Sure, you go out and do a bit of riding, hit some new rails, fly down some hills really fast, jump a couple of gaps at the swimming pool, you even suprise or scare yourself with something awesome that years ago you would have deemed impossible. Later you sit outside of Tilleys pub with the 1987 vert world champion basking in the glory of a wholesome session and the awesomeness of your own friends, crew, lifestyle choices and everything about yourself. Your ego flag is flying high, ludicrously high. As the Saturday afternoon pints fly down your neck at a frightening speed you can feel a buzz in the air, tingles of excitement, and pangs of possibility in a world that has thus far swung in your favour and brought mostly good things and beautiful people to your proximity. With plans for more festivities further than this ad hoc drinking session you go and meet with another good friend, the sort of friend you trust with your life, in my tightest group of friends, theres an extra inner circle little basket of dudes I would trust with my life. We (Chris Lee and myself) meet this friend (Scott Taylor) and after tearing through the busy Newcastle streets we're fired up and very much alive, every cell of our bodies is fuming with all of life's positivity. Only Scott Taylor Happens to be a tattooist at the High Bridge branch of Hype Tattoo. When we get there Chris and I, now full to the brim with a day's peaking and about to crescendo euphoric thoughts concerning whim, freedoms and fire, are met in the dungeon like tattoo studio by Scott who has some timid looking Hipster in a vice like grip whilst fiendishly tattooing his forearm. Scott's bird is cracking jokes, Little Walter's harmonica is blaring from the speakers and Chris and I are bouncing of the walls when handed a huge bottle of whiskey and instructed to fix some drinks. Scott's client looks more and more nervous as we joke about and be ruthlessly obnoxious as only those coming up on the drink can be. Scott drinks whiskey, his bird drinks whiskey, we drink whiskey but the client doesn't get a look in, good job too, the measures were luda beans and I think he maybe had to drive. I drink to the spontaneity of owning a bicycle.
After Scott cleared up and took payment from his client he slapped on a pair of latex gloves, rubbed his rubbery hands together and with a look of mischievous high spirits in his eye he stated clearly and concisely 'ok lads, any tattoo you want, but it has to be hands or face."
Really though what could make more sense at this very moment than an NSF tattoo behind the ear?
We get them all the same like we're gang bangers or blood brothers.
I expected tattooing the skull to hurt like a motherfucker, but it wasn't all that bad.
Scott looks like he's concentrating here although I'm pretty sure he didn't have too.
Chris has done 1 or 2 tattoos and I have done none so he got to do the honours on Scott.
Scott said 'should we just use the same needle?' It was met with a resounding 'NO' in chorus by all present, Thank fuck, I didn't want to look like a pussy but I definitely didn't want to share a needle.
The result of drunken peer pressure, or a lifelong dedication to the cause. Either way with that 'S' I'm unfortunately going to be confused with the right wing forever more.
LEAGUE TABLE OF NSF TATTOOS
BLOB 1
PAUL BUCKLEY 1
MEXICAN JOHN 1
JAMES NEWRICK 1
SCOTT TAYLOR 1
PUD 1
CHRIS THE COUNT LEE 2
OLLY OLSEN 2
TOMMY LEE 4+
There's a lot of kids out there with NSF tattoos now, I've probably forgotten or don't know about some to be honest but this is the league table of who has the most NSF tattoos and Tommy Lee to my reckoning is way out in front.
SS NF HYBRID
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