Bournemouth Ink - 29th and 30th July, 2010.

The buzz of the needle at every corner takes a bit of getting used to. At first it’s like a prominent tinnitus. Then after a while it becomes an accepted background noise. But then as you turn corners, weaving through the crowds of people, and catch the tiniest glimpse of a tattooist and their subject hard at work, or the folders of drawings and past proud efforts, the drone becomes an excitable prospect and more of a symbol of where the once taboo hobby sits in the world today.

I went to Bournemouth Ink last weekend with my Journo friend Joanna Stass. With every intention of getting inked myself, mind you. I didn’t. But I did meet some utterly fascinating people with their own unique experiences and relationships with the art. Tattooists who have dedicated 10 or 20 years to it. Ordinary people who have covered themselves in ink to stand out from the crowd or to embrace the idea that you can change your image, your confidence and catch the eye of a passersby.

When you see so many tattoos in one place and the pride strewn across the faces of their owners it really becomes apparent that tattooing has developed into something more than the ‘cutthroat industry’ that some tattooists speak of - an image that is certainly conjured in the minds of those who are ignorant and cynical of the two thousand year old tradition. Tattoos are traditionally associated with convicts, bikers and gang culture. But today individuals from all walks of life are delving into the world of tattoo for their own personal reasons. And it is humbling to meet so many of them who strike you as interesting, friendly and down to earth human beings who are simply making the most of what life has to offer. One man tells me the symbols on his arm represent his wife and children. To anyone who doesn’t know, it’s simply an intriguing pattern on his forearm. An apprentice tattooist tells us that the portrait of Steve Carell sits proudly on his thigh because he’s ‘a huge fan – it was an obvious choice.’ It makes everyone who walks by stop and gasp in awe. Whatever your reason for having a tattoo, nothing makes you more unique than sporting a drawing or script that you believe makes you different to everyone else and ultimately changes your life.

Tattooing is an art. Art is made to be flaunted and on display to the world and no one here is shy of the camera. I get grins and poses at every turn from both tattooists and tattooees and propositions to return later to see the finished piece. An elaborate puffin painting, a Spiderman still, a hyper realistic picture of glamour model Vikki Blows. Speaking to those receiving tattoos only accentuates the excitement that surrounds such a long term commitment and you can almost smell the pump of adrenaline.

The end of both nights brings a catwalk for ink. Cheers echo around the auditorium, a video camera projects the art on a screen as onlookers ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ and for a split second each individual - that adrenaline still pumping from the day’s inking – becomes the focus of every eye in the room. Pride. I have never before appreciated contemporary art so much and have never had such an adoration for the work an artist of this kind does. Local tattoo hero Steve A said to us: “I could pick any medium to do my art on but having human beings is the most beautiful thing. Everyone is different and everyone has a unique concept to work on.” The evidence stands on the stage before hundreds of applauding enthusiasts.













The art of tattoo is evolving with the birth of hyper-realism and graffiti culture. It brings the pictures artists draw to life and adds a pride that cannot be found in a piece of art that hangs in a gallery. For the tattooed it allows a flaunting of individualism and, during a weekend like this, allows those involved in the tradition to become a family.

I will never look at a tattoo in the same way again.

Watch the video for an insight into our experience at Bournemouth Ink 2010. We caught up with Legendary tattooists Dan Gold, Steve A and Phil Kyle and upcoming artist Rich Simmons, who works for urban designers Graffiti Kings.

Check out what happened when Jo met up with London Ink legend Dan Gold.

BINK in Pictures- The highlights of the weekend

Slam Dunk- 02 Academy, Bournemouth, Friday May 28th. Set Your Goals, Out of Sight, Hit the Lights, Four Year Strong, New Found Glory.

Independent music label Slam Dunk sports an annual in-door festival of the same name to showcase their clients and play host to larger bands from all over. The festival has seen Fall Out Boy, Reel Big Fish and Paramore on its stages during its 4 years and this year was as big as ever. Its sister show – with bands from the festival’s main stage - stopped by Bournemouth’s 02 Academy this weekend to give fans of the scene a taste of what’s to come. And it started on a very good note.

