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This story bought to you in association with Downlow Bicycles
The weekend of 18th and 19th August was "Lowlife 2001 the UK's first lowrider festival", our mission was simple, get drunk and have fun, this wasn't as easy as it sounds..... As is too familiar things got on the road a lot later than planned. I was supposed to leave Friday night but I was working on my trike and getting in trouble with my bird "The Spam". I awoke Saturday excited, and got to work packing my trusty Passat, picked up Spam, and set off. We met up with the crew of Ram, Danny Coxville, and Mika in the ghetto of Hassocks and headed to the campsite just outside of Brighton. Tim aka Posh Rapper was already there, tent up, smoking a fat blunt and reading Sidewalk under a tree. At around this time the troops started checking in, Prawny was delayed due to waking up late a feeling particularly "horsey" after Friday nights folk week antics.
Downlow Matt pitching a tent
Prawny and Spam feeling horsey
Da Bad Ass Trike
We got to the venue and met up with Nic Sidcup, G Money and Toby "The Unknown Force" Rolph. The Force had come down in his bad ass lowrider bug, Sidcup and G in the Bass van. These are the factors that combined to make a bad first impression: 1. No beer allowed/available 2. No skating (due to rain) 3. No riding bikes (due to beaurocracy) 4. Bad music 5. Nothing to do These factors combined to really piss us off, quite frankly we were bored! This is not a good situation, this usually means trouble! G and Ram set off in search of a mysterious VIP bar, when they got there the ghetto boys from RLK had drunk the lot. After tracking down the after party (which we unfortunately had to pay to get in, despite being exhibitors) we locked or bikes and headed off to get pissed. On our return to town some of us opted to eat, were as others went straight to planet booze. We began at the Aussie Theme pub "Walkabout", Brewster arrived to add to the mix, by this time everyone was pretty boozy and things were warming up nicely. The Sidcup Crew were representing hard in their new shirts (available to buy on this website now!) and there was an amazing array of bling on display. A band was playing, Ram, G and D Robinson were going crackers on the dancefloor. A band were playing I can't remember what, whatever it was it was definitely "wolfy". Outside a pissed bird collapsed, we laughed at her while policemen stroked her til an ambulance arrived.
Token Crew Shot
Chicks with dicks (and rabbits ears) Next, to the club, where we had to pay £6 entry (nice one Lowlife!).We headed upstairs and began the festivities - bogling/body popping/braking/doing the running man etc.Ram pulled all the classic Ram moves, Sidcup managed to stay standing despite looking close to death whilst performing his own special brand of the running man. Basically everyone got boozy and messy, and therefore it was a good night!
G Money - A true man among men
Nic Sidcup and Posh Tim representing the middle classes
Getting messy again
HAWKS (check Rams classic pose!)
The taxi ride home was made enjoyable by a selection of classy music including "Addicted to Love" by Robert Palmer. The next day I awoke to the sound of a mental storm. Apparently Prawny had been out in his pants in the middle of the night trying to secure his tent! We got up, had a fry up, the rest of the crew showed up and we headed back into town.On our return to the venue the organisers went mental at us for leaving or bikes chained up. Our bikes were then used for a couple of photo shoots, one for a Dutch music mag, and the other for some fashion (?) magazine. The second shoot also involved Rodney P and Skitz and 3 of the ugliest female (?) models i have ever had the misfortune to lay my eyes on.
Ropey birds!
Me and G astride our rides
A Spam and Ram double act
Not one of the better cars on show!
Sick Interiors
The ramps dried out enough for a token bit of skating. We mostly opted out of skating, and went for general moping and dossing. We checked out the cars, some of which were bad ass. We also checked out the live rapping courtesy of Rodney P and then anyone who wanted in. The highlight of this was a young kid who was amazing, and the best thing that happened all weekend according to Nic Sidcup (Yeah that's true, especially when he finished and in a high pitched voice said "Yeah, and my name's John" before strutting off the stage. Brilliant - Nic Sidcup).
I decided to take my trike for a cruise, with it's 600w sound system pumping, all was fine until I got outside and was told to get off. Basically, to cut a long story short, this encounter with Mr Jobsworth ended with me and my bike getting ejected from the premises. I got thrown out of a bike show, for riding a bike!
One of the only other bikes at the show to deserve a photo!
Overall the event was ok, allowing for the weather and teething problems it was good.Hopefully next year things will be sorted out and the weather will be better. At least we got fucking wasted on Saturday night!
Peace Out
Downlow Matt
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