyone in the room to see. And there’s a rock ’n’ roll band that tries to f*ck everybody in the room. Which one would you like to be?’ So I’m trying to f*ck everybody in the room. I’m trying to get everybody some exercise.” The band’s music is familiar and compulsively listenable. The sound is spare: tight snare, methodical kick drum, wailing guitar, grinding bass … rinse and repeat. The lyrics are clever and soaked in Hollywood heartbreak and nights out in pursuit of the holy trinity, of which one is sex. It’s music to dance to, music to lose yourself to. It’s pop rock: pure and simple and unapologetic, and transmitted viscerally by the Fu-Manchu’ed, tightjeans-and-suspenders-wearing man in the driver’s seat of the Scion. “The Beatles defined pop music,” he says. “It’s our obligation to make it better. That’s what I’m trying to do, baby. I didn’t want any music that put up a velvet rope in any way. I didn’t want any snobbery.”
31
Hughes taught himself to play guitar in his early 30s, six months before he wrote the songs for EODM’s first album.
because it’s true and I say what I believe and I never advocate anything wrong. And it’s impossible to accuse me of anything like racism. Because I’ve spent so much time being cool first, that’ll protect me for a while.” He pauses. “For a little while.” If he gets that far, he might present one hell of a conundrum: An articulate pro-religion, anti-climate-change theorist with pro-gun views who makes music people dance to and sneaker companies use in their global ad campaigns.
F
lash back to 10 hours earlier in Hughes’ apartment: the back one in a duplex in a quiet area of the Silver Lake neighborhood in Los Angeles. The garage door is painted white, and a section is splintered pretty badly from all the knife-throwing action. Hughes calls this place a “House for Wayward Rockers,” in which late nights are inevitable and drama is part of the story line. Just this past weekend, his girlfriend, former adult film star Tuesday Cross, had to regulate on a wild drunk woman who began accosting her. “It was awesome!” says Hughes. “Righteous, bro! She was one of those chicks … I could already see it. Her nose busting was a foregone conclusion.” Behind a screen door and inside a room painted in hues of red and black is a jumble of kitsch and art and books. On the tattered couch, there’s a beaded skull pillow given to him by Jay Leno, and a shrunken head sits unassumingly on a shelf. Another shelf holds a Mak-90 assault rifle and two pairs of old-school, gunpowder-loading pistols—a pair for him, a pair for Cross—modeled after the guns used by Wild Bill Hickok and confederate General Robert E. Lee. There’s a Nazi armband hanging on a wall, and Hughes is sure that Hitler must’ve worn it at one point because he’s got the documentation to prove that it was signed for by his valet. It’s framed on a bed of stars. So … why? “Because we kicked their ass,” he shrugs. “We get to flaunt their shit now.” The guy who got him that, a rich collector of curiosities in Canada, also gave him the shrunken head. “He wanted to use one of our songs in commercials,” says Hughes, “and he asked what it would take to get us to do that. I said, ‘a little head.’ ” He delivers the punchline deadpan and quickly moves on to the next anecdote. A conversation with Hughes is a full-on assault of pop-culture punditry, THE RED BULLETIN
“ I HONESTLY EXPECTED TO BE A U.S. SENATOR.“ side-splitting observations and heavy, sustained doses of right-wing political philosophy. It appears the shy, picked-on kid he was in high school finally got lungs to speak and to proclaim and to sing. “I honestly expected to be a U.S. senator by now,” he says. He’s convinced he’d be the right antidote for America’s directionless conservative movement. Hughes doesn’t think Obama would be around had he been behind the scenes in the Republican political machine—though, truth be told, it’s hard to imagine Hughes working behind the scenes of anything. “I’ve basically taken it for myself to become the ultimate right-wing extremist, dude,” Hughes says. “And it’s paid off
B
ut that’s the future. At the moment, Hughes is working on the first EODM album in more than five years. He’s already written the songs. He wrote them in 2012 but was waiting for the right moment to put them to tracks. “The timing’s got to be right. When we do a tour, if I know I can sell out a 1,000-seater, I’ll book the 500-seater because it looks better to have a bunch of people to wait outside. I’m really looking at tomorrow.” Hughes married young; his divorce was messy and left him heartbroken and heading down a dangerous path of booze and drugs. It was at his lowest point that Homme visited him and took an interest in a few songs that he had recorded on his computer. “Do you have any more of these?” he asked. “I wrote the whole first record based on advice from Barry Manilow, which was: Every song is a commercial pop song,” Hughes says. “It’s not a problem if you’re stealing, as long as you’re honest about it. I didn’t steal from people that sucked. Every song has already been
33
Old school meets new tech at the Rancho: Hughes plays Catching a few new tracks.
written in my opinion, so why make it hard? I’m not going to try to be like Poison; I’ll try to be like the Stones. At least I figure I’m improving my odds.” But in the early aughts, he was entering an industry that was already undergoing a tectonic shift in consumption and distribution habits, with the paranoia rampant in the music business only amplified by that change. Trying to embody the ultimate rock ’n’ roll avatar wasn’t going to be enough. Guided by the self-empowerment books of Robert Greene, a favorite of rap impresarios like Jay-Z, Hughes’ approach was methodical. But it was his penchant for provocation that urged him into the limelight. After EODM’s second album, 2006’s Death By Sexy, the band was invited on tour with Guns N’ Roses. The first night in Cleveland would go down in rock infamy. After their set, Rose came on and asked the crowd what they thought of the “Pigeons of Shit Metal” and then said they’d been kicked off the tour. “I had a moment of panic, but then I realized, had Adolf Hitler written me a letter saying I sucked, I’d hang it up— and I knew that I wanted Axl Rose to hate me,” he says now. “I knew I needed it. It guaranteed to everyone that I was an awesome guy.” Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl, already a friend of Homme and Hughes, rallied to the band’s side publicly. Two years on, EODM released Heart On. Its hip-shaking single, “Wannabe in L.A.,” might be the closest the band has had to a global hit. After all, it made it onto Guitar Hero 5. But to Hughes, success is defined
“ I KNEW I WANTED AXL ROSE TO HATE ME. I NEEDED IT.” by EODM-dominated airwaves, sold-out arena shows, and more and more exposure. That’s why ads like Nike’s “Winner Stays”—which currently has more than 70 million YouTube views and a host of comments asking about the song in the background—are so important. (The answer: Eagles of Death Metal’s “Miss Alissa.”) “In the mind of the average radio executive, 10 million [views] is still a platinum album,” he says. “Even though the facade of it is exposed. But when they see 71 million, it’s able to impress them to seven platinum albums. This shit is gonna change their life.”
T
he early summer sun is beginning to make lizards sweat, and the temperature climbs to near 100°F when Hughes joins his friend and guitarist Dave Catching at the Rancho de la Luna recording studio. Actually, he’s not there yet. He’s late. “He’s a f*cking genius, but he’s on his own time,” says the world-weary Catching, a rock veteran and owner of the Rancho, a house and studio of ramshackle charm on 30 acres of empty desert. Catching’s beard makes him look a bit like Santa as a ZZ Top roadie. He’s played with Eagles for all but two tours.
The Rancho is filled with delightful distractions. Hughes’ girlfriend, Tuesday Cross, hits the outdoor shooting range.
THE RED BULLETIN
“Our audiences are half and half, girls and boys,” he says. “A lot of my other bands, there’s lots of boys out there who weren’t dancing, and it wasn’t as fun. Jesse does 100,000 percent on stage to encourage that. He is the best front guy I’ve ever seen.” Hughes rolls up in the Scion with Cross. Now an artist and musician, she has been together with Hughes for five years. She’s the quiet counter to Hughes’ electric presence. “Tuesday’s the great insanity of my life,” he says. The Wild Bill Hickok pistols were his gift to her. Hughes greets Catching and the two mess around with a tomahawk he’s brought over before ducking inside. In a room covered in thrift-store trinkets, skeleton dolls and many, many guitars and cheesy paintings, Hughes hooks his iPhone up to the mixing console and plays some songs from the upcoming album. He hid them from prying eyes in a folder called “Tony Robbins,” after the motivational speaker: “Because who’s going to want to check out Tony Robbins?” The tracks are complete sans vocals. One recalls Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl,” another sounds like growling New Orleans swamp rock. Hughes softly sings a few of the refrains as he stands next to the console moving his legs and smoking, the rooster in this room as well. The comedian Andrew Dice Clay had a movie persona named Ford Fairlane, rock ’n’ roll detective. In 1990, Hughes saw the film and was forever influenced by his swagger. “I took the rule that people only know what you tell them, and I took it very seriously,” he says. Hughes’ image is an unironic homage to the past: a little bit Joan Jett, a little bit rockabilly. But the appreciation behind it all is earnest. In some ways, it’s sad that Hughes wasn’t born a decade earlier, with a shot at raging in rock’s pantheon with the likes of Freddie Mercury or David Bowie. Why is he here when the genre is fading away and dying? But of course, Hughes has an answer for that, too. “It just seems that the gods of rock have invested in me to keep the flame burning,” he says. “That’s OK—that’s why I’m on fire.” In the background, the strains of Stevie Wonder’s “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)” play. He pauses, the preacher continuing the sermon most dear to him: “You have to be killing rock and raping roll. You have to be really horny. You have to really believe in it. I believe in it. I believe that heroes are important … I believe in dancing.” eaglesofdeathmetal.com
35
Monashee Mountains, British Columbia, Canada. Richard Permin is doing a backflip grab. “I love jumping in among the fir trees. It helps you work out how high you are while you’re in the air.” Permin’s jump here is about 23 feet.
BLAKE JORGENSON/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
TO EXCEED
DAYS OF MY YOUTH IS NOT JUST ANOTHER BACKCOUNTRY SKI FLICK. IT’S ONE OF THE MOST JAW-DROPPING ACTION SPORTS FILMS EVER. THIS IS HOW IT WAS MADE WORDS: AREK PIATEK
THE LIMITS 37
“IT’S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE IF YOU LISTEN TO YOURSELF AND YOUR FEELINGS.”
D
ays of My Youth is a unique film; for one, it probably had the longest production schedule of any freestyle skiing movie. “We spent two years shooting, which is an eternity,” says Scott Bradfield, the film’s producer. “We were only happy when we had the perfect shot, which meant we only filmed when we had absolutely ideal light and snow conditions, even if that meant us waiting in one spot for weeks on end.” Another thing that sets the move apart: By “us” he means the best freeriders in the world—Richard Permin, Cody Townsend and Markus Eder—all on the hunt for perfect takes, lines and rock faces. It is a search that took them to far-flung and unspoiled places, such as the Tordrillo Mountains in Alaska and the glaciers in the Cordillera Blanca mountain chain in Peru. “We wanted authenticity. We didn’t want scenes or interviews to be staged,” says Permin. “The riders had microphones on them all the time. So anyone watching the film hears the original [audio] of how we planned our line, and understands what a run takes out of us. That gets you closer to the sportsman and to the action.” Film directors usually aren’t happy when their stars improvise, but this approach is the centerpiece of this movie. “Up in the mountains,” Permin says, “we freed ourselves of any constraints and allowed ourselves to become children again and to enjoy skiing with that total passion a child has. We always decided independently what jump or trick to do. It was amazing to see what you can achieve if you just listen to yourself and are as carefree as you were back then, when you were a little kid on the slopes.” redbull.com/daysofmyyouth 38
Facing page, top: A stateof-the-art Cineflex camera attached to the filming helicopter provided the spectacular aerial shots. Facing page bottom: Markus Eder plans his trajectory before heading down a glacier in the Tordrillo Mountains, Alaska.
Three stars of Days of My Youth, left to right: Richard Permin, Cody Townsend and Markus Eder
ALAIN SLEIGHER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, BLAKE JORGENSON/RED BULL CONTENT POOL(3)
BLAKE JORGENSON/RED BULL CONTENT POOL(2)
“IN SOME SCENES WE JUST HAD TO LET NATURE TAKE CENTER STAGE.”
40
THE RED BULLETIN
Consummate deep-snow skiing: American freestyle skier Michelle Parker cruises through untouched powder in the Monashee Mountains. “You forget the camera pretty quickly when you’re here. That’s how you end up with pictures that don’t come across as staged.”
