WASTED! Magazine issue #21

BENEATH ALL KAOS | KILL THE WEEKEND | SLEEP WELL DESTROYER | VAN SUSANS

LONDON

TATTOO CONVENTION

BLUSH BANTER | INTERVIEWS | ALT BEAUTY | REVIEWS | EVENTS

wastedmagazine.co.uk Facebook | Twiter | Tumblr Editor Zoe Blush Designers Zoe Blush Bex Meade Imagery Sam Lomas Tiffiny Guarnes Jake Owens Rod Trussardi Frances Sales

Writers Craig Elvy Zoe Blush Interviewers Mark Dean Jake Owens Valentine Young Zoe Blush

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Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that details in this publication are accurate, we cannot accept responsibility for such. Readers are advised to check listings information to avoid disappointment.

Views and opinions expressed by contributors are that of their own and not of the magazine as a whole.

CONTENTS

THIS MONTH:

04 BLUSH BANTER 06 ALT GIRL: KATIE CONNOR 10 INTERVIEW: BENEATH ALL KAOS 17 INTERVIWEW: KILL THE WEEKEND

20 LONDON TATTOO CONVENTION

[W! #20]

23 DARK ARTS!

Hey everyone, glad to see you’ve got your eye balls on the 21st issue of W!

25 INTERVIEW: MISSY LEPINK 27 INTERVIEW: ANTONY FLEMMING

29 REVIEWS

31 EVENTS

We’ve had a very hectic month this month but we’re lucky enough to attend the London Tattoo Convention, had an amazing time and met some amazing people.

We’ve also got interviews with the likes of BENEATH ALL KAOS and KILL THE WEEKEND. Also featuring part 1 of our interview with tattooist ANTONY FLEMMING and our interview with the very sassy MISSY LEPINK, telling us all about her new tattoo tonic.

We’ve also plastered a few pages with the gorgeous KATIE CONNOR for you to feast your eyes on.

STAY WASTED! Lots of love, Zoe Blush xo

WELCOME EVERYONE, TO MY NEW ‘GET YOUR RANT OUT PAGE’ THIS PAGE WILL FEATURE OVER-WORDED ANGER-FILLED RANTS & ALL SORTS OF OTHER RANDOM JIBS, ENJOY! TO START US OFF NICKI MINIJ Now girls (and some guys?) do you remember when you used to colour in your barbies hair & paint make up all over their faces? At the time you thought they looked absolutely beautiful but looking back you realise they actually looked more like something from a horror curcus? Well, I think you get where I’m going with this.

Not only is she/it the biggest fake-boobed, fake-arsed weirdest looking human I’ve ever seen but the only talent

had 6 year olds running round singing ‘when two become one’ & announching that they wanted ‘to make love to you baby’ but that’s not the point. I’d rather my kid look up to scary spice than this big arsed bimbo shaking her bits all over the place in next to nothing, mimicing everything she does. she has is shaking those both about & getting paid far much more than other people with a similar job description. As for vocal talent... I’m sorry, what’s that? Because Nicki clearly has no clue. What’s with the whole, singing normally & then going into ‘frozen-faced rap mode’ & then pretending to sound like a bloke?

As for a lyrical genius Nicki is

definitely up there... for the list of people who would never even get a sniff at the title let alone have anyone describe her as such. ‘You a stupid hoe’?

The fact that that isn’t even gramatically correct makes me want to pull my eyes out with a spork & serve them as spagetti & eyeballs. I mean... really Nicki, stop writing songs about yourself.

It just seems that instead of actually trying to be a decent, talented artist, the pop music industry has become a competiton of who can be the biggest, most accentric twat. & Nicki I must say, for a minute there I thought Gaga would reign indefinately, but you’re just the icing on the cake. As for apparently telling the population of Ireland to kill themselves? Uhm. I hope they come after you with rusty shuvvels & pitchforks.

Congratulations on being an utter knob.

Back in the day we had Spice Girls, Steps, A1 & yeah okay their lyrics were actually intended to be sexual & we

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Images by: Rod Trussardi

TELL US THREE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT YOURSELF? I’m a deafo, I literally have a hearing aid.

I am one of the few people who can actually lick their elbow.

I like to think I’m really smart when really I am of average intelligence.

WHAT DO YOU DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? Draw weird scarecrows, sit on Facebook and send unnecessary amounts of money buying terminos on Tetris.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE SONG & WHO IS IT BY? Love Ire and Song - Frank Turner’s album, the best song is ‘Reasons Not To Be An Idiot’, because it makes a lot of sense, straight forward facts.

