17 November 2009

Getting a tat - Canberra Freestyle

17 November 2009 | johnboy

[First Published on: Nov 15, 2009]

The all seeing eye has chanced across this little insight into the world of getting tattooed.

It’s by “Kassishappy” and come with this note:

the title pretty much says is all, this is aliyah my best friend getting tattooed by May from Freestyle Canberra, Australia.

Join the conversation

All Comments

All Comments
Website Comments
Facebook Comments

LatestOldest

vg4:39 pm 29 Apr 11

“Motorhead was a heavy metal group in the 1970s”

….and the 80s, and the 90s and the 2000s. Still play live these days and Lemmy has appeared recently with The Foo Fighters and others.

But you’d have to have an actual knowledge of music to know that

UnhappyTattoo3:43 pm 29 Apr 11

Here is my recent feedback from my experience at Freestyle;

Apart from paying tax, nothing else is more permanent than adorning your body with a tattoo – the average person spends months, if not years, thinking about the “right” design, and it’s an extremely emotional and stressful time.

This is where the competent tattoo artist allays the fears, and provides professional guidance and advice to ensure that the resulting piece of art is as good as it can be.

Unfortunately, this is not the service one can expect when they meet with Ross, or any of the crew at Freestyle tattoo.

What they can expect is the following;

1. To have the guys on reception jumping around as if they are on crack, and making inappropriate comments

2. To book in for an initial consultation (2 weeks time), at which point Ross (or whoever you are unfortunate enough to meet), will refuse to look you in the eye, and sigh, roll his eyes, and state how “difficult” the job is. Keeping in mind he is a Japanese tattoo “expert”, and the piece in question was a half sleeve, of Japanese design, but with complete creative control given over to the tattoo artist!.

3. They will then be told to come back in 2 weeks time, at which point the tattoo artist will have, “An amazing design, which you will be stoked with”

4. They will come back in the prescribed 2 weeks time, to have said tattoo artist produce a sketch comprising of the head of a samurai, and then have to endure the following conversation

Ross (Tattoo Artist) “Hmmm. I haven’t really got much of it done.”

Customer “I can see that – what’s the problem?”

Ross “Well, your design doesn’t work. It’s too hard. It’s impossible.”

Customer “I gave you creative control, and you said you would come up with something awesome”

Ross “OK, we can wrap the tattoo around your arm”

Customer “Won’t that look strange and … well … a bit crap?”

Ross “Hmmm. Yeah, it will.”

Customer “This is starting to piss me off. Do you have any suggestions?”

Ross “I just gave you one.”

Customer “And it was rubbish. Surely you, as the artist, can come up with something?”

Ross “Well, you only gave me 2 weeks.”

Customer “Your receptionist booked the times in, and said this is the time that you need to create the tattoo after the consultation”

Ross “Hmm. Well I can do the design tonight, and you can come tomorrow, and if you like it we can do it.”

Customer “But in 2 weeks you haven’t been able to come up with something? How can you do it in 1 night”

Ross “Hmm. Yeah it probably won’t be great.”

Customer “I’ll take my money back now, thank you.”

To say I was disappointed would be an understatement – I’ve watched Miami and LA Ink, and I have friends in the industry over in the states and the UK. I understand what an artist needs – they need some direction, but ultimately to retain creative control so they have ownership over the project, and can invest their heart and soul into the “art”.

What Ross, and the chumps at Freestyle do is something akin to a fast food store mentality – no design, no customer service, no flair, no dedication, no devotion, and ultimately no passion.

Save your heartache and give FreeStyle tattoo a wide berth, you will only be disappointed and frustrated.

FUBAR10:56 am 25 Jan 10

seriously maybe all aussie lads should get the union jack tattooed on them or even the star of the commonwealth??? pull your head in when it comes down to it the only thing we have to show we are aussie is the southern cross and if you would rather TONGAN PRIDE or LEB-BEEMER driving around i seriously doubt your love for our country which is being riddled with un-appreciative people i say good on people with southern cross tattoos or stickers its about time we go back to being proud to be who we are.

westyonline7:21 pm 01 Dec 09

You know exactly what im talking about..When was the last time you saw a Holden Goonwagon with a southern cross on the back window,and it was’nt trying to run you off the road or had crap “YO I WANNA POP A CAP IN YA” gangsta music,driven by white middle class psychopaths!

cleo11:31 pm 20 Nov 09

Butterflies mean life!

westyonline4:24 pm 20 Nov 09

i do agree that a tat should be a personal thing…i hate the thought of some deadshit walking in to a tattoo palour to get a tat that will define them as a person,and decides on “The number 56 up there on the back wall!!”…our mighty southern cross has also lost its meaning,im sure alot of people see it these days as a modern day Swastika??

colourful sydney racing identity10:55 am 19 Nov 09

while we are on the subject, http://ugliesttattoos.com/, some nsfw.

cleo1:38 am 19 Nov 09

One should never get tattooes on the face or hands, where I worked someone came in with tatts all over his face, it was during the day, he had makeup on his face to cover it up

Skidd Marx5:56 pm 18 Nov 09

Jim Jones said :

Is a wrinkly body without tattoos any better or worse than one with them?

Wrinkly bodies are unsightly enough without ink drawing extra attention to them.

astrojax2:03 pm 18 Nov 09

where can i find someone to do ‘magic happens’ in the shapes of frangipani leaves on my lower back?

View more conversations

Featured Businesses

Electricians

True Connection Electrical

Since 2014, True Connection Electrical have been servicing residential and small commercial clients with reliable, trustworthy and top-quality electrical work.

Find out more