Skull & Heart presents The Colour Series

Skull & Heart describe themselves as a small collective based in East London that direct and produce limited edition screen print series, alongside exhibitions and events within the low brow art world. Displaying the work of the best UK and international artists, designers and illustrators around, I dropped by to the latest exhibition 'The Colour Series' to take a look. 

 The gallery is showcasing both emerging and established talent from national and international artists. 

 Mr Gauky - A Yorkshire born, London based artist described as creating superbly fantastic and intricate character based pieces.  Mr Gauky Website

 Tom J Newell hails from Sheffield and has a distinctive black and white style. He creates images by hand and pen.  Tom J Newell Website

The End Of My Cigar

 David Bray is a London based artist/illustrator. His preferred medium is pen/pencil on paper but he is always up for experimenting with new mark making techniques. David Bray Website

Queen Bee

 Brian Ewing fuses his own creative explorations of perspective, colour and space with more classic, beloved imagery from rebellious American youth culture: hot punk girls, totally rad skulls and fields of colour aflame. Brian Ewing Website

Serpent Messenger

 Palehorse (Chris Parks) resides in Florida USA where he runs a gallery which he works out of. Palehorse is constantly experimenting and pushing the boundaries of his work, blurring the lines between digital illustration and fine art.  Palehorse Website

The Skull Mistress

 Iain Macarthur resides in London and creates stunningly beautiful pencil and pen work pieces using mostly pencil, water colours and pigment pens. He creates portraits of ordinary people but with emebellished patterns and watercolour effects, transforming their faces from something plain to something bizarre and wonderful at the same time. Iain Macarthur Website

 Mr Gauky  

 Iain Macarthur 

Dan Mumford is a freelance illustrator/designer/screenprinter working out of Studio 100 in central London. Dan Mumford has become one of the more prominent names in the alternative music and design scene. He has worked with many brands and clients including Nike, Adidas and Red Bull. When I arrived at the gallery I was lucky enough to see Dan completing this piece! Dan Mumford Website

The Colour Series runs until the 7th April in Brick Lane Gallery Annexe, London. Check out their website for a full list of artists and follow them on Twitter for updates in the design world. I loved the style of the work and highly recommend a trip to see the exhibition! 

Gig Review - Marie GC - Killswitch Engage

It’s always such an amazing atmosphere at a show like this with my view from the photo pit. The security guards in good spirit as they engage in banter with the photographers, and pass cups of water to the thirsty front barrier clingers; which by this point looking rather red faced from Trivium’s set, but clearly not budging - for they have made it this far. The sold out venue goes pitch black, and all attention is on the stage as Killswitch Engage appear to soundtrack ‘Eye of the Tiger’ - which couldn’t be more befitting to the performance as they certainly didn’t pull any punches.

Everyone, quite frankly, goes mental as the eccentric Adam D runs across the stage in his “daisy dukes”. Clearly he will be up to his usual stage antics! As the intro fades they blast straight into ‘A Bid Farewell’, the whole of Brixton Academy is consumed with a spectacular lighting display and eruption of energy.

Jesse Leach owns the stage, his vocals - effortless, and his engaging with the crowd – humble, as he nails tracks from the Howard Jones era. It’s evident they have moved forward, and Jesse proves he is most certainly one of the most formidable frontmen in metal. From their latest album ‘Disarm the Descent’, tracks ‘New Awakening’ and ‘In Due Time’ sit perfectly in the set alongside the Killswitch classics. Adam D provides the usual comedy moments, along with the memorable riffs that are the foundation of their sound, yet his strong stage presence doesn’t detract from Jesse. Duelling guitars and fierce drumming complete the perfect package. 

Ending in perfection with an Encore ‘My Curse’, they left the hairs on the back of my neck standing – ever so slightly taller than Trivium. 