WHAT’S THE BEST LIVE SHOW YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO? Again Frank Turner was at reading 2010. I went by myself because I lost all my friends and didn’t want to miss it so ventured into the tent alone, cried my eyes out with joy.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR INK? Oh jheez, my first tattoo was a butterfly because it was a spur of the moment thing when I just turned 18. My mum had one so I thought it would be a nice gesture I got a butterfly on my left forearm. I have transformers on my feet because I thought it would be a good idea at the time due to an obsession I’ve had with the films and remembering the cartoons I got the traditional colours of the logos for Autobots and Decepticons on the tops of my feet. Next I got a feather on my right forearm, Amy Winehouse had one but died so I got one so no one can compare us! Next I have a gypsy head on the top of my right arm because funnily I thought it looked cool... Now EVERYONE has it FML... Lastly, just below my gypsy girl I have an hour glass by the boys at Kent tattoos in Dartford they wanted to tattoo it on someone...

So I damn straight let them!

And I loves it!

WE FIND YOU OFF YOUR TROLLY IN THE TOWN CENTER ON A SATURDAY NIGHT. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN & WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DRINKING? Somerset, Pembrooke, HQ, The Grove.

Fosters and Lime, Malibu and Coke and ridiculous amounts of

Jäger Bombs and likely some jugs of Woo woo.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FUNNIEST, MOST DRUNKEN MOMENT? Ha-ha walking to The Pembrooke with my friend Shannon from Pocock and talking to the bouncers I always talk to and saying to them ‘I’m so drunk because we just had two drugs each’ when I 100% meant to say 2 jugs.

His face seemed horrified!

DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL HABITS OR HOBBIES? Biting my nails all the time and modifying clothing only to realise I ruined them.

WHO ARE YOU CURRENTLY CRUSHING ON? Tom hardy as Bronson... Naked.

Even if his pecker is not so blessed.

WHAT’S YOUR CLAIM TO FAME? I met Lucy Pinder once. [She] said I was very pretty and cute. I couldn’t stop looking at her boobs and teeth!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING SEXUAL EXPERIENCE? Ha-ha being the least sexy female around sarcastically “stripping” for me other half... Emphasise sarcastically and falling over because my skinny jeans are to skinny to take off elegantly... Lucky boy!

IF YOU GOT THE CHANCE TO PRESENT SOMETHING TO THE TEAM ON THE DRAGON’S DEN, WHAT WOULD IT BE? A machine that creates the perfect Jäger bomb Every time I would sell it for 1,000,000 because I know how much I’ll do everyone a favour with it.

Images by: Rod Trussardi

WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO BE IN FIVE YEARS TIME? In 5 years time I have no idea I’m a “see what happens” kind of girl I don’t make plans.... I just don’t know, although a physic said I’d be in my dream job that I will stay with pretty soon.

BENEATH ALL KAOS THIS MONTH WE DISCOVERED THE LOVELY LADS THAT ARE ‘BENEATH ALL KAOS’ SO WE THOUGHT WE’D HAVE A CHAT WITH THEM & SEE WHAT THEY HAD BEEN UP TO! SO BOYS, FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVEN’T HEARD OF YOU BEFORE, INTRODUCE YOURSELVES? We’re Beneath All Kaos from the Seattle area. Our members consist of Dan Krogman: vocals, Ian Snow: bass, Kaleb Dawson: guitar/vocals, Nathan Casella: lead guitar, Justin Jacobson: drums/ percussion.

AND WHAT OTHER BANDS WOULD YOU SAY YOU SOUND LIKE? It’s difficult to really describe the way we sound. We really play all over the board as far as style. If we had to describe it, probably a hybrid between The Black Dahlia Murder, As I Lay Dying, and Suicide Silence. In a sense, it’s our own take on reinventing metal core.

BIG NEWS - YOU’VE RECENTLY BEEN ADDED TO ONE OF THE DATES FOR THE ‘I WRESTLED A BEAR ONCE’ WORLD TOUR. HOW ARE YOU FEELING ABOUT THAT? ARE YOU EXCITED? We couldn’t be happier about it. It’s going to be an exciting show with a lot of awesome bands and a lot of energy.

I Wrestled A Bear Once is one of those bands that has an extremely unique sound, and the other bands on the tour are definitely on par with them. All of us in Beneath All Kaos are really looking forward to sharing the stage with them.

YOU’RE CURRENTLY RECORDING AN E.P WHICH IS SET TO DROP IN OCTOBER, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT? Yeah, we recently finished tracking for our E.P, Sinking Vessels over in Tacoma, WA. We really stepped up our music in the studio and we added leads over parts, added some vocals, all things to make it sound more dimensional and

full. We feel like it’s going to really be something all our fans will love, as well as draw a lot more people into our fan base. Our single, Prisoner of Beliefs, which we will hopefully be releasing soon with a lyric video is definitely one of the heaviest tracks on the E.P. We’ll be releasing a track listing sometime in the middle of October.

AND I HEAR THERE MAY BE SOME TALK OF SIGNING TO SUMERIAN RECORDS? Well, we played on the Sumerian Stage at The Rockstar Mayhem Festival. There’s talk of it, and we definitely have an open mind with Sumerian, they have a lot of really awesome bands on their roster. They contacted us asking for our E.P when we played on their stage. I guess we will just have to wait and see what the future holds for us.

