It's A Mod Mod Moscow...

3 days in Russia with French Boutik & The Riots!

The Moscow Dream Team
(l-r) Denis, Kirill, Serge, Iky, Sasha, Terry, Zelda, Gabriela, Alex, Maria, Oleg, and me

1.24.13
Russian Visas in hand and fighting a lack of sleep after battling our suitcases in Paris, Serge and Gabriela and I left for the Charles de Gualle Airport at 5am, arriving like clockwork to meet Iky, Terry, and Zelda at the check-in counter. French Boutik was in full formation and bound for Russia! Our bags were securely tidy and tagged and we made our flight without a hitch. The flight was stopping first in Austria where we'd change planes, just enough time for a quick nap en route, and a little breakfast at the Vienna Airport before our final leg to Moscow. We arrived at the Domodedevo Airport at 6pm, extremely fatigued but high on adrenalin...amplified slightly by our passage through Customs. Once through the pearly gates, we collected our baggage and headed out, greeted by our mate Kirill from The Riots. After a little laughter and hugs, we hopped in two cabs and motored into downtown Moscow...

The Domodedevo Airport was like another planet for us.
Unable to read anything and completely freezing when we stepped out the doors.

After a 40 minute drive, we arrived at our apartment for the weekend, greeted enthusiastically by the other two Riots, Alex & Sasha, and Oleg aka Mobkid. It was a happy meeting to say the least! We dug into our suitcases and pulled out some celebratory gifts from Paris for the occasion, Some nice French wine and cheese, saucisson sec, and a bottle of Calvados. After a couple hours of revelry and good music we headed to the 16 Tons Club to scope out the gig for Saturday night. We arrived to a full spread of amazing food in a special little room adjacent to the main bar, the club pulled out all the stops to take good care of the Frenchies... Merci! Oleg's wife Maria and The Riots right hand man Denis joined us just after dinner for drinks and nonsense... annd...our party continued into the wee hours. We closed the club and made tracks for our apartment, too excited to sleep and high on laughs and friendship. More cool tunes and French wine ensued and as the sun was coming up we all bedded down for the night.

Tiger Prawns - 16 Tons style.
And of course it wouldn't be a proper visit to Moscow without taking part in...
a little recreational vodka digestif session. (or 44)

We woke up on Saturday a little rough around the edges but super happy. Dudes. We are in Moscow!
My morning ritual of expediting showers for the group and fueling them full of coffee kicked in, we were to be at the club at 2pm for sound check and it was already noon. As the Boutikis prepped and packed, I stepped out on the balcony for a smoke and soaked in the ambiance.. it was absolutely bone-chillingly cold outside! Halfway through my cigarette it began to snow.
Tick tock-tick tock, it was time to leave for the club.

The view from our apartment in downtown Moscow 

Once at the 16 Tons Club, we filed in with our gear and ordered a round of espressos. We set up on the stage, The Riots sound-checked first followed by French Boutik, and two hours later, the levels were dialed in and we were set for the show later that night. Zelda, Iky, and Terry left with Maria to have a look at Red Square, and I stayed with Serge, Gabriela, Alex and Sasha for lunch at the club. A quick bite down and a round of beers, and we left via taxi at 6pm for a live radio show at Moscow FM. Right out of the cab, we passed through security at Moscow Media and were escorted to the studio, miked up and debriefed and were live on air before we knew it. The hour long feature on The Riots and French Boutik was brilliant, the duos each played an acoustic song and chatted with deejay Maria Bravikova, covering everything from the symbiosis of the two groups, the history of Mod, tackling the language barrier, and the electricity of the current independent music scene... 

Maria Bravikova hosting Alex, Sasha, Serge and Gabriela for the live session on Moscow FM.

Leaving Moscow Media HQ
I forgot my gloves and my hat. After 5 minutes I couldn't feel my fingers or my ears!

Back at the apartment, we had a couple of hours to kill before leaving for the show. Half of us took a power nap and the others powered through with a little coffee, snacks and wine. Once we were all up and assembled, we left the pad and entered onto the freezing streets again, this time taking a different route. We had all heard so much about the notorious Moscow Metro, and this was our only opportunity to see it first hand. A 15 minute walk later, we were buying Metro tickets and descending down the escalator, rubbernecking and pointing right and left. The reputation of the Moscow Metro holds true. Beautiful indeed.

Headed to the club... Serge and Sasha in fine form.

