Corbin Shaw

Artist — Sheffield

01Profile

A Corbin Shaw Photo

03Interview

Name, where are you from?
I’m Corbin Shaw and am from Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

What do you do? 
I’m an artist living in London and a recent Fine Art graduate at Central Saint Martins. Young, dumb and full of naïve ambition.

Describe your style in three words? 
Chic Camp Masculine-Caricature.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Bloody hell, it would probably have to be when I saw Kanye West and Jay Z on the 'Watch The Throne' tour in Sheffield back in 2012. I was 14, I remember the tickets being around like 40 quid and we were right next to the stage. I’d only been listening to hip-hop for about a year before the concert because I wasn’t brought up on it and this performance blew my mind. I didn’t realise the significance of what I was watching at the time but on reflection, it left a real effect on me. Like I remember Kanye and Jay-Z like rising out of these two huge digital cubes and rapping at each other from across the stadium, it was mental. They both played tunes off 'Watch The Throne' and then some of their classics. 'Runaway' by Kanye was pure mad, filmed the lot on me Blackberry Curve at the time.

If you could put any three bands in history on a lineup?
Bloody hell, tough one that. Style Council, New Order, T-Rex.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
Skinheads, Scallies, Casuals, Mods, Funk (in particular the outfits of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever).

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
It’s cliché, but I’d say, Bowie. He’s always been a beacon of hope for me. His music has always guided me and his looks have always inspired me and pushed me to be more daring by questioning masculinity. I remember being in the car on the way to school the morning Bowie passed away and as we were driving over the hill where the old coal mining pit used to be the sun was just rising from behind it and 'Sound and Vision' came on the radio, we all went silent and just listened. A beautiful moment that I’ll always remember.

Where is your favourite independent venue?
Back in Sheff me and my mates used to go to this DIY punk space called the Lughole. It was always like a fiver to get in and it was BYOB, proper tiny old factory building in an industrial estate. Proper intimate, sweat dripping from the walls. I would have been about 16/17 when I was going and we all used to drink this alcoholic energy drink called Dragon Soop. Lethal stuff, lovely nights. Fun fact: ‘Lughole’ is a Yorkshire term for ears.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
He’s not unsung but I’m gonna say, Andrew Weatherall. God rest his soul.

04Playlist Notes

The first track you played on repeat?
'What is Love?' by Deee-Lite. Always puts me in a good mood, especially the line “Mmm How do you say? Delicious, delovely, 
delectable, devine”.

A song that defines the teenage you?
Oooft god, I won't lie, I have listened to some proper crap in my teenage years. But I’d say 'Crystal Castles' by Crystal Castles to play it cool, but in reality, probably somert like 'Hold Your Colour' by Pendulum.

One record you would keep forever?
That’s a massive question but I’d say 'Once Upon A Time' by Simple Minds because it’s a record that reminds me of my family. It’s always been there in the car played over and over again. So many car journeys have been spent belting out the lyrics on the way back from boxing with my Dad. My Dad would always tell me that he played this record for my mum when they first got a house together and they would decorate the house together listening to ‘Promised You a Miracle’.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
"The music that they constantly play / IT SAYS NOTHING TO ME ABOUT MY LIFE"

From 'Panic' by The Smiths, 1986.

A song you wished you had written?
‘This is England’ by The Clash.

Best song to turn up loud?
'French Kiss' by Lil' Louis. Wink wink nudge nudge. Oooo la la.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
Right so, my guilty pleasures are anything by Enya or The Beach Boys. Weirdly, I really love 'Raindrop Prelude' by Chopin, which I heard when I was studying music at GCSE.

A song to get you straight on the dance floor?
'Supernature' by Cerrone. Can’t go wrong can ya really? If you heard that from the smoking area you’d be gone like the wind and back on the dancefloor.

Best song to end an all-nighter?
'Long After Tonight Is All Over' by Jimmy Radcliffe. Every northern soul all-nighter ends on that banger.

Any new bands you’re into at the moment?
I don’t really do a lot of bands these days but Jockstrap, Squid, Shame, Idles and Sleaford Mods.

