Punk Rock Pillow Fight!

What is a "Punk Rock Pillow Fight?"Well, it's obviously complete and utter high class fucking entertainment! From the start of the night to the bitter end of it, your brain is wrapped deep within a pillow of pain, your ears are consumed by rock 'n' roll, and your stomach is filled with beer! I mean, c'mon, what more could you want in life? Grab a few friends, pound a few beers back, and most importantly, you will finally have the opportunity to beat the crap out of your freeloading friend who somehow always forgets his/her wallet every time you go out for drinks. Well what better way than a PUNK ROCK PILLOW FIGHT than to really get 'em back and put them in their place!

On this particular December night at Santos Party House (Andrew W. K’s new baby down on 100 Lafayette St), things were starting off with band set ups and the Satisfier sound check.Serious Pillow fighters practiced their moves alongside some of Punk Rock's seasoned veterans like El Macho (my ski bunny Roommate), Chicken Nuts (one of PRPF’s fixture fighter!), and the very “feared” The Duck Down Decapitator!













I grabbed a beer, took the lens cap off my camera, and talked it up with PRPF’s house DJ, Blue Steel Lamborghini about what new batman-punch-and-kick noises he was able to scramble up for tonight’s much awaited fights, as well as his predictions on who would be named the master and the mistress of the mattress. (We were both wrong! Just wait.)

After all the checking and stretching, packs of punk-rockers piled in ready to see some serious bloodshed! Some were waiting to beat the crap out of their unknowing friend, who signed up under names like 'Jihad Jane' or 'Mosh Potato.' Nonetheless, they were hankering for a fight, and a fight is what they got! Satisfier kicked off the night hard with a blast of metal-rock, blaring out of the insanely large and loud sound system at Santos' (man he knows how to party).





After the ringing in my ears subsided and I re-fueled on beer, Andrew K Thompson (not the other one) appeared: The Host! The Myth! The Legend! The man behind it all started in with the first fight! Chiken nuts and The New Guy: head to head, pillow to pillow. Now, there was a pillow fight if I've ever seen one!
Kicking out the sound was Rumanian Buck, and man did they deliver some sweet sounds with their leg shaking, mattress jumping, Gypsy-blues-infusion.

















At this point, the ceiling actually began to fall down. (No lie!) Many rounds down later, swarms of punk-pillow-rockers hit the mattress hard and crawled away defeated and twenty bucks short (you told them you would make them pay). Others bounced around the mattress high and mighty, gloating in their victory. But all was not over, because something was about to happen to change punk-rock-pillow-fighting history forever.
























It was down to the last four contestants: two very intense, unrelenting girls, and two very pillow-pumped, mad men!



Being the gentlemen that they were, the mad men let the women go first. But these two women wanted nothing of chivalry, and challenged the two men to duke it out with them. After a quick discussion with Andrew and the Referee, it was declared that the last person standing would be named both Master and the Mistress of the Mattress!


So it went. And the fight began with pillows flying and feathers falling everywhere; and the fight continued with crys of pain and bouts of laughter.

One down! Out goes "The New Guy" (he tried so hard, the poor little guy) but the match was not over. Two down! Out goes "Queen of the Gutter."

It was down to "Jihad Jane" and "The Duck Down Decapitator" ( who sat to the side of the mattresses and waited for everyone to tier and fall). Then, BAM!
One hard hit and it was over. The Duck Down Decapitator took both belts home, and he took them like a champ (or lord of the dance, what ever).

















After a few runs around the ring while "We are the Champions" played, I was out of film in my camera so I was just enjoying a good buzz. I said my goodbyes, finished my last beer, and left. Another brutal night of pillow fighting came to a close, but it's not at all over yet. Oh no it's not! Punk Rock Pillow Fight will returns In Febuary (ill post date as soon as i know. Its will again be held at Santos Party House. and yours truly will be there camera-and-beer-ready to take down and shoot anything in my way!


To view the complete set watch this slide show or visit my flicker punk rock pillow fights@wackellman flicker.


For further information on PRFP visit ther web sight at www.PunkRockPillowFight.com
Or contact me at mrwackell@gmail.com

What would you do for MTV?

I've been thinking a while on how I was going to write this blog. It's hard to say, in a way, how I was going to capture this moment. I'll begin, I guess by describing how such an event made its way in front of my camera.
It all started around 2am on a December Tuesday morning with my roommate and I shooting the shit, YouTubeing and CraigsListing Nikon D40 cameras when she suddenly found a just posted add for a last minute Photographer needed for an MTV event.
So immediately I started laughing and was like, uhmm, fuck no. But she read me the add anyway.

Stating that it was a star studded event with stars like Mel Gibson and Edward Norton both speaking. Again, I started laughing. She persisted, pointing out such opportunities as “the allure of, free booze, star schmoozing and well, attractive rich girls” I was sold. I sent the email and waited.
In less then 30 min I had a response stating I am being considered and would be contacted some time later that afternoon. I continued my late night with watching a bootleged movies involving caped crusaders and did not give a second thought about the event. (I mean, its an honor just to be nominated.. um, considered, sorry, right?)