A nice example of the beautiful Metro stations in Moscow. Like nowhere else in the world.

In a half hour we were back at the 16 Tons Club, right on schedule. We were escorted through the rear entrance to the backstage area, once again impressed by the attention to detail from the club. Bowls of fresh fruit and beverages were at the ready, I poured some drinks as the groups tuned up and changed clothes. On the main floor people were spilling onto the stage area at a solid pace, already dancing thanks to Oleg's prowess behind the turntables. The place had filled up and it was time for The Riots to have a go. This was my first time seeing them live and they absolutely killed it, Sasha's voice is one of the best around, Alex is a machine behind the kit, and Kirill's casual effortless bass style completes the equation perfectly. Their set is powerful and utterly perfect. The dance floor was ablaze and the girls were mad for it, but before long The Riots were finished and Oleg kicked it into high gear on the decks again, spinning soul classics and obscurities to the delight of the crowd. A half hour later, French Boutik took to the stage with an eruption from the audience, everyone was excited to have an intimate look at this French import they'd heard so much about. French Boutik did not disappoint! Their hour-long set was tight and energetic, full of style and class but with a unique playful stage persona... despite their impeccable appearance, these cats don't take themselves too seriously and are never afraid to cut loose and have a blast. For their encore, the floor was full and everyone was dancing like crazy, so when French Boutik finished, Oleg picked up the torch and never let go. We were all on the dance floor, sweating and grooving until 6am ...and we would have been there well into the next day if it wasn't closing time at 16 Tons. We all said our goodbyes and staggered into taxis, and were shuttled back to the apartment... 

Super set by The Riots at 16 Tons (l-r) Sasha, Alex, and Kirill 

DJ Mobkid, giving the people what they want!

Gabriela, Terry, Iky, Serge & Zelda... French Boutik on fire in Moscow!

Gabriela being interviewed for a documentary on The Riots and the Moscow music scene

We managed to get a couple of hours of sleep in before leaving the apartment at noon. We relocated to Sasha's flat a few minutes away with just enough time to relax for an hour with a cup of tea. There was a knock on the door, it was Oleg, Maria, and Kirill aka the Moscow airport express, ready to transport French Boutik for their flight back to Paris. We walked down the stairs with luggage in tow, loaded up the two cars and it was time for them to leave. A bittersweet moment for sure, I had to say goodbye to my French family for the past four months! Needless to say, it was a little emotional for me watching the cars drive off into the distance. Not missing a beat, Sasha, Oleg and Denis picked me up by my bootstraps and shuffled me down the street to see some sights and we ended up at a cool cafe for drinks and a bite. This time wandering about was precious, my only little glimpse of the city outside of our club schedule. Moscow is like another planet, cold and mysterious and completely intriguing. I know I'll be back here in the future to check in on my new mates. So so great to get to know these guys better, so much in common despite our different geographical worlds. The Russian hospitality continued that night back at chez Riots and unfortunately was difficult to stop our momentum! The result was none of us hearing either of the three alarms we'd set, until Alex rustled me awake at 12:30pm, DUDE! My flight was at 2pm. Neither of us thinking so clearly, they poured me into a taxi to the airport, which finally arrived at 2:20pm. The rest of the day was spent at the Domodedevo Airport wheeling and dealing for a flight out the next day, after which I returned to the dudes pad shortly before midnight...which was... Sasha's 30th birthday!!  We had a laugh and some drinks but kept it civilized, and without fail the next morning I was on my train for the airport, showered and sussed with a head full of incredible memories...watching the icy Moscow scenery... en route to San Francisco.
What an unforgettable 3 days... See all you dudes again soon. Thank You!
-fred 

Family Portrait - The Moscow Crew on the last day

Tripping around in downtown Moscow

View the entire photo gallery here
French Boutik online
The Riots online
Mobkid's Moscow Mod Scene
Rolling Stone write-up

