Dear departed ones, today we are gathered here to celebrate your advent. A final journey where I surrendered to the temptations of the sea. An ethereal destination filled with rampant youthful energy.
We pay homage to the murky waves that swallowed us whole and spat us out at dusk. We ponder our destiny to reach the shores of eternity. Doom & Gloom.
Doom & Gloom comes from the mind of the founder of Uppercut Deluxe. Steve Purcell. A purist at heart, Steve takes cues from everything that came before, including 80s movies, archival skateboarding videos, and Ozzy Osbourne's bat-biting antics. Some of the best ideas for campaigns and capsule collections come from nods. For all things nostalgic.
It's like an itch scratching the back of my brain. Packing pomade into coffin-shaped containers seemed unattainable for years. Roundtable discussions, sketches, and countless doodles. Will it be airtight? Is it possible to seal the lid with such an obtuse shape? Does it look cool? Yes, maintaining the performance of this highly uniquely shaped pomade was a real challenge. Still, we moved on!
But how did they come up with that name? It's quite simple. It's early spring and the east coast of Australia is waking up from another sleepy lockdown due to the new coronavirus. After a rainy night, it's still a crisp morning. Steve sits in the wagon and watches the surf as Sabbath's “War Pigs” blares from the stereo. The sea has been completely flat for weeks. The situation was looking a little dire. dull. Same old, same old.
Coffee in hand, he squinted at the headland and the horizon beyond the mist, hoping for a possible set. And as if on cue. Stiff, head-high waves burst off the outer ledge and into the bay. Partially illuminated by sunlight, walls of muddy green rush in one after another. Each one thrusts steadily but violently, exploding and stirring into a deep ocean channel close to the rock. Unruly, empty, and with no one on board. In that moment, things felt better. The magic was broken. There is light at the end of the tunnel. The name Doom & Gloom was born. At the end of the day, it's all just about having fun.
“'Doom & Gloom' was born out of our desire to reduce the severity of our own pressures and focus on having fun. Be a little naughty and be silly again. . We just have a lark. We managed to go all in.” Previous campaigns have been sprinkled with van culture, music, or skateboarding, but this one is pure clowning. It's a celebration of our love for surfing. We’re facing negativity,” says founder Steve Purcell.