Seward, Alaska: Cody Townsend on a rock face never skied before. “The film isn’t all about good tricks. Sometimes you just need to let nature take center stage.”
42
ALAIN SLEIGHER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Richard Permin demonstrates high-speed freeriding down a ridge in the Tordrillo Mountains. “Sometimes there’s only one line, and that’s steep downhill. On such a narrow ridge, the slightest deviation would have resulted in a bad fall. The line I was taking was icy, there were cliffs on my left and right and I was going at about 60 mph. Of course I was nervous, but when I saw the shots afterwards, I thought, ‘Shit, that was worth it.’ ”
“ON SUCH A NARROW RIDGE, THE SLIGHTEST DEVIATION WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A DEADLY FALL.”
The countless promontories in the Tordrillo Mountains are paradise for anyone who loves big air. Here is Markus Eder in flight.
“IT’S LIKE SURFING ON CLOUDS.” 44
THE RED BULLETIN
BLAKE JORGENSON/RED BULL CONTENT POOL(2)
Michelle Parker enjoying a powder run at sundown in the deep snow of the Monashee Mountains.
BLAKE JORGENSON/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
Michelle Parker on an extremely steep “tree run,” a downhill through forest on powder. “It’s like surfing on clouds. But there’s a downside to snow being whipped up by your speed: You can hardly see a thing and can barely breathe. Some of us ride with a snorkel. No joke!”
Richard Permin performs a 360 down a rock in Chatter Creek: “There was so much snow. It took a lot of speed to get this trick done.”
Permin: “The story behind this picture? It was in Chatter Creek. Me and Cody waited one month for snow to fall. What you see are two very, very happy people … a few seconds before one of the most delightful rides of their lives.”
46
ALAIN SLEIGHER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL(2), BLAKE JORGENSON/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
“IT’S NOT AN AVALANCHE, BUT IT HAS ENORMOUS POWER THAT CAN LITERALLY CARRY YOU AWAY.”
Permin, Tordrillo Mountains: “One of the dangers we had to face was ‘sluff,’ which is sliding snow. It is not an avalanche but has an enormous power and can literally carry you away.”
Steven Soderbergh, will you never make a movie again? With the success of The Knick on Cinemax, the award-winning director reflects on shifting his talents from movie theaters to living rooms.
Steven Soderbergh is one of those rare birds whose creativity and passion is much more important than anything in his bank account. Wearing a multitude of hats—screenwriter, executive producer, director, cinematographer, editor— Soderbergh is known for his versatility in a wide range of films, including Sex, Lies and Videotape, Erin Brockovich, Traffic (for which he won the best director Oscar in 2001) and Magic Mike. After the success of his last movie, HBO’s Behind the Candelabra, he announced his retirement from filmmaking. It was a bit of a game of semantics, perhaps—retiring from filmmaking, it turns out, is not the same as retiring from creating TV shows. The lure of a quality project brought him back to direct and executive produce the Cinemax series The Knick, which stars Clive Owen as a brilliant chief surgeon in the Knickerbocker hospital in 1900s Manhattan. On average, almost 1 million viewers watch the show each week—a very respectable number for pay cable— and the show has already been renewed for a second season. the red bulletin: Jumping from an award-winning and lucrative career in film to TV takes some nerve. steven soderbergh: When I feel instinctually it’s time for a change, where I need to shift either what I am doing or how I do that, I take that very seriously. Six years ago, I started to put in motion a plan that would put me in a different place, take me out of films and do something else. I just decided I wanted to do something different. So as it happens, 48
maybe I thought it was one thing and it turned out to be another. I thought it was, “Oh yeah, you should go learn how to paint.” When in point of fact it was, “No, you should go find another medium where you can enjoy yourself but not abandon the thing you really enjoyed doing.” So it all worked out. Was it hard to go from film to TV? I had a moment when we got into the production and were shooting that I realized: “This is what I do, this is what I am built for, this specific job.” That’s why
“I realized, ‘This is what I do, this is what I’m built for—this specific job.’ ” I have done this for so long. I was lucky enough to find it early on. That did sort of shift my attitude about whether or not to take time off. I realized, “I like being here, I like doing this job.” There is nothing wrong with that. What’s the biggest challenge in creating The Knick? We had 570 pages to shoot in 73 days, which is on average nine pages a day, which is a healthy number. I knew we had the benefit of one of the most indestructible genres in television—the medical drama—but viewed through a lens I hadn’t seen before. So I felt like we had the best of both worlds; it was fresh
but also familiar, in a way that the audience goes, “Oh I know, it’s a show about a hospital,” which it is. Then I made a list of things that I don’t want to do—with the musical score, for example, I didn’t want to hear a string anywhere in this, as it just screams period piece. You directed every episode of the first season—and you’ll do the same for the second. That’s a pretty hectic schedule. We basically scheduled the whole season like a film and shot it and budgeted and boarded it like a film, which is a very efficient way to work. Eleven months ago I did not think I would be sitting here talking about 10 hours of material that is in front of us and 10 hours of material that is behind us. My whole life I’ve moved in any direction that I thought was going to surprise me and engage me. Is it rigorous on the actors too? It’s great to work with Clive [Owen, who also is an executive producer on the show]. We wouldn’t have been able to pull off this schedule if he doesn’t show up totally prepared, ready to work. He has the same work attitude I do, which is don’t make it harder than it needs to be. We are a really good match. Do you look back at your film career with any amount of nostalgia? I’m always thinking about the next one. I always operate under the assumption that whatever film you are making at the moment is basically annihilating everything that came before it. You are always starting from zero. If you are not thinking from that way, you are probably not going to evolve. www.cinemax.com/the-knick/ THE RED BULLETIN
NICOLAS GUERIN/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES
Words: Susan Hornik
Steven Soderbergh Born: January 14, 1963, Atlanta, Georgia Awards Best director Oscar for Traffic; nominee for Erin Brockovich. Screenplay nominee for Sex, Lies and Videotape Is that really you? Soderbergh directs under his own name but uses pseudonyms for cinematography and editing: Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard
CAMILO LARA AND TOY SELECTAH
“We all share a beat” The Mexican producers have found common ground between cumbia, hip-hop, dubstep and reggae—with help from some unlikely collaborators. Words: Wookie Williams Photography: Robert Astley Sparke
When Camilo Lara and Toy Selectah last worked together in early 2013, they produced “Como Te Voy A Olvidar,” an electronic reimagining of the traditional cumbia music of Mexico City band Los Angeles Azules. The song spent more than 65 weeks at No. 1 on the Mexican digital charts, so the idea of making an album of original material came naturally. Six studios, five countries and more than 80 collaborations later— including tracks with Boy George, Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz, Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and Jamaican reggae producers Sly and Robbie—the duo are almost finished with Compass, a 40-track double album. The Red Bulletin caught up with them at Red Bull Studios São Paulo, the last stop on their recording tour. the red bulletin: Your musical background is pretty eclectic … toy selectah: We grew up listening to cumbia [a style of Latin American music akin to salsa], mambo, danzon and a lot of traditional rhythms from Mexico and the rest of the Americas. We listened to that before we listened to rock ’n’ roll. camilo lara: Being born in the mid’70s, our generation was discovering everything all at once. We were listening to Happy Mondays, the Stone Roses and De La Soul, but also Cypress Hill and dub and drum ’n’ bass from the U.K., and we incorporated those rhythms into the other sounds we’d heard. How do you think cumbia ended up combining with electronic music? cl: It all came together in 2001, when Toy made “Cumbia Sobre el Río,” a song by Celso Piña, the first track that really incorporated electronic beats with a traditional cumbia sound. It was the 50
starting point for a whole generation of musicians, including myself. He’s a clever guy, and it resonated with a lot of people. What’s so alluring about cumbia? ts: It’s how simple the rhythm is; it’s very pragmatic. It’s a state of mind more than a certain musical pattern. It’s being from where we are. I would have a hip-hop state of mind if I was from New York, but I’m from Monterrey, so that changes things. How did Compass come about? ts: We’ve been making records for years, and we’d never done anything original together, so we started exchanging music. I sent Camilo some beats and
“We wanted to show people that the dance floor is the same everywhere; it’s a diplomatic place.” he started making stuff from that. He got excited and we started talking about doing a collaborations album, because we hadn’t done that before either. That’s where Red Bull came in and helped us build this amazing network of different collaborators and musicians, working in these creative hubs with people from very different backgrounds and tastes. cl: The idea was to get into the barrio, the ’hood, to get a taste of funk, or rhyme, or Bollywood, pieces of whatever rhythm, and translate that into our own sound. The ’hood is the same in Brazil as it is in Mexico or New York and L.A. We wanted to show people that the dance floor is the same everywhere; it’s a very democratic place where anyone
can share music’s energy. We tried to take our music into their ’hoods. If the collaborator was from India or Japan or Brazil, we took our music and set it to their pitch. It’s a global album, but it all has a distinctive Mexican flavor. All those musical movements come from the street, from the working classes. cl: Yes. In that sense, it’s a fellowship. It’s called Compass, which is a play on compas, meaning “buddies.” But it can also be interpreted as compass, because we’ve been looking for people everywhere to translate their music into what we do. A few celebrities appear on the album. ts: For me, working with Sly and Robbie in Jamaica was a dream come true. I really admire them. cl: I was thrilled to learn that David Gilmour is a fan of my Mexican Institute of Sound label. I contacted Phil Manzanera from Roxy Music to work on a track. He was recording with David, who joined in, too. The track I sent him ended up being recorded by Boy George. It was crazy. All the collaborations have been fantastic. Toots and the Maytals, MC Lyte, Cornelius, Stereo MC’s, Crystal Fighters, Eugene from Gogol Bordello, Bonde Do Role. We’ve had a blast. Where is the connection between your work and that of all these musicians from very different backgrounds? cl: It’s in the significance of the music. Keep in mind that jungle, dubstep, trip-hop—all the rhythms that were happening in Brazil or the U.K.—were also happening in Mexico, so we speak the same language. It’s just music—we all share a beat, you know? ts: The beat is the force of human nature, the rhythm of the heart. There’s rhythm in all of us. Compass will be released in 2015. Follow @camilolara and @toyselectah on Twitter THE RED BULLETIN
Mexican music masters Camilo Lara (left) and Toy Selectah (right) are forwardthinking DJs and musicians with one foot in Mexico’s past, producing a mash-up of norteùo, cumbia and folk music with samples of old corridos over techno beats. Remix missionaries Between them the duo have worked with and produced remixes for Morrissey, Tom Tom Club, Placebo, Beastie Boys, 2manydjs, Chromeo, Diplo and Friendly Fires.