Unlikely openers Set Your Goals have somewhere else to be so get the night underway, much to everyone’s confusion and the disappointment of those who are running late.
These guys are not a band to be judged on appearances as what you see, at times, resembles a hyper group of mathletes fronted by an uncool, white Keenan and Kel.Following a command to form a circle pit from Kel, Keenan quickly steps in with a terrified look and a cutthroat signal - a sign that circle pits are not allowed. You could almost imagine his counterpart declaring “aaaaah, here it goes...” That was not very METAL. Then, pop punk isn’t particularly metal. If you’re paying more attention to the music then you’d notice the pair works well with contrasting vocals and as a unit they are tight and seem flawless, full of an infectious energy and somewhat daring confidence which makes them a difficult act to follow.

Unfortunately those with the task of following are fresh faced four piece Out Of Sight. There’s nothing too wrong with what they’ve written but it’s certainly not original, no one knows who they are and no one is here to find out. Seeing as they were opening main stage at the festival this weekend you feel some pity that they have to beg the crowd to sing back lyrics that just aren’t as inventive or anthem worthy as they think.

“Who’s drunk yet?” bassist Sean slurs. Clearly him. Given that it is only 6.30pm and a great deal of the crowd are still in secondary school, only a handful of punters respond – which is awkward. It’s a shame they’re not as good as they think they are and no amount of sex faces or pleading for crowd participation is going to change that. A highlight comes mid-set when they attempt a cover of Black Eyed Peas ‘I Gotta Feeling’ which, admittedly, stirs some excitement. And, yes, it is going to be a good night. But when Journey gets a better sing along during the following sound check it’s apparent that it really is Out of Sight... out of mind. Chortle.

The 400 capacity venue is still filling up when Hit the Lights hit the stage. With copius amounts of energy and a guitarist who could pass off as a possessed Moss from the IT Crowd, they sound more like New Found Glory than New Found Glory. Well, almost. This is no accident as NFG spawned this scene and, although theirs is not an entirely original sound, those watching and listening start bouncing and singing and take to them well. The response from the crowd gives the Journey record a run for its money and its volume during the frequent breakdowns invites goosebumps every time.
It is obvious from the continuing roar of the crowd that Four Year Strong are as popular as the headliners and, if one didn’t know better, one would think everyone was here to see them. As far as their sound goes they’re not what the night has dictated so far and boast an aggression that has left a whole in what has come before. If you can look past the fact that front man Dan O'Connor looks like an angry saliva beleaguered Brian Blessed, who’s Gruff vocals are a welcome break from the whine of the pop punk, then what stands before you is a vat of sounds combining classic Rise Against with the hardcore hooks of Story of the Year. With no shortage of material and songs with intriguing titles such as ‘What the Hell is a Gigawatt?’ and ‘Prepare To Be Digitally Manipulated,’ Four year strong are definitely one to watch.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of their self titled release and, as they bound onto the stage to the sounds of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Party in the Usa,’ New Found Glory bring a sense of completion to the bill tonight. “We are going to play a shit load of songs for you!” front man Jordan Pundik beams. And they do so with the flare and precision that they’re known for, the crowd following every word and every song being met with a colossal scream. Classics ‘Hit or Miss,’ ‘Catalyst,’ ‘Dressed to Kill’ and ‘My Friends over you,’ as well as an excellent cover of ‘Kiss Me,’ are highlights and it hits home just how much NYG have brought to the scene when guitarist Chad Gilbert thanks the fans for their support and promises that “no matter how uncool we may be, New Found Glory will always be there for you.” Judging by the energy in here tonight, they are definitely still cool and - even after 10 years - show no signs of slowing down.

Oh and, let’s face it, everyone knows Hayley meant to send that picture to Chad. Lol.

