Favourites: French
Finding out the all important what, where, when, who and why of Witchcraft Hardware's prolific artist, skateboarder and coven leader.
More like this...
Everyone has their own favourite things. And so in this spirit, we ask the great, the good and the downright talented about the things that mean the most to them.
HUCK caught up with Witchcraft Hardware's prolific artist and skateboarder French fresh off the back of his collaboration with HUCK and Lovenskate's Rolling Back the Years old school skate art exhibition to find out what he's in to.
What?
I had a tape with a copy of Vol 4 by [Black] Sabbath on one side and a Corrosion of Conformity album on the other side from my friend Pete Dale when we were doing our A Levels at college. I dunno where it is now, but when I hear anything from either album it really takes me back to being 16 / 17, skating all the time, listening to metal, getting drunk and generally getting into some weird situations. The reason its so important to me is that my friend Pete past away nine years ago this week. He was the raddest guy; the guy that was always a pain in the arse, always the drunkest dude at the party, always the one to say the thing everyone else was thinking. He had a heart of gold and head full of metal, a bottle of vodka in his back pocket, Walkman on and a weed pipe around his neck. I miss that guy everyday. But listening to that tape makes me smile and laugh about all those times.
Where?
The underground car park, centre of the main round about in Farnborough town centre. I definately have spent more time in that car park than I have anywhere else. It's my favourite place to skate. I went there every evening from the age of 13 to 19, with a heavy crew of skaters that I grew up with. It's got the best curbs and manual pads, and you can make up some serious lines skating there. In the words of [metal band] Vital Remains, 'Forever Underground'.
When?
It would be 2001 when I lived in Lawrence, Kansas for a year. It was the best time of my life. I skated everyday, drank and partied every night and made the best friends that I've ever had. I even have a Kansas tattoo. It was so random that I went there for university, purely because I could through the uni I was at in the UK. I chose it just 'cos I thought 'Kansas. When the fuck would I get to go there?'. Best place on earth, so many cool people, fun times and so much to skate; I had a blast. I met Scott Bourne in the summer before I went and he told me if I went anywhere in the Mid West to let him know and he would know someone. So, when he told me he'd hook me up, he really meant it. I stayed with his friend Justin for a month and Justin introduced me to the dudes at the local skate shop and the rest was history. Nate, Gabe, Kyle and I were together 24/7 the whole time I was there, my best friends I've ever had and the best time. I feel Kansas set me up for life.
Who?
My group of friends I grew up skating with are the best. I grew up in Aldershot with a crew from all over the local area. I was the youngest by years, so when I started skating at 12 and Brow was the closest to me, being 18, you can imagine the stuff I was exposed to at such a young age. They made me who I am today, right down to giving me the name French. Everyone had a weird nickname. The main crew I rolled with were Dirton, Brow, Ju, Rat, Grill, Munt and Chas. They looked after me so much, even when they took me to nightclubs when I was 13 and told the bouncer I was Brow's son. They took me all over the country skating and causing all kinds of grief. It was amazing to be back at school on a Monday and all the other 14-year-old kids would talk about getting pissed down the local park at the weekend when I would have just been street skating in Milton Keynes and Birmingham and been to a student house party in Leicester. I've always looked up to these dudes; they're real skateboarders, 100% pure. Some of them may not skate so much now, but they're still the truest skaters to me and the best of friends.
Why?
I've always been really motivated. I think it comes from my parents. And also from always being the weak one at school. I had some learning difficulties when I was a kid, but I was so motivated to get passed that. I work so hard and I think from that I've developed that [motivation] through the support of my parents. They've always told me if I work hard at something I'll get there in the end. It could be that, or the fear of disappointing myself in that I haven't made as much of this life as I could. I want to look back at everything I've done and think 'at least I tried the hardest I could'. With art, I was good at it, but not that good. And I enjoyed it, so I just worked and worked at what I was doing, listened to advise and criticism, and developed my work. It's not easy for me to do what I do, but I work really hard and just hope to see something great at the end of it.
Subscribe to HUCK for six issues
Only £21 (UK) / £44 (EU) / £59 (Rest of the World).
Favourites: French (text) by Shane Herrick is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.Comments (2)
Please note: Your comment may be held in moderation for approval by an administrator to prevent spamming. This usually doesn't take long, please be patient.
I hope that clears it up?