NEW KID, NEW SITE, NEWLY BROKEN-UP BAND
The Mike Hines interview

Interviewed by Jason Ryan
Photos provided by Mike Hines

 

Everybody knows that only vert riders are married with kids.  Since you're married and you just birthed your first child, are you planning on riding a lot more vert?

Although I love watching people ride vert, fuck no I'm a pussy. My peak performance on vert was back in ott 3 (2003 for the layman's) when I dropped in on a 13 footer, yep that's it dropped in. It scared the shit out of me.
 

Did you do the home-birthing like you were talking about?

Nah, I believe in doctors knowing more than me or some hippie lady that wants your wife to relax her vagina by channeling her happy place.
 

Now not everybody knows that you front the band Army of Garbage, made up mostly of band members who ride and/or skate.  You just released your first CD, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  Actually, I'm going to do a review of that album on my next update, so I'll need a track list.  What's the name of the CD, where is the Army of Garbage heading, and what are your plans for your sophomore album?

The name of the CD is "Army Of Garbage: Cleaned Up" track list is: 1. Dustbowl 2. nightcloud 3. esteban 4. our town 5. buffalo 6. Egda 7. poppy punk 8. bartender 9. gray

Well, AOG headed straight down the path of many other bands like, the Beatles, at the drive in, the pixies, NWA and by that I mean we broke up. But, now I can use that line I've always been wanting to use, "let's get the band back together". With my recent addition to my family and Bean living in Nashville (working on his solo career with his first album entitled "it's a harp and stormy night") there was really no place for the band to go but the side lines for awhile. Not sure if the future has plans for AOG but I guess we'll just have to see.
 

How did AOG form?

I started working for this music store about 3 1/2 years ago called Rainbow guitars and would end up with broken instruments that were destined for the garbage. Bean at the time was just learning harmonica and one night we started screwing around and had so much fun making noise we kept playing. Bean's brother Davie was really into playing drums and percussion and he created this crazy ass drum set made out buckets and pizza pans. We did 4 or 5 shows with that set-up and it was pretty funny to see people faces when we brought in this duct taped bucket drum set on wheels. Early on we had a couple other members who later left the band, but then we gained a bass player, Cole, and another guitarist, Rigel. They had real instruments and not garbage or homemade noise makers so everyone decided to get real instruments and clean up our act. Which is how we ended up with the name for the album.
 

When did you first know you wanted to pursue music?

It was always just a joke to me or something I was doing with my friends. I wouldn't really say I'm pursuing it or made an effort to make it a career or even a hobby. But, I work with musicians everyday and it's hard not being involved in it. It would be like working at bike shop without ever riding a bike. So, fuck it, when in Rome right?                                                                                                                                                                     
 

What lead singers and/or solo artists have been your biggest influences?

A lot of people would say Issac Brock from modest mouse, I love that band and I think it comes out at times. I think Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash are two big influences as well. Local bands as well, Larry from the Deludes because when I see those guys play I'm like man, being a rock star would kick fucking ass I gotta try that.
 

Goddamn, you guys love The Buffet!  What is it about that stinky little bar that made you guys write a song about it?  (No disrespect to the stinky little Buff, of course)

It's just been our local watering hole forever everyone who rides goes there, plus there's so much history and style there it's hard not to wanna write a song about it. The Buffet is the oldest bar in town and my Dad remembers going to this store (now apartments) called Henry Electric to pick up tubes for the TV with my grandfather when he was 7, my grand dad would pick up a six pack of beer for the drive home at the buff (note: the drive home back then was all the way to the other side of town, 4 miles) So, it's got family history for me.
 

What are you doing for a living now?

Still working at Rainbow Guitars in the shipping department. They keep me in the back so I won't scare off the customers.
 

So where do you ride now, mostly?

My couch... when I'm not riding that, street or a good ditch. There are so many street spots in Tucson it's crazy, sometimes it's hard to remember them all, so you end up riding the same spot over and over until someone says hey remember that one spot? Then you're like, yeah that spots cool but I'm hungry and Everybody Loves Raymond is on in 20 minutes so I gotta go.


Does having a ramp in your yard make it easier to find time to ride?

No, but it does make it easier for termites to seek shelter and a steady food source. I never ride that thing, it's a god damn shame.


Brian Foster was saying in a recent interview that he thinks he'll still be riding in his fifties.  How old are you now, and how much longer do you anticipate yourself riding?

I'm 27 years old and I plan on riding this little bike until I can't walk. I keep telling my 4 month old son "as soon as you can walk I'm getting you a bike." I have a feeling he'll be saying "dad, you can't fucking walk put the bike down."
 

I saw the Lateral Progression video trailer on your site.  Easily the best video work I've seen from you.  You were able to set a mood very well with your music, shots and cuts.  Tell me about the full video. Are you going to sell DVD's?

Thanks, we're hoping to have the full length done by Halloween but it's moving slow right now and might be pushed back. Full parts from: Myself, Bissell, Andy "too many fucking nicknames" Erickson, Dirty Dillon, Bean, Shakes, John "loco" Gerin, Chuck shorts, shady Grady, Sean Fish Hoskins, Krimzen Krew, IB dudes from Jersey, and shitty clips from so many other great athletes. I have a really good feeling about this video and I hope to sell one.

 

   

 

I also saw Bean's video interview on your site.  Now please take this in the spirit in which it's intended…the production values left a lot to be desired with the camerawork, lighting and audio issues (interviews take a lot of practice to get dialed) but I really liked that you were stretching, trying to do something different.  Do you plan on doing more video interviews and different types of video segments like that?