HEINZ KINIGADNER
“I never stop. Ever.” Double motocross world champ and co-founder of the Wings for Life Foundation on boosting your athletic ability and why it’s better to break a sweat before breakfast. Words: Werner Jessner Photography: Marco Rossi
the red bulletin: When you were still racing bikes [1988-98], you weren’t known to be a runner, were you? heinz kinigadner: Hang on a minute! It’s true that I’m not the classic running type, but I used to run every day. Was it really every day? I did, because there are so many pluses to running. You can do it anywhere, and unlike for other endurance sports, you only need a minimum of equipment. How far did you run? As far as I had to. My training schedule was usually for 45 minutes; 50 minutes later I was back home again. The top sportsmen of today, and this includes motorsports stars, would laugh at the way I trained back then, but when I was competing, professional endurance training was still in its infancy. Who was your coach? I didn’t have one, at least not when I won my first world championship title. I picked and chose what I thought was useful from various sources. Such as running up the steep Stairway to Heaven in the town of Feldkirch, Austria. I’ll never forget it! [Trainer] Toni Mathis, who is an expert in his field, chased everyone up there. The name of the stairway probably comes from the fact that you think you’re in heaven when you’ve finally made it to the top and the pain subsides. You could run as slowly as you liked. The only thing you couldn’t do was stop. What happened if you stopped? No one did. The national ice hockey team didn’t stop. Nor did the Swiss 52
women’s downhill team. Nobody did. And I didn’t either. I still stick to that principle today. When I go running, I never stop. Under any circumstances. How often do you run now? The Wings for Life World Run has got me motivated to go running more often again. Now I run twice a week on average. [Kinigadner is 54.] How do you motivate yourself? If you want to be healthy, there’s no getting around moving, regardless
“The Wings for Life World Run has got me motivated to go running again.” of how fast or far you go. Are you a morning or evening runner? I only run in the morning. No breakfast. No coffee. I just get out the door and run. Any day you go running is a good day, because it begins with that nice feeling of having achieved something. What are your favorite places to go running? I really like running on the island of Ibiza. The weather’s good there and it’s a great location. Perfect. The second Wings for Life World Run will take place in May next year. What are your goals? I won’t settle for 12 km [7.5 miles, his
distance in the 2014 race]. This year it should be at least 9.3 miles. Men pushing strollers won’t be overtaking me again. Where will you race? I have to fly to Greece the next day for the Hellas Rally, so probably Germany. I really liked St. Pölten, Austria, last year. How did you find the atmosphere during the race? The more you’re overtaken, the more chill it gets. You understand that people aren’t running to try to break records. They’re doing it for the cause and the good feeling that they get from making something happen. Plus, everyone’s got a story to tell. Sadly, I was running a little low on oxygen, so I tended to listen more than tell. Peter Wirnsberger, who’s a former alpine skier, was by my side for most of the time and he chatted away. He’s 56 now and he’s still in really good shape. Lots of sports stars took part in the last World Run, didn’t they? The great thing is they’re doing it all of their own free will. In some cases, I only realized people had taken part after the event. Some I hadn’t seen for 30 years, such as my former motocross rivals. It’s true what they say: The whole world runs the Wings for Life World Run. kini.at
The starting pistol for the 2015 Wings for Life World Run will be fired simultaneously in more than 30 countries around the world on May 3, 2015. Find the race near you and register now: wingsforlifeworldrun.com THE RED BULLETIN
High point Kinigadner was motocross world champion in 1984 and 1985, in the 250cc class, riding for KTM. Turning point Kinigadner’s son Hannes was confined to a wheelchair after an accident in 2003. It was then that he brought his competitive career to an end and set up the Wings for Life Foundation alongside Red Bull cofounder Dietrich Mateschitz. The nonprofit foundation supports spinal injury research projects worldwide. All of the Wings for Life World Run entry fees go into funding that research.
Child star: Kimbra announced to the world her intentions to become a pop star at age 11, on a TV show in her native New Zealand.
HOW THE
WEST IT’S TAKEN AWARD-WINNING SONGWRITER KIMBRA 13 YEARS TO GET FROM NEW ZEALAND TO BEVERLY HILLS, AT THE CREST OF A NEW WAVE OF KIWI TALENT. IN THAT TIME SHE’S WON TWO GRAMMYS AND MADE A HOST OF FAMOUS FRIENDS, BUT THIS GENREDEFYING SINGER IS JUST GETTING STARTED.
WAS
WON
WORDS: TOM GOLDSON
BIL ZELMAN/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES
H
i, I’m Kimbra, and one day I’d love to be a pop star.” This was the prophetic announcement of Kimbra Lee Johnson, age 11, when she appeared on a longrunning New Zealand children’s TV program called What Now. Kimbra was on the show to receive a popstar primer that included an intensive vocal coaching session and mentoring from Kiwi notables like singer-songwriter Anika Moa, on-camera tips from TV hosts Francesca Rudkin and Erika Takacs and studio time with engineer Rikki Morris. All of this was done so she could record her self-penned song, “Smile.” After nailing her vocal over a stuttering R&B track, blissfully unaware of the demands of postproduction, she asked excitedly, “Can I take it away [with me] now?”
Times have changed: These days Kimbra has her own home studio, housed in the basement of her Los Angeles apartment. Thirteen years after What Now, she has made good on the declaration she issued then. She’s won two Grammy Awards, courtesy of Gotye’s 2012 smash “Somebody That I Used to Know,” has two genre-defying albums under her belt and counts musicians Matt Bellamy of Muse fame, Silverchair’s Daniel Johns and Kanye West’s go-to crooner John Legend as friends and collaborators. “As a young kid I really did feel like I wanted to make a difference in some way,” Kimbra says, sitting in her new apartment, which is spitting distance from Sunset Boulevard, as she recalls her TV debut. “When you’re setting 55
Right place, right time: L.A. has provided Kimbra with a pool of musicians to collaborate with and inspiration for her songwriting.
56
THE RED BULLETIN
“I WAS THE
LAST
PERSON TO THINK L.A. WOULD BE HOME. I FELT IT WAS
CLARKE TOLTON/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES
SOULLESS.”
THE RED BULLETIN
out and people ask what you want to be when you grow up, I’d tell them that I wanted to share a gift with the world, whether that was music or something else. The moment I found my music connected with people and could be a vehicle to do that, I ran for it.” By 18, Kimbra had her first record deal with indie label Forum 5 and had moved to Melbourne, Australia. But it was recording “Somebody That I Used to Know” with Gotye that really changed life as she knew it. Though one of her own tracks, “Cameo Lover,” beat Gotye’s to the winning spot in Australasia’s prestigious Vanda & Young Songwriting Competition 2011, it was his that turned into a smash hit. When Kimbra takes the stage at The Independent in San Francisco on October 20, the first stop on a tour that is selling out fast, it will mark the second phase of a U.S. campaign she launched off the back of the global chart triumphs of that Grammy-winning single. Not missing a beat, Kimbra parlayed that success into two straight years of touring, winning her newfound audience over to the jazzinfused pop direction of her 2011 debut, Vows. The day after “Somebody That I Used to Know” won the Record of the Year Grammy in 2013, Kimbra moved to L.A. “It’s crazy. I was the last person to think that L.A. would be home to me,” she says. “When I used to come here, I totally did not get it; I felt like it was soulless and without any grounding. But then I just gave the place a bit more of a chance. It really was the classic cliché of meeting the right people and them taking you to their favorite little club or restaurant downtown or something. Once I made those discoveries, it really did click.” But Los Angeles is more than a home— it’s provided the pool of musicians that the 24-year-old tapped for her guestheavy sophomore release, The Golden Echo, among them The Mars Volta’s 57
B
etween The Golden Echo’s worldwide release in August and the run of dates in October and November that will see Kimbra and her band road test the album’s 12 tracks across venues in the United States, New Zealand and Australia, the adopted Angeleno has been presented with a rare opportunity: a two-month window of downtime before she gets back on a tour bus. But rather than use this as a chance to exhale, Kimbra initiated an international media blitz to talk up the release, breathing new life into the album’s studio sheen with a handful of stripped-back sessions for selected radio outlets and striving to maintain her live chops, this time in a much more intimate environment than the theaters she’ll soon visit. Kimbra launched a residency at The Fold, a small club in Los Angeles’ Silver Lake neighborhood, an exercise in creativity just outside of the spotlight.
“THIS IS WHAT I LIVE AND IT’S
BREATHE. NOT THAT I HAVE TO DO THIS. I NEED TO DO IT.”
Independent spirit: “Growing up, I was so isolated from overseas pop culture, there was a ton of freedom to move.”
“It’s just a little thing every Sunday night where I get some of my friends on stage to jam,” she reveals. “It’s really about embracing the spirit of spontaneity, creating a song from nothing. It’s not about jazz solos; we’re not playing any songs from The Golden Echo. It’s just about musicianship and connectivity. It’s a nice way to keep that spirit of creation alive.” When Kimbra released Vows, written and recorded in her then-home of Melbourne, it was at a time when few other Australasian pop talents had a platform beyond their home territories. At the time of her second offering, just three short years later, U.S. and U.K. radio is awash with chart contenders from down under. It’s not only Lorde who has dominion over the airwaves and Spotify spins; the Joel Little–produced sibling outfit Broods are flexing their pop muscle, Sydney’s 5 Seconds of Summer are giving their One Direction comrades a run for their money, and Australia’s native Iggy Azalea had the song of the summer with “Fancy.” “I really do think that New Zealand musicians have something extra special,” Kimbra says. “When I was back home recently I noticed that there is so much great stuff happening. We’re so far from the rest of the world that there’s not much of a direct influence from American culture. Growing up in [New Zealand], I was so isolated from overseas pop culture that when it came to creating my own music, there was a ton of freedom to move, but also more ambition with it. It was like, OK, if I want to get my music out there I’ve got to make it great. I really think it comes down to our isolation.” It’s not just Australasian media outlets that have picked up on this local uprising; publications like The New York Times, The Guardian and the Los Angeles Times have all hailed Kimbra’s arrival as a Kiwi songstress, as if this might divine some explanation for her pop savvy. As A&R opportunists and major labels continue to sort through a crop of new local talent in the hope of laying claim to the next Kimbra Lee Johnson or Ella YelichO’Connor, Kimbra herself is still striving to make her own mark, her eyes locked on the same path to pop stardom her 11-year-old self set out on. “This is what I do, this is what I live and breathe,” she says. “It’s not that I have to do this, it’s that I need to do it. Whether it needs to be at the same level of intensity that it is now or not, I know now that it’s something that I was born to do.” kimbramusic.com
58
THE RED BULLETIN
BIL ZELMAN/CONTOUR BY GETTY IMAGES
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and star bassist Thundercat. It’s also the inspiration for the 50-odd demos she committed to tape to make the album. As she explains, these working sketches were all influenced by L.A. extremities, whether it was the lifestyles of its blue-chip insiders or impoverished outsiders. “There’s the ultimate glossy, polished, superficial aspect of the city, then there’s the very real skid row in downtown, and the homelessness and the hustle,” she says. “I think when you see that every day, something changes about the way you make your art and challenges you. “I felt like I had a spirit of fearlessness with this album that I maybe didn’t have in the past. People here want to make their mark; it can be kind of sickening when you meet people who are just climbing social ladders, but then you’ll meet people who have a revolutionary spirit about them—and when that feels pure and authentic, it inspires you to bring that same attitude to your music.”
Join Pioneers Festival: pioneers.io/festival
Access the Livestream at: redbulletin.com/pioneers
29 & 30 OctOber 2014
FAst. ForwArd. Future.
Join 2,500 inventors, hackers and troublemakers at Hofburg Imperial Palace, Vienna. be among the first to take a look at the future, from in-ear computers to flying cars. #PioneersFestival tickets: pioneers.io/festival
Livestream: redbulletin.com/pioneers
Global Partners
MACHINE
Motorcycle customizer ROLAND SANDS creates an empire of cool, one handcrafted gear at a time. WORDS: ANN DONAHUE PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID HARRY STEWART
DREAMS 61
M
otorcycles have always served as shorthand in pop culture: The person riding it was an iconoclast, a guy who knew that part of his charm was that his leather jacket smelled like dusty, sunbaked beef jerky, and that he didn’t give a damn if moms looked at him askance, because their daughters were looking at him in a much more promising way. Recently, however, that image has morphed into something beyond the Marlon Brando archetype. The epitome of cool is no longer just anyone who hops on a motorcycle. The machine itself has become a medium for style, a place to make an aesthetic statement. One of the main forces behind this evolution is Roland Sands, a motorcycle customizer in Los Alamitos, California. Sands brings an artist’s eye to his machines—he is known for his clever, intricate creations that nod to both nostalgia and technology. With his 15-person staff, he installs custom retro design elements like vintage headlights and air cleaners on motorcycles alongside cutting-edge carbon-fiber parts. Recently, Sands has expanded into lifestyle goods for the wannabe rider in all of us: kick-ass oxblood leather jackets, gloves that pay homage to the irony-fueled patriotism of Easy Rider’s Captain America. And if gravel rash scars give one gravitas in the motorcycle industry, Sands, 40, has those, too. He’s a former AMA 250GP National Champion, a 62
designer with firsthand experience of how form can impact function. This authenticity has become his calling card. Motorcycle manufacturers including Ducati, BMW, Harley-Davidson and KTM have commissioned Sands for custom builds; his individual clients are a toocool collective from the worlds of sports, music and film: Ryan Sheckler, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Anthony Kiedis, Brad Pitt and Mickey Rourke, among others. Rourke and Sands explore their love of motorcycles in one of the segments in the new film On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter, due out November 7. Here, Sands talks to The Red Bulletin about the melding of man, machine and manufacturing—and the mayhem that is the undercurrent of it all. the red bulletin: On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter reveals that there’s no such thing as a stereotypical motorcycle person. Do you think that’s true? roland sands: Yeah, and at the same time, to ride a motorcycle you need to be able to accept a certain amount of risk, and I think a large part of the population probably doesn’t do that. So maybe we are a certain type. We’re all willing to take a measured risk. When did motorcycles go from being a hobby to being a career? My dad, Perry Sands, was a pioneer in
“TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE, you need to be able to accept a certain amount of risk.”
