interview by Bert Ackley
video by Kane Nugent

Alright, Kane. So who are you and what exactly is Glue Bag?
I’m Kane Nugent, owner and artist behind Glue Bag. Originally from South West Wales, now based in Saigon, Vietnam. On paper it’s an independent, skate influenced clothing brand, but it’s more just an umbrella to cram all my interests under. I can’t sit still for long, I’m always making something, so I needed a vessel to shove all these ideas into. I still have my personal art, and there’s a lot of crossover, but sometimes an idea just fits the brand better.

So I met you here in Vietnam back in 2013, and you were quietly collecting clips on your VX. What was that like back then when you were still fairly new here?
Saigon felt way more unhinged back then, but also smaller. We’d get hammered in 23/9 park all the time, it felt like a big small town, the scene was tiny and everyone knew everyone. It was fun. Spots were shit, security was a pain in the ass, but it felt new and old at the same time.

So you finished Charles Don’t Skate and then moved to Bangkok, I remember. You came back, learned about clothing and all that, then you got back into skating and filming. When that happened, did you know you were working towards making another video?
Yeah, after I bounced to Thailand I was doing more commercial influencer video stuff, still making skate videos here and there and shot a lot of photos. I still had decks and tees, but Glue Bag felt like a watered down side hobby compared to what it is now. Visa issues pushed us back to Vietnam, and my ex started a clothing brand and that’s where I properly learned how everything gets made. I got back into filming around then, but the relationship was pretty controlling and demanding, her brand blew up fast, and I basically disappeared from skating for about three years. I did turn up to big skate events but I was very detached from the scene. Long story short, when I got out of that I had the tools to relaunch Glue Bag properly but I knew it’d take about a year to save up. So I decided to take all the footage I’d already filmed and start shaping it into a full Saigon video, then spend another year and a half skating and filming to build it out before the relaunch, but it carried on well past that. It ended up running over by another two years and kind of snowballed into a much bigger project than I planned.

I definitely went way overboard though, juggling filming, running the brand, editing, doing all the artwork. Burnt me out a bit. 

Process wise, what was different about filming this video?
I can’t rely on having the best skaters or the craziest tricks here, so it was more about building a vibe and a bit of a story. Making it feel authentic, not just another “honky in Vietnam” video. I wanted it to feel like you’re actually in Saigon, even if you don’t skate. In my head I wanted it to feel like a Ramones song. It doesn’t fuck about. It just starts and it’s like cramming 45 minutes into 22. Cutting it down was hard, but realistically no one’s sitting through a full 45 minutes unless the tricks are insane and even my attention span’s not there.

You have an art practice as well and some of that finds its way into the video. How do you think your artwork affects the overall vibe of this video?
Concept wise I wanted to bring in the animation and claymation stuff I’d been messing around with, just to make it feel different from other skate videos. We’re so desensitized to mental skating now that a lot of videos feel kind of sterile. The animated intro and all the little hijinx keep it moving without relying purely on heavy bangers. It gives it a bit more personality. Its also way more fun for me to edit.

Vietnam’s a challenging place to skate and film. Everything’s always changing here too so it’s hard to get used to things. What’s looking bright these days?
Vietnam’s changed a lot in the last few years, for better and worse, but the scene’s bigger than ever and there are so many good skaters now. Hopefully we get a proper skatepark back in Saigon at some point like we used to have, or even just a security-free plaza would do. But either way, the next generation are out there partying and skating street regardless of how rough the spots are. There are loads of locals starting their own brands too, getting creative and keeping that DIY spirit alive and that definitely pushes me.

Age is pretty important here in terms of respect in the social hierarchy, so how does it feel to have achieved Unc status?
Honestly, I feel like I get less respect now because I don’t party as much. Not drinking every night drops me down the social hierarchy a bit. And when I’m trying to go sober for a bit, I always get shit. I don’t think I’ve quite hit full Unc status yet though. I still need a few more polo shirts, a fake gold watch and some Jet cigarettes. 

So what’s next? Will we see another video or is it mostly pants on the horizon?
As for another full-length. yeah, nah,  I’m 100% never doing another Saigon video. I love it here, but fuck me, it was hard work. Once we start sponsoring more skaters overseas, I’m keen to do more pop-ups and film wherever I go. That said, I’ll probably have to move to HD. Fuck Mini-DV. I’m done. I’ve also got 10+ years of film photography I want to turn into a book this year. As for the brand— more pants, more tees, more everything. Just spreading like a rampant STD.

Good times ahead, sailor.