YOU ALSO PLAYED MAYHEM FESTIVAL THIS YEAR ALONGSIDE BANDS SUCH AS SLIPKNOT & SLAYER, TELL US A BIT

ABOUT THAT? The show was really great and we all had a blast. The bands on that tour never disappoint. We played right after Anthrax, and before The Devil Wears Prada. All of us love the bands that played it, so it was exciting for us as a band, and individually to be able to play with bands that we grew up listening to.

WHO DID YOU PARTY WITH AND WHAT WAS THE BEST PART OF THE FESTIVAL? The best part of the festival was seeing our fans there, as well as making a bunch of new ones, hanging out with some of the other bands. I think the easier question to answer is who we didn’t party with. Shout out to our boys in Betraying the Martyrs and Upon A Burning Body.

AFTER ALL THAT, WHAT’S NEXT ON THE AGENDA? Well for now, we’re working on setting up a small tour for our E.P, and getting a full length album out.

WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ABSOLUTE DREAM GOAL AS A BAND? To be signed, tour the world, and be able to play music as a career, and continue to write new music to share with everyone.

GIVE US ONE GOOD REASON WHY READERS SHOULD DEFINITELY CHECK YOU OUT? We’re something new. We set out to create our own sound, and push each song we write to be the best it can be.

We love meeting people as a band and connecting with fans. Whether you like heavy breakdowns, technical riffs, or melodic harmonies, we have something that you’ll like, and if we don’t, we’ll write it.

HAVE YOU GOT ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO THE W! READERS? Be sure to pick up a copy of our E.P, support your local music, and buy merch.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook and keep updated with our shows and what’s happening, because we can’t do anything without our fans. Also, thank you to Triple Crown Tattoo for supporting us financially with our E.P, and to Fingers Duke Design for supplying us with awesome merch.

A LOT OF INTERESTING STUFF GOING ON THERE & A LOT MORE HOPEFULLY COMING YOUR WAY, THANKS GUYS & WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST!

Interview by: Zoe Blush

Images by: Tiffiny Guarnes

SINNERS VS SAINTS HTTP://SVS.BIGCARTEL.COM SINNERSVSSAINTSCLOTHING@GMAIL.COM

E H T L L I K

D N E K E E W

D THIS MONTH WE HELD A COMPETITION TO GAIN AN INTERVIEW SLOT IN THIS ISSUE & HERE IT IS! WE CAUGHT UP WITH FUNNY GUYS ‘KILL THE WEEKEND’ SO STOP READING THIS & READ THE BLOOMIN’ INTERVIEW ALREADY! FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW, WHO ARE YOU? We are Kill The Weekend, a 5-piece band from Watford made up of Tim, George, Leigh, Tommy and Ali DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND TO A FIRST TIME LISTENER? Pretty sick…it’s a mix of alt. rock, pop/punk and all that. For a first time listener, prepare to have your ear cherries popped, it’s on par with Morgan Freeman narrating your life.

HAVE YOU GOT ANY NEW MATERIAL COMING SOON? Yeah we’ve got our new single ‘Smarter than the average bear’ which is up for free download, and we’re working on our first feature length album. We’ll be hitting

the studio with Justin Paul Hill soon and working on our new video as well.

YOU’RE RUNNING A HUGE SUMMER FESTIVAL OF YOUR OWN, WHO WOULD BE PLAYING & WHAT WOULD IT BE CALLED? We’d have to have Deaf Havana, You Me At Six, Don Broco, While She Sleeps and Asking Alexandria would be a must because Ben from AA is Tim’s cousin. There would be loads of stages for different genres, so we’d have Bootsy Collins, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and all sorts but we’d call it fondle fest so Michael Jackson and Gary Glitter, Barney The Dinosaur and Ali’s mum would headline.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST EVER GIG? Our first gig as Kill The Weekend was in 2009 at The Railway Club in our hometown of Watford! I can’t remember who we played with but I do remember going down like a lead balloon Being one of the few hardcore bands that existed in Watford at the time. The venue itself was awful, and was known for fights breaking out at most shows that were held and has now been

closed down because of this. It was like putting one direction with Chelsea Grin! We still gave it our all and managed to turn a few heads.

We are used to being hard to place amongst other bands as when we are put with hardcore bands we aren’t heavy enough but when placed in with pop rock bands we are too heavy. Tim and Tommy don’t remember the gig though….they weren’t in the band at the time!

HAVE YOU EVER HAD ANY HORRIFICALLY EMBARRASSING MOMENTS ON STAGE? We always manage to knock leads out and hit each other on stage, but a couple that stand out the most is when George fell over and hit his face on the PA playing with Jody Has A Hitlist and knocked himself out. Also when we played in front of no-one at a show in Brighton, no-one was moving so George grabs a microphone and says “Let’s see some movement in here, it’s well awkward…” everyone just looked at their drink and turned to the bar!

Also, the time when a hench guy asked Ali for bum sex!