Marie GC 

Killswitch Engage

Interview with Tattoo Artist Hannah Lightspeed

Whilst browsing Twitter I discovered the amazing tattoos of Camden based artist Hannah Lightspeed. I decided to reach out to Hannah for a chat about her work. Hannah kindly agreed to take some time out and answer my burning questions! 

 Hannah Lightspeed Tattoo Artist

How long have u been tattooing?

I think its about 2 years. I got into tattooing as I loved getting tattooed myself. I have a masters in animation but decided to get into fashion. I designed jewellery for Topman for 3 years, but it was too corporate! I'm not good with authority.... So I got an apprenticeship in a studio in Essex and quit everything, moved back home, and worked my ass off!

Where do you find inspiration?

In anything and everything!  I have an MA in 2d animation so drawing has been in my life in a major way. Music is a great inspiration also.

What music do you like listening to while tattooing?

I like cheesy pop punk, or chick rock like crucified Barbara :)

What is your favorite part of the job?

Making people happy? (Cheesy i know) When you put a permanent piece of artwork on someone and they love  it, or its someones first tattoo? ? They will remember you always. That's a good feeling!  :)

Do you have a favorite/most memorable tattoo? 

I tattooed the inside of both of some guys ears, acupuncture spots... to help his drug and alcohol addiction,  it felt like I made a difference :)

Are you going to be tattooing at any upcoming events?

Yes ill be at The Great British tattoo show in May. Further details of the event can be found below. 

Hannah can be found on Instagram here and works from Believe In Ink Studio, 86 Camden High St, NW1. (Tel - 02074821311)

Stolen Space Gallery, Whitechapel London

This weekend I visited the Stolen Space Gallery in Whitechapel, London. Based just off Whitechapel High Street, Stolen Space is a gallery showcasing artists which have been labelled as 'Underground Art', 'Street Art and 'Urban Art'. 

I love discovering new artists and galleries and this certainly didn't disappoint. The current exhibition entitled 'Back to Black' by Christian Guemy, aka street artist C215, who has been described as 'France's answer to Banksy, has drawn inspiration from his travels and the work he has produced seeks to reflect upon the experiences he has been met with on his excursions.

There was also exclusive signed copies of The Art of D-Face book 'One Man and his dog' and merchandise in the gallery.

The Gallery.

'Revenge'

 'Sarah'

 'Vanity'

 'Marlen'

'Purple Rain'

'Mask'

For more information visit the website here and on Twitter. It's definitely worth a visit!

Introducing Marie GC Photography/Trivium Gig

Back in the heydey of Myspace I connected with a lovely lady named Marie who had some pretty cool gig pictures. I've followed her work ever since and it's been amazing seeing her work evolve. 

Over the past few years Marie has photographed countless shows, including being an accredited photographer for Guns 'N Roses, Iron Maiden, Alice in Chains, Mötley Crüe, Rammstein, Kiss, Slipknot, and ZZ Top to name a few.

Music is a big influence for me and Rock 'n' Needle and through designing the mens range (which will be going live on the Rock 'n' Needle website very soon) I thought it only a natural fit to ask Marie to be the Rock 'n' Needle music photographer for the blog. Marie will be posting from gigs she's covered along with her awesome pictures! 

Where best to kick things off than with a review of the Trivium and Killswitch Engage sold out gig in London.

Live: Trivium, London, UK. 

After some awful rainy weather (even by London’s usual standards) I went along to the Brixton Academy on a very sunny, yet icy cold day to shoot possibly the biggest co-headliner show in recent metal history - Trivium and Killswitch Engage.

A sold-out show for this four band bill, and the venue was buzzing despite the early doors. Following on from openers Battlecross, and Miss May I, the stage transformed into a polar-ice setting complete with CO2 blasting cannons. And the lighting? Incredible.