Sands can add his personal touch to any kind of motorcycle imaginable—from Harleys to motocross racers.
motorcycle aftermarket parts, and he always pushed me to work hard. As a kid I spent a lot of time at the shop doing every conceivable job, so I got to a point where I was over it. I wanted to do something different than work in an assembly department. I quit and got a job delivering pizzas but ended up having too many traffic tickets, so they couldn’t keep me. I think at that point I decided that a creative approach was what I needed to stay interested in the business, so I asked for my job back. He was nice enough to rehire me and dropped my pay. How did you start racing? When I was 18, my dad took me to a roadrace school, and I loved it. I ended up going pretty quick and something just clicked for me. I really enjoyed the sense of accomplishment, the mental fight, overcoming challenges. I can’t remember all of the injuries I’ve had, but I’ve broken over 30 bones. Little bones, big bones, sprains, concussions, broken back, crushed liver, ribs, lungs—just dumb stuff.
“I’VE BROKEN OVER 30 BONES —little bones, big bones. Half was racing, half was doing dumb stuff.” How much of that was doing dumb stuff and how much of that was racing? The broken bones are probably half and half. Skateboards and dirt bikes contributed to that number for sure. When did you leave racing? I left racing in 2002, so 12 years ago. I was 28. I’d put 10 years of my life into it. When I quit I was super depressed. I didn’t realize for a year or so how fortunate I was to have another direction, but slowly product design and building motorcycles more than filled that hole. Racing is performance driven—you’re only as fast as your last race. It’s temporary. As a racer I’d always felt a little incomplete, like I was searching for something more permanent, and I was lucky to have found it within design and the motorcycle culture. When did you realize you had an interest in design? When I was 16—that was the first time I designed something for my dad, right about the time I lost the pizza job. I’d been 64
sketching bikes since I was a kid. I designed a motorcycle wheel, just hand sketching in 2D, then I learned a little bit of 3D while I was racing. I started 3D modeling in SolidWorks. I think we were one of the first aftermarket motorcycle companies to extensively use 3D modeling. It really helped us create a unique and progressive style I still use today. What I know about your field, I,
regrettably, know from reality TV. You know, that’s a mixed bag. Reality TV exposed a lot of people to motorcycle customization, but it has also taught people that motorcycle customizers are idiots. [Ten years ago Sands appeared on Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off and Speed Channel’s Build or Bust, among other shows.] It’s entertainment vs. education. People want to sit down in THE RED BULLETIN
At his customization garage in Los Alamitos, Calif., Sands and his crew build special bikes for motorcycle manufacturers as well as individual clients.
their house and be entertained. They don’t essentially want to learn. But they think they’re learning, which TV is really good at. They think they’re being entertained and educated at the same time, when it’s really sucking the souls from their bodies. But reality TV expanded your business for you. At the time it was the right thing to do. I watch the shows now and I’m like, “Holy shit.” It positioned us as a pioneer for a new style of bike building, but also it made me look like an idiot. Like, “Yeah! Let’s go crash a motorcycle for fun!” I would do it differently today. Are you a control freak? I work with a lot of really talented people, and it makes my job a lot easier because I can really depend on them. I exist to make sure things don’t get f*cked up. I’m the creative filter, so anything that goes out of this shop I have to get my eyes or my hands on. How do your celebrity deals work? It’s different with everyone. We did a project for Brad Pitt and I didn’t talk to him outside of the first time we met, and we never released the bike to the public at his request. With Mickey Rourke, it was very personal and we got to know each other. I think the bike really helped him connect with his brother, who was a big bike guy and he really looked up to. With Anthony Kiedis, it’s been really cool. We first met at Jay Leno’s place, where we got to see all these amazing vehicles together, so I got a true feel for what he liked. He writes a lot of his songs on his bike, so I feel this extra responsibility to deliver him something he’s going to love. Now people think of them as art. As an artistic focus, I think motorcycles are unparalleled, because there’s so much you can do with them. Not just building them but riding them, being a part of the machine and just dedicating your craft to the art of two wheels. I mean, it’s not a car. You have to connect the dots, and it’s all exposed to the world, even the rider. It’s truly design, function, fashion and form that all get smashed together into this creature that you ride. Do you test everything yourself? I don’t feel comfortable shipping out a bike unless I’ve tried it out. If there’s ever a question about the way we’re building something I always ask myself, “Would I jump this bike?” If the answer is no, we change it. Do you ever think, “Damn, I want to keep this one”? Every time. Rolandsands.com
65
WHAT TO DRINK WHEN YOU DRINK
BE READY FOR TOMORROW NO STIMULANTS
CERTIFIED KOSHER
GLUTEN FREE
#RESQWATER @RESQWATER AVAILABLE IN SELECT MARKETS OR ONLINE AT RESQWATER.COM
Light fantastic: The light bulb that’s also a speaker MUSIC, page 74
Where to go and what to do
AC T I O N ! T R A V E L / G E A R / T R A I N I N G / N I G H T L I F E / M U S I C / P A R T I E S / C I T I E S / C L U B S / E V E N T S
Wing men FULFILL YOUR TOP GUN DREAMS BY GETTING YOUR PILOT’S LICENSE AT MICROLIGHT SCHOOL IN SOUTH AFRICA.
JHBFLYING.CO.ZA
TRAVEL, page 68
THE RED BULLETIN
67
ACTION!
TRAVEL Winged wonder: High times in a microlight.
AFTER THE FLIGHT STAY ACTIVE ON THE GROUND AROUND JOBURG
FREEFALL Not tired yet? Try freefalling 230 feet through the air inside the cooling tower of a decommissioned power station with SCAD Freefall. orlandotowers.co.za
Easy glider
MICROLIGHT MASTER THE “WINGED MOTORBIKE” AND BECOME A LICENSED PILOT IN THE SKIES ABOVE JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA.
Prices start at $5,561 including transportation transfers, accommodation and all tuition; cost is based on a 30-day stay. jhbflying.co.za
68
LONG JUMP
ADVICE FROM THE INSIDE BODY MOVING “You don’t have to be super fit to do this, but you have to be reasonably healthy,” says Roy Gregson. “It is a strenuous physical activity, as microlights pick up turbulence easily, and you’re changing height and direction by moving your body. You’ll find as you fly it’s workout enough just to get you where you need to be.”
Get on up: South Africa has perfect weather for flying.
After the highs of flying, canyoning, known as kloofing in South Africa, will take you to new lows, scrambling, abseiling, jumping and swimming your way to the bottom of a ravine in Magaliesberg. mountainguide.co.za
REVVED UP
Blue sky thinking
“South Africa is an ideal place to learn,” says Luis Ramos. “It offers great flying conditions almost all year, and you can build up to navigating tougher flights once you have the experience to handle them.”
Explore the rugged scenery of Daytona Adventure Park in Gauteng province with a little added adrenaline. Ride a quad bike over rocky terrain, dirt tracks and through forests. gauteng.net
THE RED BULLETIN
JHBFLYING.CO.ZA(2), ORLANDOTOWERS.CO.ZA, GETTY IMAGES(2)
Taking off in a microlight for the first time takes guts, but once in the skies, you get an exhilarating flying experience. “It’s like a motorbike in the sky,” says Roy Gregson, owner of Johannesburg Flying Academy. “It feels like you’re sitting on a dining room chair in the air. The beauty of microlights is they can take off and land in small areas, and you have an engine, so you don’t need to climb mountains like paragliders do.” Gregson is passionate about microlights, having flown them for pleasure and in competitions for years. His company trains people to get their license, so they can take to the skies solo. “Once you’ve had 25 hours of flying time and passed the theoretical exams, within a month you can be flying 5,500 feet above sea level anywhere in the world,” he says. “You can travel a whole country this way.” Luis Ramos, a 39-year-old IT consultant from Johannesburg, got his license with JFA six months ago. “I’d never done anything like this,” he says. “At first you’re scared; they take off like a bat out of hell. But as soon as I started training that bug bit me. The first time you fly solo feels like jumping out of a plane without a parachute. It’s terrifying, but then the feeling you get is indescribable. Once you have your license you just want to take your friends up and show them this amazing new world you’ve discovered.”
ACTION!
PRO TOOLS
SH I P SHAPE
Safeguarded If a crew member wearing a Quatix falls overboard, the watch automatically sends a manoverboard alarm.
Detected Altimeter, barometer, three-axis digital compass and tidal info, all at a glance.
FRANCK CAMMAS’ VITAL HIGH-SEAS EQUIPMENT
JULBO OCTOPUS WAVE Self-tinting and polarizing lenses filter the reflection of light from the surface of the water. julbousa.com
Charged You can charge the battery via USB port. In GPS mode it will last up to 16 hours.
Protected With its steel-reinforced plastic housing and silicon strap, this is waterproof at depths of up to 165 feet.
MAGIC MARINE MX2 REVOLUTION JACKET A thin, cropped jacket perfect for use under the harness sailors often wear. magicmarine.com
Pinpoint precision S AILING TO WIN THE VOLVO OCEAN RACE, YOU NEED THE BEST GEAR, AND THE GARMIN QUATIX TOPS THE LIST.
VOLVO OCEAN RACE
Captain fantastic: Franck Cammas
THE RED BULLETIN
It wasn’t so long ago that skippers had to use navigation systems that were fixed in place on their boats. Now they can have a total positioning information system literally up their sleeves. “My Garmin Quatix is fantastic,” says Franck Cammas, skipper of the Groupama crew that won the 2011/12 Volvo
Ocean Race. “Whether it’s the route, velocity curve or air pressure, you can get all the details you need right here on your wrist.” The 41-year-old Frenchman finds one feature particularly useful, especially on large vessels: “It can even operate autopilot via Wi-Fi.” cammas-groupama.com
DYNEEMA SK99 Top-notch, synthetic-fiber rope: tensile, light and thin, so it doesn’t give the wind much room to target. dyneema.com
69
ACTION!
TRAINING
“ I target one man and then try to run through him,” says Manu Vatuvei.
THE QUAD KILLER
On the edge: Rugby wonder Manu Vatuvei
“Because my knees are so beat up, I work hard on strengthening my quads,” says Vatuvei. “The wall sit looks easy, but it’s a killer.”
1
2
Power player
warriors.co.nz
70
Slide down the wall until your knees are at 90 degrees, thighs parallel with the floor, and hold for up to a minute. Repeat as often as you can.
KNEES UP LOW IMPACT, HIGH RESULTS HERI IRAWAN
“It takes me longer to recover after a game than it used to,” says Manu Vatuvei, who is known as The Beast among rugby fans. Ice baths, a compression machine and an anti-gravity treadmill are some of the tools the 28-year-old uses to cope with the wear and tear on his body. Training typically includes a morning drill session on the field and a couple of hours in the gym in the afternoon. “We do more gym work than when I first started playing,” he says. “We used to do a lot of running and we’d get flogged pretty hard in training. Now it’s more scientific, with GPS units and heart-rate monitors.” Vatuvei runs about four miles during a game; as the team’s winger, he receives the ball from kickoffs and restarts and runs full tilt at the defense. “I’m bigger than most wingers [he is 6’2” and 242 lbs.] so I use my size and power rather than my speed,” he says. “I target one man and then try to run through him.”
Stand with your back against a wall, engage your core muscles—and keep them engaged throughout the exercise.
The AlterG Anti-Gravity, developed by NASA engineers, lets those who pound the pavement run under reduced-gravity conditions. You set it to take the strain in a range of 20 to 100 percent of your mass. “I’ve got no PCL [posterior cruciate ligament] in either of my knees, so I spend a lot of time on the AlterG,” says Vatuvei. “I run at 70 percent of my body weight, which reduces the load on my knees.”