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT AS A BAND TO

DATE? Probably getting on BBC London news for releasing a charity single for Royal Brompton Hospital and the time we played a packed out stage at Guilfest.

YOU’VE OBVIOUSLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME TOGETHER, HAVE THERE EVER BEEN ANY SCRAPS BETWEEN BAND MEMBERS? 5 people in a band are never going to agree over everything so there are always the occasional scraps but that’s just part of being a band.

We’ve had our fair share but hasn’t every other band?!

IF YOU HAD TO GO INTO THE DRAGON’S DEN & SELL YOUR BAND, HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT IT? We’d want it to be a massive spectacle so we’d have loads of bar charts and graphs (they won’t mean anything, they just look good!) and we’d have exotic dancers in the background dancing to Run DMC. Describing the band we’d have Liam Neeson but he’d be holding an UZI and we’d tell him they have his daughter, just in case they say no.

THEY SAY YOU LEARN SOMETHING

NEW EVERY DAY. TELL US YOUR FAVOURITE, MOST USELESS FACT? Our favourite at the moment, and one we actually learnt this very day is, “Human foreskins are an ingredient in some anti-ageing products.” So if you feel like you’re looking old and withered, just get loads of foreskin and rub those bad boys all over your face!

WE’RE NOT GRACED WITH MANY OF THEM, BUT WHICH LADY IN MUSIC ARE YOU CRUSHING ON? Tommy likes a French singer called Alizee, not her music just her breasts. Ali doesn’t know many women so he turns to magazines and the internet and he’s got a thing for Rosie Jones, he’s also digging Pat Butcher right now, he heard she was getting on a bit in years so he’s offering his foreskin! Tim discovered the mute button is amazing when watching The Saturdays. George and Leigh declined to answer because they could only think of men.

WHAT IS THE MOST LISTENED TO TRACKS ON YOUR IPODS AT THE MOMENT? We’ve got a bit of a mix. George has listened to Deaf Havana’s ‘Smiles All Round’ about 25,678 times,

Tommy’s is Stone Cold Bush by RHCP. Ali’s been listening to Baby

by Justin Bieber and the Aladdin sound track, Leigh’s most listened to is Born and Raised by Alexisonfire.

Tim’s is Actors by Don Broco, it’s been played so many times it’s unhealthy.

IF YOU COULD BE ANY OTHER (LOCAL) BAND FOR THE DAY, WHO WOULD YOU BE & WHY? Enter Shikari and Gallows are from where we grew up so that would be pretty cool, but it’s got to be Frank Butcher and the Slags. They are a ska/punk band who run around naked on stage with trumpets, and they have an amazing name.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE BAND TO PLAY WITH SO FAR? We asked George this question but he got his dick out and left the room.

We loved playing with Zico Chain in Harlow, and Revoker because they got us bare beers that night!

WHAT’S NEXT ON THE AGENDA? We’re playing for Hot Chip in October and we’re main support for The Afterparty in November. We’ve been asked to do a set for Kerrang Klub in London as well. We’ll also

be looking to tour at the end of this year and most of next year to support the new releases we have coming out. If we’re lucky we might even take a couple trips abroad for a few shows.

HAVE YOU GOT ANYTHING TO SAY TO THE W! READERS? We want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has taken the time out to read this and hopefully you had as much of a giggle as we did answering the questions. We really appreciate it, and hopefully you’ll check us out on facebook and come to a show or two!

Also, never forget to carry protection when engaging in sexual intercourse with a lady. I recommend a sawn off shotgun in case ‘dat bitch crazy (Tommy is an invaluable source of knowledge when it comes to hot bitches….we think).

WELL THAT WAS A VERY w...

INTERESTING INTERVIEW, YOU CRAZY LOT. YOU’RE NOT GOING TO WANT TO GIVE THESE BOYS A MISS, IN FACT, GO TO THEIR FACEBOOK PAGE RIGHT NOW... NO NOW... STOP READING & GO!

London

TattoO

Convention

We were lucky enough to be invited along to this years Intonational London Tattoo Convention. We arrived at Wapping station and made our way up to the Tobacco Docks. We mosied our way inside where we were warmly greeted by a young man’s bum cheeks only to realise he was tattooed head to toe with a woman’s face, her mouth conveniently placed over his cheeks.

So with that in mind we knew we were in for some interesting sights and headed on deeper inside.

We wondered round and found a range of amazing tattooists but I’ve got to say the one that fascinated me the most were the tappers. They took a needle on a stick, dipped it in ink and whilst one guy was holding the skin in place, the other would hit the stick with a wooden block causing the needle tip to stab repeatedly into the skin. Effectly the same outcome as a modern tattoo gun but the process

being a lot slower. Another method was with a sharpened animal bone, dipped in ink and the tip placing the ink under the skin. Even the baldest, hardest looking men looked like they wanted a cuddle from their Mum. Tattooing aside (but never tattoos aside) we headed downstairs to what seemed like a little alternative village (I wanted to move in!) with a little bar on your first left and then small stalls in every other room, you were utterly surrounded by hard working, talented people just trying to do and sell exactly what they love. Each different room presented us with such things as clothing, modelling agencies, piercing accessories, alternative baby wear, we found

something interesting every which way we turned but that wasn’t the best thing our eyes would fall on on this day.