Rammstein Burn Birmingham

It’s a bitingly cold Wednesday night in Birmingham. The LG Arena is about to play host to one of the world’s most controversial bands and one known best for their live presence. 100’s of believers stampede through the halls to be first through the arena doors. Everyone knows that something colossal is about to go down and everyone wants to be caught in the explosion.

It must be said that without the impressive light show, support act Combichrist would be a dull and odd looking experience. With their assortment of industrial spaz-metal and a somewhat baffling resemblance to the Muppet band Dr Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, it takes a pinch of salt to appreciate what they’re trying to achieve with songs like ‘What the F**k is Wrong With You?’ and ‘*F**k That S**t.’ Ironically, the sentiments of many in the crowd by the end of the set. There is a moment of intrigue when the drummer-duo pour water over their kits, sending droplets soaring with every perfectly executed beat. But, with an audience of 12 000 eagerly awaiting Germany’s biggest musical export and well aware of the wonders their 20-something trucks have carted across the continent - nobody cares.

It is near impossible to explain just how good Rammstein are. It simply is something you have to witness for yourself. You can’t just sling clichés like ‘they put on a great show’ or ‘the audience loved it.’ Imagine the best Guy Fawkes Night - indoors - meshed with the scene where the ring is destroyed in the Return of the King.

They take to the stage using pickaxes to break through their set walls, exposing a blinding light behind. Front man Till Lindeman booms opener ‘Rammleid’ with mini lights illuminating his mouth as the crowd sing back their name. He says very little for the 2 hours of their set – comprising mainly of their latest work from Liebe ist für alle da - and he doesn’t have to. The thousands in front of him are gripped from the start by every double beat of the drum, every relentless power chord and every eclectic tune from Flake’s keys. At times you can’t move from sheer bemusement that the stage is on fire or that there is a skinny man crowd surfing above you in a Quicksilver boat. There are flames every other song and there are explosions in between. Now you can understand why it takes a whole year of advance planning and dress rehearsals.

But enough about the show. Rammstein said recently with regards to their tour that they worry fans care more for the flames than the music. Understandable, as no other band in the world would dangle a couple dozen laser emitting doll babies from the light rigging in poetic symbolism of the antics of Josef Fritzl. However, the German six-piece still have the repertoire to ignite a good sing along – even in a foreign language. Fan favourites 'Ich Will' and 'Du Hast' stand out as the spine tingling stadium anthems of the night. It’s new single ‘Pussy’ that gets the biggest reception, possibly because it’s mainly in English and possibly because it’s about sex. It’s probably because Till mounts a cement mixer-come-fallice and sprays the crowd with sweet smelling foam at its climax. Seriously, had to be there.

By the time they reach their second encore and set closer, 'Engel', those who bore witness to what came before stand in awe as Till takes to the stage sporting flame throwing angel wings. Not the kind you wear to ballet. The kind you would imagine the perpetrator of the end of the world wearing as he demolishes all human kind. The German government may be ashamed of them but metal fans across Europe love them. And, with flames that touch the ceiling, fireworks that scale the arena and exploding laser babies, there can be no argument that - when it comes to pure spectacle - Rammstein are hands down the greatest live band in the world.

Flames, Fireworks and Exploding Laser Babies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=tnHrGVp0jiw

‘Mentallica’- Poole, Saturday 31st- Mr Kyps

“How do we get in?” is the first question of the night as we approach who we believe to be a roadie by the back entrance of Mr Kyps. Only he isn’t and, to be honest, we should have known better. He has it all- the long locks, the carefully groomed ‘Hetfield’ beard and the leather jacket. He has the cigarettes, the beer and, oddly, what looks like a bottle of sun cream. ‘Did you find your hair elixir?’ axe man Aid sniggers as his front man re-enters the room, fixing his metallic mane. He is Chris Jones and he leads the band hailed as ‘Europe’s No.1 tribute to Metallica.’ And I was about to find out just how justified that title is.