GETTY IMAGES(2)
RUGBY LEAGUE A DECADE OF RUNNING AND BRUTAL TACKLING HAS MADE NEW ZEALAND WARRIORS STAR MANU VATUVEI RETHINK HIS REGIMEN.
THE RED BULLETIN
ACTION!
MY CITY
EXTRA KICK
AUSTIN
ST
VEZ
ST
RTO
N S PR
H S T
1 E
ING
7T
I N
3 B A
E
AL CHA
CAPITAL TIMES IN AUSTIN
ION
AR
6TH
REG
CES
ST
TER
W
AUSTIN, TEXAS
5TH
Y
W
W
HW
2
S R D
CE
SA
R C HA
VE
W
Z S T
R IV ER D
VD
SI
UT FOOTBALL
R S
S
LA
1S
T
MA
R
ST
D
BL
E
CO
4 5
TOP FIVE MESSING WITH TEXAS
Bobby Fitzgerald of Austin fan favorites Whiskey Shivers.
Focused fun
TAGGART SORENSEN, MARIO VILLEDA
AUSTIN DIVE BARS FUEL THE TEXAS CITY’S LATENIGHT MUSIC SCENE—BUT WE’LL ALSO TELL YOU WHERE TO SHOP, EAT AND GO A LITTLE BATTY. “Focused fun” is how Whiskey Shivers’ Bobby Fitzgerald describes Austin, Texas, one of America’s most famously eclectic and independent cites. “Everyone here is trying to enjoy themselves and do what they love, but they’re all very serious about it. You gotta get shit done,” he says. That mind-set makes Austin prime real estate for any dedicated band looking to enjoy the journey of (hopefully) breaking out. Like everyone in the group, Fitzgerald, the resident fiddle and harmonica player, was neither born nor raised in Austin but quickly adopted the city as home. Contrary to the cutthroat nature of the music industry, the Austin scene is known for its good vibes. “Everyone wants to help everyone,” he says. “We’re all just trying to get to the same place.” www.whiskeyshivers.com
THE RED BULLETIN
LO
RA
DO
RI
VE
R
Nothing’s more Texan than football. And Thanksgiving Day will be the last chance to catch the Longhorns in action (against intrastate rival TCU). Hook ’em.
see the largest urban bat colony in North America make its postsunset flight. Don’t worry, they don’t fly above the bridge—but even from a distance, there is a distinct, uh, batty smell.
WURSTFEST
1 THE WHITE HORSE • 500 Comal St. “It’s a honky-tonk dive bar on the East Side,” says Fitzgerald. “There’s a taco truck outside, usually a couple horses tied up out front. Bikes everywhere. It’s loud, dirty, kinda smells like pee.”
4 UNCOMMON OBJECTS • 1512 S. Congress Ave. This antique shop is like a museum of the absurd with a Texas bent: stuffed armadillos, cow-skin lamps and bizarre vintage dolls. The city’s motto isn’t Keep Austin Weird for nothing.
THE EAST AUSTIN STUDIO TOUR
2 MELLOW JOHNNY’S
BIKE SHOP • 400 Nueces St. Sure, it was founded by Austin’s very own He Who Shall Not Be Named—Lance Armstrong—but it has excellent weekly group rides you can take part in. 3 CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE • 111 S. Congress Ave. Stake out a spot on the bridge early in the evening in order to
Because why should the Germans have all the fun? The descendants of Teutonic settlers and fans of partying keep the beer and sausage tradition alive in nearby New Braunfels, Nov. 2- 11.
5 BOULDIN CREEK CAFE •
1900 S. 1st St. “I didn’t realize until I’d been going a couple months they don’t have meat on the menu, which is strange in Texas,” Fitzgerald notes. “They take your mind off it; it’s just so damn good.”
Musicians and artists in the cool neighborhood open up their studios to the general public for two weekends: Nov. 15-16 and Nov. 22-23.
71
ACTION!
CLUB
Ahoy, matey: Not just a simple swim-up bar.
STYLE GUIDE VEGAS IS TOO HOT TO HANDLE—WHAT ABOUT CLUB FASHION IN WINTER?
ABOVE The 1990s fashion revival continues in the form of hip oversized sweatshirts in muted colors with big typographic elements. Hey, at least it’s not a homage to grunge.
Life’s a beach DRAI’S BEACH CLUB A BOAT PARTY IN THE MIDDLE OF LAS VEGAS? DRAI’S GIVES YOU A SAMPLE OF THE LUXE LIFE.
DRAI’S BEACH CLUB, NIGHTCLUB & AFTER HOURS 3595 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Las Vegas, NV 89109 www.draisbeachclub.com
72
NIGHT OWL DJ FIVE MIX MASTERS THE CROWDS AT TAO, THE BANK AND HYDE IN LAS VEGAS.
ON AN AVERAGE SATURDAY NIGHT ... I’ll usually take a nap before work. I’ll get to the club and DJ for two hours; after that I’ll go eat in Chinatown and go to bed. A SHOW GOES TO THE NEXT LEVEL WHEN ... There’s a high degree of technicality in the production. Pulling out all the stops—LED screens, confetti, being fun and having fun. MY FAVORITE PART OF NIGHTLIFE IS ... Getting paid to purely enjoy myself. skamartist.com/djfive
ON TOP A throwback to London brand Barbour’s 1980s punk aesthetic, this jacket blends metal-detailed form and function. Look for it on Barbour fans like Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys.
THE RED BULLETIN
SHANE O’NEAL(4), SKAMARTIST.COM
Less than six months after it opened, Drai’s Beach Club, Nightclub & After Hours has distinguished itself in several ways—even in Las Vegas, a city that’s already overrun with to-the-max entertainment options. First, it boasts eight pools—including five in private bungalows if you want to VIP yourself away from the masses in the 4,500-person-capacity venue. Then, if your checking account is feeling a little heavy, for $737,000 you can charter a 737 for you and 50 of your closest friends to jet to the club from anywhere in the country. (And yes, the club has received legitimate inquiries about booking the plane.) But beyond the high fliers, the most popular event at the club takes place every Tuesday night: Drai’s Yacht Club—an all-night rooftop beach party. “We thought it would be like any other night, but it took on a life of its own,” says Drai’s managing partner, Ryan Craig. “Everyone comes in yacht attire: boat shoes and sailor hats.”
BELOW The classic-casual sensibility of designer Rick Owens shows in the new Prada collection—from hybrid shoes to sneakers for men. Pictured, the Cole Haan LunarGrand.
ACTION!
MUSIC
D U STFR EE Erlend Øye is a musical jack-of-all-trades: a DJ who sings, the head of indie-pop band Whitest Boy Alive, the voice for electronic musicians such as Röyksopp and one half of acoustic duo Kings of Convenience. It was as part of the latter that the Norwegian had his breakthrough in 2001. The Kings’ melancholic, mellow debut album, Quiet Is the New Loud, sparked a folk revival and influenced later bands from Fleet Foxes to Of Monsters and Men. Øye recorded his latest and second solo album, Legao, with an Icelandic reggae band; they produced 10 pop gems that sound like Paul Simon using The Police as session musicians. Here the 38-year-old picks songs he has always found inspirational.
Nordic soul PLAYLIST AN OLD MASTER, AN UNRECOGNIZED GENIUS AND A FLEDGLING FEMALE RAPPER: ERLEND ØYE’S FIVE FAVORITE TRACKS.
facebook.com/erlendoye
1 Matias Aguayo
2 Bart Davenport
3 Dennis Wilson
“Dance music really badly needs to reinvent itself to be more interesting again. What we need more is people who have mastered the engineering part of dance music but still haven’t lost their childish, imaginative playfulness. This track from 2009 shows the right direction. It’s mainly Aguayo’s voice: from the beat, to the bass, to the tune.”
“He is an unrecognized genius—but also is his own enemy when it comes to becoming popular. It’s like he realizes he wrote something really brilliant and then he’s afraid that this song could become popular, so he puts something really weird into it, like the bad guitar solo in this one. But once you know that, it just endears you even more to it.”
“This comes from a Beach Boys show in 1980, a couple of years before he died. He looks frayed by alcoholism, and the rest of the band seems embarrassed. Then Wilson walks on stage and makes this touching emotional performance. Joe Cocker’s version sounds clichéd, but when Wilson sings it, it’s almost like a cry for help. It’s truly musical.”
4 Sting
5 Dena
“This song works nicely with a song from my new album called ‘Send Me In.’ I like to think Sting wrote it for the rest of The Police, saying, ‘If you think I’m a cool guy, let me go! I want to play fusion jazz!’ I can relate to that: A few years ago, when I had a song idea, first I was happy ... but then I was sad, because I had to choose which of my bands I would give it to.”
“I met Dena in 2005 through friends in Berlin. She was a singer but after a few years suddenly she was able to write great songs. The way she uses English is not correct [she is Bulgarian], but she turns it into her own language. She’s the only songwriter in Germany that I feel connected to. This song triggers my imagination—she writes good stories.”
Rollerskate
If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
74
F-ck Fame
Bad Timing
You Are So Beautiful
LISTEN TO YOUR VINYL TREASURES ON YOUR IPHONE: THE THREE BEST WAYS TO DIGITIZE YOUR LPS
ION AUDIO iLP This USBcompatible record player means you can copy LPs straight to your iPhone without a computer. Just plug it in and put the platter on. ionaudio.com
ADL GT-40 People with aging hi-fi gear should fork out for a USB phono preamp like this one to rip high-quality digital files from their records. adl-av.com
S O U N D & VI S I O N A VERY BRIGHT IDEA
LIGHTFREQ
Recently funded on Kickstarter, this is a bluetooth and Wi-Fi-enabled light with a speaker in it, instantly turning any room into a dance floor. It’s compatible with standard light fixtures, and you control it via a smartphone app. The speaker is only 5 watts, but the sound is solid. In party mode, the light will strobe or pulse to the beat.
lightfreq.com
MAGIX VINYL & TAPE RESCUE Software that makes digitization easy: It starts recording as soon as the needle drops, and noise filters ensure the best sound. magix.com
THE RED BULLETIN
BUBBLES RECORDS
Norwegian good: Erlend Øye
ACTION!
SOUND SELECT
THREE THINGS TO CHECK OUT THEY CALL TORONTO THE NEW YORK OF CANADA—FIND OUT WHY
KENSINGTON MARKET
ARTS & CRAFTS PRESENTS TINK
DREW REYNOLDS/RED BULL CONTENT POOL
ARTS & CRAFTS is a Torontobased record label, artist manager, music publisher and event producer. Versatility is a rare trait in today’s crowded worlds of rap and R&B. Tink brings “fingers up” hip-hop swagger effortlessly into her Aaron Miller, moody, postmanager of programming Cassie R&B, and vice versa. In a scene that gets most of its global attention for an army of one-note drill rappers (not hating), Tink is emerging as one of the more dynamic and interesting characters. I’d heard a bunch of her stuff scattered across different blogs and mix tapes over a couple of years, but her street-tinted crooning on the DJ Hustlenomics– hosted Winter’s Diary tape was what really caught my attention for her ability to strike that balance. Arts & Crafts is a curator for Red Bull Sound Select, an artist development platform. www.redbullsoundselect.com
THE RED BULLETIN
Few places better epitomize Toronto’s worldclass creative spirit and multiculturalism. Head shops, music spaces, vintage clothing and organic coffee.
“I’M THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE” TINK HER BRASH, ENGAGING ATTITUDE TAKES OVER CHICAGO. the red bulletin: Why Tink? tink: I’m the people’s choice. Relatable, easily understood, and real at the age of 19. You can feel my energy. Favorite all-time hook? “I get so weak in the knees/I can hardly speak/I lose all control/ Then something takes over me.” That’s “Weak” by SWV. Hardest rapper ever? Probably DMX. Most important hip-hop landmark in the Chi? There’s not too many landmarks involving hip-hop in Chicago. People make an impact and usually leave. Who’s your dream collaboration and why? My dream collaboration would
Tink brings swagger to her moody R&B.
be alongside Lauryn Hill. Her tone and meaning behind each song gives me the chills! It would be an honor. What about working with Sleigh Bells was most interesting to you? Sleigh Bells are down for whatever! When we’re in the studio it’s like a playground. We can do anything from A to Z ... get creative! No boundaries. If you had to choose between rapping and singing, which one and why? If I had to choose, it would be singing. It was my first love; I just enjoy putting people in touch with their feelings. What’s your dream venue to perform at and why? My dream venue is Soldier Field. I love that place because it’s in Chicago, and I always remember going to games feeling little because the venue is so big. To pack it out would mean a lot.