Walking around we heard a huge voice reign over the soud system ordering us to get our behinds to the ‘main stage’ centered in the middle of the stores, just outside the bar where our jaws and the floor were about to meet for at least the next half hour. The Fuel Girls hit the stage, a group of fine young ladies with a range of different performances and talents including belly dancing, knife juggling, burlesque, pole dancing and more, also including a lovely glittery spandex trousered guy who liked to rap himself up in flags along to a back dub-step track and then drop from deathdefying heights. But then my friends, was the Nerdy Stripper. Each time dressed in a different sytle super hero strip costume (and by that I mean gloves, shoes and an underbust corset, complete with accessories) she would mount the stage and ride it

all the way back home. With a cracking body and breasts that jiggled like jelly on a plate this girl had all eyes on her and secret boners in all the guys pants, the was not one to miss. Although I must say, even as a fellow female it’s kind of awkward when you turn round and there’s a6-7 year old standing behind you with a slightly cocked head and a slightly confused look on their face. Although the event welcomed people of any age, I wouldn’t of advised it. Was even more awkward than agreeing to watch Titanic with your Nan and forgetting about the very heated sex scene.

An amazing weekend was had by all WASTED! members that attended, we met some amazing people including Arabella Drummond, the wonderful Suicide Girls, Antony Flemming, Missy LePink and Mush and Chris of Custom Plugs and the beautiful people of Dark Arts. Interview are to follow in this issue and next. See you all there next year!

DARK ARTS We love nothing more than being surrounded by beautiful, tattooed beings, so what better place to find these types than the London Tattoo Convention? ‘Dark Arts’ are an alternative modelling agency, originally launching in 2005. Dark Arts strongly believe that there is no reason alternative models should not be considered for more mainstream positions and offer only professional, experienced models for such things as fashion and editorial shoots, music videos, catwalk and fashion shows, hosting, hair shows, film and television roles, promotional assignments and photographic projects. Many of their featured models also provide a range of performances.

Although a lot of alt models take part in glamour style shoots, Dark Arts like to make it clear that they do not provide models for porn or adult work of any kind.

We shall be interviewing Asha Tank, the founder of Dark Arts in the next issue of WASTED! So make sure you look out for that!

CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF & TELL US WHAT YOU’RE DOING HERE? “Hi my name is Missy LePink and I am here promoting the launch of my ‘Missy LePink Tattoo Tonic’ which is a vegan friendly aftercare balm, it’s completely chemical free and will keep the colours of your tattoos nice and bright.”

my favourite music venue in London, it was fantastic in there it was all full of skulls and it was just a really nice place to hang out. I was quite annoyed that Costa Coffee took over, they built another coffee shop on Holloway Road which wasn’t really necessary so I got that to kinda… shoot them. [laughs]

YOU SAY YOUR PRODUCT IS VEGAN FRIENDLY, IS THAT BECAUSE YOU’RE VEGAN YOURSELF? “Yes and there wasn’t any on the market that were suitable for vegans so I’ve always had trouble with tattoo aftercare. The main thing was to make something without beeswax which most over aftercare companies, even if they say they’re any products, they still tend to use it. So yeah, I managed to do it!”

HAVE YOU MANAGED TO GET UP TO ANYTHING ELSE AT THE CONVENTION? “Yeah I’ve been watching the performances, seen a few of the bands. I saw Vince Ray, sneaked off to watch him just before you guy came so I didn’t get to see the whole set. It’s been a lot of fun, I’ve met some really nice people. I’ve seen some amazing work upstairs, I’ve been watching a lot of the tappers and some people have had some amazing pieces done. I’ve been sitting here jealous, not being able to have anything done because I’ve been sitting here on the stool. It’s like being a kid in a candy shop.”

THERE ARE LOADS OF TATTOO AFTERCARE PRODUCTS OUT THERE, WHY SHOULD CUSTOMERS USE YOURS? “Well for those with a conscience, those who really are vegan, there isn’t really one on the market that doesn’t have chemicals or is actually vegan. It’s quite hard to find both and I’d say you should use mine because it’s the best! [laughs] but I would say that wouldn’t I? We tested it over about two years and had 100% positive feedback. So it’s for anyone with really sensitive skin, when you get the dry skin while the tattoo is healing. We also found that it took about half the time to heal a normal tattoo when using it three times a day.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST TATTOO? “It’s quite embarrassing actually, I think I was about 13 and it was done by a guy called Bugs who is a fantastic artist and is now known all over the world.