Trivium opened with ‘Brave this Storm’, the first of their twelve song set, taken from their latest album ‘Vengeance Falls’. Hard-core fans down the front were a little rowdy from the get-go, while further back they seemed to find the show a little lacklustre, maybe it was the awful sound mix that people had to get over? Old favourites like ‘Gunshot’ and anthemic set closer ‘Pull Harder’ united everyone in a sing-along, but for me, the stand out song was the beautifully inspiring ‘Shogun’, during which artificial snow fell making it like a winter wonderland.

Trivium can in no way be faulted on their musicianship or vocal abilities. In all a very good performance, one of the most enjoyable shows I've been to recently.

www.mariegc.com

More of Maries work can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Keep an eye out for the next Killswitch Engage gig on here soon!

Exmouth Coffee - Whitechapel High Street

Having often passed Exmouth Coffee on Whitechapel High Street and lusting over the food in the window, I decided today it was time to go in and have a chat and a coffee. I ordered a latte and took a seat. 

I sat down and prepared some work for my next meeting. There was a great atmosphere, and to the right of where I was sitting I was able to see some of the delicious food being prepared. 

Feast your eyes on these...

Desserts first of course, now for healthier options;

The staff were super friendly and the latte was perfection! You can find them at 83 Whitechapel High Street (next door to Whitechapel Gallery) 

Interview with Tattoo Artist Thomas Carli Jarlier of Noire Ink

Whilst browsing Instagram with the usual hashtags, I noticed a tattoo design which really stood out. I clicked on to it and discovered the wonderful Instagram account of London based tattoo artist Thomas Carli Jarlier from Chiswick Tattoo Studio - Noire Ink. Browsing his designs I decided I had to interview him to find out more about his work and the new tattoo studio. Tom kindly agreed to take the time out to have a chat about his work! 

How long have you been tattooing?

I've been tattooing for 6 years now, since the age of 21. I have always been a fan of tattoo art, to the point that I got my full sleeve done as soon as I was old enough. It all started with my passion for drawing since a very young age. My mother is a painter and professor of art, so she was a big influence for my interest in visual arts. For me, drawing and tattooing go hand in hand, you cannot be a good tattooist until you are a good artist. 

When was Noire Ink founded?

Noire ink was founded in September 2013. The idea to open my own tattoo studio had been on the horizon for a couple of years before I actually got to launch it. Thanks to such great tattoo artists such as Stephane Chaudesaigues, Duane Robinson and Paul Naylor, who guided me through the process, I was able to become an independent artist. It has also become possible thanks to support and input of my wife, who is developing the business together with me.

Where do you find inspiration?

On a large scale, inspiration is everywhere! I love seeing the fantastic work of my favourite tattoo artists, like Dimitry Samohin, Oleg Shepelenko (crazy good Russians!), Nikko Hurtado and picking up some of the techniques they use. I absolutely adore Marvel comics, and tattooing its characters if one of the most fun things to do. As for the realism style, the masterpieces by Michelangelo are a great source of inspiration. I also enjoy working in Polka-trash, one of the trends in tattooing nowadays. Its originators Volko Merschky and Simone Pfaff have done some mind-blowing works that really set my brain into the creativity mode..

How many tattoos do you have?

I have lost the count of my tattoos. Lots. There is still some space on my body that I keep for my tattooist friends. I have also done most part of my tattoos myself: I have tattooed my own legs. It is a great way to understand tattooing, before you touch other persons skin!

What music do you like listening to while tattooing?

Music is a massive part of the tattoo process, isn’t it? There should be something that overpowers the buzz of the machine (even though my rotary isn't too noisy)! My current favorite is heavy bluesy funk. It might not be typical of tattoo parlors, but I love working with D’Angelo in the background. Groovy and funky is my choice. I am also a professional drummer (with a degree in that stuff..), so music is among my main inspirations. If I have a long session of tattooing, I can turn on Big Bang Theory series at some point for a change :)

Thank you Tom for such a great interview, I can't wait to see future work! You can find the studio in Acton Lane, Chiswick, and more info on Twitter here and Facebook here