Mick Weder

We're all a little neurotic, welcome to the club...& LST.

Rocked in this morning to have a look at this heavy, slam back of the neck panthers head tattoo, but gonna wait a couple of weeks until on leave as it's gonna be faaarkin brutal!

After a bit of a chat, a couple of cold ones, we had one of them spontaneous moments and slammed an old time bird behind the ear & threw my kids names in. Nice & simple :) The only words I have tattooed on my skin.

Good time tattoo Sunday.

my uncle who hasn't touched a drink in 20 years and hasn't smiled or laughed once in that time either

This is exactly (I think) what Myles meant when referring to how this shit changes you, and you just become a person that's different to how you were when once young.

I have memories being as young as 9 (in the late '70's) when the Heroin epidemic was rife in this country, & watching a current affair programs with my mum about the numbers of young people falling victim to smack.

It scared the fuck outta me and remember crying like a fuckin baby & saying to me mum how I never wanted to be like them...with me mum telling me that people only end up becoming what they choose to become.

She was fuckin' right, I did make that choice.

I also see now after all these years how hardened it even made my poor mum & dad.They're still alive & live next door to us, and for the 1st time ever, we talk openly about the very beginnings at age 15...the bars & strip clubs, the drugs & alcohol, the violence, the disappearing for weeks on end to like surface for a day or 2, then the cycle starting all over again...and that emptiness that clouds over you at times, ha! a lot of the time is the exact same look that comes from the old girls face, as she had to deal with the same pain from a mothers perspective. We never, ever talked about this shit until sort of recently when out of the blue she asked me just one question. "What did I do wrong which made us loose you all them years ago"? For the last 31 years, she finally plucked the courage to ask that 1 question. That's when it hits home to you how much damage this shit really causes. My old man on the other hand, like the day I turned 40, looks me in the eye, shakes me by the hand and just simply says "how ya fuckin made it this far mate has simply just got me fucked". A statement like that holds just as much power ya know, because that draws out that smile that's so desperately needing to surface...even for just that couple of seconds.

Within the last 72 hours, I've had an old mate who came a "pick" away from ending it all because of that internal struggle. Thank fuck he's in a safe place receiving treatment. He said to me today...when ya hit rock bottom brother and end up in a place like this, you realise who your real friends are...faaark all.

This interaction here talking about this shit has been a very positive outlet. Thank you. @MadeIndelible...keep that network happening mate, and @jimmyirish said, work it!

Remember kids! always, and I mean always! hold your hands at the steering wheel at 10 & 2.

It's the only safe way to hold a smoke and a bottle of beer safely whilst driving.

It's funny how the world changes, and we obviously know the dangers of drink driving & shit...but fuck, I remember when we was young...hooning down gravel roads doing 100, sliding the ass end out whilst learning to roll a smoke at the wheel all at the same time....without a care in the world. Oh, until it all goes wrong.

Is there a limit on how many snakes you can have on your body?

Fuck no! Snakes fall into the same category as Dragons & Eagles and shit, oh...& Skulls, and Skulls in top hats, and nazi helmets and stuff :)

Smash 'em in. I got like 9 or something Dragons. Some shit remains cool like for...like fuckin' forever!

I spent the weekend in Brooklyn....Queens....and Iselin, NJ!

I was very honored to once again be tattooed by Tony Polito......and equally as honored by what he tattooed on me!

Fuck I love that BTC tattoo. I'm saving a little place, just behind my ear for one of them. Ideally I'de love to have Jimmy Skuse do this for me...we'll see how we go with the planned travel to Bristol to make this happen.

Very, super fuckin' cool.

@hogg & Mark Bee. The term "bikie" is another media term only.

Many years ago, a person would come close to having his mouth shut for even using such a derogatory term. These days with everyone becoming an expert as to what's written in the papers and what they see on the news, pfft, it just becomes another little piece of history that gets lost and some of us become a little too tired in trying to keep it alive.

Another term "gang" is also a media typo. They're "clubs". Again, if that needs to be elaborated on, then it just ain't worth the time. Those of us who had/ have origins from the Oi days know how retarded the media terms to "skinhead or punk gangs" appear. Same shit.

Back to the tattoo topic. This is what we get when we offer mainstream a glimpse into our culture. We create opposing cultures with two completely different takes on the subject, and that has been the sad part for me.

