Tad Ciastula started shaping boards with fellow British Hovercraft Corporation (B.H.C.) apprentice Dougie Clarke, spending their spare time out in the old tin shed at the training centre near Osborne House designing and shaping a knee board like the one George Greenough rides in Crystal Voyager with a scooped deck. Surfing became a big part of […]
Oct 16, 2013 | Categories: Surfer Profiles, The Eighties | Tags: 1970's, 70's, Alex Williams, archive, B&W, BHC, British Hovercraft Corporation, Bronzed Aussies, Cheyne Horan, Chops Lascelles, Chris Jones, CJ, deck, Fistral, France, Fuerteventura, Guv, history, IOW, Isle of Wight, Lazor Zap, Mark Richards, No WORK TEAM, Osborne House, rails, rocker, shaper, Shaping, Spain, Spencer Hargreaves, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfboards, Surfer, surfing, swell, Tad, Tad Ciastula, Tarifa, Thailand, Vit Sea, Vitamin Sea, Wavelength, waves, wightsurfhistory, Wind & Surf Show, Wind and Surf Show, Wittering | 5 Comments »
What an incredible night, a great performance from Sam Scadgell (even though he was suffering with a cold and had rushed back from cricket in Ryde), Black House Crow were stunning (looking forward to seeing much more of you guys in the future). The Shutes, what can I say apart from AMAZING. I still can’t […]
Jun 05, 2012 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: 2012, archive, B&W, Black House Crow, blackley, blog, Chris Jones, Diamond Jubilee, Dimbola, Dimbola Museum and Galleries, Drum, exhibition, Freshwater, freshwater bay, history, IOW, Isle of Wight, Jubilee, Jubilee Party, longboard, Party, paul blackley, people, photo, photographs, portrait, Queen's Jubilee, Sam Scadgell, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, swell, The Noughties, The Shutes, waves, wetsuit, wightsurfhistory, wsh | Leave A Comment »
The Shutes are a four-piece from the Isle of Wight who make well-crafted indie-rock with psychedelic and surf flourishes. The Shutes are Chris Jones, Michael Champion, Dave Champion and Rob Potter.
“The most far our rock ‘n’ roll joyride to leave the Isle of Wight since August 31st 1970, when Hendrix’ trailer pulled out” – NME
The band grew up on the Isle of Wight and still live and record on the island, taking their name from a long, winding pathway known as ‘the Shute’ which runs down the cliff edge to the shore near their homes.
The band formed about 5 years a go when Mike, Chris and Rob got together for a jam having met through playing in other bands. Within a few months they were playing gigs in London and released their first cd soon. The band has toured Europe three times, playing in Hamburg, Berlin, Zurich, Vienna to name but a few. They have supported the likes of The Go! Team, The Bees, Alexander Ebert and Peter, Bjorn and John and will be supporting Level 42 at Northwood Park this Jubilee weekend.
In recent years The Shutes have headlined at the ‘Barfly’ and Koko in London and closer to home have played the Isle of Wight Festival and Bestival for the last 4 years. In 2011/12 The Shutes recorded in London studios their latest release, ’Echo of Love’ which was released earlier this year.
Chris and Mike met through surfing on the Island. Mike grew up surfing around Niton while Chris’s local breaks were Compton and Freshwater Bay. It was a few years before they both realised they had a passion for music.
Mike was inspired by the likes of Raff with his retro style and Chris started surfing with people like Dougie Richards, Ian Pacey and friends.
