Tommy Guerrero * is a man of many faces. Most people recognize him as an instrumental part of the Bones Brigade * during the Golden Age of Skateboarding. There is much more to him than that, however. During his stint as a professional skateboarder, he landed a few roles in movies playing (gasp) a skater. Additionally, he has worked as a musician throughout his adult life. Tommy Guerrero * has remained true to himself and his fans, as you'll soon find out for yourself. Enjoy.

actionmanMAGAZINE: You're kind of like a legend to any old-school skateboarder. How do you see yourself in skateboarding history?

TOMMY GUERRERO: I don't know. I don't really see myself as any grand pioneer. I just see myself as part of an era that was pretty amazing, and I was fortunate to be part of that movement. I don't think it will ever be duplicated.

How'd you get started in music?

Actually, I've been playing music for about 20 years, on and off. My brother and I were in punk bands together when I was about 13. We played in numerous clubs around the city of San Francisco * with a lot of really amazing bands, like Bad Brains, FEAR, DOA, Dead Kennedys, and Suicidal Tendencies, to name a few. We were really fortunate to grow up in an era that was really charged with the music and a lot of energy.

It sounds like the music you're making now is really kind of a fusion or hybrid of a lot of styles...What would you consider the most dominant of the styles in that fusion?

Soul or groove. I'm really into a lot of old funky stuff, like jazz and soul and rock. I definitely think I was influenced by those things, and it really comes out in the music, not as any one particular genre or style, but amalgamated into this one thing. People have asked me that before: "How do you describe that?!," and I'm like, "You tell me!"
Was there ever really a point in your life where you decided you just wanted to pursue music more than anything else?

No, not really. I kind of took a hiatus from music when I was skating and traveling a lot, but I'd play when I came home or even when I was abroad. I've never really made the conscious decision to do that, but when I retired from professional skating, I knew that that would free me up to do more music...and retiring was just out of necessity. You can't do it forever and at the caliber that you need to when you're professional.
Let's talk a little bit about your movie experience...You've been in plenty of cheesy movies. For example, you were in GLEAMING THE CUBE and POLICE ACADEMY 4: CITIZENS ON PATROL. What was that whole experience like?

It was Stacy Peralta * that hooked it all up. He was into the movie business and did some acting back in the day. He got it started again and got us into it. Doing Gleaming the Cube was hilarious. Tony Hawk * and I had to try to teach Christian Slater how to skateboard. We'd meet at a schoolyard everyday when I had moved to LA and lived with Tony, and it hilarious because Christian wasn't into it. He'd say "You guys go do whatever you want and I'll go off by myself," so we'd just go skate around and get paid like $500-$700 a day just to be out cruising around. That was fucking hilarious...sitting around the movie set hours on end, nothing happens and they just call it a day and you're like "I didn't do ANYTHING today!" I've figured out why most people are actors and actresses or anyone who has anything to do with the movies; you make so much LOOT! And you don't do SHIT!
What about POLICE ACADEMY 4?

That was pretty funny too. It was filmed up in Canada *, but we shot everything at night, ALL NIGHT LONG. The streets were clear and it was FREEZING FUCKING COLD! They had us doing these, as they called them, crazy STUNTS and these things called "stunt bumps." They would say "Who'll do it?!' and I'd be like "I'll do it." They'd ask, "Hmm...How much is that worth...$700?" and I'd be like, "I'LL DO IT!!!" I'd just have to ollie up this thing and ollie back down and land, something I'd probably end up doing anyway. It was really interesting to be part of that, AND I got to meet David Spade.
Have you ever been in jail?

One time, when I was like 14, me and my friends were waiting for a bus, and we were little punker kids wearing spiked belts. They wanted to harass us for whatever reason, so they arrested me and a friend of mine, took us to jail, and laughed at us because we had died hair and stuff, and gave us a bunch of grief. My mom came down to the station and was OUTRAGED and screaming. She really fucking let them have it, and said, "Don't you have anything better to do!?!" We were never even charged with anything, so NO, I've never really been in jail...
Describe a normal Sunday morning for you.

Lord...Hopefully, it's with a headache from the night before. I try to go to this really cool flea market near my house, because I collect a lot of junk and records and stuff. Depending on the day...We play Croquette too. That's really fun, we get a bunch of people together and play and get super drunk.
Croquette?

Yeah, you wouldn't believe it, but it's so much fun. You can just get MEAN, BOY! The more people drink, the meaner they get...
I think my grandma used to play Croquette...

Oh, she don't play like this!!!
Yeah, I'm sure she doesn't!

Recently, we've been playing music [with Jet Black Crayons] in this local bar in San Francisco on Sunday nights for free. It's half an improv set, and half an actually rehearsed set. But my Sundays vary.
Alright. Last question. DID YOU EVER FIND THE ANIMAL CHIN *?!?!?!?!

Hey...I find him EVERY DAY, MAAAAANNNN!!!!

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