It's like the day when I was getting tattooed in High St, Fremantle Western Australia back in 93, directly opposite the Workers Club, oh, in an old time "biker" run art studio...sorry, tattoo fuckin shop...these were the days Tattooers started charging like $100 an hour!!

After we had completed our 4 pack of Rum and the 3 hour tattoo, I laid out $300 on the chair to complete our deal. Old mate looks me in the eye, handed me back half my cash and said...mate, the day I start charging top dollar for tattoos is the day I may as well be just tattooing Drs and fuckin lawyers. Fuck taking it away from the working man where it belongs.

And that was my very 1st encounter in that particular shop.

Mate, I'm very far from having my eyes shut, and being provided links to media spin...does not add to my education, thanks all the same.

Although, I don't engage in conversation on topics I have no insight into. There's negative influences in every kind of infrastructure. That's all the elaboration that's required here.

Yes. We do disagree, and again...we'll just leave this at that...with respect.

QUOTE]rather than some bikie who couldn't give two fucks about the tattoo's just wants to collect his $$$

This, my friend... is a very bold statement. Some of the most honourable men I know may meet this judgemental opinion.

I wouldn't walk into an art gallery if you paid me. It would bore me to tears.

It appears very apparent that tattooing for you & I hold two completely different cultural origins.

And with that, for respect to this forum, I shall leave this at that. Enjoy your art collection champ.

Bump to this @polliwog, ya lucky duck. That's fuckin' very sweet.

Yeah, I hear ya man, it's just the intricate social network we have created these days. I shake my head at it everyday.

From my very dodgy beginnings, I have managed to weave myself into a Qld Govt full time Managers position. Even I shake my head in disbelief I've been able to manage that. My ultimate middle finger to the establishment...and they can't sack me, cause I'm full time...and I got my fingers and neck smashed in tattoos, and they hate it...and there's nothing they can do...cause they employed me and promoted me haha!, and I cause them grief everyday because of their retarded ways of doing business. I just gotta make sure I do a fuckin' good job...because the day I don't man...haha! I'm gone :) What I'm saying is....I deal everyday in protecting intellectual property for the organisation...so I'm hearing ya Oz...I just don't like the idea of the establishment and an anti establishment culture merging. That's why the only tattoo shows I attend are Club shows and never conventions.

On a side note but, cause I teach legal principles & help manage common law claims against the organisation....Australia is now the leading country in the world...per person/ per capita that launch civil law claims against an individual or company. One would not even condone that thought 20 years ago.

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Jun Cha

https://www.facebook.com/JUNCHApage

JUN CHA

I like how tattooing has created such diverse niches for all different walks of life to enjoy the experience of marking the soul.

For me but, it's the old time fringe of society shops in the bad parts of town that hold dear to my heart.

Nice art but I gotta say.

You had to sign a disclaimer for your tattoos? Man...this world is changing in a direction I just don't understand.

I grew up on the streets hanging out in biker run shops. It was the old time culture that attracted me to the lifestyle. I couldn't even fathom such a request. If a fella said to me but, Mick, do us a fave will ya mate & don't plaster our work all over FB until such and such, I'de say, no worries mate! That's the only disclaimer I'm used to...a mans word. Not having a shot mate, it's just foreign policy to me that's all. I suppose this is what we call the generation gap, but I'm fuckin' glad I grew up in the generation I did man.

Face tattoos. Never for me either. It took me 28 years to hit my hands solid, and that was only working on the old time aspect of the no hands/ face rule unless already suited.

Cliffe Clayton, my original Tattooer back in The Valley @ High Energy Tattoo in the mid 80's said to me one night when I walked in drunk on my 19th birthday asking him to tattoo my left hand..

"Son, ya might not understand this now, but there's gonna be at least one time in your life, just once that ya wished you were never tattooed, and for that one reason, I don't wanna be the man who made you regret that moment"

Now, I was 19, drunk and replied with the usual "she'll be farrrkin right Cliffe" attitude. But that statement stuck with me all my life, and then there came that day which I understood exactly what he meant to which I silently thanked him for it.

His next words to me went along the lines of, "ya got fuckin' 3 seconds to now get out of my shop c*unt before I punch you out the door"

The second wise bit of advice he gave me that night. :)

But ya know. We're all big boys playing in a big boys arena, and if your decision is to tattoo your face Oz, that's your journey. I'de be interested to see & hear what ya got planned mate.

I remember going for my drivers license.