03Interview

Name, where are you from?
I’m Corbin Shaw and am from Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

What do you do? 
I’m an artist living in London and a recent Fine Art graduate at Central Saint Martins. Young, dumb and full of naïve ambition.

Describe your style in three words? 
Chic Camp Masculine-Caricature.

What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
Bloody hell, it would probably have to be when I saw Kanye West and Jay Z on the 'Watch The Throne' tour in Sheffield back in 2012. I was 14, I remember the tickets being around like 40 quid and we were right next to the stage. I’d only been listening to hip-hop for about a year before the concert because I wasn’t brought up on it and this performance blew my mind. I didn’t realise the significance of what I was watching at the time but on reflection, it left a real effect on me. Like I remember Kanye and Jay-Z like rising out of these two huge digital cubes and rapping at each other from across the stadium, it was mental. They both played tunes off 'Watch The Throne' and then some of their classics. 'Runaway' by Kanye was pure mad, filmed the lot on me Blackberry Curve at the time.

If you could put any three bands in history on a lineup?
Bloody hell, tough one that. Style Council, New Order, T-Rex.

Which subcultures have influenced you?
Skinheads, Scallies, Casuals, Mods, Funk (in particular the outfits of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever).

If you could spend an hour with anyone from history?
It’s cliché, but I’d say, Bowie. He’s always been a beacon of hope for me. His music has always guided me and his looks have always inspired me and pushed me to be more daring by questioning masculinity. I remember being in the car on the way to school the morning Bowie passed away and as we were driving over the hill where the old coal mining pit used to be the sun was just rising from behind it and 'Sound and Vision' came on the radio, we all went silent and just listened. A beautiful moment that I’ll always remember.

Where is your favourite independent venue?
Back in Sheff me and my mates used to go to this DIY punk space called the Lughole. It was always like a fiver to get in and it was BYOB, proper tiny old factory building in an industrial estate. Proper intimate, sweat dripping from the walls. I would have been about 16/17 when I was going and we all used to drink this alcoholic energy drink called Dragon Soop. Lethal stuff, lovely nights. Fun fact: ‘Lughole’ is a Yorkshire term for ears.

Your greatest unsung hero or heroine in music?
He’s not unsung but I’m gonna say, Andrew Weatherall. God rest his soul.

04Playlist Notes

The first track you played on repeat?
'What is Love?' by Deee-Lite. Always puts me in a good mood, especially the line “Mmm How do you say? Delicious, delovely, 
delectable, devine”.

A song that defines the teenage you?
Oooft god, I won't lie, I have listened to some proper crap in my teenage years. But I’d say 'Crystal Castles' by Crystal Castles to play it cool, but in reality, probably somert like 'Hold Your Colour' by Pendulum.

One record you would keep forever?
That’s a massive question but I’d say 'Once Upon A Time' by Simple Minds because it’s a record that reminds me of my family. It’s always been there in the car played over and over again. So many car journeys have been spent belting out the lyrics on the way back from boxing with my Dad. My Dad would always tell me that he played this record for my mum when they first got a house together and they would decorate the house together listening to ‘Promised You a Miracle’.

A song lyric that has inspired you?
"The music that they constantly play / IT SAYS NOTHING TO ME ABOUT MY LIFE"

From 'Panic' by The Smiths, 1986.

A song you wished you had written?
‘This is England’ by The Clash.

Best song to turn up loud?
'French Kiss' by Lil' Louis. Wink wink nudge nudge. Oooo la la.

A song people wouldn’t expect you to like?
Right so, my guilty pleasures are anything by Enya or The Beach Boys. Weirdly, I really love 'Raindrop Prelude' by Chopin, which I heard when I was studying music at GCSE.

A song to get you straight on the dance floor?
'Supernature' by Cerrone. Can’t go wrong can ya really? If you heard that from the smoking area you’d be gone like the wind and back on the dancefloor.

Best song to end an all-nighter?
'Long After Tonight Is All Over' by Jimmy Radcliffe. Every northern soul all-nighter ends on that banger.

Any new bands you’re into at the moment?
I don’t really do a lot of bands these days but Jockstrap, Squid, Shame, Idles and Sleaford Mods.