freakbeatfuzz

The Equals "I Get So Excited" live on French TV Early 1969

2011-12-20T21:56:00.000-08:00

Shot on film. Amazing footage of this massively underrated group featuring a young Eddy Grant on lead guitar. These guys are way overdue for the reissue treatment.

Conexion nº 5 - I Get so Excited (EQUALS cover)

2011-12-20T21:48:00.000-08:00

What a strange place to find a cover of one of my favorite groups, The Equals. An early 70's film called "El Extraño de Pelo Largo".

Jimmy Hughes "Neighbor Neighbor" 1966

2011-12-03T00:27:00.000-08:00

I first heard Chants R&B garagey version 12 or 13 years ago. Here's the original. RULING!

Otis Redding Shout Bamalama original pressing 1962

2011-11-21T10:16:00.000-08:00

This blew my mind. This is the 1st pressing that used a completely different take than all the later reissues. Enjoy.

2011-11-08T19:26:00.001-08:00

Les Sultans "Je T'aime Bien" (You Make Me Feel Good)

2011-10-30T10:04:00.000-07:00

Montreal's Les Sultans with possibly the best Zombies cover ever.

Mark Sultan "Song In Grey"

2011-10-26T20:56:00.001-07:00

Arthur Alexander "You Don't Care"

2011-10-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

Double A, all day. Why on Earth isn't this man famous???

Howard Tate "How Come My Bulldog Don't Bark"

2011-10-10T09:16:00.000-07:00

This one has been getting a lot of playtime lately.

Disparaging The Boot is a bootable offense

2011-10-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

"An accidental charm, a graceful drinking arm."

The Glass Menagerie "I Said Goodbye To Me" 1969

2011-10-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

There's no doubt in my mind that Bowie heard this and basically used it as the template for his Ziggy era stuff.

The Music Machine "Masculine Intuition" 1966

2011-09-19T21:29:00.000-07:00

A rare clip of MM on American Bandstand from 1966. This regularly gets taken down off Youtube. Enjoy while you can.

2 new NB acquisitions

2011-09-09T22:19:00.000-07:00

"Purple Lady"

"Marmoset" This was used in an 88 Footwear ad ages ago.

Joan Collins

2011-08-17T21:23:00.000-07:00

Neil Blender- The Loaf- UPDATE

2011-08-08T21:01:00.000-07:00

OK, the Blender "The Loaf" hasn't been updated in 6 months. This one is a massive one! 47 new images. New additions are always at the bottom of the post.***This is going to be an ongoing post with updates any time I find new material by Neil. Feel free to contribute.

photo: O

from 2009:

OK, "art week" here on the site wouldn't be complete with something on my main man Neil. This is probably going to be the biggest post I'm ever going do but when I started gathering material for this it just kind of snowballed. Here it is, "The Loaf" meaning Blender by the barrel-full, an all-you-can-eat buffet of tastiness. After that whole debacle with the lame messenger bag company using Neil's famous "Coffee Break" graphic for their $400 bags I felt like a part of my childhood got raped. I felt personally offended that someone would take something that's such a fond memory for me and completely ruin it for the sake of greed. Back in the summer of 1986 just as I was turning 12 I saw Neil's artwork for the first time. It was the Picasso-influenced "Rocking Dog" board. The ad was in the August issue of Transworld. The ad was for a mail order skate shop and his graphics immediately stood out from all the skulls, 80's neon art damage, monsters, etc. that were on most of the decks. I've been into his art ever since. I only had one Blender deck when I was a kid, the "Coffee Break" one of course circa 1987. G&S wood just wasn't up to snuff with the John Lucero Schmitt Stix deck I had before it so I pretty much stuck with Schmitt Stix/New Deal after that. These days I'm riding a Small Beating deck made by the PS Stix woodshop a/k/a Schmitt Stix. Neil was even the reason that I begged my parents to let me build a mini ramp in our backyard after I saw his footage in Santa Cruz Speed Wheels "Speed Freaks". (see clip near the bottom of this post) I think I have about 10 of Neil's paintings and prints now, not nearly enough I think. One of my favorites, "Traffic Games", I got when I traded Neil a very rare 1970 Yahama 12-string acoustic. If you know anything about guitars, you'll know that these sound about as good as a vintage Martin at a fraction of the cost. Just make sure to get one made in Japan, not Taiwan, way better quality. These days Neil sells his stuff through eBay ever since he shut down his The Heated Wheel site. The Heated Wheel is still around but you can only get it from Neil on eBay. There's not always stuff up there but it's worth the wait. Nobody skates or creates art like him, a total original. Basically, Neil rips. Thanks to Chrome Ball Incident, Vert Is Dead and Pharaochin for some of the images.
"Should We go In There?"
"The Kids" acrylic on cardboard
"Worm Trainer" acrylic on denim fabric, photo: Neil Blender
"The Third Profile" lino print
"Green Volvo" with the little one checking it out.
"Traffic Games" acrylic on denim fabric, photo: Neil Blender
"The Slide"
"The Owl"
I got the "Squirrel" lino print on wood in Dino jr. color combo
The entire run of these prints. photo: Neil Blender
"Skim"