I had split with this chick who dogged me to the cops that I was driving without a license.

Was living in this small one pub town at the time when I got a visit from the local constabulary one Saturday morning.

As he already knew, he squized me about who owned the Ute & the Station Wagon parked out front which I confirmed was mine.

He then asked to view my license to which I said, "I think we both know cunt-stable I don't own one".

Long story short, he called me a cheeky prick for driving around town, flipping him a wave every time I seen him, and that come Monday we better sort it out.

Come the Monday, I drove to the Cop Shop, took the officer for a drive around the block. He asked me to do a hill start but I couldn't 'cause my handbrake didn't work, then drove back to the station and he issued me my license. All legal :)

That fucked the ex Mrs plans slightly.

It was 1985, I was 17 and my best mate Dave (RIP) came around home to show me his new tattoo, a Chinese black and grey dragon he had tattooed on his arm. I was like, fuck! ya should have told me mate, I would have got tattooed with ya. So with that, off we went to High Energy Tattoo in the valley. I was nervous as fuck, a biker run no bullshit shop. I think I was more nervous about saying or doing the wrong thing than the tattoo itself. When I walked in, it was funny, I instantly felt at home and knew this was the beggining of something that I had always wanted.

Dave took the chair to have his second tattoo done. A couple of hours later it was my turn. Sitting there holding the album cover to "The Day The Country Died"

I've had a few tattoos covered from the early days, and some better than this one, but would never even think about losing this. It was the beginning of it all.

Good thread.

Here's my mutant viking. This is years old, never been reworked. I remember this one well, Dino (RIP) belted the fucker in.

Hey Motsimus. Was it a $13 + $7 tip tattoo?

It's constant to stay on top eh mate?!

Ya know, I remember when I was young and started dropping lots of LSD & mushrooms and shit, I did it 'cause it was fun, and ya just don't realise how quickly everything spirals out of control.

From there I started shooting amphetamine. When I realised I had an amphet problem, I started shooting smack to wean off the speed...so it was like shoot speed in the AM, shoot smack in the PM and instead of having one, now we had fuckin' two addictions to battle.

Man, a few years living like this is one thing...but I find the hardest battles it not so much the physical addictions I needed to conquer, but the integration back into "normal" society. Dealing with the Mr & Mrs Jones's of the world. When ya lived on the edge man, it's real hard to find stimulation at times. They're the times I find myself at my weakest. It took a long, long time to understand what it meant about it being "for life"...actually, I think I just started to work this out recently.

You know...you're gonna draw lots of strength from this journey mate. Embrace those positives :)

I wouldn't normally throw something so personal like this out there, but the topics here & thought....fuck it.

The one real positive thing I've noticed developing is that dudes, & dudettes who are suiting down are starting to really appreciate "heavy", not just washing in work. That draws a line in the sand between a fad & a commitment.

I think yas all know what I'm talking about here!

Oh...I see lots of air balloons getting around. What's up (haha!! up) with that!?...not that there's anything wrong with fkn air balloons or anything, just wondering.

Lol! Umm, yes mate! I jumped into croc infested waters in the Territory to save this young female English backpacker when suddenly a 6 metre salt water croc latched on to my leg.

As we started to death roll, I reached for my Bowie knife, lunged it through his jaw and brained the fucker. Hey! That's just how we roll in the outback.

Ya can't let the truth get in the way of a good yarn now can ya!

Ok, so maybe it didn't quite happen like that. More along the lines of slipping off a rock wall, picking up the sharp corner which sliced me open like a scalpel. After Mum flogged me for disturbing her house cleaning (that part is true) off we went to the surgery to get stitched back together again.

I too got this massive motherfuckin' scar on my outer right thigh. Sliced the fucker down o the gristle...good times. Internal & external stitches which left a half inch X 3 inch scar.

It fucked up all the nerves & to this day can't even touch it let alone have it slammed with a machine.

But who gives a fuck, I just suit around it, and as close to it I could get just worked some fading cloud work around it.

What Iwar said, if ya can't have it worked over like myself, surround it with kick arse tattoos. Hey, as they say...chicks dig scars :)

Welcome mate.

Yeah, what Fala said. It'll be sweet. The scabbing might all be gone within 2 weeks, but it takes 4 for the skin to settle. I found this especially on my hands, at least 6 weeks for those tattoos to look like they actually belonged there. Saul cool.

Couple more. Inside thigh. Front knees.