Decided that seeing Korn at the end of the month is just not going to be possible. For many reasons.

• The night before is Nay’s birthday. Me + Alcohol = Hangover.
• I would have to leave for London on the day exceptionally early. Issues here = hangover.
• I would be stopping at a friends, but have to leave exceptionally early the next morning as they have work. Issues here = lack of sleep.
• Money.
• Definitely money.
• I’m not actually as fussed as I thought I would be.

So, I have stuck my ticket on eBay! Which you can see here.

I’d really appreciate if people could pass this on, re-blog it, share the link, whatever! The show is in two weeks so I need to ensure it is sold in time for me to post it recorded delivery!! 

Thank you! :) 

I got this ask this morning; Hey, I’m researching possible places to get tattooed in Nottingham and noticed some of your awesome tattoos were done at a studio called Bodycraft. Care to share your experience? Thanks in advance. :)

So I figured I would just make a post about all the tattoo studios I’ve had and what I thought to each! 

I’ve been tattooed by seven different people; six guys and one girl. 

My first lot of tattoos (three stars outlined on my left wrist/arm, little brothers initials on my right wrist, shooting star above, three Egyptian symbols down my spine, a tiny infinity sign on the underside of my right arm and a tribal at the bottom of my back) were all done by a guy called Steve who at the time owned the tattoo side of Forbidden Pleasures tattoo and piercing studio, in Loughborough, Leicestershire. I was 17 when I got my first tattoo, two months before my 18th. I really had no idea about tattoos and tattooing in general and didn’t really have any idea about the quality of varying tattooists, tattoo styles or even any tattoo history. All of the tattoos done by Steve, are abysmal. He went too deep on practically every one, causing them to scar in the outline of each. He also told me to use vaseline to take care of them, which I have since learnt is just a big no no! 

Steve then sold up and moved abroad and he sold the studio to Chris and Stef who turned it into Anarchy (http://www.anarchytattoo.co.uk/) Stef was my main tattooist when they took over and he did my chest piece, my Dawnii heart sealed envelope at the top of my right arm, cherries on my left foot and my teapot on my upper left arm. He also filled in my stars which Steve had done as they weren’t even the right shape and the only way to make them look as much better as we could, was to fill them in. I liked Anarchy. I liked Stef and Chris. I spent a lot of time down at Anarchy, practically everyday I would be down there. I’d make tea for every one and just hang out there all day everyday and it was fun. Chris also tattooed me, an Ankh in my cleavage. Except I mixed business with pleasure and things turned sour. About two years ago they got a new apprentice, one who took an immediate disliking to me and made it awkward whenever I was there. So I just stopped going in. I haven’t been in there for two years. At the time, I loved the work they did for me. But not so much anymore. The Ankh that Chris did needs redoing, and my teapot by Stef is just not the best quality. It looks out of place. My current tattooist, Vicky, is going to redo all of my old tattoos as we go along. From work I have seen uploaded to facebook, they haven’t much improved over the years I haven’t been in. Same old stuff, same quality. Stef once said ‘You don’t need to be able to draw to be a tattooist’ which says it all really. Being a tracer, does not make you an artist. 

Whilst hanging out at Anarchy I starting buying and reading tattoo magazines; Skindeep mainly. I still buy them every now and then and I think their good to show you the different artists in the UK, the varying tattoo styles, different methods and techniques used etc. It helps you when you’re deciding what you want and how you want it done! 

Another apprentice Anarchy had when I spent time there, was Dane (http://www.facebook.com/burtoninc?ref=ts). Dane designed my chest piece for me (but Stef tattooed it) and whilst there he did my scissors on my right foot, my ribbon on my right leg, ‘Impure’ on the underside of my left wrist, a Dawnii anchor piece on the left hand side of my shoulder. He wasn’t there very long as he crossed Stef and Chris and legged it. I carried on getting tattooed by him for a bit; an buoy piece on the right hand side of my back, my date of birth on the underside of my right wrist and most recently, a pin cushion piece on my left thigh. I used to get tattooed a lot by Dane because he would do them really, really cheap. And its only the past year and a half I’ve realised that that isn’t the way to go with tattoos. You pay for the quality you get. And a lot of my tattoos are poor quality and need redoing or touching up. When I got my pin cushion recently with Dane, it’s because it was his design. But I hate it, the quality is dire and that is being completely redone by Vicky. Dane is a good lad, when he wants to be in a good mood. But he works from home, he doesn’t have anyone he works with to learn from or show him new techniques and his work, like that of Anarchy’s, doesn’t seem to be improving in standard which is a shame because I think he does have the talent in him to do well. 