"Go-Kart" on canvas photo: Neil Blender
"Flower Guy" lino print on wood. An earlier version of this drawing was used for a G&S sticker.
"Distant City" watercolor
"Without A Sound" cover art
"BMW Hatchback" (2 panels)
"Am I The Guy You've Been Trying To Draw?"
"The Third Profile" on canvas
Alternate cover art for Dinosaur jr.'s Greatest Hits album

"Fish Wrangler"
"Tarp Art 1"
"Tarp Art 2"
Thrasher Magazine February 1985 cover

Black Label Kristian Svitak

Black Label Wade Speyer deck
Black Label Omar Hassan deck

AWS Duane Pitre
Schmitt Stix Joe Lopes deck
G&S "Snake & Lattice"
G&S "Sketchy Dudes"
G&S "Coffee Break"

AWS Duane Pitre
G&S "Rocking Dog 1" pre-dates the later Picasso-esque version with the man holding the dog. According to Neil only around 100 were made.
G&S "Pow Pow Pow"
Firm Lance Mountain deck

AWS Duane Pitre
AWS "Karate"
BBC Jeff Phillips R.I.P
Black Label Matt Hensley
Black Label Matt Hensley
Black Label Omar Hassan
Black Label Jim Gagne
"The Fox"
G&S "Dead Cat"
G&S "Rocking Dog"
AWS "Bo Turner"
Black Label team deck
Black Label Salman Agah

AWS Duane Pitre

Consolidated Steve Bailey

Alien Workshop Scott Conklin

Firm Ray Barbee

G&S Steve Claar
AWS "Speakers"

AWS Josh Kalis
Black Label Salman Agah
G&S 2nd pro model "Falling Dude"
Driven team model

AWS Bo Turner

The Heated Wheel "Squirrel" linoleum print deck, 2006. Neil's last pro model to date.
G&S "Scorpion" artwork by Eric Gordon

G&S "Prayer" aka "Picasso"

AWS Duane Pitre from the "Notebook" series
The Heated Wheel "Coffee Break" hand-painted numbered run of only 50.

G&S 'Driving"

Hand painted Larry Bertleman, Lance's tile art is below.

AWS "Shooters"
G&S "Coffee Break" sticker

AWS Scott Conklin
G&S "Heads in a Row"
The Heated Wheel "Boost" hand painted decks
photo: O, fakie ollie tail grab 1990
photo: Jim Goodrich, frontside invert
Victoria, Australia

Ohio Skate Out contest 1988
Tail block fakie

f/s rocknroll, Suzuki Banks, photo: O

photo: O, bean plant to tail, Neil's backyard ramp
photo: Greg Baller, sadplant, Border Wars contest, Vancouver, B.C. 1985
photo: Miki Vuckovich, b/s ollie, Sadlands, Anaheim, CA

photos: Hagop Najarian, Tuck-knee f/s air and lien air, Mountain Manor, Alhambra, CAf/s ollie, Sadlands, Anaheim, CA
photo: J. Grant Brittain, f/s nose pivot, Vancouver, B.C. 1986
photo: Mofo, f/s 5-0 Terror in Tahoe Contest, Lake Tahoe, CA 1985
frontside invert, Clairmont YMCA
layback air, Del Mar keyhole
photo: Mofo., b/s air, 24th & Mission BART station. One of the raddest photos ever. 1984
Tuck knee, St. Pete, FL. photo: Chuck Hults
Varial invert, St. Pete, FL photo: Chuck Hults
Mute Air, Skate City, Whittier, CA. photo: MRZ
Lien air, Kona, Jacksonville, FL: photo: Chuck Hults
Fastplant, Skate Ranch, Vancouver, BC photo: O
photo: Chuck Hults
hand out, Sacto, CA
Andrecht, Mountain Manor Ramp, Alhambra, CA
photo: Hagop Najarian, Go Skate contest, Sacto, CA 1985
photo: Eric Nash, invert, Whittier Skatepark, Whittier, CA
photo: J. Grant Brittain, f/s hand out, Vancouver, B.C. 1986
photo: Michael Burnett, Ho-Ho plant, S.U.A.S contest, Houston, TX 1987
photo: O, b/s ollie, Neil's ramp
photo:Hagop Najarian, tuck-knee eggplant & f/s rock. Mountain Manor, Alhambra, CA

Andrecht, Skate City, Whittier, CA, photo: MRZ
air to fakie transfer, Vancouver Skate Ranch, Canada
G&S "Snake & Lattice" sticker
G&S "pow pow pow" sticker
G&S "flower guy" sticker
Don't Mean Maybe cover art
Madonna, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
f/s invert Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
fakie ollie hang up, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
f/s crail block, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole

Andrecht hand out, Clairmont YMCA
"A portrait of the artist as a young man"

floating beanplant "Step By Step",Thrasher

Fastplant fakie, June 1986 Pro Spotlight, TWS, photo Goodrich

b/s ollie at Sadlands, Anaheim, CA. photo: Vukovich
nosestall. photo: O
Eggplant. photo: Grant Brittain
Heated Wheel "Name This Painting" contest 4/16/10
Ollie, San Berdo, CA
Method.
hand out. photo: Goodrich

photo: Grant Brittain
FLA. photo: Chuck Hults

"Unglued"
"Celebrities and Creeps"

"Coat Hanger Man"
24th St. BART station, SF photo: Mofo

Neil, Ron Allen and Lance Conklin at Hensley's Pub, Carlsbad, CA 2010
Lance, Gonz & Neil 2010
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
backside boneless, Sweden

Early-release lien air, Sweden.