The next, well, the same morning, I went about my business of loft building and forgot about my 'maybe you have a shot' email. Till my phone rang and it wasn't my usual bill collector numbers, so here I pause. Should I screen the call? Should I answer in the style of someone in the witness protection program? (y'know, disguise the voice & sound cautious) I was feeling ballsy that morning so, I answered it, and wouldn't you know it?! Not a bill collector!
Instead, it was Angela from BeanStocked.com asking me if I was still available to shoot the event at 5. I looked at my "watch" it read 3:30pm. I then looked around at the work left to be done, at least another 3 hours. But, being ballsy and all, I said yes anyway.
After packing my things up for the day running to my house for a quick shower and costume change I was out the door and on my way to meet up with Angela before hastily making our way to the.. (pause for dramatic effect and trumpet sound)
THE SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AWARDS!
What in the hell is that you ask? Well as it reads on the back of their very lovely pamphlets "The Sustainable Design Awards raises critically need funds to support all of Global Green's initiatives including: the green rebuilding of New Orleans, our work to reduce high utility bills for low income families by building healthy, energy-efficient homes and school; as well as the greening of Habitat for Humanity and other affordable housing Projects in New York and around the country" WOW THAT'S A MOUTH FULL!
So after getting the low down from Angela about why BeanStocked.com would need to cover said event she told me, "Beanstockd uses entertainment as a vehicle to deliver important environmental information through the pop culture stories we all actively seek out."
Now having the connection of the 'how' and 'why' we proceeded to the Chelsea Piers!
Where this star-tastic event would be held.


Armed with my press pass, I was in the shit. The shit being a large room filled to the brim with Red Carpet photographers and there pop mag writers and interviewers just waiting to get the scoop! Not only did I feel out of place.. I was out of place.
I'm talking pro photographers, really nice cameras, even those nerdy photographer vests they all wear ya know the ones with all the pockets? One guy even looked like a pirate.
So after a few visits to the cocktail lounge area and a few apple martinis (they were free) later, I started taking the shots that I know how to take. Not the ones that everyone try's to take of the red carpet, (I said I don't need your nerdy vest man!) So I went about my night.



One by one the low level celebs started pouring in. Such as Steve Connell, A crazy funny white guy, who's also the National Poetry Slam Grand Champion. He did a hip hop poem at the opening of the event. Followed by Actress Danai Gurira (The Visitor) who read a letter from an old back woman who lived though the struggles after Katrina hit New Orleans. It was moving and a bit strange to have her acting out the voice and accent of the poor old woman, but moving nonetheless.



After which, some more well know actors such as David Hyde Pierce (Frasier) and Brian Cox ( ya know the bad guy in X2?) Finally! Last, but not least, Mel Gibson, who may I say took his sweet ass time getting there! I was missing out on the open bar waiting for him to give his 1 minute photo op. Although, I guess ya cant blame him, if I was Mel, I would do the same I think.


So after Mel's arrival and a few pic's taken I had total of 15min of open bar left before the long, well read, teleprompter speeches began in the big Dinning Room. So needing to reaffirm my manhood after my two apple martinis, (again, they were free), I asked for the best whiskey on house, neat. It was good. I then proceeded to my table to meet up with Angela and Sandra of BeanStocked as well as a few Suits to eat our fully organic chicken dinner! DAMM that Free Range chicken tasted good!




The night went on and on and on and on with a lot of speeches and talk, about build green this, and save green that, and I'll have another apple martini please, I mean uhmm, wine, yeah a glass of wine, please. But all saving graces were done in major part by Katie Couric. Man that woman is funny; she just stood there poking fun at the event the whole time. She cracked me up. She said all the things I was thinking, it was love. or my buzz. Either or, she was funny and I was well on my way to the after party.



Held at 'The Greenhouse', a building specifically built green and run green was located on Varick St in the West Village. It was well, tacky. But very energy efficient! Me and the BeanStocked girls hit the bar for a few drinks and a few moves on the dance floor before calling it a night.

On my way home during one of my L trains fucking broke down at Bedford ave and fucking transfer points and fuck, I took the time to think about the events that lead me to where I was and what had just happened for me, along with how much the MTA sucks balls, Fare Hike my ass! All it took was a little risk, a lil chance and crazy things can happen just like that in NYC. It was all worth it in the end and I now look forward to covering more of Beanstocked events in the future (Like there Christmas. Umm.. I mean Holiday party). So, what I am trying to say here is Craigslist proves its worth and take a chances every once in a while and you to can meet MEL FUCKING GIBSON!


view all the photos here!


Look For my next addition with PUNK ROCK PILLOW FIGHTS!!!!!
it was a fuckin blast!!
just a sneak ok..