The Union Tapes John Dye

The first pic I ever saw of some over tweaking something was Todd Anderson, who at that point in time-1985-was riding for Redline. I picked up a magazine in a mock 711 next to Faze 7 BMX centre in Waltham Cross, Todd was cranking a loopback with his feet on the cranks arms, and his front wheel hitting his shin, I'd never seen this before, until that point a look back was anything with bars passed 90 degrees. I think those pics set the standard for many people to follow with all tricks not just the look back. Todd’s BMX journey started many years before that though, we go right back to he start, first seeing freestyle at a race meet, riding for SE bikes, the infamous cover of Freestylin' magazine, local scene, building quarters, the legendary Camirrilo ramp and the sessions and riders who rode there. AFA events. As well as the lookback we discuss his iconic 1 foot fatties and being the alley oop master in the early days. Trick techniques and how he evolved his style so early, innovating tricks he isn’t really credited for. Taking big slams. Getting on General Bikes, tour life and what General were before and after their bike venture. Right up through the 2 hip KOV and Meet the street events, Vans tours with Eddie Fiola, tracking his life right up to present day where he still dabbles in BMX.

The Union tapes Episode 24 with ex S&M UK rider James Cox, we go back to the start of his BMX journey coming out of Portsmouth in the mid 90s and the routes he took a long the way. We cover BMX influence through out his life and the ever evolving projects he had, from riding to music, to creating his own brands Retribution and then later Antidote. His fascination for S&M bikes and riding for em later on, making videos and becoming a magazine regular, moving around the uk to different scenes, working at 4 down. UFO’s, lucid dreams and astral projecting…get it on!
Riders mantioned
Isaac Clark, Morgan from Southsea, Farren Downes, James Newrick, Daniel Benson, Cookie, Marv, Clarkie, Kris Bennett, Shaun Butler, Shane Steels, Tommy C, Geoff Slattery, Corey Martinez, Nathan Williams, Ryan Metro, Chris Moeller, Ricky Tribble, Mark Tanner, Fathead, Steve Bancroft, Paul Bromfield, Ed Docherty, Robin Fenlon, Ben Lewis, Buzzard, Dan Cox, Joe Cox, Josh Bedford, Dave Young, Steven Laidlaw, Tom Saunders

Got a little bonus going on here, and some thing a little different. Coinciding with the release of our zine 5 and Nails in the Coffin on DVD, ex Uk Fit pro Marv (Nicholas Martin) who was a young 16 years of age and a fan of Nails in the Coffin when it came out back in the late 90s, he wanted to know a few things about it, so came in and asked me some behind the scenes questions about the goings on in and around the making and riding in the video.

Shaun Allison is a name that was on my original list of guests back when I first started thinking about doing this podcast, and I’m sure many people out there won’t have even heard of? After avoiding the media spot light of the news agent mags and finding a home contributing to the zine scene where he felt more at home with the true underground of BMX, There was rumours of shaun floating around the London scene for a year or so before any of the lesser travelled kids saw him in action, He showed up to the south bank street jam in 88 with Dave Slade, I was there that day and was witness to a totally different riding style and approach to what I was used to, it was all power and aggression with a few moves I'd not even seen before. Shaun got in the public eye of BMX in the late 80s, when BMX was well and truly in its biggest decline. This is a story about riding in and around the north of England with a crew of other like minded underground innovators around the Retford, Sheffield, Nottingham and Worksop areas.
Riders mentioned: Jason Ellis, Sid, David Slade, Cow-Mike Rose, Andy Brown, Jason Hassell, James Hudson, Mick Hudson, Geth Shooter, Chris Hardy, Neil Waddington, Craig Campbell, Pardeep Lail, Ed Docherty, Mad Malc Stappleton, Dave Curry, Tim March, Andy Ruffell, Lee Cewcker, Titch, Shardy, Kev Motishaw, Martin Burnstein, Lee Brown, Anthony Christian, Stu Horner, Mat Hoffman, Dave Dean, Mad Mcmad, Nick Phillip, Pete Augustin, Ron Wilkerson, Will Smyth, Clive Gosling, Zach Shaw, Mike Canning, Simon Tabron, Jim Tomlinson, Dino Squillino, Dave Voelker, Ross Marshall, Dave Beveridge, John Hall

Jumping forward a decade or so from our last episode. I first met Owain in the 90's, he was a tiny chatty kid ripping around the boneyard in Chester and the surrounding skateparks of the time. Fast forward many years and this dude has never dropped off. Rode for a bunch of big companies, won contests, flew around the world, scoring multiple magazine covers, video parts, road trips and done all there is to do in the game of BMX. We get in to the start of his BMX journey, trips to Woodward as a kid, growing up around the Chester BMX scene. Changing up riding styles, and the in-depth street riding phase and why, riding all terrain, his involvement with BMX now, the obsession with collecting old BMX media, recent barn edit and the open loop. And even some UKBMX hall of fame talk in here. Riders mentioned Jon Taylor, Alistair Whitton, Jon Hall, Paul Harrison, Chris Hamer, Barney, Tom Baskeyfield, Tom Holmes, Tommy Gore, Zach Shaw, Jerry Galley, Stuart Dawkins, Ian Morris, Caleb Kilby, Baz Keep, Robin Fenlon, Chris Souter, Lard, Northern Jon, Will Jackson, Joe Rich, Taj, Dave Friemuth, Nate Wessell, Farren Downes, Marv, Daniel Benson, Lemsip, Chico Hooke, Martin Murray, Anthony Pill, Brian Foster, Matt Hoffman, Jay Miron, Colin Winkleman, Scott Malyon, Neil Williams, Gary Simmonds, Mark Theaker, Richie Pettman, Tony Flemming, Fids, Gogo, Johnny Mingo, Hollywood, Ron Wilkerson, Dave Littleman, Cameron Birdwell, Garrett Byrnes, George Hornig, Ralph Sinisi, Edwin Delarosa, Jack Bender, Ben Lewis, James Cox

We finally caught up with Nick Philip, and we get deep into it on many topics that he had hands on involvement. This one gives us all a deep dive into much of the mystery for most of us, meeting Jess Dyrenforth, Rom trips back in the early days, starting AA as a mail order from his bedroom, Landing a job at BMX Action bike, working with Dave Curry, and talks about what an influence Curry had on the scene. All about the behind the scenes of BMX Action bike RAD magazine. Early Southbank scene, Mons jam, being a rider rep for the ukbfa, AA becoming a clothing brand, the rise and focus of street riding in the magazine, the style change with in BMX as it evolved away from its constraints. The push for evolving the of character of BMX. Moving to California in the good ole USA to work for Freestylin magazine, Homeboy and Ozone. Getting into the early rave scene in the late 80s, right up to what his up to today.
Riders mentioned: Jess Dyrenforth, Dave Curry, Craig Campbell, Alisdair Mckenzie, Damon Nicholls, Eric Steel, Billy Stupple, Marco Lara, Andy Ruffell, Tim March, Dave Slade, Craig Grasso, Andy Jenkins, Spike Jonze, Maurice 'Drob' Meyer, Dave Nourie, Eddie Roman, Dave Vanderspek
Skateboarders: Bod Boyle, Dobie Campbell, Joe Lopes, Todd Swank