Rad line-up. Hagop Najarian, Jeff Grosso, Lance Mountain and Neil.
f/s invert. best in the biz.
Andrecht, Upland Combi Pool
Totems.
Wooly Mammoth @ Del Mar on a Zorlac John Gibson. photo: Jim Goodrich
I picked this one up at Neil's show in Carlsbad. Stoked.
New Zealand

Detail of "Tricycles Are Lame". photo: MRZ
another detail for "Tricycles Are Lame". photo: MRZ
Huge fastplant at Mt. Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VA 1986 photo: Andy Bitner
Mt. Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VA 1986 photo: Andy Bitner
new Chromeball 2010
June 6th, 2010 Hensley's Pub Carlsbad, CA. photo: MRZ
G&S reunion: Miller, Gray, Blender and Ruff. photo: MRZ
photo by J. Grant Brittain
from show at Hensley's, Carlsbad, CA 6/10. photo: MRZ

Cedar Crest Country Club
early AWS ad

Andrecht @ Kona. photo: Chuck Hults
TWS interview outtake June 1986. photo: Jim Goodrich
late G&S days. photo: Pelle Evertsson

June 1986 TWS Pro Spotlight outtake. photo: Jim Goodrich
June 1986 TWS Pro Spotlight outtake. photo: Jim Goodrich
Lien Air, Kona, Jacksonville, FL. photo: Chuck Hults
Stoked? to be at the Rumble in Ramona, 2010 w/ Hitz & Strubing.
Tony Hawk's house. Spine transfer. Fallbrook, CA. photo: Steve Kotsopoulos
Tony Hawk's house. Fallbrook, CA. photo: Steve Kotsopoulos
f/s hand-out. Tony Hawk's house. Fallbrook, CA. photo: Steve Kotsopoulos
Huge lien air. Sweden. photo: Martin Willners
f/s invert. CCCC ramp. photo: J. Grant Brittain
Eggplant or possibly a Good Buddy. Sweden. photo: Hans Gothberg
Air to fakie. Skilly's? photo: Jim Goodrich
Neil, Billy Ruff and Steve Cathey. photo: Jim Goodrich
Neil, Jim Gray and Billy Ruff. photo: Jim Goodrich
1981. photo: Jim Goodrich
Road Rider 4 first show 2011. Neil on bass, Doug "Pineapple" Saladino on drums. photo: Germ Child
Eggplant. Mt. Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VA
Handplant. Oasis skatepark, San Diego. 1980. photo: Doug Berman
f/s rock, Upland Combi Pool. photo: Coping Block
Tuck-knee. Sweden. photo: Andreas Gartner

t-shirt (front & back) for Vans/Joel Tudor's "Duct Tape Invitational" long board surf contest 2010.
"Unglued". ink and water color on paper
Random shit. ink on paper
"Neighbor"
"Just Another Dream"
"James"
"Into Second"
"Hoof In Pail"
"Hollow Bee"
acrylic on MDF wood.
silk screen on felt
"Distant Quarter"
"Coffee Break". 2011
Mt. Trashmore. Virginia beach, VA.
Sweden.
O.B. skimming, San Diego.

Grind into the channel. Skilly's, Westminster, CA 1984
Lipslide, Skilly's, Westminster, CA 1986
Layback Rollout. Sadlands. 1980. Jim Goodrich photo.
Front cover of J. Mascis Sub Pop single.
Forget Cab's f/s inverts. Neil's and The Gonz have the best ones ever.
Back Cover of J. Mascis Sub Pop single.
Conklin, Cranston, Hitz & Neil
Back in the Red Kross/Emergency days. Duane, Lucero, Neil.

Awesome Heated Wheel tee.

Mt. Trashmore. Virginia Beach, VA. 1986. Jim Goodrich photo.

Sweden. Martin Wilners photo.
Skimming in Sweden. Martin Wilners photo.

Powell training facility. Goleta, CA.
with Joel Tudor.

Thrasher Magazine October 1984
Volvo for life. photo: Joey Tershay
Handout, 2007. Photo: Swifto
Crail tap on vintage G&S board.

Fastplant fakie, Skilly's. Westminster, CA 1986
Thrasher Magazine March 1985 with Billy Ruff

2003, photo: Swifto
Tail Tap, Upland. photo: Eric Nash

P.T.

2011-07-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Jawbreaker

2011-07-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

I was digging through the archives and found a stack of pics I shot of Jawbreaker from 6/9/93 @ Rockafellas, Columbia, SC. I showed up to the show way too early since I didn't know when it was starting. I caught their soundcheck, met Adam, their drummer and talked about all the live bootleg shows I had of theirs. He put me on the guest list and gave me a shirt. Thanks dude.

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beacky, Micky & Tich "Bend It" 1966

2011-07-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

These guys have been on the ol' turntable non-stop.