Style de Voile: The Sailing Graphics of Jean-Baptiste Epron

( défiler vers le bas pour la version française de l'article.  un grand merci à mon ami et collègue Pierre de C, pour ton temps et ses mots... ) Groupama, Ericsson, Banque Populaire, Foncia, PRB, Sodeb'o... Some of the most famous sponsors in professional sailing. These high profile companies will only put their name on the latest and fastest record-chasing boats. You've likely seen these decorated machines and can instantly visualize their branding, be it striking or subtle. Without the mighty logos tastefully plastered on these vessels and the funding behind them, even the most talented crews and dynamic skippers would sail past in anonymity. Effectively communicating a sponsorship commitment to a sailing campaign is a delicate balance best achieved by broadcasting the brand loudly but tastefully. This requires a livery that is equal parts bold & striking and slickly elegant. As with almost every make-or-break decision in communication and marketing, the weight falls heavily on the applied science of graphic design. 'Graphic design' has always been an amorphous label further diluted by the term 'graphic designer', and it's often difficult to separate the men from the boys. In recent years those who feel they know their way around Instagram filters even consider themselves designers. Design websites and blogs devoid of substance and talent are erected daily much to the frustration of the old hands-on guard who have tediously and methodically pasted-up and letraset-ed their way to success. Or not. Thankfully, field experience speaks volumes, and in the current design and marketing field, most companies looking for a fresh campaign have their ace pilots at the ready to tackle new horizons in design. This A-team group of graphic design stallions for hire are well established, well regarded, and always have sharp ideas ferreted away between their formidable back catalog and impressive client list. These men and women have been at the forefront of creative visual manipulation for many years... They are simply the best at what they do. You are about to meet one of these talents. In professional sailing there is one name that echoes across the graphic design world: Jean-Baptiste Epron. ...and for good reason. JB's work has been seen on many of the household-named professional sailboats in France and he has enjoyed numerous sailing victories and sailing records together with his clients. JB's design style echoes his personality, strong and confident but with an approachable spirited side, his designs exhibit a distinctive creative and lively feel while maintaining the polished and sophisticated image necessary for the big name sponsors. All of the boats that I mentioned above have had their graphics designed by Jean-Baptiste. ...and that brief list is just the tip of the iceberg. A sailor himself, JB is very much in tune with what works for a campaign and what doesn't, and he is a brilliant idea-man both on and off paper. It's amazing to think that even though these boats look incredible, some of his best designs often end up on the cutting room floor. The victory palate of Jean-Baptiste Epron...  A color wheel of some of modern sailings most memorable boats I spent some nice time with JB at his home in Paris, his surroundings are sparse and modern with a clean atmosphere conducive to conceptualizing fresh thoughts and ideas. Though far from sterile, his home also features warm comfortable touches complimented by the youthful exuberance and playful clutter of his young children. Chatting casually over a nice bottle of Cotes du Rhone, JB shucked oysters while I admired his impressive archive of work and picked his brain a little about what makes him tick... video screen capture courtesy of: Monocoque 60' Banque Populaire - Armel Le Cléac'h  How did you get involved with graphic design? This is an old dream I am just realizing for the last year. I have always loved boats, races and sailing stories. Ever since I can remember I've been drawing boats and from my childhood these two things haunt me. As I was living in Paris, I've long thought this dream would stay unreachable… But little by little I was entering this world, beginning to race with talented skippers with whom I began winning the first races … I learned, little by little and day by day my “job" as a sailor, ( tour de France à la voile, solitaire du Figaro, transat en double, IMOCA, ORMA and Trophée Jules Verne) and at the same time I began proposing to “make”  the sponsored boats more aesthetic and efficient. The first sponsor to trust me was Franck Cammas for “La Solitaire du Figaro” (Athena), and since then I've never stopped drawing his boats. After, I worked with Michel Desjoyeaux, Karine Fauconnier, Bernard Stamm, Thomas Coville, Alain Gautier, Loick and Bruno Peyron. What a perfect life … split between sailing, onboard multi & monohulls with skippers and talented crews while dreaming up graphic identity of the most beautiful sailing projects. What are your design inspirations? Well … I can’t say I have a particular influence