Lucien Clarke Web interview.

February 27, 2008 @ 2:33 PM

Photo by Emily Marsh
Dom Marley: Tell us About growing up in Jamaica and New York:

Yeah, it’s lot different from London, I don’t remember Jamaica to well though, I moved to New York when I was about five or something…

Greg: You lived in NY?

Yeah for six or seven years, till I was about 11- 12 or something..

G: Where did you live?

In Queens…. Jamaica avenue.

G: Taking it in stages then, Jamaica to Jamaica avenue NY. Then you moved to London right?

Yeah, my Mom had that property in Victoria, even when we were in NY. The Spot’s perfect. I think she’s trying to break me out though.. think I might need to move out and get my own place.

D: Hahahaha.. Has it been suggested?

Yeah..

G: Buy her some flowers and try to sweeten her up.

Ah!  Rent money, its never on time, London’s just too expensive.

Front crooks up the road from the Gaywood Palace, photo Dom Marley

G:Tell us about the time your Mom cut your hair in your sleep.

She hates it when my hair gets longer than about grade two, prefers it to be shaved bald, she’s a strict Jamaican mom, she used to dress me and my brother up as twins until we were about eight…. Anyway I was trying to grow an Afro, and she kept telling me to cut my hair, but I was like na I want to grow an Afro, just try something new. I was sleeping and she came in and just took a patch out of my hair, I heard the buzzing and thought I was dreaming or something and she just took a patch out… I was so pissed off. I wore a cap for a week but eventually all the hair had to go.

D: What are you going to do when you leave home, grow a massive hair do?

(Laughs) Yeah.

G: You ever thought of moving to Europe?

Yeah maybe, for a little bit, like six months at a time or something. Tuukka does that a lot, he was here for a few days, and was like “its too expensive” (dodgy accent) and then left to go to Barcelona.

D: You CAN just do that in skating though, spend a few weeks crashing on someone’s floor, and move on to the next floor and then just kind of string it together.

G: I remember seeing you at the Victoria benches when you were too young/ small to pop onto the ledges, you Just used to bonk the underside of the benches.

(laughs) Just used too scratch a krooked bonk or something.. I started at the Albert Memorial maybe eight years ago or something. Then just started sneaking off to Victoria Benches and Southbank, got bored of the memorial but my mom wouldn’t let me go to those spots, something about seeing some skaters smoking? Started hanging out with Rich Hardy, Alex Price, Henry and Steph Morgan.. We made a video called Lost in London and uuurrr…

D: Hello Coco?

Yeah Hello Coco… (Laughs), that was Passmores deal.

Kickflip Backside Nose Blunt, click the image for the animation, photo Dom Marley

G: When did you first get hooked up on Unabomber?

A bit after Lost in London came out, Al Rushbrooke had a word with Pete Helicar and got me hooked up.

G: Any stories from that time?

We went to Redcar to do a demo and got driven into the sea in a tank. 

G: How About Lordz/ Square wheels, when and how did that one come about?

I sent a copy of Hello Coco to the UK distributor, trying to get me and Steph hooked up, I can’t remember who the distributor was but they just started sending stuff…. Basketball tank tops and XXXL hoodies and hardly any wheels..(Laughs), stinking! So I called up the company direct and they offered to take me on tour to Barcelona. After that trip they just started sending me stuff.. 

G: What happened to that?

I was getting Aeon shoes, Square wheels and Lordz clothing, but it all just kind of went down hill.. don’t really know.

Footage Courtesy of Myskateordie

G: Have you got any good stories from skating in London?

Too many.  I was sitting down on this memorial after skating and this crack head came up to me and started shouting in my face, telling me that I was disrespecting his grandad’s grave or something. I was like “wha.. huh.. what you on about” then Steph started giving him shit. The crackhead just swung and punched Steph in the head..  Steph threw a rock at him and the crack head legged it..

G: What are your thoughts on what’s happening with South Bank?

I don’t know, maybe they’re turning it into a Starbucks or something! The situation sucks..

D: You’re about to head off for a skate in the big ol’ U. S. of A, what’s the plan?

Yeah, Rory, Steph and a bunch of us are heading out to Philly, we’re going to hook up with Chris Mulhern and skate and hang out, I think we’re going to try tour around the East Coast for a bit, should be good. 

G: Wow, end of tape…. Nice one Lucien

Lucien Rides for Element Boards, DVS shoes, Slam City Skates, Royal Trucks and PWBC.

“Hey, is that Vodka, can i get some of that?”, photo by Greg Finch

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