Sam & Helene's Soo-Prize Engagement Party @ The Knockout 6/18/11

2011-06-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

Sam & Helene from The Okmoniks had a soo-prize engagement party thrown for them @ The Knockout. Fun doesn't even begin to describe how rad it was. Good friends, good music, good times!

Soo-prize!
The Shrouds
No Bunny
The Wrong Words
The Party Icebreakers
The Fevers
No "Indian Drum", Gavin???

Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich "She's So Good" 1966

2011-06-01T20:30:00.000-07:00

One of the worst band names ever and one of the greatest songs ever. B-Side to the big hit "Bend It". Amazing bass.

Nolan Strong & The Diablos "Rockin' Daddy Strong" 1955

2011-05-14T07:06:00.000-07:00

YEARS before Derek Martin's "Daddy Rollin' Stone". Amazing.

Bobby Taylor "Little Miss Sweetness" 1966

2011-05-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

After several years of burnout, I've started DJ-ing 60's soul, booglaoo, freakbeat, garage and bubblegum again. Here's one of the dozen gems I've picked up lately. This tune was originally recorded by The Temptations. This version blows it away.

Los Yaki "Baila Conmigo" (Dance With Me)

2011-05-01T21:40:00.001-07:00

Neil Blender show Thalia Surf/Vans Laguna Beach 4/7/11

2011-04-15T10:30:00.001-07:00

*all photos by Neil Blender unless otherwise noted.
photo: Germ Child
photo: Mark Waters
photo: Mark Waters
Spidey, Neil, Conklin, Germ Child & Nagop
"Pink Shirt Dude"
"Paint Eater"
"Marmoset"
"Listen To Me"
"Impala Drift"
"House With Red Car"
"House/ Night"
"House With Chimney"
"Heated Drinker"
"Elephant Seal"
"Dog Thoughts"
"Dodge Dart"
"Ditch Rider"
"Basketball"
"Alfa Romeo"
"Cars"
"Purple Lady"
"Random Smoker" & "Shapes"
"Birdbath" & "Smoking Squirrel"
"Vet Care"
"Viewing Molecules"
Neil & Lance. photo: Jaime Owens
photo: Jaime Owens
photo: Jaime Owens
"Distant Quarter" photo: Jaime Owens

Al Partanen

2011-04-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

Easily my favorite clip of the past 5 years. Awesome song is by The King Khan & BBQ Show "Zombies".

Minutemen "I Felt Like A Gringo" acoustic 1985

2011-04-03T13:04:00.000-07:00

Neil Blender-"The Loaf" update 3/20/11

2011-03-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

34 new images this time. New additions are always at the bottom of the post.***This is going to be an ongoing post with updates any time I find new material by Neil. Feel free to contribute.

photo: O

from 2009:

OK, "art week" here on the site wouldn't be complete with something on my main man Neil. This is probably going to be the biggest post I'm ever going do but when I started gathering material for this it just kind of snowballed. Here it is, "The Loaf" meaning Blender by the barrel-full, an all-you-can-eat buffet of tastiness. After that whole debacle with the lame messenger bag company using Neil's famous "Coffee Break" graphic for their $400 bags I felt like a part of my childhood got raped. I felt personally offended that someone would take something that's such a fond memory for me and completely ruin it for the sake of greed. Back in the summer of 1986 just as I was turning 12 I saw Neil's artwork for the first time. It was the Picasso-influenced "Rocking Dog" board. The ad was in the August issue of Transworld. The ad was for a mail order skate shop and his graphics immediately stood out from all the skulls, 80's neon art damage, monsters, etc. that were on most of the decks. I've been into his art ever since. I only had one Blender deck when I was a kid, the "Coffee Break" one of course circa 1987. G&S wood just wasn't up to snuff with the John Lucero Schmitt Stix deck I had before it so I pretty much stuck with Schmitt Stix/New Deal after that. These days I'm riding a Small Beating deck made by the PS Stix woodshop a/k/a Schmitt Stix. Neil was even the reason that I begged my parents to let me build a mini ramp in our backyard after I saw his footage in Santa Cruz Speed Wheels "Speed Freaks". (see clip near the bottom of this post) I think I have about 10 of Neil's paintings and prints now, not nearly enough I think. One of my favorites, "Traffic Games", I got when I traded Neil a very rare 1970 Yahama 12-string acoustic. If you know anything about guitars, you'll know that these sound about as good as a vintage Martin at a fraction of the cost. Just make sure to get one made in Japan, not Taiwan, way better quality. These days Neil sells his stuff through eBay ever since he shut down his The Heated Wheel site. The Heated Wheel is still around but you can only get it from Neil on eBay. There's not always stuff up there but it's worth the wait. Nobody skates or creates art like him, a total original. Basically, Neil rips. Thanks to Chrome Ball Incident, Vert Is Dead and Pharaochin for some of the images.
"Should We go In There?"
"The Kids" acrylic on cardboard
"Worm Trainer" acrylic on denim fabric, photo: Neil Blender
"The Third Profile" lino print
"Green Volvo" with the little one checking it out.
"Traffic Games" acrylic on denim fabric, photo: Neil Blender
"The Slide"
"The Owl"
I got the "Squirrel" lino print on wood in Dino jr. color combo
The entire run of these prints. photo: Neil Blender
"Skim"