Dudley based Mentallica are a fantastic bunch. They’re laid back and care-free and yet remain welcoming and professional. They drink ‘girly cider’- not forgetting the ice. Best of all, they are relentless in the way they talk of how good things are for the band. “Mr Kyps is the greatest gig on the circuit,” co founder Dave Hadley beams. “Tonight is going to be good.” Tonight, of course, is Halloween. The full moon is blinding, the fog is rising and the crowd of 300 ‘tallica fans have not forgotten the occasion. It’s a rare delight to witness werewolf, zombie and ‘crazed topless fan waving blow up club’ embracing in mosh together. But that’s metal and that’s Halloween.

In the hours before the gig- completed by drummer Mart- the guys laugh and bounce the answers towards me with a fun-filled passion. “There was no question- it was always going to be Metallica, although the name was debated once. I still believe it should be ‘The Chris Jones Quartet” he jests, with a cheeky smile. When asked if they’ve ever met their hero’s, excitable bassist Dave sat forward with a grin. “We’d love to meet them. But I’ll tell you what, their sound manager helped us out in our opening shows and came to us once with a message, ‘Metallica have heard of you and they wish you all the best.’ That’s a moment I’ll never forget.”

On stage the guys are no different. They smile and laugh at each other, clearly lapping up every second. “We’ve got some Metallica fans in here tonight, right?” The roar from the crowd says it all. Mentallica are a tight and well oiled machine. They appear to flawlessly attack each track as it comes, covering both fan favourites and their own. They have the backdrop, an array of crucifixes across the stage echoing the album art from ‘Master Of Puppets’ and an endless supply of beer. The show itself couldn’t be better and ‘tallica classics ‘Creeping Death ’, ‘Enter Sandman’ and ‘Whiplash’ go down as expected. You can’t help but think Hetfield’s crew would be proud.

Horns aloft, you can almost envisage the 300 strong crowd take to the spirit of dress-up and don their best Sparta voice- “this is ‘tallica!” It, of course, isn’t. But believe me, it’s as close as you can get and talk backstage suggests tonight was something special. “I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun,” Dave mused, grabbing a beer. “Just the right amount of alcohol, the perfect crowd and the greatest sound we’ve ever had.” They’re also a bright bunch and, as he slowly takes off his clothes, axe man Aid explains to me the importance of having a clean t-shirt. “Heavy metal is a lot of things, but it’s not unhygienic.” 5/5

The German Orgy Buffet

If Germany has taught the British anything in recent years, it’s that you needn’t have a sirloin steak to host a successful dinner party. World famous in the metal scene for their often controversial flamboyancy, enigmatic lyrics and mind blowing live performances, Germany’s finest Rammstein return with their 6th studio album ‘Liebe ist für alle da’ (‘Love Is There For Everyone’) and it is, somewhat literally, a belter.

It’s been 4 years since the Industrial Metaller’s graced us with their presence and what a long 4 years it was. Musically, there’s nothing new here. If you know anything about them then you know what to expect- booming and swooning vocals, techno beat laden orchestral triumph and power chords aplenty. For countless other bands, avoiding stepping into the unknown would spell an instant fiery demise, but Rammstein appear to have progressed naturally without losing their distinctive, irreplaceable sound.

That can certainly be said about first track ‘Rammlied’ (‘Ramm-Song’.) Taking obvious pickings from the best bits from previous album openers ‘Reise Reise’, ‘Mein Hertz Brent’ and ‘Sehnsuct,’ it is a brotherly nod to the eponymous lost classic ‘Rammstein’ (Herzeleid, 1995)- which too will have crowds worldwide chanting their name in war-like song. Classy. ‘Ich Tut Dir Weh’ (‘I Hurt You’) follows closely in line, the immense power behind Christoph Sneider’s onslaught of percussion gets the head nodding and the pulse racing.

