North Lakes Tattoo Convention

How do you define the necessary rudiments that gift a tattoo convention its charm? Certain fixtures on the circuit manage to generate an atmosphere that is both warm and amiable but when you attempt to specifically pinpoint what elements fuse to produce this ambiance, it can be downright impossible!

Whatever that secret recipe is, Colin and Mike from Mike’s Tattoos in Carlisle have stumbled across it and put it to damned good use. The second North Lakes Tattoo Show took place over the weekend of the 25th and 26th of April in weather that can best be described as ‘changeable’, seeing, as we did, all four seasons crammed into forty eight hours.

However, it did nothing to dampen the spirits of anyone in Carlisle this weekend, and how could it? Beautiful tattoos, jovial attendees and some of the most awe-inspiring natural beauty that Britain has to offer surrounded us, not to mention the very reasonable price of a libation up in England’s attic.
Over fifty tattooists made their way to the historic Cumbrian city, many of whom had made the trip overseas to ply their trade in the Shepherd’s Inn, with Singapore, USA, Sweden, Spain and New Zealand all represented. The proliferation of overseas artists (from increasingly far-flung corners of the globe) working so many UK shows does beg the question of how the domestic tattoo scene is perceived by the rest of the world. Perhaps it’s the sense of community that prevails so strongly over here, coupled with the zest that tattoo aficionados have for discovering new artists that attracts foreign tattooists? It could even be the allure of the large, red, London-style bus that carried them to and from the show!

    There was a spread of working artists divided up between a large room in the centre of the Shepherd’s Inn and a smaller upstairs area, although the central aisle of the main tattooing room did suffer with regular bottlenecks as people clamoured to catch a glimpse of the artists crafting away at fresh ink. Restricted space for a public gangway is a pretty minor complaint and the show unfolded with such efficiency that this was nothing more than a slight inconvenience when trying to photograph tattooists at work. Upon reflection, the fact that this was the only perceivable complaint is a testament to just how fantastic this show was!

    As is oft the case, the tattoo competitions threw up a number of fantastic pieces that must have been hellishly difficult to arbitrate and the winners were all indeed worthy of their accolades. Mel from Dark Circle Tattoo in Middlesbrough scooped both Best Colour Small and Best of Day Sunday with two outstanding pieces of tattooing. Mel is a true gentleman and genuinely humble to boot, so it was a real pleasure to see his work recognised in such a manner. 

    One of the biggest draws of the weekend was a relatively unknown hand-poke tattooist working under the banner of Mudra in Heaton. Upon catching snatches of conversation (in which he gladly engaged), his infectious enthusiasm and tome-like knowledge of the spiritual motifs that he tattooed permeated all in the vicinity and his charming demeanour no doubt endeared him to many.

    Paco Excel made the journey over from California to introduce the UK tattoo scene to his younger brother, Christopher. Apprenticed by Paco for the past four years, Christopher has blossomed from a fine artist into a very promising tattooist and his flash sheets were met with great enthusiasm – he sold out shortly after the commencement of Sunday’s leg of the show!
Exquisite work flowed from so many machines over the two days; Gary Wiedenhof, Steve Byrne, Saz Saunders, Joe Wang and Paul Naylor were just a handful of the perpetrators and there was a continual bombardment of fresh tattoos to be snapped by our ever-ready lenses. One young lady who is worthy of a particular mention of valour sat for a period of over nine hours as Carl Cooke grafted away on a substantial body of work that encompassed most of her thigh, not once complaining or looking uncomfortable!
Anyone who attended the post-show soirée last year will have fond memories of the (already infamous) Roadhouse, where many of the working artists and convention goers could be found enjoying the entertainment on offer with a well-earned tipple or seven. It’s an ideal time to mingle and glean additional perspectives on a weekend well spent, with all encountered expressing their favourable thoughts on events recently transpired.

    Huge congratulations must be doled out to Colin, Mike and their extremely friendly and helpful team for organising another fantastic convention. The North Lakes Tattoo Show received glowing praise from 2008’s attendees and the crew have managed to tweak and fine-tune the details to a point where you need to be very picky indeed to find fault with the weekend. This is a truly magnificent convention that combines a roster of fantastic artists in an affable environment that is set in a great location, with a spotlight placed firmly on the art of the tattooist. To paraphrase Colin and Mike’s sentiments: “The tattooists that work this show…they ARE the entertainment.”