"Go-Kart" on canvas photo: Neil Blender
"Flower Guy" lino print on wood. An earlier version of this drawing was used for a G&S sticker.
"Distant City" watercolor
"Without A Sound" cover art
"BMW Hatchback" (2 panels)
"Am I The Guy You've Been Trying To Draw?"
"The Third Profile" on canvas
Alternate cover art for Dinosaur jr.'s Greatest Hits album

"Fish Wrangler"
"Tarp Art 1"
"Tarp Art 2"
Thrasher Magazine February 1985 cover

Black Label Kristian Svitak

Black Label Wade Speyer deck
Black Label Omar Hassan deck

AWS Duane Pitre
Schmitt Stix Joe Lopes deck
G&S "Snake & Lattice"
G&S "Sketchy Dudes"
G&S "Coffee Break"

AWS Duane Pitre
G&S "Rocking Dog 1" pre-dates the later Picasso-esque version with the man holding the dog. According to Neil only around 100 were made.
G&S "Pow Pow Pow"
Firm Lance Mountain deck

AWS Duane Pitre
AWS "Karate"
BBC Jeff Phillips R.I.P
Black Label Matt Hensley
Black Label Matt Hensley
Black Label Omar Hassan
Black Label Jim Gagne
"The Fox"
G&S "Dead Cat"
G&S "Rocking Dog"
AWS "Bo Turner"
Black Label team deck
Black Label Salman Agah

AWS Duane Pitre

Consolidated Steve Bailey

Alien Workshop Scott Conklin

Firm Ray Barbee

G&S Steve Claar
AWS "Speakers"

AWS Josh Kalis
Black Label Salman Agah
G&S 2nd pro model "Falling Dude"
Driven team model

AWS Bo Turner

The Heated Wheel "Squirrel" linoleum print deck, 2006. Neil's last pro model to date.
G&S "Scorpion" artwork by Eric Gordon

G&S "Prayer" aka "Picasso"

AWS Duane Pitre from the "Notebook" series
The Heated Wheel "Coffee Break" hand-painted numbered run of only 50.

G&S 'Driving"

Hand painted Larry Bertleman, Lance's tile art is below.

AWS "Shooters"
G&S "Coffee Break" sticker

AWS Scott Conklin
G&S "Heads in a Row"
The Heated Wheel "Boost" hand painted decks
photo: O, fakie ollie tail grab 1990
photo: Jim Goodrich, frontside invert
Victoria, Australia

Ohio Skate Out contest 1988
Tail block fakie

f/s rocknroll, Suzuki Banks, photo: O

photo: O, bean plant to tail, Neil's backyard ramp
photo: Greg Baller, sadplant, Border Wars contest, Vancouver, B.C. 1985
photo: Miki Vuckovich, b/s ollie, Sadlands, Anaheim, CA

photos: Hagop Najarian, Tuck-knee f/s air and lien air, Mountain Manor, Alhambra, CAf/s ollie, Sadlands, Anaheim, CA
photo: J. Grant Brittain, f/s nose pivot, Vancouver, B.C. 1986
photo: Mofo, f/s 5-0 Terror in Tahoe Contest, Lake Tahoe, CA 1985
frontside invert, Clairmont YMCA
layback air, Del Mar keyhole
photo: Mofo., b/s air, 24th & Mission BART station. One of the raddest photos ever. 1984
Tuck knee, St. Pete, FL. photo: Chuck Hults
Varial invert, St. Pete, FL photo: Chuck Hults
Mute Air, Skate City, Whittier, CA. photo: MRZ
Lien air, Kona, Jacksonville, FL: photo: Chuck Hults
Fastplant, Skate Ranch, Vancouver, BC photo: O
photo: Chuck Hults
hand out, Sacto, CA
Andrecht, Mountain Manor Ramp, Alhambra, CA
photo: Hagop Najarian, Go Skate contest, Sacto, CA 1985
photo: Eric Nash, invert, Whittier Skatepark, Whittier, CA
photo: J. Grant Brittain, f/s hand out, Vancouver, B.C. 1986
photo: Michael Burnett, Ho-Ho plant, S.U.A.S contest, Houston, TX 1987
photo: O, b/s ollie, Neil's ramp
photo:Hagop Najarian, tuck-knee eggplant & f/s rock. Mountain Manor, Alhambra, CA

Andrecht, Skate City, Whittier, CA, photo: MRZ
air to fakie transfer, Vancouver Skate Ranch, Canada
G&S "Snake & Lattice" sticker
G&S "pow pow pow" sticker
G&S "flower guy" sticker
Don't Mean Maybe cover art
Madonna, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
f/s invert Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
fakie ollie hang up, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
f/s crail block, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole

Andrecht hand out, Clairmont YMCA
"A portrait of the artist as a young man"

floating beanplant "Step By Step",Thrasher

Fastplant fakie, June 1986 Pro Spotlight, TWS, photo Goodrich

b/s ollie at Sadlands, Anaheim, CA. photo: Vukovich
nosestall. photo: O
Eggplant. photo: Grant Brittain
Heated Wheel "Name This Painting" contest 4/16/10
Ollie, San Berdo, CA
Method.
hand out. photo: Goodrich

photo: Grant Brittain
FLA. photo: Chuck Hults

"Unglued"
"Celebrities and Creeps"

"Coat Hanger Man"
24th St. BART station, SF photo: Mofo

Neil, Ron Allen and Lance Conklin at Hensley's Pub, Carlsbad, CA 2010
Lance, Gonz & Neil 2010
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
backside boneless, Sweden

Early-release lien air, Sweden.