TORONTO ISLAND A quaint and unique feature of this huge city—an oasis just a 10-minute ferry ride away that’s both quintessentially Toronto and makes you forget you are in the city.
TACOS EL ASADOR Nobody comes to Toronto for Mexican food, but this spot—oddly situated in Koreatown—even has folks from Mexico saying the fish tacos are the best they’ve ever had.
75
ACTION!
GAMES
Crowd pleaser: Over 17,000 spectators attended the DOTA battle in Seattle.
PIXEL POWER THE THREE BEST RETROLOOK GAMES
SHOVEL KNIGHT From the graphics to the soundtrack, this is a retro showcase. The adventure game will probably wind up being named one of the best of 2014. For PC, Wii U and Nintendo 3DS.
REAL-TIME STRATEGY A GENRE STEEPED IN FANTASY THAT’S BECOMING INCREASINGLY VISIBLE IN THE REAL WORLD.
Toby Dawson, 29, better known as TobiWan. He does the DOTA 2 play-by-play at tournaments.
It’s no surprise that the action strategy game DOTA 2 is now so big that there are professional players—what’s surprising is the number of fans who follow them. Five-person teams with names like NewBee, who are from China, and Evil Geniuses, with players from the U.S., Canada and Sweden, attract legions of fans—they are superstars in this virtual world, where they do battle against each other using arrows, swords and magic spells. Events are held in huge arenas in front of live audiences numbering in the thousands, as well as many following online; this year, for the first time, the combined number of spectators for The International, the biggest DOTA competition, in which the world’s best players go head to head, topped 1 million.
There’s also live commentary as the players engage onscreen, not to mention huge prize money to be won: At this year’s International—which was held in Seattle at the 17,500-capacity Key Arena—NewBee took home the title and earned more than $5 million as a result. (Second place went to China’s Vici Gaming, earning them a nottoo-shabby $1.4 million.) DOTA 2 is the best-known game in a genre that has existed since 2003 and has been an incredible success story ever since; as a result, new titles emerge practically every week. (See below.) What’s the fascination with this type of gaming? “Mainly the fact that it’s so unbelievably complicated,” says Australian Toby Dawson, known as TobiWan, a DOTA caster. “DOTA is one of the most difficult games there is. The players have to work together, and if one of them makes a mistake, the whole team loses.”
NEW RTS GAMES Transformers Universe
The never-ending battle of the Transformers killing machines arrives at the next level. Having conquered kids’ bedrooms and the box office, it now comes to the computer screen as an action-packed mix of RTS and third-person shooters, in which teams of four players try to reduce their opponents to e-waste.
Arena of Fate
In this RTS from Crytek, you play in teams of five, which is standard for the genre. But in this game the characters come from history and mythology. Does Little Red Riding Hood stand a chance against Nikola Tesla? And who would win a duel between Robin Hood and Joan of Arc? Now you can find out.
76
LUFTRAUSERS Players are at the controls of a WWII-vintage airplane and get into a succession of dizzying dogfights. For PC, Mac, PS3 and PS Vita.
TOWERFALL: ASCENSION The pixelated party hit. Up to four players make their way through different levels and shoot arrows into each other’s backsides. For PC, Mac and PS 4.
THE RED BULLETIN
VALVE, ESL
RTS Rampage
L
IGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!
Q & A
STAR STRUCK Wes Bentley hit it big as one of the stars of best picture Oscar winner American Beauty back in 1999 but almost disappeared from Hollywood entirely when a drug addiction consumed most of his 20s. Now sober, he’s on a comeback roll with a key part in director Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated—and top secret—Interstellar. Words: Geoff Berkshire
the red bulletin: Chris Nolan is known for the gag orders on his films; even now you can’t really talk about Interstellar. How much did you know about the movie when you signed on? wes bentley: I didn’t even know what the project was. I just went and read for Chris sort of a generally written scene that I knew had nothing to do with what it was going to be. Luckily he asked me to do it. Then I was able to go in and read the script under lock and key in the office. What was it like working with him? I never saw a green screen, not one. We were able to see everything that all the moviegoers are going to see—it was there in front of us, which is very unique. You had a chance to meet with Nolan earlier in your career and turned it down. Why? A lot of people in town read for Batman Begins. I’m a big Batman fan and I’m a fan of Chris, but at that time I was in a crazy place for many reasons—drugs were just one of them. I had a weird sense of integrity. I was young and idealistic and ignorant in a way. So I chose not to meet with him. I saw it as the kind of movie I
“I read the Interstellar script under lock and key.” was avoiding at the time. I look back and I think, “That’s so stupid.” Is co-star Matthew McConaughey really that “alright, alright, alright” guy? He is one of the most genuine people I’ve ever been around … the pure focus he has, combined with everyone else finally giving him the credit he deserved. He carries himself in a way that [shows] he’s
fully found himself. Are you still a soccer fan? What I love about it is its fluid nature, its dependence on stamina. I learn something every time I watch the game, no matter what level. I’ll watch a high school championship game if it’s on TV, or the under-16 World Cup. Interstellar opens November 7.
CAREER TIMELINE: BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH With a name like that, he has to be good—and it’s been quite a road to the Oscar-bait drama The Imitation Game and blockbuster ’toon, Penguins of Madagascar, he has coming out this month.
Benedict Cumberbatch
78
1994
Spends several months teaching English at a Tibetan monastery
2005
Carjacked, abducted and held at gunpoint in South Africa, he talks his way to freedom
2010
Finds his breakout role as a modernday Holmes in Sherlock
2012
Wins a best actor Olivier Award for alternating the roles of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster on the U.K. stage
2013
Stars in five major Hollywood movies including Star Trek Into Darkness, 12 Years a Slave and The Hobbit THE RED BULLETIN
GETTY IMAGES(2)
1976
Born Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch in Hammersmith, England
PUT 7-ELEVEN IN YOUR POCKET. ®
Download the 7-Eleven app and see how convenient saving can be. Our app customizes deals based on time of day, product preference and even the weather outside. Haven’t been outside yet? No worries—our app even gives you weather updates, so you’ll know how to dress when you run to your nearest 7-Eleven. Impressed yet?
*
*UP TO 8 MSGS/MO. TERMS AND CONDITIONS AT WWW.7-ELEVEN.COM/PRIVACY. REPLY HELP FOR HELP. REPLY STOP TO CANCEL. © 2014 7-ELEVEN, INC.
N I G H T L I F E
AT TAC K G I A N T This is a festival stage like no other: It’s 65 feet high, weighs 50 tons, fires Words: Florian Obkircher 80
Scrap metal + high tech = ecstasy: The amazing Spider stage at the Boomtown Fair Festival in the south of England.
O F T H E S P I D E R flames and shoots laser beams. Oh, and it dances along to the music with you. Photography: Alex de Mora
N I G H T L I F E
A
t 2:30 a.m. on a Saturday in August, a combination of wind and rain has driven many revelers at the Boomtown Fair Festival back to their tents. Most of the stages dotted around the farmer’s field in Winchester, England, have long since fallen silent, but one, Arcadia, is still pumping out the beats. The area, about 300 feet wide, is hemmed in by a hexagon of sound systems and inside it feels like a ritual is being performed by an electronic cult. Red laser lights flit around jerkily in the mist as 5,000 people dance ecstatically in the mud around a centerpiece like no other: a huge metal spider the size of a house, with green, luminous legs lifting it high above the devoted dancers below. It’s only just possible to make out the creature’s body, which looks like a Mad Max–style spaceship against the night sky. Arcadia is a union of many kinds of artists, all of whom have thrown their varied skills into the creation of the metallic beast: pyrotechnicians, laser artists, acrobats, musicians. They’ve been creating otherworldly structures together for eight years, the biggest, craziest, most fantastic stages anywhere in the world. Their creations are 360° “environments” that allow DJs and musicians to be surrounded by their audience. There’s not a cordon in sight. The crowd is no longer just watching the show—they’re a part of it. At 65 feet tall and weighing 50 tons, The Spider is Arcadia’s biggest offering.
82
At Boomtown Fair, it has been the focal point of a wild party since 7 p.m., “but you haven’t seen anything yet,” says Pip Rush Jansen, head of Arcadia. He’s wearing a headset and a Hawaiian shirt under a red military jacket. He’s been on duty for 12 hours a day at the festival site for a week. It’s his job to keep an overview and manage The Spider show team of over 100, including assembly workers, light and sound technicians, crane operators and DJs. Rush has been creating metal sculptures for music festivals since his youth, and now, at age 31, he’s made it his career. Eight years ago, he and his friend Bertie Cole, who’s now Arcadia’s technical director, had an idea. “We found classic concert stages boring,” he says. “The audience gazes in one direction. It’s as if they’re watching TV.” The two founded Arcadia with the aim of making the stage itself into a star, a complete work of art combining lights, fire and music, all made from scrap metal and junk. Their first creation was Afterburner, a laser-beaming DJ turret made out of a decommissioned, towershaped jet engine. DJs have to climb up 36 feet carrying their record bags to reach the decks. Rush and Cole have created five more spectacular stages and shows since, including The Bug, a mobile armored car/DJ stage, and The Spider, which will travel to Thailand in November. Afterburner is on the road, too, currently entertaining in Australia. Rush and Cole find the components they need for these spectacular stages at scrap yards. Every winter they traipse around all over England, which is how they found the three legs for The Spider five years ago: They’re decommissioned customs X-ray scanners.
The party area at the Boomtown Fair Festival site looks like a postapocalyptic industrial estate. Steampunks and high-tech hippies dance beneath the huge metal Spider and around blazing lampposts (above). Pyrotechnician Sir Henry Hot (right), responsible for the fire show, checks gas canisters in a storage container.
The Spider is made of junk and scrap metal—its legs used to be customs X-ray scanners.
The Spider hibernates in storage in Bristol, England. It will close out the year with appearances at the Gravity Festival in Bangkok (Nov. 28-29) and Rhythm and Vines at the Waiohika Estate near Gisborne, New Zealand (Dec. 29-31).
N I G H T L I F E
Inside The Spider’s nerve center: Laser and pyrotechnicians, crane choreographers and production managers work at computer screens.