I went up and shook my finger at him last night and said ‘you shouldn’t have done that!’ But it was a celtic pair of shape-shifters - it’s like two sort of half birds, half snakes and goes round my arm. I’ve thought about having it covered up a few times but I figured it’s a battle-scar and because I’ve got so many brightly coloured tattoos around it now it’s not quite so noticeable, just going to have to take that one on the chin – I liked it once.”

WHAT’S THE LAST TATTOO YOU GOT? “It’s was the pistol on my arm, I got this done when The Gaff on Hollway Road closed down and it was

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE ARTIST? “Funnily enough I’ve just found out about this girl that I’ve never heard of before, can’t really class her as my favourite because I haven’t had anything done by her yet. There was a lady who came to the stool and she had these fantastic, quite pink sugar skulls with bows on them and it fantastically well done – her name is Miss Jo Black and she’s in Bath at Black Ink Tattoos, so I’m going to get a piece by her and the other one I found was Crispy Lennox, he’s at Black Garden Tattoo in London, his work is fantastic – the eyes really pop, they’re really bright. He also does a lot of crying ladies, he got really unique, lovely style.”

AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SING FOR VIVA LEPINK? “Yeah that’s my band! We’re kind of Rockabilly/ slight Psychabilly – real upbeat. We have a double bass player who’s also in another great band called Graveyard Johnny. We’re bringing out an E.P at the end of October called London Crawling and we’re going to bring out an album next year so we’re hoping to go on tour then. It’s a new project really, not much to say about it just yet except it’s very pink, very bold and we have a lot of good fun live.

Come see our pink elephant!

Antony Flemming SO HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING AT THE LONDON TATTOO CONVENTION? “I guess… I don’t even… All the artists here are unbelievable.”

WHO’S YOUR FAVOURITE ARTIST HERE? “Probably someone like Uncle Allan or Tim Hendrix, there’s so many people!

Everyone, everyone, they’ve got the best in the world her, it’s just crazy that I’ve been asked to do it really.”

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN TATTOOING AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO IT? “I got into it because when I was in college I was doing fine art doing a project on Japanese wood work – artists like Hokusai, the one that did the Great Wave and a lot of that style is used within tattooing, did a little side project on tattooing and just got really interested in it. I went to get tattooed and the place I went to, the apprentice that was there had just stolen a shit load of money from the shop so obviously he got kicked out and they needed a new apprentice. I had designed my own tattoo so they obviously knew I could draw, they asked me to bring in my portfolio and that was it really!”

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIALISED STYLE

OR IS THERE A PARTICULAR STYLE YOU LIKE? “I tend to use real reference like animals and flowers and just put my own style on it.”

SO IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY! IS BEING ASKED TO BE HERE TODAY A GOOD BIRTHDAY PRESENT? “Yes! We only got told a few days ago that we were doing it so it’s been a mad rush and obviously it’s been my birthday today as well, it the best birthday present I could’ve asked for! “

month or so later I look at it and think well I could have done that different, I could have done that a bit better. I’m really proud of something I did the other day, I did a chest-piece on my friend which was like a bird cage with two birds and stuff, that was quite cool.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY PARTICULAR METHODS OR TECHNIQUES IN YOUR TATTOOING? “I always do two different liners, I always do a thicker line around the whole outside and do detail in the thinner liner other than that just solid colour and bold lines I guess.”

WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING SOMEONE HAS ASKED YOU TO TATTOO ON THEM? “Basically, there’s a guy that comes in our shop quite a bit, he’s a bit of a mentalist and he’s quite… perverted I guess, he came in and specifically asked for me as well which was the weird thing and he had two pictures, one was of what he already had done which was like a fetish style Tinkerbell with bondage gear on holding anal beads and the anal beads looped up and then went down past his belt buckle. The second picture was what he wanted it to extend into, you can imagine where this is going… The second picture showed him bent right over and then going up into this arse… I declined the tattoo. I was like, ‘I’m not doing that!’”

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST TATTOO YOU’VE EVER DONE? “I kind of change my opinion as I go, like I may do something and at the time thought it was really great but then a

This is only part of the interview we had with Mr Flemming, but we like to give you a reason to come back next month.

Keep a look out for part 2 in next month’s issue of WASTED! Magazine

WHAT ARE YOU DOING FOR YOUR CELEBRATIONS AFTER THIS? “Getting very drunk and doing something very stupid.”

(All tattoo convention) images: Jake Owens

Interviews: Valentine Young & Zoe Blush

REVIEWS! REVIEWS! REVIEWS! five minutes compared to just two tracks on their last record) and in comes considerably more melodic vocals. Inevitably, some fans will see the new vocal approach and shorter song length as a ploy to gain more mainstream recognition but they’re not seeing the bigger picture; that ‘Empire Of Light’ strikes a near-perfect balance between aggressive screams and delicate singing that emphasises the emotion of the songs better than ever before and overall makes for a better listen.

