Tony Hawk Joins Tribute Band to Sing Songs from His Games
The Tony Hawk video games introduced skateboarding to a whole new generation. Many pro skaters today have stated that these games were the reason they took up the sport. The games introduced us to skateboarding culture. I am referring to the music.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater introduced many to their favorite artists, from punk to hip hop to metal. Over two decades later, I still listen to Faith No More and The Ramones. The cultural impact of these soundtracks cannot be overstated. A UK-based band called The 900 is a perfect example. They are named after Tony Hawk’s (for that time) 90-degree spin and cover all the songs featured in the games throughout the years. They have many fans from this generation, which is understandable. They discovered that Birdman was also among their fanbase last weekend.
The 900, who claim to be “the UK’s only Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Cover Band,” are currently on tour and performing “all the bangers THPS1 up to American Wasteland.” Many gamers consider this the classic period. This includes the 1999 release, as well as the 2005 off-the-wall game Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland.
The crowd and the band were pleasantly surprised on Saturday, July 30, 2013. Tony Hawk, performing at East London’s Signature Brew, joined the band for two songs. He was happy to see such a band exist and said to the crowd: “Thanks for having such reverence… It’s been my greatest honor to have these games continue for so long, and, heck, we’re still keeping it going, right?” “I had to be there!”
One thing I am sorry for is that I missed this gig. It was a wonderful celebration of our shared love for music, gaming, and sports.