I just want to point out; if I hadn’t already known Dane and had work done by him in a studio, I never would have gotten work done when he started working from home. I don’t agree with scratchers. I don’t agree with people who learn on their own, at home. But this situation was different. I knew him, he had worked in my at the time consistent tattoo studio and I knew the standard and quality of his work plus he had all the right equipment and knew how to use everything. 

Around the time I stopped hanging out at Anarchy, another tattoo studio opened round the corner, Blue Flame, run by someone I knew from the local, James, and his friend Jon. I got a tattoo done here, ‘sagabo’ which is Greek for ‘I love you’ (my favourite word in Greek) on the side of my left hand. But it was rubbish. He had to redo it three times and I never went there again. All of the work I have seen from there is pretty rubbish, although to my knowledge James no longer runs it due to disagreements. 

When I moved to London I thought this would be a chance for me to get some amazing tattoo work done, I’d use my loan, go to some of the best studios in London, etc. Things didn’t work out like that though. London prices are horrendous for the work they produce and I never got round to finding any good artists. I did however get one piece done in London but a guy called Jan Atslega who was new to Old London Road tattoo studio in Kingston (http://www.facebook.com/oldlondonroadtattoos) And I’m actually really happy with it. Its a crow in flight on my lower back to the right side, and the quality and detail is beautiful. I don’t know if he still works there, as he told me he didn’t like England and wanted to try somewhere else. 

And then there is Vicky Morgan (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=772511801). Vicky is an artist I’ve known for a few years now. I first knew of her for her paintings and artistry which was in Skindeep. They did a feature spread on her, back when she was just the receptionist at Bodycraft, Nottingham, where she is now one of the most popular tattoo artists. Vicky did an apprenticeship at another studio before joining the tattooists at Bodycraft and this was done at Modern Body Art, Birmingham, which is run by Jo Harrison. I travelled to Modern Body Art twice for Vicky to do my sharkie, which is on my left side ribs. I adore my sharkie, its probably my favourite all time tattoo! And over the past couple of months I’ve started getting more work done by Vicky as she is doing my owl and tea themed sleeve! And I am going to stick with Vicky from now on too. The work she does is amazing, she’s one very talented artist. All the work I’ve had and plan to have with Vicky, has been and will be custom. I pay £70 an hour at Bodycraft, something I never would have dreamed of years ago when starting to get tattoos. But now I’ve learnt that you really do have to pay for quality and its worth it because at the end of the day, these will be on me forever. 

There’s three different Bodycraft’s in Nottingham, all the same franchise. I personally would recommend the original studio which is in the Excise Chambers, off of Pelham Street. The other artists there are Justin, Lee and Tom, all of whom have some pretty amazing work up on the walls and in their online portfolios. They are tattooists I would recommend to anyone. 

Me and Irena are waiting for our stargazer bleach to come, then we are off to Camden for a bit, then off to the Slipknot exhibition before coming back and dying our hair! 

About 5 weeks ago my friend Emma posted a status on facebook along the lines of, ‘Corey Taylor is doing an acoustic set in London, does anyone want to go with me?’ And of course, I instantly jumped at the chance. I had missed his acoustic set at Sonisphere last year so was more than happy to see him do one in London. 

So we booked the tickets and after we had booked them, I read a bit more about the event to see what was actually in store. 

It was advertised as a Waterstones event to promote his new book, “Seven deadly sins”, a book where Corey delves into our sins. The event was advertised as an intimate acoustic set and Q&A. But it was so much more!

We got to the Relentless Garage at around 2pm where not many people were already queuing. We managed to be the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th in queue. The doors didn’t open until 7pm by which time there were a couple of hundred people queuing. We got to the barrier, I was almost dead centre so that made me a very, very happy Sophia. 

When he came on I about gushed. What a beautiful fucking man! We had around half an hour where he read part of chapter 7 of his book then talked a little bit about the book and how he came about writing it. Then we had an hour of questions where he pretty much answered any question anyone had. I asked two; Do you like tea? To which he said ‘Yes, yeh I do, but I don’t like cream or sugar’ to which of course I said, ‘Cream?! Milk Corey, milk!’ and he said ‘Ah I don’t know, cream, milk. I like my black with lots of caffine!’ I was blatantly loving life. Then later I asked which was his favourite tattoo. He said his newest one dedicated to Paul Gray, which he got out for me to take a photo of…

After the Q&A he spent about an hour and half doing an acoustic set. He hadn’t written a set list, instead asked us what we wanted him to play. Slipknot songs were out of the question as he didn’t have the right guitar. But he performed Stone Sour songs as well as covers of various artists such as Bon Jovi, Johnny Cash, Metallica, Skidrow and many more. Whenever we or he couldn’t think of what the next song should be, he went off to singing old commericals from when he was a kid or making songs up.