Rad line-up. Hagop Najarian, Jeff Grosso, Lance Mountain and Neil.
f/s invert. best in the biz.
Andrecht, Upland Combi Pool
Totems.
Wooly Mammoth @ Del Mar on a Zorlac John Gibson. photo: Jim Goodrich
I picked this one up at Neil's show in Carlsbad. Stoked.
New Zealand

Detail of "Tricycles Are Lame". photo: MRZ
another detail for "Tricycles Are Lame". photo: MRZ
Huge fastplant at Mt. Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VA 1986 photo: Andy Bitner
Mt. Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VA 1986 photo: Andy Bitner
new Chromeball 2010
June 6th, 2010 Hensley's Pub Carlsbad, CA. photo: MRZ
G&S reunion: Miller, Gray, Blender and Ruff. photo: MRZ
photo by J. Grant Brittain
from show at Hensley's, Carlsbad, CA 6/10. photo: MRZ

Cedar Crest Country Club
early AWS ad

Andrecht @ Kona. photo: Chuck Hults
TWS interview outtake June 1986. photo: Jim Goodrich
late G&S days. photo: Pelle Evertsson

June 1986 TWS Pro Spotlight outtake. photo: Jim Goodrich
June 1986 TWS Pro Spotlight outtake. photo: Jim Goodrich
Lien Air, Kona, Jacksonville, FL. photo: Chuck Hults
Stoked? to be at the Rumble in Ramona, 2010 w/ Hitz & Strubing.
Tony Hawk's house. Spine transfer. Fallbrook, CA. photo: Steve Kotsopoulos
Tony Hawk's house. Fallbrook, CA. photo: Steve Kotsopoulos
f/s hand-out. Tony Hawk's house. Fallbrook, CA. photo: Steve Kotsopoulos
Huge lien air. Sweden. photo: Martin Willners
f/s invert. CCCC ramp. photo: J. Grant Brittain
Eggplant or possibly a Good Buddy. Sweden. photo: Hans Gothberg
Air to fakie. Skilly's? photo: Jim Goodrich
Neil, Billy Ruff and Steve Cathey. photo: Jim Goodrich
Neil, Jim Gray and Billy Ruff. photo: Jim Goodrich
1981. photo: Jim Goodrich
Road Rider 4 first show 2011. Neil on bass, Doug "Pineapple" Saladino on drums. photo: Germ Child
Eggplant. Mt. Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VA
Handplant. Oasis skatepark, San Diego. 1980. photo: Doug Berman
f/s rock, Upland Combi Pool. photo: Coping Block
Tuck-knee. Sweden. photo: Andreas Gartner

t-shirt (front & back) for Vans/Joel Tudor's "Duct Tape Invitational" long board surf contest 2010.
"Unglued". ink and water color on paper
Random shit. ink on paper
"Neighbor"
"Just Another Dream"
"James"
"Into Second"
"Hoof In Pail"
"Hollow Bee"
acrylic on MDF wood.
silk screen on felt
"Distant Quarter"
"Coffee Break". 2011

Morgen "Of Dreams" 1969

2011-03-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Log Shop 2/19/11

2011-02-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

The Log Shop ramp is now a bowl.

Matt Sneddon Eric Gonzales

Gene Pitney "Backstage" 1966

2011-02-03T19:07:00.000-08:00

A real heart breaker from Gene. Covered most famously by The Devil Dogs.

1910 Fruitgum Company "Special Delivery" 1969

2011-01-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

An obscure one from the bubble gum gods.

The Dogs "Don't Try To Help Me" PA garage

2011-01-03T21:59:00.001-08:00

The High Numbers 1964

2011-01-01T20:13:00.001-08:00

Neil Blender's closet

2010-12-25T02:19:00.000-08:00

I'm super stoked on these shots by Germ Child. Here's a few from Neil's personal collection....

Test print on earlier shape "Snake and Lattice" shape

Only 100 made. Probably the only NOS one of these on the planet.
Classic "Snake and Lattice"

If only this was real...

2010-12-23T23:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Krissy Hart for this one.

The Pagans "What's This Shit Called Love?"

2010-12-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

Devo "Gut Feeling" 1st ever performance 1977

2010-11-29T18:02:00.000-08:00

Ugly Ducklings "Just In Case You Wonder"

2010-11-16T14:50:00.001-08:00

Brenton Wood "Psychotic Reaction" 1966

2010-11-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

Brenton was on the same label as The Count Five so he simply used their backing track to cut his own version. No muss, no fuss!

The State of Freakbeatfuzz

2010-10-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

I haven't been updating the blog too often recently due to some heavy family issues. I am in the process of selling my grandfather Ira Bagwell's massive fishing gear collection (spanning 1940's to present) to help pay for his medical bills and funeral arrangements. He passed away last Saturday and I'm really fucked up over it. Please visit the FREAKBEATFUZZ eBay shop. Thanks for your support.