from somewhere or something. I am a self educated designer, my education is from business school (to keep my parents happyyy … ) Somehow I try to get inspiration everyday by mother nature's created shapes, this is what inspires me the most, my references. I can find these shapes on my “souvenirs” of a wave, the shadow of a leaf, colors of a butterfly; the more simple it is the most interested I am. In fact I collect all these shapes, images created by accident, with fortuity. How important is it for a sponsor to have a boat with sexy graphics? In this job, you have to imagine an “advertising message” that will evolve in the middle of nature , there are no billboards, no hoardings in forests … so the real key is to find an acceptable visual way to advertise in the middle of the ocean. You have to be smart,  to find the perfect limit between good exposure for the sponsor to be satisfied and for the brand to be recognized quickly and easily, but this “advertising message” can’t be incongruous in such an environment. It is primarily necessary to enhance the shape of the boats to create a lively effect, a bit like a girl putting on make-up before going out. Above all, a boat is already an enchanting object... to be improved with mild artifices, lightening her when powerful, over heading her when clumsy. What is the biggest challenge when creating a design package for a sponsor? Guidelines are definitely not thought to end on a boat… and you have to convince the communication team that it will be necessary to adapt the logo to the boats proper constraints, elongation of the hull, the sail's transparency etc… Then you have to reach a design which will be coherent over a multitude of support, from a business card to a 1000m² spinnaker. When a company is driving a sponsoring project, it has to be seen, it has to be known... What is your most successful design story? Drawing beautiful winning boats is truly the best, and sailing on them is an absolute dream, this is what happened onboard the Orange boats for the Trophée Jules Verne, and also the racing years I enjoyed onboard Gitana’s trimarans. Awesome memories, fantastic human tales with unique sailors, Bruno and Loick Peyron, Bernard Stamm, Lionel Lemonchois, Yann Elies and other lesser known but equally genuine and talented sailors who are passionate about the sea and boats. What is your favorite design that you've done? Orange 2, for the history, the adventure, the memories... for my part the graphics are not the best, but I do love it. ...and your least favorite design? Things like Maitre Coq, a lost battle… Do you compromise sometimes? Yes, because when I start a project I never really know how it will end, my business is a compromised work, I have to find out what will please my customer, I don’t think I am an artist who imposes his choices. On the other hand I try to influence, to lead toward my convictions. Are you a designer outside of the sailing world? Yes, I designed interiors for a long time, my Paris apartment renovation, a lot of graphic design, logos, and a bottle of wine for Benjamin de Rothschild. Jean Louis Etienne's flying balloon and Generali’s captive ballon at the entrance of Paris. Racing cars, bags and lamps... What is the most bizarre thing you've designed? A bag, made of film boxes and sailing tissues  Who is your hero? Eric Tabarly. He gave me the desire to live my life and I now live by chance in Tabarly’s town in Brittany, Armel Le Cleac'h also lives in this small village.  Do you ever try to reflect the personality of the skipper when designing a boat's theme? Yes ... but I can’t forget who pays me and what are the project objectives.  What music do you listen to when you are working? Barbara for ever When you are working from home is it ever difficult to stay motivated and focused? I really love this job. I mean, it’s a real pleasure, to start a project, re-design a boat, doing the drafts... but when the weather is good enough to go sailing it’s hard to stay home and work. What would be your fantasy design job? Designing planes  Do you have any advice for young designers? ...and sailors? Sail and design! What's next for you? Racing in the mini-fastnet, on the Actual 50' trimaran and some races on a 40 footer at least... Thanks JB, see you out there... JB at his home office in Paris working on designs for the Swedish team Artemis Racing, Challenger Of Record for the 34th America's Cup. Not limited to a simple boat paint job, the graphics theme is applied to every facet of the brand. From the letterhead to the support rib to the team gear... to the fan apparel and beyond, every aspect of the team's presence receives a little of JB's magic touch Orange 2 Dream Team - Bruno Peyron, JB Epron, Roger Nilson, Lionel Lemonchois, Philippe Péché, Yann Éliès, Ronan Le Goff, Sébastien Audigane, Jacques Caraes, Florent Chastel, Yves Le Blevec, Nicolas de Castro, Ludovic Aglaor & Bernard Stamm onboard maxi-catamaran Orange 2 ... lighting up to celebrate their record-breaking Trophee Jules Verne victory in 2005 in a time of 50 j 16 h 20 min 04 s ( version française ) Groupama, Ericsson, Banque Populaire, Foncia, PRB et Sodeb'o sont quelques un des sponsors les plus prestigieux de la voile professionnelle, ils apposent généralement leurs logos sur les chasseurs de record les plus grands et les plus rapides du monde. Vous connaissez surement ces fabuleuses machines à vent et reconnaissez instantanément chaque sponsor, quelle que soit la mise en forme de son identité visuelle. Sans les grands logos disposés sur ces navires, et par conséquent sans le sponsoring financier associé, même les équipages les plus talentueux et les skippers les plus dynamiques navigueraient dans l’anonymat. Réussir une campagne de communication à travers un sponsoring voile c’est trouver l’équilibre délicat entre une diffusion vigoureuse mais subtile de la marque commanditaire. Ceci exige une livrée marquante, souvent audacieuse qui maintiendra la singularité et l’élégance propre de chaque navire. Le résultat dépendra de la maitrise parfois scientifique de la conception graphique. Cette conception graphique a toujours été une étiquette amorphe, altérée par le terme designer graphique, c’est effectivement difficile de séparer la poule de l’œuf. Dans un futur passé proche, ceux qui pensaient connaitre les filtres Instagram pouvaient s autoproclamer designers. Certains sites Internet et autres blogs de Design, littéralement dépourvus de substance, étaient érigés jour après jour. Ceci entretenant la frustration des vieux de la vieille qui ont méthodiquement et laborieusement « pasté et letrasé » jusqu’à la reconnaissance (ou pas, d’ailleurs) de leur talent. L’expérience du terrain finit parfois par parler d’elle-même, et dans le domaine actuel du graphisme la plupart des entreprises désirant proposer une campagne stimulante peuvent puiser dans leur stock d’aviateurs chevronnés et s’assurent ainsi le contrôle de certains horizons du design. Ces pilotes d’élite de la conception graphique méritent incontestablement l’estime qui leur est attribuée, et des idées rafraichissantes et pétillantes s’échappent régulièrement de leurs books emplis de clients prestigieux. Ces hommes et ces femmes étaient et sont à l’avant-garde des manipulations créatives depuis de nombreuses années. Simplement les meilleurs dans ce qu’ils font, j’ai eu l’honneur de découvrir l’un des leurs. S’il y a bien une personne qui réussit à faire harmonieusement rimer voile professionnelle et conception graphique, c’est Jean Baptiste Epron ! Le travail de JB a pu être admiré sur un grand nombre de voiliers de course, ces mêmes voiliers à bord desquels il remporté de magnifiques victoires et autres records autour du monde. Le style graphique de JB confirme ce que l’on se laisse imaginer de sa personnalité. Robuste, confiant et teinté d’une immense ouverture d’esprit, ses travaux exhibent une créativité vivace qui sublime le polissage et la sophistication d’une image nécessaire aux gros sponsors. Tous les bateaux mentionnés ci-dessus ont été « décorés »par Jean Baptiste, et cette liste rapide n’est qu’une partie émergée de l’iceberg ! Il est triste de se dire que quelques unes de ses meilleures créations n’ont pas pu voir le jour. J’ai passé de très bons moments en compagnie de JB, chez lui à Paris. Son quartier clairsemé et moderne crée une atmosphère propice à la conceptualisation d’idées acidulées et novatrices. Sa maison est tout sauf un environnement stérile, elle présente de chaudes notes rassurantes complétées de l’encombrement ludique d’enfant. Pendant quelques bavardages désinvoltes autour d’une bouteille de Cote du Rhone, JB ouvrait des huitres tandis que j’analysais ses impressionnantes archives de travail, cherchant inexorablement à comprendre les arcanes de son cerveau et ses mécanismes de création. Comment es tu arrivé dans le monde du graphisme ? C'est un très vieux rêve qui se réalise depuis quelques années. J'ai toujours aimé les bateaux, les courses, les récits de marin. J'ai toujours dessiné des bateaux, depuis que je suis tout petit ces deux choses me hantent. Comme j'habitais à Paris j'ai longtemps cru que cela resterai des "rêves" inabordables… Petit à petit j'ai pu approcher ce monde, en faisant des courses avec des skippers talentueux, grâce à qui j'ai pu remporter mes premières victoires…, J'ai appris jour après jour mon métier de marin, (Tour de France à la voile, Solitaire du Figaro, transat en double, IMOCA, ORMA, et Trophée Jules Verne), parallèlement j'ai pu commencer à proposer de rendre les bateaux sponsorisés plus esthétiques et plus efficaces Pour les sponsors, le premier à me faire confiance et à promouvoir mes services c'est Franck Cammas pour la solitaire du figaro (Athena). Depuis ce jour j'ai toujours dessiné ses bateaux. J'ai ensuite travaillé pour M. Desjoyeaux, K. Fauconnier, B. Stamm, T. Coville, A. Gautier, Loick et Bruno Peyron.  