PALACE SKATE VIDEO PREMIERE
Palace Skateboards Detroit 313 Premiere | Inside an Invite only Night at Palace HQ, London
Danny Brady photographed near the pleasure beach, Blackpool, 2025
A behind the scenes look inside Palace Skateboards’ invite only Detroit 313 video premiere, Palace HQ and a little reminder as to why genuine relationships continue to shape commercial photography.
The strongest photography doesn’t come from photographers looking in from the outside. It comes from people who have spent years earning the trust of the communities they point a camera at.
Last week I dropped everything and travelled from Cleveleys, Lancashire to London after receiving an invitation to attend the exclusive UK premiere of Detroit 313, Palace Skateboards’ latest full length, eight years in the making, skate video, hosted at Palace HQ in Manor Place, Elephant & Castle.
This wasn’t a public event. It was an invite only gathering of skateboarders, photographers, filmmakers and creatives from all over the world. Rare as rocking horse shi* opportunities like this don’t come around very often.
More Than Just attending a video Premiere.
Myself, Andy Max and Clive made the trip from Cleveleys to South London during one of the hottest sweatiest weeks of the year.
The reason was simple. We were there to support our long standing friend Danny Brady.
Danny and I grew up in the same hometown, and I’ve watched him progress from a young wet behind the ear, local skateboarder into one of the most respected professionals in modern skateboarding, representing Palace Skateboards around the world.
I’ve photographed Danny over the years, long before many people outside skateboarding knew his name. From local sessions around Blackpool and the Fylde Coast. Documenting him when he is back on home soil, has reinforced something I’ve always believed—real relationships, and real connections to culture create better photographs.
Danny skating the blackpool illumination some time last year.
Those friendships have absolutely shaped the way I approach photography throughout my career and are one of the reasons brands commission me to create authentic commercial imagery rooted in genuine youth culture.
Inside Palace HQ
Walking into Palace HQ immediately reminded me why the brand has become one of the most influential names in global streetwear, never chasing cultural trends, but instead creating them.
We entered through a gallery exhibition featuring still photography from Detroit 313 alongside Zachary Eastwood-Bloom’s sick Winged Victory bronze sculpture, created in collaboration with Nike and Palace. Seeing photos of Danny featured within the exhibition made the evening feel even more special.
Palace’s photography has always inspired me because it never feels over-produced. It embraces spontaneity, imperfection and authenticity. The work feels honest because it’s created from within the culture rather than trying to imitate it.
That philosophy has heavily influenced my own documentary photography and the way I approach commercial campaigns. In the last few years i have gone back to my roots stylistically.
Clive / Andy / Danny having a palace artois.
Detroit 313 Video
As darkness fell, the skatepark inside Palace HQ slowly filled. Gnarly Detroit techno echoed around the building, Stella flowed freely—a nod to Palace’s previous collaboration with the brewery—and a huge countdown clock edged towards zero on the huge screen..
The anticipation was thick in the air.
When the Palace Tri-Ferg logo finally appeared on the screen, the room erupted.
From beginning to end, Detroit 313 delivered everything a true skate videos should.
Incredible skating mixed seamlessly with raw gritty street documentary footage of Detroit itself, creating something that felt far bigger than a collection of tricks. Palace chose to shoot the entire film using vintage analogue video equipment, giving it a very real texture that transported me straight back to filming local blackpool & cleveleys skate videos with friends on VHS tapes during the 1990s.
It was a proper trip down memory lane.
When Danny’s section arrived, the applause inside the room said everything you need to know. The boy is highly respected, he is your favorite skateboarders favorite skater.
Watching someone from your own hometown reach that elite level never gets old. I fucking love it.
After the premiere, i made sure to tell him something that probably doesn’t get said enough—I am incredibly proud of what he’s achieved, a sentiment the rest of the crew holds back home. He had a dream, and he made it come true. Respect.
Good work, son, the next JL. Bean cheese and bean pie is on me when you come home next.
Behind the Curtain
After the screening we were lucky enough to get a look behind the scenes inside Palace HQ.
For Danny it was just another day at the office—a busman’s holiday—but for the rest of us it was a treat to see inside one of the world’s most influential youth culture brands.
We got a glimpse of the creative department, photography studio, the camera used to film Detroit 313, Original palace clothing framed in the office, the skate archive and elements of the upcoming collection before meeting Palace owner Gareth Skewis.
My World / Palace mini studio
Seeing how much creativity exists behind the scenes reinforced something I’ve always admired about Palace.
Danny holding the camera the 313 Detroit video was filmed on. Original first palace tshirt frame on the wall!
The brand has never chased trends. It has stayed authentic to its culture.
That’s exactly how I believe commercial photography should work too.
Why This Matters
I’ve spent most of my life immersed in skateboarding and youth culture, and it continues to shape how I photograph people today.
Whether I’m documenting local skateboarders or photographing commercial campaigns for global brands, my approach never changes.
Real people.
Real environments.
Real stories.
That’s what creates the authentic photography vibe brands are chasing..
Joel The Cat, appears out of thin air!
The evening eventually finished at The Good Intent boozer, where old friends, photographers, designers and skateboarders continued the celebrations long into the night. Even ran into an old pal, and graphic designer of the Palace 313 photo book, Joel The Cat!
For me, this wasn’t simply about attending a film premiere. It was about celebrating an OG friends acheivments, reconnecting with a culture that has shaped my life for more than thirty years, and being reminded why authentic documentary photography will never never die.
Thank you to Danny Brady, Andy Max, Clive, Gareth Skewis and everyone at Palace Skateboards for the invitation and hospitality.
Danny next to the Palace Manor Place stained glass window.
It was a banging trip.
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