“They were used to check freight containers in the Sahara,” Rush explains. The Spider’s DJ turret is made of six old jet engines and the armorlike prosthetic knees that used to be helicopter parts. When not trawling through junkyards or running Arcadia’s unique festival dance parties, Rush lives on a campsite on the edge of Bristol, England, along with the other six core members of the collective. There they puzzle over new ideas, repair the existing stages and weld bits of scrap to make new metal giants. There’s also a lot of time spent assembling their creations. It takes three trucks to transport The Spider. Once on site, the legs are laid out in a circle, then lifted by a crane and attached to The Spider’s head. Underground electric cables and hydraulic pipes connect to diesel generators the size of garden sheds on the edge of the site. It takes a 15-strong team three days to put it together. Then
the lighting and pyrotechnics experts get down to the fine-tuning. “In 10 minutes exactly,” Rush says, looking at his watch, “at 2:45 on the dot, there’ll be a 15-minute show of what The Spider’s got to offer.” Rush takes off his headset. “It’s Sir Henry’s big moment.” Sir Henry Hot is the head of pyrotechnics for Arcadia. He’s checking the connections on the 35 orange gas canisters held in a storage container at the base of The Spider one more time. “This is where we pump the gas up from. The 40-gallon fuel tanks are attached to the head so that I can fire properly,” he says. Fifteen years ago, Hot was working
Fountains of fire shoot out of The Spider’s head with a hiss, the surge of heat intense.
as a computer technician in a small town in northern Germany. Then in his mid-40s, he saw a psychologist for burnout, somewhat ironic given his true calling. Hot had a lifelong passion for fire, and he was advised to pursue it. So he studied pyrotechnics. In 2009, he designed a unique system of nine cannons for The Spider, capable of shooting flames 82 feet into the air. The best part of the show, as far as he is concerned, is the first time fire appears, when no one is expecting it. “The puff, the glaring light and the smell. People go crazy every time. You can feel the vibrations three miles away,” Hot says, his eyes glistening. There are 30 seconds to go before The Spider lets loose. Tension is growing in the small control room 150 feet from the metal colossus. This is The Spider’s external nerve center. Hot and seven other headset- wearing technicians stare intently at mixing desks and monitors. “Ready?” Everyone nods and gives the thumbs-up. Then the countdown begins. “10, 9, 8 ...” The Spider’s music and lights stop. And all of a sudden there is darkness. People stop dancing and look up. Some start booing. What, is that it already? Or has there been a power outage? The answer comes in the form of muffled bass rumbling out of the sound system. Blue lasers beam from The Spider’s legs and out through a screen of fog. The beat comes back in. Three cranes on the main body of The Spider begin to move, and they’re in time with the music. They move down, then back up: The Spider is waking from its slumber. The crowd cheers. The music is getting louder. Heavy synthesizer sounds come spiraling upwards. Hot places his index finger on the biggest button on the console in front of him. There is the crack of the bass drum, and Hot lets loose. Three fountains of fire come shooting out of The Spider’s head with a hiss. The tower of flames is so dazzling that for a moment the crowd is blind, the surge of heat so intense that people check later to make sure they still have eyelashes. Hot grins when the crowd roars in surprise. The music gets quicker and quicker. Hot pulls out all The Spider’s stops: the flame throwers, robotic arms, CO2 jets and laser beams all move to the beat. All the components are in exact harmony, creating a torrid show of color and sound. What just before 3 a.m. had been a great show is now a postapocalyptic party. Despite the reality of the rainy night in England, it will last well into Saturday. arcadiaspectacular.com
85
ACTION!
SAVE THE DATE Kelly Slater, ruling the waves yet again.
December 8–20, 2014
Billabong Pipeline Masters Who is in the mood for a tropical winter vacation? Oahu is hosting the third and final stop of the Vans Triple Crown, and the culmination of the ASP Men’s World Tour. Both events end here, at Pipeline, one of the most dangerous waves in the world—no other has taken as many lives or broken as many surfboards. Kelly Slater crushed the competition last year. aspworldtour.com
86
November 1–2, 2014
Hard Day of the Dead Celebrate Day of the Dead with the creators of Hard Summer, as Los Angeles gets a little spookier for the season. Hard is known in the EDM world for getting the best musicians and DJs around, and from what we hear, they’re pulling out all the stops for this year’s celebration. Last year’s headliners included Skrillex, Nero, Deadmau5 and Calvin Harris—so get ready to get your freak on, L.A. harddayofthedead.com
THE RED BULLETIN
November 29, 2014
DON’T MISS
Red Bull BC One World Final Paris is about to get poppin’ with the Red Bull BC One World Final. The best B-boys and breakers from around the world are coming together for one last dance battle. After countless qualifiers, the question on everyone’s mind is who will take the championship belt? A fan favorite or a reigning champion? North American winner Victor Montalvo will be repping the U.S. redbullbcone.com
MORE DATES FOR THE DIARY
30 OCTOBER
TV
November 5, 2014
Red Bull GRC Championship Rev your engines—the Red Bull GRC Championship is heading to Sin City for the last race of the season. When you’ve got all-stars like Nelson Piquet Jr., Scott Speed and Travis Pastrana in the game, who knows who is crossing the finish line first? Speed, a fan favorite, has won multiple races so far, along with Piquet Jr. And this time, what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas: If you can’t be there, make sure to tune in to NBC for a live broadcast of the event.
You try holding this pose ...
redbullglobalrallycross.com
cbs.com
10
November 7, 2014
NOVEMBER
On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter RYAN MILLER/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, OLIVER SCHERILLO, DEAN TREML/RED BULL CONTENT POOL, GARTH MILAN/RED BULL CONTENT POOL (2)
Grab your magnifying glass. Elementary, the take on Sherlock Holmes tales for anti-BBC folk, returns for its third season, with Mad Men’s Rich Sommer back in the cast.
MUSIC As New Beat Fund preps their debut album full of selfdescribed “G-punk ghostrock,” the band hits the road for a tour of the U.S. alongside Pepper.
A love letter to motorsports, On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter explores every genre of twowheeled action you can imagine. Action sports movie directors Bruce and Dana Brown are behind this follow-up to On Any Sunday, the Oscar-nominated documentary from 1971. That film showed the raw stories of the riders and their families; four decades later this movie displays motorsports culture from every angle, from daredevil trick riders to motorcycle customizers.
redbullrecords.com
21
onanysundayfilm.com
NOVEMBER
November 5–9, 2014
November 7, 2014
November 29, 2014
December 3–7, 2014
Big Apple Film Festival
Electric Daisy Carnival
NCAA Football Rivalry Games
World Swimming Championships
In the heart of New York City, BAFF is back, showcasing the art of independent filmmaking with some of the Big Apple’s top actors, writers, directors and producers. Past guests and award recipients include Alan Cumming, Jesse Eisenberg and Haley Joel Osment. bigapplefilmfestival.com
EDC is coming your way, Orlando. One of the country’s largest EDM festivals is taking over. With amazing artists like Steve Aoki and Flosstradamus, carnival rides and interactive art installations, you won’t want to miss this. Last year’s lineup included Zeds Dead, A-Trak, and Knife Party. electricdaisycarnival.com
You’re going to want to plant yourself on the couch this day. Between Alabama vs. Auburn and USC vs. Notre Dame, as far as we’re concerned, it’s wings and beer time. (Not to mention you’ll be so over your family since it’s the weekend after Thankgsiving.) ncaa.com
Let the 2016 Olympics hype begin! With Michael Phelps back in the pool after a hiatus—errr retirement, whatever—all eyes are on him and fellow American Ryan Lochte. With more consistent training, Lochte could pose a threat. The championship will be held in Doha, Qatar. fina.org
THE RED BULLETIN
FILM Get your fangirl on with Mockingjay: Part 1, the latest installment of The Hunger Games, with Jennifer Lawrence kicking all kinds of ass once again. thecapitol.pn
87
AG AINST THE
ELEMENTS You’re busy. We get it. The right gear can make your life easier.
Whether you’re gliding through the powder fields of Tahoe, getting barreled at Teahupo’o, navigating the streets of Brooklyn at midnight or just dodging drizzle in London Town, this is the gear that will ensure you’re equipped for anything that life—or Mother Nature— throws at you.
R A I N – S N OW – HEAT – NIGHT Photography: LUKE KIRWAN Words and Styling: OLIE ARNOLD Production: OTTER JEZAMIN HATCHETT 88
LONDON UNDERCOVER 3D CAMO UMBRELLA londonundercover.co.uk Get an instant upgrade to the classic design with this striking 3D print.
STONE ISLAND LASERED DAVID-TC PARKA COAT stoneisland.com Stay dry and turn heads with the futuristic dyeing process and laser-printed design of this waterrepellent parka.
#1
R AIN
COTE & CIEL NILE BACKPACK coteetciel.com A built-in hood shelters you from any unexpected downpours.
TOMMY HILFIGER VEST tommyhilfiger.com The perfect mid layer to transition from the outdoors to inside.
WATER WON’T STOP PLAY WITH THIS CLEVER GEAR DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU DRY
ARCTERYX PARSEC HOODED COAT arcteryx.com Extreme weather protection, delivered with an urban aesthetic. ELEMENT DONNELLY HIKING BOOT eu.elementbrand.com These hiking boots will go the distance without seeming like you’re lost in the woods.
JBL REFLECT BT BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES jbl.com Wireless sound rids your life of unnecessary cables. And because these are sweat-proof, you can up the tempo physically without risking damage.
COLUMBIA PLATINUM 860 TURBODOWN JACKET columbia.com Warm and lightweight down manages your body heat, so you don’t need bulky layers.
DC PLY SNOWBOARD dcshoes.com With graphics created by leading snow photographer Vincent Skoglund, this ride doubles as a piece of art.
ROSSIGNOL SPARK AUDIO HELMET rossignol.com Integrated headphones turn the mountain into your own personal dance floor.
#2
SNOW
KEEP WARM AND LOOK STYLISH WHILE ENJOYING YOUR FAVORITE WINTER SPORTS NIKE COMMAND TRANSITIONS GOGGLES snowboard-asylum.com These game-changing lenses adapt according to the light, meaning there’s no need for spares. MCNAIR HEAVYWEIGHT SHIRT mcnairshirts.com Treated merino wool will keep you warm and dry, so no jacket required.
BILLABONG SOLOMON GARAGE CREW CUSTOM FLEECE SWEATSHIRT billabong.com Retro styling with maximum warmth.
90
DC JUDGE SNOWBOARD BOOT dcshoes.com The futuristic closure system ensures a perfect fit, without laces to fight with when your hands are frozen.
FOO FIGHTERS + OUTKAST + SKRILLEX + ARCTIC MONKEYS Z E D D + P R E T T Y L I G H T S + THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS SLAYER + MS. LAURYN HILL + AWOLNATION + RISE AGAINST
FLUX PAVILION + FEDDE LE GRAND + GOGOL BORDELLO + DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 CITY AND COLOUR + CLAUDE VONSTROKE + MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA GALANTIS + BOOKA SHADE DJ SET + PETE TONG + TWENTY ONE PILOTS THOMAS GOLD + ACTION BRONSON + TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE MELVINS + BLEACHERS + GRIZ + CONGOROCK + FISHBONE + MAKJ + FUEL HEROBUST + LE YOUTH + BIG FREEDIA + GIVERS + REBIRTH BRASS BAND RED BARAAT + BARCELONA + THOMAS NEWSON + THE WILD FEATHERS WILD CUB + DREW HOLCOMB AND THE NEIGHBORS + ROYAL TEETH B O N E R A M A + S O U L R E B E L S + BA R E LY A L I V E + T R E N T CA N T R E L L E MANIC FOCUS + WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY + THE LONDON SOULS PEE PEELANDER-Z + LINDSAY LOWEND + ASTR + FLOW TRIBE + THE TONTONS
HONEY ISLAND SWAMP BAND + STURGILL SIMPSON + BENJAMIN BOOKER + DESERT NOISES DIRTY BOURBON RIVER SHOW + BO NINGEN + TYSSON + QUINTRON AND MISS PUSSYCAT YUNG NATION + SPEAK + HELLO NEGRO + CARMINE P. FILTHY & A BOY NAMED RUTH CHURCH WITH UNICORN FUKR & INNERLIGN + VERIDIA + NAUGHTY PROFESSOR CRASS MAMMOTH + LUXLEY + ST. CECILIA’S ASYLUM CHOR US MARCHFOUR TH MARCHING BAND & MANY MORE
RED BULL MEDIA HOUSE IN ASSOCIATION WITH FREERIDE ENTERTAINMENT
PRESENT A
DANA BROWN FILM
MOTORCYCLES AND THOSE WHO RIDE
IN THEATERS NOVEMBER 7TH ONANYSUNDAYFILM.COM
FINISTERRE STROMA COAT finisterreuk.com Shelter from the heat in this lightweight coat and stash your beach essentials in the oversized pockets. CONVERSE ALL STAR RUBBER HI-TOP converse.com Rubber hi-tops add a new level of durability to this iconic design.
#3 DIESEL DENIMEYE SUNGLASSES diesel.com Unique shading and material imperfections mean no two glasses are the same.
NEON MADERN NEOPRENE TOP neonwetsuits.com This custom service allows you to design your own wetsuits, ensuring you’ll stand out in the lineup.
HEAT
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN WHILE KEEPING YOUR COOL
ADIDAS ORIGINALS JACKET adidas.com Channel your inner Californian pre- and post-surf for extra style points.
QUIKSILVER ORIGINAL BOARD SHORT quiksilver.com Old school styling meets new school construction.
VANS ISO 1.5 vans.com Ultra lightweight and supportive, these kicks will make beach running a breeze.
NIXON LODOWN II WATCH nixon.com With over 270 beaches programmed, the ability to arrive for the right tide is at your fingertips.