C'est la belle vie, partager mon temps entre naviguer, faire des belles courses sur des multis, des monos, avec des skippers et des équipages de talents et imaginer l'identité graphique des plus beaux projets sportifs de la voile… Qui/Comment/ou sont tes inspirations de design ? Je n'ai pas d'influence particulière  je suis autodidacte, j'ai fait une business school, j'essaye tous les jours de trouver de l'inspiration dans les formes crées par la nature, c'est ce qui m'inspire le plus, mes références en quelque sorte. Je les trouve dans les souvenirs de la forme d'une vague, l'ombre crée par une feuille, les couleurs d'un papillon, plus c'est simple et plus cela m'intéresse.  Je fais collection de de toutes ces formes – images – créées par hasard. A quel point est-ce important pour un sponsor d’avoir un bateau aux graphiques séduisants ? Dans ce boulot, tu as à imaginer un message publicitaire qui va vivre en plein milieu de la nature…, il n'y a pas de panneau publicitaire dans les forêts… alors ce job c'est de trouver acceptable visuellement de faire de la pub au milieu de l'océan,  Il faut être malin et trouver la limite entre une bonne exposition pour que le sponsor soit satisfait, qu'on le reconnaisse rapidement et facilement, mais aussi que ce message publicitaire ne soit pas totalement incongru dans un tel environnement. Il faut arriver à mettre en valeur les formes du bateau lui donner un côté vivant ! Un peu comme une femme qui se maquille avant de sortir. Pour moi un bateau est aussi un bel objet qui doit être mis en valeur par de légers artifices, le rendant plus léger lorsqu'il est très puissant, ou aérien quand il est un peu "lourdeau"… Quel est d’après toi le plus gros challenge lors de la création d’un design package pour un sponsor ? Les guide lines ne sont pas prévues pour finir sur un bateau…, il faut réussir à convaincre les personnes de la communication que, souvent, il faut adapter les logos aux contraintes particulière d'un bateau, forme allongée de la coque, transparence des voiles… Ensuite il faut réussir à faire un design qui soit cohérent sur une multitude de supports, allant de la carte de visite à un spi de 1000m2.  Quand une entreprise s'engage dans un projet de sponsoring il faut que cela se voit et surtout que cela se sache… Quelles sont tes design stories les plus réussies ? Dessiner des beaux bateaux qui gagnent c'est top ! Et le rêve absolu c'est naviguer dessus. C'est ce qui s'est passé sur les Oranges et les Trophée Jules Verne, mais aussi ces années de courses sur les trimarans du Team Gitana. Des souvenirs incroyables, des histoire humaines fantastiques avec des gars, des marins hors du commun: Bruno et Loick Peyron, Bernard Stamm, Lionel Lemonchois, Yann Elies et puis les autre moins connus mais également des vrai marins, des mecs qui aiment autant les bateaux qu'être en mer… Quel est le design que tu aimes le plus? Orange 2, pour l'histoire et l'aventure, le dessin n'est pas forcement le meilleur, mais je l'aime beaucoup… ... et celui que tu aimes le moins ? Des choses comme Maître coq, une bataille perdue… T’arrives t’il de partir sur des compromis ? Oui, parce que à chaque début de travail je ne sait pas comment cela va finir, mon travail est un boulot de compromis. Il faut que j'arrive a trouver ce qui va plaire à mon client.  Je ne suis pas un "artiste" qui impose ces choix, en revanche j'essaye d'influencer, de guider vers mes convictions. Es tu un designer en dehors du monde de la voile ? J'ai longtemps fait de la déco d'intérieur, de la rénovation d'appartement à Paris, beaucoup de graphic design aussi, des logos…. Et puis une bouteille de vin pour le Baron Benjamin de Rothschild ainsi que le ballon de Jean Louis Etienne, le ballon captif pour Generali à l'entrée de paris. Quelques voitures de courses, des sacs et des lampes… Ton design le plus étrange ? Un sac fait de boites de film et de tissus à voile  Quels sont tes héros ? Eric Tabarly m'a donner envie de vivre cette vie C'est le hasard mais j'habite le même village que lui en Bretagne, il y a aussi Armel Le Cléach dans ce petit village…. Essaye tu généralement de refléter la personnalité du skipper lorsque tu t‘attaques à son bateau ?   Oui, mais je ne dois jamais oublier qui me paye, et qu'elle est l'objectif du projet… Quelle est la musique qui accompagne tes heures de travail ? Barbara for ever Arrive tu à rester motivé et concentré lorsque tu travailles de chez toi ? J'aime trop ce job, c 'est un plaisir d'attaquer un projet, redessiner le bateau et faire les drafts…, mais quand il fait beau , suffisament pour partir naviguer c'est plus dur de se retenir Quel serait ton design le plus fou ? Travailler sur des avions. Quelques conseils pour des jeunes designers ? et jeunes skippers ? Naviguez et dessinez ! Et la suite pour toi ?  Courrir le mini fastnet, naviguer sur le Trimaran Actual 50 et au moins quelques courses en 40 pieds. Merci JB, a bientot...  One of the sexier boats in recent memory, then and now. The Farr designed IMOCA Open 60 originally launched as Gitana Eighty (top) in July 2007 for the 2008/09 Vendee Globe and skippered by Loick Peyron, is enjoying her current life as SynerCiel (bottom) having just finished the 2012/13 Vendee Globe with Jean Le Cam at the helm. Both very cool campaigns and branding. Both designed by Jean-Baptiste Epron Artemis Racing Team, Challenger Of Record for the 34th America's Cup - AC72  AC45 and support