Neil Blender- The Loaf- updated

2010-10-19T20:51:00.000-07:00

34 new images this time. New additions are always at the bottom of the post.***This is going to be an ongoing post with updates any time I find new material by Neil. Feel free to contribute.

photo: O

OK, "art week" here on the site wouldn't be complete with something on my main man Neil. This is probably going to be the biggest post I'm ever going do but when I started gathering material for this it just kind of snowballed. Here it is, "The Loaf" meaning Blender by the barrel-full, an all-you-can-eat buffet of tastiness. After that whole debacle with the lame messenger bag company using Neil's famous "Coffee Break" graphic for their $400 bags I felt like a part of my childhood got raped. I felt personally offended that someone would take something that's such a fond memory for me and completely ruin it for the sake of greed. Back in the summer of 1986 just as I was turning 12 I saw Neil's artwork for the first time. It was the Picasso-influenced "Rocking Dog" board. The ad was in the August issue of Transworld. The ad was for a mail order skate shop and his graphics immediately stood out from all the skulls, 80's neon art damage, monsters, etc. that were on most of the decks. I've been into his art ever since. I only had one Blender deck when I was a kid, the "Coffee Break" one of course circa 1987. G&S wood just wasn't up to snuff with the John Lucero Schmitt Stix deck I had before it so I pretty much stuck with Schmitt Stix/New Deal after that. These days I'm riding a Small Beating deck made by the PS Stix woodshop a/k/a Schmitt Stix. Neil was even the reason that I begged my parents to let me build a mini ramp in our backyard after I saw his footage in Santa Cruz Speed Wheels "Speed Freaks". (see clip near the bottom of this post) I think I have about 10 of Neil's paintings and prints now, not nearly enough I think. One of my favorites, "Traffic Games", I got when I traded Neil a very rare 1970 Yahama 12-string acoustic. If you know anything about guitars, you'll know that these sound about as good as a vintage Martin at a fraction of the cost. Just make sure to get one made in Japan, not Taiwan, way better quality. These days Neil sells his stuff through eBay ever since he shut down his The Heated Wheel site. The Heated Wheel is still around but you can only get it from Neil on eBay. There's not always stuff up there but it's worth the wait. Nobody skates or creates art like him, a total original. Basically, Neil rips. Thanks to Chrome Ball Incident, Vert Is Dead and Pharaochin for some of the images.
"Should We go In There?"
"The Kids" acrylic on cardboard
"Worm Trainer" acrylic on denim fabric, photo: Neil Blender
"The Third Profile" lino print
"Green Volvo" with the little one checking it out.
"Traffic Games" acrylic on denim fabric, photo: Neil Blender
"The Slide"
"The Owl"
I got the "Squirrel" lino print on wood in Dino jr. color combo
The entire run of these prints. photo: Neil Blender
"Skim"

"Go-Kart" on canvas photo: Neil Blender
"Flower Guy" lino print on wood. An earlier version of this drawing was used for a G&S sticker.
"Distant City" watercolor
"Without A Sound" cover art
"BMW Hatchback" (2 panels)
"Am I The Guy You've Been Trying To Draw?"
"The Third Profile" on canvas
Alternate cover art for Dinosaur jr.'s Greatest Hits album

"Fish Wrangler"
"Tarp Art 1"
"Tarp Art 2"
Thrasher Magazine February 1985 cover

Black Label Kristian Svitak

Black Label Wade Speyer deck
Black Label Omar Hassan deck

AWS Duane Pitre
Schmitt Stix Joe Lopes deck
G&S "Snake & Lattice"
G&S "Sketchy Dudes"
G&S "Coffee Break"

AWS Duane Pitre
G&S "Rocking Dog 1" pre-dates the later Picasso-esque version with the man holding the dog. According to Neil only around 100 were made.
G&S "Pow Pow Pow"
Firm Lance Mountain deck

AWS Duane Pitre
AWS "Karate"
BBC Jeff Phillips R.I.P
Black Label Matt Hensley
Black Label Matt Hensley
Black Label Omar Hassan
Black Label Jim Gagne
"The Fox"
G&S "Dead Cat"
G&S "Rocking Dog"
AWS "Bo Turner"
Black Label team deck
Black Label Salman Agah

AWS Duane Pitre

Consolidated Steve Bailey

Alien Workshop Scott Conklin

Firm Ray Barbee

G&S Steve Claar
AWS "Speakers"

AWS Josh Kalis
Black Label Salman Agah
G&S 2nd pro model "Falling Dude"
Driven team model

AWS Bo Turner

The Heated Wheel "Squirrel" linoleum print deck, 2006. Neil's last pro model to date.
G&S "Scorpion" artwork by Eric Gordon

G&S "Prayer" aka "Picasso"

AWS Duane Pitre from the "Notebook" series
The Heated Wheel "Coffee Break" hand-painted numbered run of only 50.

G&S 'Driving"

Hand painted Larry Bertleman, Lance's tile art is below.