After it was all done my friends and I went round to the stage door. I managed to have a photo with Sid who was also there, met Corey’s family and got a photo with the man himself (yes, I nearly jizzed when he put his arm around me) I also got him to sign my ticket and write ‘I love tea’. 

Throughout the evening we had the pleasure of learning what a genuinely nice guy Corey is. He is funny and constantly had the crowd laughing. He is sincere, honest and overall just a normal down to earth guy. It was hard to look at him, listen to him and them imagine him how I saw him on Sunday at Sonisphere - In the typical slipknot orange boiler suit and mask, showing nothing but anger and fear through his songs. The guy is one I fully respect, not only after the astounding performance from Slipknot on Sunday but for an intimate evening I for one, will never forget. 

My original plan for my second year of Uni was to stay in the house I am already living in. As I like it there and I like my room. But last night one of the downstairs bedrooms ceiling caved in. So, none of us want to live there anymore.

So I have spent the past two hours or so looking for places to move into in September and can’t find ANYWHERE!

If anyone knows of letting agencies for students in London, preferably North London, can you let me know??

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I’m getting a coach back to London today with National Express. Whenever friends have come to visit me, they have got the same coach, same number. And they have been able to get off at Golders Green rather than Victoria. Golders Green is next to Hendon, where I live. Victoria is nearly an hour journey back to mine in Hendon.

I just rang customer services to check if they will be stopping at Golders Green and they said no -___- I can get off at Finchley Road but that’s not the one near me… So looks like I’m doing the hour journey =( Will still ask the driver, in case. And hopefully he’ll say the opposite and I can get off at Golders instead!

I am actually seriously not looking forward to going back to London this weekend, due to my house mate. She’s moving out this weekend, which I’m glad of. But we do not get along. At all. And I have a feeling that as she is moving out this weekend therefore will no longer have any responsibility towards the house, that she will use that as an opportunity to start something. She already tried to brick my window in one night when drunk. And all of this is simply because I told another house mate that I don’t like her and I don’t feel comfortable around her (it was always as though I was forcing conversation and we have nothing whatsoever in common) and that I was therefore I was looking forward to her moving out. Since then we have ignored each others existence. Except for two nights ago when she decided to shout down the phone at me whilst I was on the phone to a different house mate enquiring about bills.

So yeh, basically. I plan on avoiding her.

Fuck me. Actually seriously glad I’m not in London today! 

Today, has been a long day. I got sweet fuck all sleep last night as my brain decided it did not want to shut off until about 3:30am. I then had to get up at 6am to get ready and go to London. Went to the house, which I was happy to be back at and when we arrived I wished I was staying longer than half a day. That’s until I went inside. To find the downstairs halfway a tip, the upstairs kitchen (my kitchen with the girls upstairs) in a disgusting state and all of my mugs had been used. Now, mugs may not sound like something important to most people; but not most people are obsessed with tea. And most of my mugs are a minimum of £10 each. And the were used, for drinking and ashtrays. By the one house mate I don’t get along with (thank God she moves out in two weeks) and left in the kitchen, dirty and rotting. I was livid. Funny how she can’t communicate with me, even about shared bills. But she can used my shit when she can’t be arsed to wash her own up. Then, I go to the bathroom. Where my brand new (also expensive) shampoo, conditioner, body wash and face exfoliator had all been used and now nearly empty. Again, livid. Then I find out the boilers broken, and no one has done anything about it. And one of the kitchen cupboards is broken, and no one has done anything about it. And there’s another broken chair, sitting in the hall way (and just like with the other broken chair, was done by the girl I can’t wait to move out) So I was not impressed! But I sorted my room, put my new gorgeous Cath Kidston’esque bed spread on, revised some more and went and did my lab tests. I think I passed, here’s hoping cos I don’t want to resit on July 24th, too much cuffufful. Then I went to the office before coming home and told our land lady about all the issues in the house which are hopefully now getting sorted. I was glad to leave and come back to Nottingham!! Where I have since slept and I had to force myself to get up to do my essay so that tomorrow can be spent doing as I please! 

I wish I was in London right now. Purely for one reason. It sucks ass that its the only thing making me miss London. Hate.

Not going to London today has probably done me good because I still had shit loads I needed to get done at home. Now all I need to do is make sure I do my essay tonight….