May 16, 2012 | Categories: The Noughties | Tags: 1970, Alexander Ebert and Peter, archive, Barfly, Bestival, Bjorn, blog, Bright Blue Berlin Sky, Chris Jones, compton, Compton Bay, Dave Champion, Dimbola, Dimbola Museum and Galleries, Dougie Richards, Douglas Richards, Echo of Love, Even Sweeter Marie, four piece, Freshwater, freshwater bay, group, headline, headlined, Headliner, Heavy Thunder, Hendrix, Here, history, Hits like Morning, I C Sky, Ian Pacey, indie, IOW, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight radio, Jobie Wells, John, Jubilee, Jubilee Weekend, Koko, Lee Webster, Level 42, Michael Champion, Mike Champion, music, My Blood Runs Clear, niton, NME, Noah's Ark, Northwood House, Northwood Park, Only, Pacey, people, photo, photographs, piece-piece, pop, portrait, Raff, Rob Potter, rock, rock 'n' roll, rock and roll, Sam Wells, She Said, Shute, Shutes, stoked, surf, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, Sweeter Marie, swell, The Bees, The Go! Team, The Noughties, The Shutes, Tim Wells, Ventnor, Waltz Alone, waves, Wells brothers, wetsuit, Who De Lang, wightsurfhistory | Leave A Comment »
Soon after this Al was surfing Porthleven with Dean Winter when he went too deep and got smashed into the reef. Al ended up quite battered and bruised and with broken ribs. A Pregnant Julie and Al had already decided to move back to the Island and at that point Al was desperate to get as much surfing in before they left. So even with broken ribs and feeling quite sore Al continued to surf, paddling into waves with one arm until they left for the Island.
Aug 18, 2010 | Categories: Surfer Profiles | Tags: 1950's, 2cv, 4 fin drive, 60's Stylemasters, Al Reed, alan reed, aMY rEED, archive, Ataxia, Ataxia type 6, Bare Knuckle Boxer, Bare Knuckle Boxing, Barney, Barnstormers, Barrels, Beau Young, Bert, Bert Spencer, Blackthorn, Blackthorn Cider, Brighstone, broken ribs, Captain, Catweasle, Cerri Williams, Chapter, Chris Jones, chronic pancreatitis, Cider, Clean, Commodore, compton, Compton Bay, Cornwall, Corset, Custard Point, Dave Gray, Dave Grey, Dean Winter, Duane Desoto, DVD, East Cowes, East Wittering, Fistral, Freshwater, freshwater bay, Glassy, Grange Chine, Guy Leverton, history, Hotdoggers, hypothermia, In The Sun, interclub championships, IOW, IOW Surf Club, Island Myland, Island surf movies, Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Ferries, Isle of Wight Surf Club, Israel Paskowitz, Jeremy Robinson, Jill Fryer, Joel Tudor, Johnny Fryer, Julie Reed, Ladies Hotdoggers Team, largest ever surfboard, Les Reed, Lifeguard, lifeguards, Lifestyle, Lightning Bolt, Log, longboard, M.M.Y., Mark Neville, Marsh Mellow Yellow, Martin Spencer, MMY, Mohawk, Mount Wise, MOVIE, movies, Naby, Nat Young, Navy, Newquay, Newquay Surf Board Company, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Nodes Hill Holiday Park, North East, North Fistral, Nose Rider, Ocean Magic, Offshore Sports, Olive Saunders, Only fools and horses, Oxbow, Oxbow Longboard European Tour, pancreatitis, people, Perranporth, photo, photographs, Popout, Porthleven, portrait, Prince of Wales, Prince of Wales Pub, punk, punk rock, punk rocker, Quad Fin, Ray Hutchings, Record Breakers, reef, Robert Weaver, Robert ‘Wingnut’ Weaver, Roger Butler, Roger Mansfield, Russell Winter, Sailing Regattas, Sam Lamiroy, Sandown Bay, Saunton, session, sessions, Shanklin Pier, Shore Surf Club, Sid Vicious, South Coast Championships, South Fistral, Spencer Morgan, Spiked, Spikes, Sponsored, Steve Winter, stoked, surf, surf movies, Surf Trip, surfboard, Surfer, surfing, Susan Reed, swell, swells, Takuji Masuda, thruster, Tristan May, TV12, UK Nose Riding Championships, UK2K, Vit Sea, Vitamin Sea, Wales, waves, wetsuit, wightlink, Wightlink Ferries, Wightlink Ferry, wightsurfhistory, Wingnut, Winter | Leave A Comment »