DEVIL SOLD HIS SOUL – EMPIRE OF LIGHT Undoubtedly one of this month’s most anticipated releases, Devil Sold His Soul’s third full length ‘Empire Of Light’ carries with it huge expectations but it somehow manages to exceed all of them with eleven tracks of stunning modern, heavy music. The album is a massive leap forward from 2010’s ‘Blessed And Cursed’ in every aspect, providing a more concentrated, distilled shot of the band’s trademark ambient hardcore sound.

This is the Smirnoff to ‘Blessed and Cursed’’s WKD. It’s also fair to say that ‘Empire Of Light’ is a more mature record and shows a much more accessible side of DSHS. Gone are the overly long songs of previous efforts (seven tracks are under

Even more impressively, the songs on ‘Empire Of Light’ manage to sound linked to each other like a single cohesive piece of music but without ever sounding repetitive or samey. It’s almost as if, whether the band intended it or not, there is a theme running throughout the album within the music, the lyrics and even the artwork. What that theme actually is will most likely be unique for every listener but credit has to go to DSHS for crafting a soundscape in which you can lose yourself and for creating music that actually takes you places in your mind whether it’s memories of the past of dreams of the future.

The album opens with one of its highlights; ‘No Remorse, No Regrets’; a track that is a perfect example of how far these South-England lads have come. Crunching riffs and lots of screamyswearyness stand comfortably next to beautifully open instrumental passages that fans of Jesu or Russian Circles will love. The track then pours its soul into your ears with a climatic rush of emotional lyrics and walls of guitar and samples and this is a common feature on the record; moments of pure ecstasy that evoke feelings of strength and vulnerability all at once.

stride with a sense of confidence and accomplishment beyond their years.

For the most part, Van Susans come across like the lovechild of Something Corporate and The Gaslight Anthem, but with a distinctly British element to their sound that fans of Frank Turner would enjoy. But ‘Paused in the Moment’ is much more that the sum of its influences; it’s an inspired set of anthemic Pop-Rock tunes that satisfy both the head and heart.

Van Susans – Paused in the Moment Debut albums are usually pretty mixed affairs, often hinting at what a band is capable of without ever really hitting top gear. This is a convention that U.K. sixpiece Van Susans have decided to ignore with their first full-length effort, ‘Paused in the Moment’; a record that sounds remarkably like the finished article and documents a band clearly hitting their

The album’s first single ‘Fireworks’ displays the band at their energetic best, with piano-led riffs dancing amongst dynamic melodies and first track ‘Bricks Not Sticks or Straw’ is a definitive album highlight that demonstrates Van Susans’ keen sense for a catchy hook. A big part of what makes this music so captivating is the vocals of Olly Andrews’, who manages to pen poetic lyrics and yet sing without a hint of pretence, bringing a uniquely British and an honest, raw tone to the mix.

There’s only a couple of minor points on which ‘Empire Of Light’ could be improved. Firstly, the final three tracks of the album total up to a combined length of about 25 minutes and regardless of how good the songs are (and they are seriously good) the album’s conclusion becomes a somewhat tiring listen. The ambient keyboards and shoeglaze-like guitar refrains that were so mesmerizing at the beginning of the record begin to outstay their welcome and shift from being impressively progressive to slightly over-indulgent and consequently, the end of the album loses some of the focus and direction that the rest of the songs have. Perhaps it would have been wiser to spread the longer tunes out instead of clumping them together at the end. Furthermore, although the songs are extremely well-written, you feel as if the choruses could be bigger and even a little catchier. After going to the trouble of bringing Ed Gibbs’ singing to the forefront, it wouldn’t be such a departure to just crank the ‘epic’-level of the choruses up a few notches. After all, the bands who popularised style of music originally (Underoath, From First To Last, etc.) all made catchy hooks and big melodies an integral part of their sound.

Realistically though, these issues are minor drawbacks to an otherwise awe-inspiring album that should be considered a modern classic and one of the musical highlights of 2012. This is an album that you can appreciate on your first listen but that’ll show you new things every time you go back to it.

9/10 - Craig Elvy

As the album progresses, the focus shifts from up-tempo rock numbers to more contemplative tracks such as the majestic ‘If I Succeed’; a tune that could soften the hardest of hearts with its vivid lyrics and moving violin courtesy of Holly McLatchie. Despite this change in emphasis however, Van Susans lose none of their magic and continue to mesmerise and amaze and by the end of the twelve tracks, you can’t help but think that hardworking, talented acts such as this should be sitting in the U.K. top ten instead of that demonically bad ‘Bom Bom’ song. Seriously, whoever wrote that needs to re-evaluate their life.

‘Paused in the Moment’ may not be an album that all Wasted! readers would typically listen to, but once you delve into the record and experience what it has to offer, it just won’t matter. If you give them a chance, Van Susans might just be your new favourite band.

9/10 - Craig Elvy

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Brothers At Heart I was quite plesently surprised when I first opened 'I'd Steal The Stars'. Now don't get me wrong, I love bands tearing the place apart & throwing themselves every which way as much as the next person but it's also nice to chill every now and then and listen to music that even 60 year olds can understand and let's face it, probably won't give them a heart attack.

