After the disappointment of last year's show, I was really hoping this would be an improvement... I don't think it would survive two years let-downs in a row. Thankfully, though I still found it lacking in some key aspects of planning, it was a vast improvement and worth exploring.
As I only had one day to choose from, so I chose the Saturday. Get in while the energy is still high and the vibe is upbeat, everything is fresh and the ink gurus are at their best. I think it was the smartest choice, as it had the greatest variety, but as it turned out, the music was apparently better on the Sunday.
So, the day began just after lunch when I wandered up to the gates, then on into the ink wonderland. Greeted by the sight of rows and rows of tattoo booths, art displays, a brilliant Charity booth staffed by young
Nic Brocklebank (Good on ya, what a great charity to support!) and a stage area for the various indoor shows. What I didn't see was a single Coca-Cola beverage... this was going to be a looooong day. ;)
During my wanders I saw such a huge range of tattooing styles, from the simplistic cartoons (professionally executed of course) through to near-photo realism... there was even a couple of traditional Borneo pokerwork tattooists doing work - you think electric ink takes time and is uncomfortable... then you should have seen this. Think of the difference between an assembly-line sewing machine and an old hand-cranked one... I tell ya, it was impressive, but not my cuppa tea thank you.
For those who wanted more to fill the day, there were stands for food, jewellery, surfboards, painting, and even frilly lingerie for the ladies... or the odd chap... (Yes mate, I saw ya checking out that corset... good for you, if that's what you're into! If it is good enough for Frank N Furter and RiffRaff, then who's to say it's not OK for you.)
There apparently was a stage show comedian/magician act for the day... but all I could find was some chap named Jarrad Fell, who spent half an hour mocking audience volunteers, teach the kids some bad new words, and mainly just laughing at the audience and his own inane humour. Sorry Jarrad, but you didn't impress me one iota, despite the rounds of nervous "I suppose I should laugh here to break the tension" giggles from the watchers.
For the more physically-inspired, the Arena held Beatdown MMA/K1/UFC/Muay Thai fights from 3:00pm... got some good photos from a few fights, but I apparently missed a really brutal and bloody match around 4:00pm... kinda glad about that, if the huge puddle of blood on the mat was anything to go by. I had a borrowed DSLR, and it would have mortified me to have had to replace it due to "blood damage" - Insurance won't pay out on that methinks.
For those musically inclined, the outdoor stage had live band entertainment from 4:00pm, and some of it was actually pretty good, from what I heard. Better speakers and a properly-located soundboard tent would have made a world of difference though.
Back inside, there were a few more "characters" wandering about as the day dragged on... people wandering around in costumes, the Hellmilton Roller Ghouls rolling around in full garb and facial paint, a few semi-famous musos and their entourages trying to look like famous people who are trying to look like regular people - that always gives me a smile, it's so unsubtle.
Scattered amongst all this were a number of indoor "shows" - like the surfboard artist who stayed on stage for maybe 10 minutes while he drew on a board, then gave up in disgust because no-one was hanging around to watch him... the so-called magician/comedian, wassisname Fell... and the Miss Tattoo 2012 pageant, which was pretty much the highlight of the indoor stage acts. Really, the main attraction of this show are simple:
- You want a famous overseas artist to ink you something special.
- You want a highly skilled local artist to ink you something special, at a discount.
- You want to watch grown men beat the bodily fluids out of each other.
- You want to spend 2 half-days grooving to some live beats.
- You just want an excuse to get out of the house for the weekend, and go look at "stuff".
Does this sound overly dismissive... well, yeah a bit. BUT... I still think it was an interesting day for the most part. For me, it was fun to wander around parts of the expo I normally couldn't get to as a "Regular Joe" (eg. ringside during the fights... and I mean ringside, like leaning on the corner of the canvas to try and get a steady shot of some chap getting his ribs cracked by a flying roundhouse kick, trying to get a close-up shot without getting his sweat dripped on the camera... THAT kinda ringside!)... talking to some amazingly talented people who persist in their art despite the sometime violent objections of the narrow-minded public - eg. Dr Rev, who paints art using his own blood as the only "paint"... and some very responsible people too, such as the crew from Capes Medical who are on a mission to ensure every responsible tattoo studio uses hospital-grade sterilization equipment, or disposables.
So, though I felt this expo still has a way to go to really, genuinely be of an International standard... it's not too shabby for a show in only it's 2nd year, where the promoters and organisers are still learning the tricks and pitfalls of running a major event such as this. If the trend continues, next year will be something well worth travelling to Hamilton to attend.
There are some photos taken on the Saturday in our Facebook Photo Album:
• HERE • - feel free to have a wander. :)
Cheers to Chris for the free tickets... sorry I couldn't cover Sunday as well, but have to keep the "life" in "work/life balance" going with the family... and huge kudos to the ground crew who did such a great job of keeping everything running smoothly in the face of multiple mini-disasters, you did yourself proud ladies and gents... I was watching you!
Next year, maybe I'll get in sooner, and get a proper "Media Pass" so I don't have to risk upsetting some people (and security crew) with my photo-snapping!
Labels: events, Hamilton, tattexpo
The Last Turn of the Wheel of Time...