This Is The Modern World... Again.

40 Year Old Sturgeon - Coming Soon to a Mod Gone Wrong near you





Mod seems to be everywhere right now.

And it is.

but the return of my brand of Mod started to kick into gear a couple of years ago...

Things started to get clever again for the Fred Perry creative department.

Paul Weller was back. Pretty and Green now but streamlined and vibrant with a striking new single.

An Adidas/Vespa collaboration was launched. Somewhat of a branding curveball which surprisingly worked.

The reunion show by East Bay mod heavies The Loved Ones at the Burritt Room in SF only perpetuated the rumblings of a colorful rebirth. Strobe lights and harmonicas crackled to life, and shapeless Mondrian-style dresses were boldly on the racks as if to confront the San Francisco nightclub fashion fog and the monochrome hipsters that swam there. The mood was engaging in the name of everything danceable and fun. But with a new found sophistication, we wouldn't let this exposure go the Austin Powers route again.

Digging the scene in Paris

What'cha Gonna Do About It. With little time to process the resonating mod rebirth, France again beckoned and I responded with an extended work/play trip. Third only to Italy and Great Britain on the mod hospitality meter, it is France who is responsible for the effortless element of contemporary suburban style. That devil may care finesse. In France the clothes hang differently. In France you don't fall down. 

At this time France was giving us the early incarnation of pop modernist sextet French Boutik, we'd witnessed a blistering sold out live show at the Olympia in Paris by The Specials, and a proper scooter rally weekender in Paris went off brilliantly, the first of it's kind in many many years. As it would happen the development of a hot new offshore multihull sailing class called the Multi One Design aka MOD classe was percolating at the VPLP drafting tables in Vannes and in nearby Lausanne, SUI. While completely unrelated, the modernistic synergy was beginning to spark and click, a strong argument for the anomylous power of style and passion which Mod encompasses. Mod is indeed everywhere, but only if you have your presets saved.

Okay, who let the damn greaser get his bike in pole position?!

Nutty Never Dies. Wish we could say the same about the Gold Dust Lounge.

Rally. Once home again in SF, the momentum continued with a series of must attend live events, namely a crushing set from rocksteady pioneers The Skatalites in Oakland. Nutty Camden Town skankers Madness at The Warfield were the next night. and flawless. The next week brought a Film Festival showing of Quadrophenia on the big screen at the infamous Castro Theater. and then the weekend to follow, Paul Tunkin's legendary UK Blow Up club blew into town and blew up the Monarch bar with Paul at the helm of the ones and twos, and Cellar Doors providing us with a smoking set of distorto psych pop. The old SF mod crowd came out in force for all of it. We attended these events in fine style, paying our final farewell to SF's iconic Gold Dust Lounge with a cocktail gathering before Madness, and arranging a very memorable scooter ride to the showing of Quadrophenia.

Some things never change. Much of the old crew at the Orbit Room for the ride to Quadrophenia

Yerself is Steam. The now thriving Mod Male blog had found it's footing and a loyal audience.

Levi's revived their essential Sta-Prest line of trousers.

Scooter Rage celebrated it's 25th event.

PULP had an epic return to SF.

Back in the UK, Noel Gallagher was making some noize on the airwaves with his High Flying Birds and Amorphous Androgynous.

