Turbolenza: We are not Crazy

Hoults Yard, The Fall, King Charles, The Sound of Guns and Opencast Software

In 2012 there was a festival at Hoults Yard in Newcastle, also the home of Opencast Software. The headliners were The Fall and Prince Charles was on the bill too. I went with my daughter Kirsty who had told me about King Charles and they were in the main warehouse.

One of the other bands on the bill was someone I had never heard or heard of, a band from Liverpool I think called The Sound of Guns and they were very impressive resulting in me ordering a couple of their CDs. Now you may not believe me but this post is not about the band as such or music but how they led me to what is probably my favourite YouTube Video.

My Favourite YouTube Video - Turbolenza Base Jump at Menara, Kuala Lumpur

In 2012 there was a Base Jump at Menara, Kuala Lumpur sponsored by Turbolenza and featuring Fred Fugen & JP Teffaud and many others. Base Jumping is sky diving from high buildings, and this was filmed by the base jumpers themselves and others.

The music for the seven-minute clip was the Sound of Guns songs “Sometimes” and “Alcatraz” and are perfect for what is happening in the video.

Turbolenza Take To The Air

We start with Soul Flyers Fred Fugen & JP Teffaud getting up from their seats and running up the stairs. Not taking the lift, as Sound of Guns kick it with “Sometimes” (how this band were not absolutely massive I do not know, sort of an Echo and the Bunnymen syndrome situation). Over a four day period (27-30 September 2012 finishing the day before my birthday) 91 base jumpers from 17 countries took part in 2200 base jumps.

The Turbolenza Jump

The Antenna Spire from which they made their jumps is 421m tall, or it was when they made them, though the height of their exit point is only 300m and as they go out the first base jumper jumps off the edge spinning down to the ground three hundred metres below, with a helmet, a camera and a working parachute.

These guys are fuelled on adrenalin and just watching this, especially on a big screen, I find incredibly exhilarating, but could I do it for real? I really don’t know, although my dad used to do skydiving, but he doesn’t like flying!!

It starts off with basic jumps and then things get more complex, almost silly at times but still amazing, and you are there with them. I am scared of heights, well I am OK if I feel safe, but this still gives you the feeling that you are the one doing the jump.

You see the base jumpers going off the jump platform and becoming a very small speck very quickly, and then you get the base jumpers camera so you see what they see.

There is so much camaraderie and joy in the video, seeing their smiles when they land is absolutely wonderful, and I love when they speak and the chat they come out with.

The preparation that goes into this must be tremendous, and obviously, it is incredibly dangerous, but again if you are perfectly prepared you can minimise the danger and obviously that is what Turbolenza do.

I really recommend that you watch this video and maybe buy a couple of Sound of Guns albums as well. You will come out of this feeling you have been on the wildest roller coaster ride of your life.