With the Bean interview I felt that the only way to understand him was to catch him in the act. It was a little staged here and there and yes it might not be my best work but I thought you got a good idea of who the Bean is. I definitely would like to do more of these interviews/bios but damn they're a lot of work. A new video segment that I'm doing will be another episode of my cooking show called "What I Eat" look for this in the next couple of weeks.
 

Cheese and rice!  You've just blown up creatively in the last year and a half!  What do you aim to accomplish with clickedbmx.com?

Yeah for some stupid reason I got a fire up my ass to show everyone on the interwebs how big of a jackass I am. My friend John and I haven't really discussed what we aim to accomplish or where we want the site to be in the future. But, we're both excited and happy for how successful it already has been. We like the randomness of it (not BMX all the time) because we know people like other things than just bikes. I hope to help out the Tucson scene with it, give riders a place to see new videos, and a place to catch your breathe from shit talking anonymous kids.
 

Shirts or Skins?

Briefs
 

You made a really big deal on your site about racing at the national that came to the TCC a couple weeks ago.  How much racing did you do before you hit up that race, as in what did you do to prepare for it? 

I raced from 12 years old till I was 17 so I just had to dust off my skills. Before the race I went out to the local track twice. I realized I need a gas powered leaf blower to dust off my skills, I was getting beat by 12 year old girls.
 

How did the race turn out for you?

Good, until a certain some one took me out in the second turn and damn near broke my wrist. That shit still hurts and my ego was crushed.
 

Did you start out in BMX by racing?

Kinda, my first bike was a Haro Freestlye Tour complete in the late 80's. I mainly rode in ditches near my house and the occasional brick and wood set-up in my front yard. But, I didn't get serious about BMX until I saw my friend race at the local track. I was hooked after that. I later became to cool for racing and thought I'd stick to tricks.

 
Are you going to do a lot more racing now that you had such a good time and good finish at the national?

Yeah I really want to. Watching it in the Olympics made me so proud of my roots and really got me pumped to clip in again. Plus, seeing Bissell smoke the old men he races made me want to go for that NAG plate. Actually, Bissell is in the hunt for NAG 1 in the 31-35 cruiser class, no joke.
 

Sick.  What is your favorite accomplishment in BMX?

Wow good question. There are a couple that come to mind but the one that sticks out the most would have to be the friendships I've made. All of my friends are so different from each other but we all love to ride bikes. I think that is the best part of BMX. The other thing I was thinking about was the first video I did and how Fuel TV (thanks to you Jason) would play the shit out of it. I remember being in a bar in Tempe and seeing my video being played and thinking holy shit I made that. The third thing (last one, couldn't help it, really good question) would have to be working for Point X camp in Temecula, Ca. during those two summers I was living the dream. I was pretty much being paid to ride my bike, well that and make little kids breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oh, I did ride for the Dirt Bros too, ok I'll stop sorry.


 

I believe that the more individual bike riders give back to BMX, the better it is.  We know what usually happens when outside entities "invest" in BMX.  What do you think your greatest contribution to BMX has been?

I'm hoping that in the future it's my website and being able to help kids get recognized for their talents. But, as for right now I think my greatest contribution was back when Celestial skatepark was still open I ran this summer BMX class in the mornings. I got to teach kids of all ages to drop in, pump the ramps, air out, hit the box. Then, earlier this year I was out at the Marana concrete park and this kid came up to me and said "hey, your Mike Hines you taught me how to drop in at Celestial" he then dropped in and did a huge lookback over the hip, and I was like "fucking dick" under my breath. Also, standing up and talking shit to those outside entities. I'm not scared to speak my mind especially when I'm hiding behind my keyboard.
 

If you were to experience male pattern baldness like Will Bissell, would you:

A. Get hair plugs

B.  Wear a ball cap

C. Shit

D.  Go blind

E.  Give yourself a sick combover

F.  Bic that shit

G.  Kick it like Krusty the Klown

(Tell which one you would do and why, and also tell why you wouldn't do the ones you decided against.)

I wouldn't get hair plugs cause the shit looks gross and then I would have to go swimming for one of those commercials and I don't like being wet in front of people. I would wear a hat at times and I would shit myself cause dude have you seen my fro? that shit is thick. I hope I wouldn't go blind but I do look pretty fresh in sunglasses. I would give myself a sick combover but I think my wife would get mad and make me cut it, same reason why I don't have a bitching mustache right now. I wouldn't bic it cause I hate shaving my face and balls right now as it is, there is no way I would have the patience to shave another surface. My grandfather rocks it like Crusty and it works for him, so I think G would be the correct answer.
 

I'm going to end this interview by asking a few questions from Marcel Proust's questionnaire, an adaptation of which was popularized by "the great" French television personality Bernard Pivot, and then James Lipton of "Inside the Actor's Studio."

What trait do you most deplore in others?

Negativity

What trait do you most deplore in yourself?

My trait of self destrucion

Who are your favorite prose authors?

Cormic McCarthey for the win, he's the reason I have these damn old west tatoos. J.K. Rowling for making me feel like a little kid again.

Who are your favorite poets?

Charles Bukowski and Mark Twain

What person has been the greatest influence on you?

My wife

Where would you most like to live?

I haven't been there yet. But, if John Mclame get's elected I think Canada because it's America's hat.