'Walk Away' was just as lovely as 'I'd Steal Stars', if not more so! The simplicity of just Jamie's voice over an acoustic guitar compliment each

and unhinged breakdowns rubbing shoulders with sugar-sweet choruses and a smattering of electronics which gives SWD a distinctly modern edge. ‘Awake and Dreaming’ however, is one of those chameleon records which is able to effortlessly transcend genres without compromising the quality of the music. The ten tracks skilfully decorate the post-hardcore cake with elements of pop-punk, metal and alternative rock and the band impress with every different style they adopt.

SLEEP WELL DESTROYER - AWAKE AND DREAMING After making a big noise in their native Denver across the Atlantic, Sleep Well Destroyer are slowly gathering wider acclaim with their brand new album ‘Awake and Dreaming’. The American five-piece build their sound upon the post-hardcore legacy popularised by bands such as From First To Last and Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows with eclectic riffs

The Omega Particle – Cremation of Worlds Science fiction-y band name? Check.

Philosophical artwork? Check. Could the front cover be mistaken for a book by Brian Cox? Why, yes it could. So we’re looking at yet another djent band right? Erm, well no

The great thing about SWD’s refusal to stick to one genre is that the album takes listeners on a carousel of emotions and experiences; ‘The Fall of Arisa’ for example is brilliantly energetic and the musical equivalent of putting your foot through the nearest wall out of pure rage, however ‘Fourteen and Fourteen’ provides a moment of quiet reflection which has more in common with fellow Denverdwellers Jimmy Eat World. Because of this diversity, each song on ‘Awake and Dreaming’ stands out on its own merit and won’t fade from your memory after the first listen like so many albums do.

For me, the standout track here is ‘The Blade, The Wounds, The Suture, The Scar’ which begins with the most brutal of breakdowns but at its heart has an absolute beast of a chorus. The track does

actually. Despite looking for all the world like the latest in a long line of progressive metal CDs to reach Wasted!’s hallowed ears, Cremation of Worlds by North England’s Omega Particle is actually a very decent slice of hardcore with a welcome melodic metal edge that keeps things simple and brutal.

Opening track ‘Warcry’ kicks things off with a speech detailing the atomic strike on Japan by the United States in 1945 and the devastation and destruction it caused; an analogy which is entirely appropriate because the first thing worth mentioning is that Cremation of Worlds is one of the most sonically powerfully records out there. The production is impeccable and the band comes out of your speakers sounding beefy, but crystal clear and the result is nothing short of an awesome wall of sound.

Cremation of Worlds continues for the most part down the path of brutality and power, but can never be accused of taking an ‘all brawn, no brains’ approach. The metallic riffs from Darren Clegg and Joe Hunter instantly alternate between intelligent and

other so beautifully with a very 'Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly' feel about them.

Brothers At Heart are just so lovely & that's really the only word I can think of that describes them perfectly and I know that's not what we usually go for here at WASTED! but it's actually quite a nice breath of fresh air. If you're having a bad day, I dare you to put these guys on and tell me you still feel like beating the crap out of everyone in the room. Absolutely wonderful 9/10 - Zoe Blush

however, contain one of THE most awful samples known to mankind; the music gives way to the sound of a phone ringing, a woman answers with “What?!” and some guy tells her to “Shut the fuck up”. It’s honestly terrible. And more importantly, it completely ruins the momentum of an otherwise amazing song.

Furthermore, whilst the band’s musicianship is both powerful and professional, the lyrics do unfortunately lack a touch of polish and refinement.

By no means are they awful, most of the time the lyrics are either fine or inaudible but hooks such as “Fourteen and fourteen is twenty-eight, that’s how long I have to wait” stand out for all the wrongreasons and leave you wondering where the fuck the maths lesson suddenly came from. It just isn’t the thought-provoking, inspiring words that the music deserves.

Despite the blips however, Sleep Well Destroyer have crafted a truly impressive album here and surely more recognition will be coming their way very soon.

8/10 - Craig Elvy

emotive or sludgy, mindless noise and Gareth Jones’ drumming is inventive and at times, progressive enough to separate the tunes from more straight-up hardcore acts.

Omega Particle do what they do with skill, but this E.P. has a tendency to drift into repetition.

Whilst the songs are good, there isn’t much difference between them, as the band move between fast riff, slow riff and breakdown and then repeat the cycle. For this reason, the highlight of the E.P. is without doubt the final track, ‘For We Bring Apocalypse’ which introduces melodic vocals and snazzy lead guitar and brings Omega Particle’s sound into a whole different dimension of metal which fits the band like a glove. It all comes as a bit of a surprise to be honest; it’s not a direction you expect Omega Particle to go by the time you arrive at the fourth song but nevertheless, ‘For We Bring Apocalypse’ hints at a band with more than one trick up its sleeve.

7/10 - Crraig Elvy

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