AWS "Shooters"
G&S "Coffee Break" sticker

AWS Scott Conklin
G&S "Heads in a Row"
The Heated Wheel "Boost" hand painted decks
photo: O, fakie ollie tail grab 1990
photo: Jim Goodrich, frontside invert
Victoria, Australia

Ohio Skate Out contest 1988
Tail block fakie

f/s rocknroll, Suzuki Banks, photo: O

photo: O, bean plant to tail, Neil's backyard ramp
photo: Greg Baller, sadplant, Border Wars contest, Vancouver, B.C. 1985
photo: Miki Vuckovich, b/s ollie, Sadlands, Anaheim, CA

photos: Hagop Najarian, Tuck-knee f/s air and lien air, Mountain Manor, Alhambra, CAf/s ollie, Sadlands, Anaheim, CA
photo: J. Grant Brittain, f/s nose pivot, Vancouver, B.C. 1986
photo: Mofo, f/s 5-0 Terror in Tahoe Contest, Lake Tahoe, CA 1985
frontside invert, Clairmont YMCA
layback air, Del Mar keyhole
photo: Mofo., b/s air, 24th & Mission BART station. One of the raddest photos ever. 1984
Tuck knee, St. Pete, FL. photo: Chuck Hults
Varial invert, St. Pete, FL photo: Chuck Hults
Mute Air, Skate City, Whittier, CA. photo: MRZ
Lien air, Kona, Jacksonville, FL: photo: Chuck Hults
Fastplant, Skate Ranch, Vancouver, BC photo: O
photo: Chuck Hults
hand out, Sacto, CA
Andrecht, Mountain Manor Ramp, Alhambra, CA
photo: Hagop Najarian, Go Skate contest, Sacto, CA 1985
photo: Eric Nash, invert, Whittier Skatepark, Whittier, CA
photo: J. Grant Brittain, f/s hand out, Vancouver, B.C. 1986
photo: Michael Burnett, Ho-Ho plant, S.U.A.S contest, Houston, TX 1987
photo: O, b/s ollie, Neil's ramp
photo:Hagop Najarian, tuck-knee eggpant, Moutain Manor, Alhambra, CA and f/s rock, location ?

Andrecht, Skate City, Whittier, CA, photo: MRZ
air to fakie transfer, Vancouver Skate Ranch, Canada
G&S "Snake & Lattice" sticker
G&S "pow pow pow" sticker
G&S "flower guy" sticker
Don't Mean Maybe cover art
Madonna, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
f/s invert Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
fakie ollie hang up, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole
f/s crail block, Del Mar Skate Ranch keyhole

Andrecht hand out, Clairmont YMCA
"A portrait of the artist as a young man"

floating beanplant "Step By Step",Thrasher

Fastplant fakie, June 1986 Pro Spotlight, TWS, photo Goodrich

b/s ollie at Sadlands, Anaheim, CA. photo: Vukovich
nosestall. photo: O
Eggplant. photo: Grant Brittain
Heated Wheel "Name This Painting" contest 4/16/10
Ollie, San Berdo, CA
Method.
hand out. photo: Goodrich

photo: Grant Brittain
FLA. photo: Chuck Hults

"Unglued"
"Celebrities and Creeps"

"Coat Hanger Man"
24th St. BART station, SF photo: Mofo

Neil, Ron Allen and Lance Conklin at Hensley's Pub, Carlsbad, CA 2010
Lance, Gonz & Neil 2010
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
Sacto, CA 1985. photo: Ron Cameron
backside boneless, Sweden

Early-release lien air, Sweden.

Rad line-up. Hagop Najarian, Jeff Grosso, Lance Mountain and Neil.
f/s invert. best in the biz.
Andrecht, Upland Combi Pool
Totems.
Wooly Mammoth @ Del Mar on a Zorlac John Gibson. photo: Jim Goodrich
I picked this one up at Neil's show in Carlsbad. Stoked.
New Zealand

Detail of "Tricycles Are Lame"
another detail for "Tricycles Are Lame"
Huge fastplant at Mt. Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VA 1986 photo: Andy Bitner
Mt. Trashmore, Virginia Beach, VA 1986 photo: Andy Bitner
new Chromeball 2010

G&S reunion: Miller, Gray, Blender and Ruff
photo by J. Grant Brittain
from show at Hensley's, Carlsbad, CA 6/10

Cedar Crest Country Club
early AWS ad

Andrecht @ Kona. photo: Chuck Hults
TWS interview outtake June 1986. photo: Jim Goodrich
late G&S days. photo: Pelle Evertsson

photo: Jim Goodrich

Let's Crash "It's A Crying Shame"

2010-09-09T13:25:00.000-07:00

Skaters: Cranston, Navs & Hitz. Video by Neil Blender

2010 Chili Bowl 8/28/10

2010-08-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Small Beating's Brad McClain took home the bacon yet again this year. Yeah Brad!

Vince Taylor & His Playboys "Brand New Cadillac" 1958

2010-08-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

This is the original version. This was covered by The Clash on their 1979 LP "London Calling".

The Spits "I H8 Pussies" 2000

2010-08-24T07:32:00.000-07:00

Killing it for over 10 years...

The Music Machine "You'll Love Me Again"

2010-08-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

Mardi Gras "Girl, I've Got News For You"

2010-08-17T14:48:00.001-07:00

SAVE THE TURF!

2010-08-05T14:27:00.000-07:00