Andrew Lindsay turned his attention to footwear

It was still steady on in our humble San Francisco scene. The club nights 'Phonogram' and 'Mod Make Out' were getting traction.

Enter Bradley Wiggins, The Krys Ocean Race, and The Who announcing their North American Tour.

Prepare for takeoff. 

Brit Paup. Much has been reported on Wiggo's rise to fame and his affinity for mod culture and I've honestly enjoyed having the radar tuned in. Always nice to hear soundbites of our little subculture making the news especially in the global context of a victorious Tour de France campaign. As expected there have been a few novelty and poorly researched editorials in the mix, but on the whole the Bradley Wiggins Mod connection has put a unique cultural veneer on the sport of cycling.

And as I write this, Wiggo has bagged the gold medal for the cycling time trial. Yep, he's Mad For It.

Oasis may be gone, but we get the Stone Roses back again.

Fair enough trade. My Ian for your Liam.

and I'll raise you a Wiggo.

Wiggo giving Brannif a run for their money for title of coolest Space-Age uniforms

The Real Me. As I enjoy to champion all things Mod, the opportunity to prop up the new MOD70 trimaran circuit became inevitable. Though the MOD70 sailboat class has little to do with the traditional mod scene, the pure intoxication one receives onboard one of these vessels will snuff out a handful of leapers. Why dabble in the artificial blues when you can call upon your reliable dealer ocean? These boats are the newest sexiest multihulls to have a go at the offshore circuit and as predicted the program is off to a smashing start, the Krys Ocean Race was sailed from NY to Brest, FR with much fanfare earlier this month. We joked with the british sailors about the MOD connection when we were in Newport and there are several similarities which propose a fun juxtaposition. As my friend Jean-Philippe says - "Real Mods ride bigger scooters" ... In this case sans wheels and mirrors, and injected with wind powered carbon fiber, but just as sexy and efficient as a decked out Rally GS. Have a look at this video I shot onboard the Oman Sail MOD70 'Musandam' ... If these are the new mod bikes, we've grown leaps and bounds in the style department. So perhaps this is an Aquaphenia for the new mod generation? However I'm not sure where to send these guys shopping for big enough mirrors!

Professional sailing has become my new Mod. It is my work and my pleasure. There is little to compare with the sense of community and camaraderie found in the sailing circles, and the mere concept that this sport is dictated by wind and weather and water gives us a romantic presence of freedom and mysterious adventure. It's new and invigorating to me. It brings me right back to scooter meetings and band rehearsals, and those not to be missed concerts of the 80's.

and just like those simple days of discovery, I can sail a wicked tune, but I am still a rusty trawler.

MOD 70 in flight - Onboard the 70 foot trimaran Race For Water / Multi One Attitude

Makin' Time. The announcement from The Who that they will be touring the Quadrophenia album in the US in the coming months was timely indeed and came hot on the heels of the 1 day only North American screening of the Quadrophenia 'Making Of' film. The band aren't in the Bay Area until February 1st, so that's plenty of time to re-apply all those old patches to the fishtail parka. A jacket which has seen as much action in 2012 as it did in 1987.

For you San Francisco residents, Pete Towshend's son Simon will be playing the Boom Boom Room on September 15th. 

Simon has managed to channel Keith Moon in recent days. It's a difficult job as the drummer for The Who.

Power to the people. My mates French Boutik have returned this week from a two day stint in the UK supporting groove all-stars DC Fontana. French Boutik have just released their new EP which you really need to pick up. 

The now sound of France

If you missed them live, perhaps you were cuddling with a cup of PG Tips and tucking in to the Olympic Opening Ceremony. We got a brief Mod101 refresher there, was especially nice to hear The Kinks, The Jam, et al soundtracking some highlights of the opening shindig.

I'm so sorry to say Paul MacCartney however was like listening to an amplified ill-fitting burlap crombie.

As much as I love Macca, it might be time for him to step down before he pulls a Bette Davis.

With every action there is a positive reaction... so bring on the new breed.

and a 70 foot trimaran for Sir Paul.

cheers,

fred

Big Ups to our SF home team Mod Deejays:

Carlos Perez aka Thee Mod Male stylin and profilin

Ground Control to Major Sean...

Rude Boys Out On Bail

Turntable Hooligans Miki and Liam up to no good. ...ever.

Part Mummy. Part Monkey.  Russell always spins the fever

Mixtress Galine blows it up up and away