By having two unlikely creative forces share one road, the Johnnie Walker Rhythm & Roll unveils new artistic destinations in sight. As the road to new insights of creative expression, wider avenues of artistic freedom are set in our sights, the question of what steps are left to take remain ever-present: what can be done to empower and spotlight the underserved.
In ‘Walk Beyond: Collabs’ by Johnnie Walker and VICE, multi-hyphenate James Reid meets with an unlikely group to glide through creative vistas together onto new wheels of creativity: rollerskating. The campaign holds one true north: that the roads rarely taken are worth taking seriously – that there is a virtue in empowering the underground through progress and a spotlight.
The Skatebomb Girls are a group of roller skaters that came together, once as hobby, then as urban space advocates, but now as a tour de force: exploring unlikely and unconventional avenues in the chase of creative expressions and forming communities that lead to broader and blitzing roads.
These worlds of creativity and artistic venture converged, using the blended and contemporary pop stylings from James, and the on-the-ground, outside-the-box expression from the girls, the synthesis of their works bring a light to how different subcultures can meet half-way – that two lanes become one.
Things got rolling at Kondwi in Poblacion, Makati. The venue was packed, filled with a plethora of different patrons, fans, otherwise creatively engaged adventure-seekers. Attendees and purveyors, whether for skates or musical performances, were treated to a feast of the senses.
The Skatebomb Girls came first, represented by Steffi Lucero, who spoke about how the group had founded itself, like many other creative coming-together stories, in spite of the struggles of the Pandemic.
“I was wondering, at one point, how do I make friends in a lockdown? And then this online thing happened – everyone started communicating with me through the internet, which was where my roller skating hobby suddenly came in. I needed to be active, I don’t really have a sport, and there that was!”
James Reid, co-founder of Careless Music, spoke about the need for middle-ground between artistries and the fruits that uncertain factors, even cautiously scary ones, could be a great benefit for those looking to expand their reach and open their artistic eyes to higher sights. The collaboration, headed jointly by VICE Asia and Johnnie Walker, holds firmly a single-minded focus: Walking Beyond – a sentiment shared by James, himself:
“Initially, I questioned how pop music and skating could blend. However, I learned to trust the process and not overly focus on the intended outcome. It’s crucial to be spontaneous. The girls’ carefree nature and creative energy facilitated the process. Indeed, collaborating with a community can unveil aspects of yourself you were unaware of. Magic can happen when you collaborate.”
With a need for community and, at the time, dwindling resources for connection, she resorted to posting videos online where it was the algorithm that put some leg work in getting them together; from people in Quezon City, to Davao, and all over the Philippines. After attending one of their ‘rollouts’ did Steffi stumble onto the name, which was a happy creative accident as a result of finding a cute name for their group chat where they had been keeping in touch. Pretty soon, it was then that virality started hitting their rollouts that the novelty of an all-girl roller skating group started making the rounds on social media.
But this wasn’t all that the Girls and James had in store for those who partook in the events. Guests were also invited for a live skating session, whether you wanted to dip your toes in the hobby as a full first-timer, wanted to exercise some of those skating muscles, or party to the beat of your skates. All the while, Steffi and gang would be at their side, helping them and giving tips while music glided across the airwaves.
An open bar with Johnnie Walker’s finest drinks, ranging from the simple to the bombastic, flowing food trays were available, too. Not only were guests able to interact with the Skatebomb Girls and get some skate work in, but could sit and immerse in the experience, helping themselves to a little drinking and dining after skating.
To close the night off, a set of musical performances courtesy of Careless Music, graced the stage. In a hybrid dance of music, moves, of singing and skating, Lesha, Massiah, August Wahh, and James himself brought their magic to the stage. With the atmosphere up to brim with the energy by the artists, and roller skaters moves’ in parallel with the aura of the night, guests and performers alike danced away, late into the night.
At the end, whether for inclusivity or advocacy for people-focused urban space, for expression or the bliss of an all-trades kind of crowd, ‘Walk Beyond’ is all about many things, save for one: staying in one lane. #WalkBeyondPH
CREDITS
WRITER Jean-Pierre Ditona
PHOTOGRAPHERS Marvin Conanan, Joshua San Mateo & Zaldine Alvaro
PARTNERSHIP WITH Johnnie Walker Philippines
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