93
GORE MYTHOS 2.0 GT AS JACKET goreapparel.com Make night running more appealing with a waterproof and highly reflective jacket that improves comfort and safety.
GIRO EMPIRE ROAD SHOE condorcycles.com This high-performance, stylish shoe won’t look out of place in the mountains or the city.
LEZYNE ZECTO DRIVE PRO LIGHT condorcycles.com A versatile, powerful light that allows you to switch from front to back and white to red instantly. It’s also compact, waterproof and rechargeable.
NIKE VISION RUN X2 NIGHT RUN SUNGLASSES nikevision.com Finally, lenses that enhance the light for those dusky runs.
#4
NIGHT
TAKE BACK THE DARK— SEE OR BE SEEN AFTER THE SUN GOES DOWN
ASICS BASE LAYER TOP asics.com With unique muscle-support technology that allows improved performance and quicker recovery time, what’s not to like?
NEW BALANCE FRESH FOAM 980 newbalance.com An award-winning shoe that provides ample cushioning while allowing you to feel closer to the asphalt.
NIKE CHEYENNE VAPOR 2 RUCKSACK nike.com Super lightweight, the Vapor allows you to carry more without sacrificing stability or support.
94
PUMA PHOTO REAL CAMO JACKET puma.com The camouflage print keeps you under the radar when hammering out the miles.
/redbulletin
ONLY $1 PER ISSUE
SUBSCRIBE NOW 12 copies for $ 12
Sign-up today: getredbulletin.com or call 888-714-7317
Editorial Director Robert Sperl Editor-in-Chief Alexander Macheck Editor-at-Large Boro Petric Creative Director Erik Turek Art Directors Kasimir Reimann, Miles English Photo Director Fritz Schuster Production Editor Marion Wildmann Managing Editor Daniel Kudernatsch Editors Stefan Wagner (Chief Copy Editor), Werner Jessner (Executive Editor), Lisa Blazek, Ulrich Corazza, Arek Piatek, Andreas Rottenschlager Contributors: Muhamed Beganovic, Georg Eckelsberger, Sophie Haslinger, Holger Potye, Clemens Stachel, Manon Steiner, Raffael Fritz, Marianne Minar, Martina Powell, Mara Simperler, Lukas Wagner, Florian Wörgötter Web Kurt Vierthaler (Senior Web Editor), Andrew Swann Design Martina de Carvalho-Hutter, Silvia Druml, Kevin Goll, Carita Najewitz, Esther Straganz Photo Editors Susie Forman (Creative Photo Director), Rudi Übelhör (Deputy Photo Director), Marion Batty, Eva Kerschbaum Illustrator Dietmar Kainrath Publisher Franz Renkin International Advertisement Sales Patrick Stepanian Advertising Placement Sabrina Schneider Marketing and Country Management Stefan Ebner (manager), Manuel Otto, Elisabeth Salcher, Lukas Scharmbacher, Sara Varming Marketing Design Peter Knehtl (manager), Simone Fischer, Julia Schweikhardt, Karoline Anna Eisl Head of Production Michael Bergmeister Production Wolfgang Stecher (manager), Walter O Sádaba, Matthias Zimmermann (app) Repro Clemens Ragotzky (manager), Karsten Lehmann, Josef Mühlbacher Subscriptions and Distribution Klaus Pleninger (distribution), Peter Schiffer (subscriptions) General Manager and Publisher Wolfgang Winter Global Editorial Office Heinrich-Collin-Strasse 1, A-1140 Vienna Phone +43 1 90221-28800 Fax +43 1 90221-28809 Web redbulletin.com Red Bull Media House GmbH Oberst-Lepperdinger-Straße 11–15, A-5071 Wals bei Salzburg, FN 297115i, Landesgericht Salzburg, ATU63611700 Directors Christopher Reindl, Andreas Gall
96
THE RED BULLETIN USA, Vol 4 issue 6, ISSN 2308-586X is published monthly by Red Bull Media House, North America, 1740 Stewart St, Santa Monica, CA 90404. Periodicals postage paid at Santa Monica, CA, and additional mailing offices. ATTENTION POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE RED BULLETIN, PO Box 1962, Williamsport, PA 17703. Editor Andreas Tzortzis Deputy Editor Ann Donahue Copy Chief David Caplan Director of Publishing & Advertising Sales Nicholas Pavach Country Project Management Melissa Thompson Advertisement Sales Dave Szych, dave.szych@us.redbull.com (L.A.) Jay Fitzgerald, jay.fitzgerald@us.redbull.com (New York) Rick Bald, rick.bald@us.redbull.com (Chicago) Printed by Brown Printing Company, 668 Gravel Pike, East Greenville, PA 18041, bpc.com Mailing Address PO Box 1962, Williamsport, PA 17703 US Office 1740 Stewart St, Santa Monica, CA 90404 Subscribe www.getredbulletin.com, subscriptions@redbulletin.com, Basic subscription rate is $29.95 per year. Offer available in the US and US possessions only. The Red Bulletin is published 12 times a year. Please allow four to six weeks for delivery of the first issue. For Customer Service 888-714-7317; customerservice@redbulletinservice.com
THE RED BULLETIN Austria, ISSN 1995-8838 Editor Ulrich Corazza Sub-Editor Hans Fleißner Country Project Management Lukas Scharmbacher Advertisement Sales Alfred Vrej Minassian (manager), Thomas Hutterer, Romana Müller, anzeigen@at.redbulletin.com Subscriptions Subscription price €25.90 for 12 issues/year, getredbulletin.com, abo@redbulletin.at Printed by Prinovis Ltd & Co KG, D-90471 Nuremberg Disclosure according to paragraph 25 Media Act Information about the media owner is available at: redbulletin.at /imprint Austria Office Heinrich-Collin-Strasse 1, A-1140 Vienna Tel: +43 1 90221-28800 Contact redaktion@at.redbulletin.com
THE RED BULLETIN Brazil, ISSN 2308-5940 Editor Fernando Gueiros Sub-Editors Judith Mutici, Manrico Patta Neto Advertisement Sales Marcio Sales, (11) 3894-0207, contato@hands.com.br
THE RED BULLETIN France, ISSN 2225-4722 Editor Pierre Henri Camy Assistant Editor Christine Vitel Translation and Proof Reading Susanne & Frédéric Fortas, Ioris Queyroi, Christine Vitel, Gwendolyn de Vries Country Channel Management Charlotte Le Henanff Advertisement Sales Cathy Martin 07 61 87 31 15 cathy.martin@fr.redbulletin.com Printed by Prinovis Ltd & Co KG, 90471 Nuremberg France Office 12 rue du Mail, 75002 Paris, Tel: 01 40 13 57 00
THE RED BULLETIN Germany, ISSN 2079-4258 Editor Andreas Rottenschlager Sub-Editor Hans Fleißner Country Channel Management Christian Baur, Nina Kraus Advertisement Sales Evelyn Kroiss, evelyn.kroiss@de.redbulletin.com Martin Olesch, martin.olesch@de.redbulletin.com Subscriptions Subscription price €25.90, for 12 issues/year, www.getredbulletin.com, abo@de.redbulletin.com
THE RED BULLETIN Ireland, ISSN 2308-5851 Editor Paul Wilson Associate Editor Ruth Morgan Music Editor Florian Obkircher Chief Sub-Editor Nancy James Deputy Chief Sub-Editor Joe Curran Advertisement Sales Deirdre Hughes 00 353 862488504, redbulletin@richmondmarketing.com Printed by Prinovis Ltd & Co KG, 90471 Nuremberg Ireland Office Richmond Marketing, 1st Floor Harmony Court, Harmony Row, Dublin 2, Ireland. Tel: +353 (1) 631 6100 THE RED BULLETIN Mexico, ISSN 2308-5924 Editor Alejandro García Williams Deputy Editor Pablo Nicolás Caldarola Contributors Gerardo Álvarez del Castillo, José Armando Aguilar Proof Readers Alma Rosa Guerrero, Inma Sánchez Trejo Country Project & Sales Management Rodrigo Xoconostle Waye Advertisement Sales +5255 5357 7024, redbulletin@mx.redbull.com Printed by RR Donnelley de Mexico, S de RL de CV (RR DONNELLEY) at its plant in Av Central no 235, Zona Industrial Valle de Oro en San Juan del Río, Q uerétaro, CP 76802 Subscription price $270, for 12 issues/year THE RED BULLETIN New Zealand, ISSN 2079-4274 Editor Robert Tighe Chief Sub-Editor Nancy James Deputy Chief Sub-Editor Joe Curran Country Project & Sales Management Brad Morgan Advertisement Sales Brad Morgan, brad.morgan@nz.redbull.com Printed by PMP Print, 30 Birmingham Drive, Riccarton, 8024 Christchurch Subscriptions Subscription price $45, for 12 issues/year, getredbulletin.com, subs@nz.redbulletin.com New Zealand Office 27 Mackelvie Street, Grey Lynn, Auckland 1021 Tel: +64 (0) 9 551 6180 THE RED BULLETIN South Africa, ISSN 2079-4282 Editor Angus Powers Chief Sub-Editor Nancy James Deputy Chief Sub-Editor Joe Curran Advertisement Sales Andrew Gillett, +27 (0) 83 412 8008, andrew.gillett@za.redbull.com Printed by CTP Printers, Duminy Street, Parow-East, Cape Town 8000 Subscriptions Subscription price R228, for 12 issues/year, www.getredbulletin.com, subs@za.redbull.com Mailing Address PO Box 50303, Waterfront, 8002 South Africa Office South Wing, Granger Bay Court, Beach Road, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town 8001, Tel: +27 (0) 21 431 2100 THE RED BULLETIN Switzerland, ISSN 2308-5886 Editor Arek Piatek Sub-Editor Hans Fleißner Country Management, Switzerland Antonio Gasser, Melissa Burkart Advertisement Sales Mediabox AG, Zürich; Zentrale, 044 205 50 20 contact@mediabox.ch Subscriptions The Red Bulletin Reading Service, Lucern; Hotline: 041 329 22 00 Subscription price 19 CHF, for 12 issues/year, www.getredbulletin.com, abo@ch.redbulletin.com THE RED BULLETIN United Kingdom, ISSN 2308-5894 Editor Paul Wilson Associate Editor Ruth Morgan Music Editor Florian Obkircher Chief Sub-Editor Nancy James Deputy Chief Sub-Editor Joe Curran Country Project & Sales Management Sam Warriner Advertisement Sales Georgia Howie +44 (0) 203 117 2000, georgia.howie@uk.redbulletin.com Printed by Prinovis Ltd & Co KG, 90471 Nuremberg UK Office 155-171 Tooley Street, London SE1 2JP. Tel: +44 (0) 20 3117 2100
THE RED BULLETIN
RECEIVE A DOWNLOAD OF
WITH PURCHASE OF ANY CRUSHER
AVAI L ABL E AT
AND BE STBUY.COM
P ROMOTIONAL DETAILS AVA ILA B LE AT sku llcan d y. com /cr u sh e r-o ff e r
DROPPING NOVEMBER 7TH
MAGIC MOMENT
Johannes Olszewski from Munich, Germany, is balanced on nylon webbing 200 feet above the ground, on the cooling tower of an old coalfired power station. “We put up a 90-foot slackline that was the width of two fingers,” he says. “When you’re up there you feel a chill to start with—and then euphoria as you get closer to the end.” www.oneinchdreams.com
Rule No. 1: “Whatever you do, don’t look down.” Rule No. 2: Get the right musical accompaniment. Twenty-one-year-old balance artist Olszewski swears by the reggae of Damian Marley.
JAN FASSBENDER
Hainaut, Belgium May 17, 2014
THE NEXT ISSUE OF THE RED BULLETIN IS OUT ON NOVEMBER 10 98
THE RED BULLETIN
11g Protein
15g Protein with 1/ 2 cup skim milk
9g Fiber 4g total fat per serving
NON-GMO Project Verified
TM
®, TM, © 2014 Kashi Company
«It’s your second, your moment, your line – drop in!» Swatch Proteam Freeskier Richard Permin, France (29)
COMING to theatres this fall
For more information please visit swatch.com