Then it really hits you. ‘Waidmann’s Heil’ (‘Hunter's Hail’) is an album highlight and, although straying little from the typical structure of a Rammstein piece, it is no less impressive. It begins with what can be best described as a horn. Envisage a hunt- hounds, huntsmen and whips alike. The hunter sounds the horn and the hunt is underway! Only it’s not. The pack is charged by the colossal apocalyptic machine that is Richard Kruspe (Lead Guitar) and Paul Landers (Rhythm Guitar.) The band’s repertoire is full to the brim with such riff-tastic delights and this is no exception. The power and ferocity that is a Rammstein power chord has to be heard to be believed and, most importantly, must also be heard very, very loudly.

Frontman Till Lindemann’s vocals are impeccable as always. His bass tone boom appears to handle anything flung wildly in his direction and, again despite sticking to the norm, there’s still so much experimentation song from song. ‘Haifisch’ (‘Shark’) is a majestic stampede of melody, a rarity among Rammstein’s material and is the first point of the album where Keyboardist and resident freak Christian ‘Flake’ Lorenz unleashes his spine chilling effects. The track ceases with a haunting acoustic only to lead into the monotonous bass heavy riff of ‘B*********.’ Translated as ‘Bückstabü’ which, according to Landers is a word they fabricated to mean “anything you want”, Till growls at you with unparallel malice and when the drums sound, you really ought to be sat down. Or at least armed to the teeth.

Who would have thought the band who, in the past, have written so colourfully about sadomasochism, incest and necrophilia could perpetrate a heartrenchingly beautiful love ballad like ‘Fruling in Paris’ (‘Springtime in Paris.’) It is a serenade like none other they’ve done before and Till sends shivers as he crones in French ‘non je ne regrète rien’ (no, I regret nothing.) Brilliant.No, Lindemann’s Posse are no strangers to controversy across the globe. 2004’s single ‘Mein Teil’ (‘My Part’) tells the story of Europe’s most notorious cannibal Armin Meiwes who met a man on the internet and, to cut a long story short- no pun intended- ate his genitals. The video for 2005’s first single ‘Mann Gegen Mann’ (‘Man Against Man’) sees the band and a horde of fully naked men writhing around in body oil. And, given their propensity to include all things taboo in their art, ‘Liebe ist für alle da’s first single ‘P***y’ follows much the same pattern. You may think with a name and subject like that it’d never get radio play, but it happens to be their first Number 1 in Germany. The beauty of Rammstein’s music has always been that you don’t need to understand the language to relate to the emotion it creates and, frankly, the lyrics in this particular number speak for themselves, especially as the chorus is sung entirely in English- ‘Take me now, oh don’t you see… I can’t get laid in Germany.’ And not forgetting the snigger of ‘Steck Bratwurst in dein Sauerkraut.’ Genius. It may be challenging the subject of Europe’s sex trade but to me it sounds like a creepy orgy buffet. Personally, I believe it’s their finest tune to date. The albums final 2 tracks ‘Mehr’ (‘More’) and ‘Roter Sand’ (‘Red Sand’) work excellently together, the former a ferocious mix of tempo change, varying harmonies and just sheer aggression. It closes with another example of Till Lindemann’s vocal ability, a swooning poem that leads perfectly into orchestra lead closer ‘Roter Sand’, which wouldn’t be out of place in an war movie soundtrack.

It only takes one listen to hit home the quality of the album as a whole. At times it is inventive, unpredictable and shocking and at its best it is simply butt-puckeringly powerful. Unlike, for example, previous effort ‘Rosenrot’ (2005)- which seemed a somewhat disjointed affair-, ‘Liebe ist für alle da’ could quite possibly be Rammstein’s greatest achievement. Not necessarily because it has the best and most memorable tracks but because it works and simply proves that, even after 15 years in the business, they still do it better than anyone. Saying that, it’s not the best place to begin if you’re a Rammstein virgin, it’s more the stripper on the bachelor party cake, so to speak.

Intrigued? Dude, check out:
'Asche Zu Asche' ('Herzeleid', 1995)
'Sehnsucht' (‘Sehnsucht’, 1997)
'Rein Raus' ('Mutter', 2001)
'Mein Teil' ('Reise Reise', 2004)
'Waidmanns Heil' ('Liebe ist für alle da', 2009)