Well the first tattoo convention of the year for us Sinners was, quite frankly, a stress-filled pain in the arse!
From the moment we arrived on day one, it was clear we were going to have problems.
We found our booth ok and started to get set up… but hold on… nowhere to put my power pack, colours etc? No water, no paper towels? What the fuck? So off we go to find someone who knows… an organiser (ha-ha) So we find one, who tells us there should be a stall for paper towels, water etc, but it’s not set up yet… so we leave it a while… then find another person with a smart ear-piece, and… surprise, they still don’t know where to find these basic essentials – he does manage to direct us to a sink though! Which isn’t really what we needed. Eventually we gave up trying to get anything with these muppets and Mrs Sinner went into town to get them instead. Then we began to put stuff up… and it fell down! brilliant!
Then I started to realise the bits I’d left behind in the studio… no lamp! excellent!
Good job I found my clip on the glasses led lights in my case!
More drama – Not enough small tips! so I have to go and buy a box of disposables. The I look and my cleaning bottle is almost empty! Blimey, I really must pay more attention when packing stuff up.
So, we get the booth looking okay and the punters start arriving, and asking for designs and prices etc – so I get the laptop going and try to scan stuff and print stuff…. and surprise, surprise! The fucking thing won’t work! No scanner, no printer! I get a bit flustered and delete the driver I need by mistake – bollocks!
So then I have to pay a fiver to get the internet (you’d have thought these days that a massive International Centre would have free fucking Wi-Fi wouldn’t you?) and download another one – and it still won’t work – I figure out it must be the USB cable is knackered… so as I don’t have a spare, I’m knackered too!
But, then one of the organisers (lol) tells me there’s a booth in the merchandise hall that can scan and print for us – result! So I leave the expectant customers waiting while I go and get the designs re-sized. Well these two idiots were fantastic! How about nearly 40 minutes to do two scans and print outs…! Honestly, it was the most frustrating thing, watching this dumbass who obviously had never managed to dress himself let alone used a Macbook before, try and do such a simple task. By the end of my long wait there was a massive queue behind me! So then I get back and at last manage to get the first tattoo of the day under way.
After that it got marginally better – though my wolf started pretty badly, looking a bit like a scabby dog for a while! Before I got my brain engaged, changed machines, and sorted it out. The Indian Chief and wolf turned out alright in the end, thank god, and the customer, Hank, was pleased with it.
By the end of day one I was ready to get back to the hotel and just disintegrate! Mrs Sinner and I went down to the hotel restaurant and had a bloody fantastic dinner! Just what the doctor ordered!
Day two was better – we nipped into town and got a new USB cable which sorted the scanning and printing drama – yippee! But despite being quite busy, it really lacked any atmosphere and people were just browsing and asking ‘how much’ and not really seeming to want much tattoo work. I did a funny finger moustache to add to our Facebook folder and some diamonds and stars but that was really it. No-one seemed to want anything big, but that’s how it goes sometimes I guess… At least it was less stressful!
So by about 4.30 the place was dying a death, so we packed up early and were back on the road home by about half six.
Will we go again next year? I doubt it. Pretty poor organisation, lack of atmosphere and lathargicl punters mean I’ll give it a miss thanks
Oh yeah – and they still owe me a bloody refund!

Mrs Sinner in hiding!

Good job I packed the 'eye-lights'!

Lamb Shank on parsnip mash... awesome!

Hayley and her new 'tache!

You can't go to a convention without getting a new toy!

Just to remind all you lovely Sinners that our week of Tattoos & Art gallery exhibition opens this thursday 19 May at the Greenstede Gallery in the Chequermead Arts Centre, East Grinstead.
For the last god knows how many weeks, we’ve been painting and drawing our backsides off in preparation for our very first gallery event!
And it’s nerve wracking stuff let me tell you!
Putting your art on display for all is leaving yourself open to all kinds of criticism, judgement and ridicule, so we really hope it’s well received and the paying public enjoy it.
So if you’re at a loose end this week, drop in and have a look, say hi and take in the hard work that is Tattoos & Art