Time to poke. A new tattoo experience

This is Eyre Symons Koekemoer and it was her work that I recently added to the ink I have accumulated over the last 30 years.
I got my first tattoo at 40 and when I turned 70 in 2023,
I wanted something special to mark that occasion and it has taken me more than 9 months to decide on both what I want and who I want to do it.
Eyre was recommended by the tattoo artist who did my tiger leg piece, and I trusted his judgment.

Her contact details are as follows: Instagram.@theunorthodoxunicorn and her mobile, should you wish to find out more or make a booking is 0789145625.

This visit marked two firsts for me when it came to this piece...
1] It was the first time that I had been tattooed by a woman.
2] She was going to use the stick-and-poke method. Something I had read about, but had not experienced before.
The set-up is similar to that of a machine tattoo, with hygiene being the top priority.
The only thing missing, as you might notice, is the tattoo machine.

The needles come in various sizes and are used for different parts of the tattoo. I have to say that they did look intimidating, but as I was to discover, they were not at all to be concerned about.

Hand poke tattoos have a rich and diverse history spanning different cultures and civilizations. Egyptian mummies, some dating back to 2000 BC, bear some of the earliest evidence of this art form.

All of the work would be on the underside of my left forearm and it would bookend an existing piece that I have of a cat's paw that I had done 5 years ago to mark the death of my 12-year-old ginger companion.
Hence there was to be very little shaving involved. For those who have never had a tattoo done before, this is done to make certain that the ink has direct access to the skin and that hair does not get in the way.

Making certain that the tattoo is positioned correctly is as important for the artist as it is for the recipient. In this case, there was a LOT of discussion about the placement of the lower tattoo. I got everyone in the shop to weigh in with their suggestions and luckily, their comments were unanimous and aligned with what I had in mind as far as placement was concerned.

As this was not going to be a freehand tattoo, the stencil had been prepared before my arrival. It was only left to discuss the size of the work and the exact placement. 

This was probably the most important decision that I had to make. Again, many opinions were solicited and luckily all agreed that the 'escaping' barb should be facing down my arm.

You will notice that a 'head' has been added to the barb to turn it into a representation of me breaking free of the shackles that I believe have held me back.

That was the reason for this tattoo. I believe that finally, at almost 71, I have been able to let go of many aspects of my life that could have been seen as toxic.

Sitting and watching Eyre at work was mesmerising and to anyone considering this type of tattoo, I would recommend using her skills.

Most of the articles that I read about this process mentioned P.A.I.N and as I am not partial to that in any shape or form, I did sit down with some foreboding.
But I need not have been concerned!
There was an absence of the vibration and sound of a regular tattoo machine, making this experience a calm and relaxing one.
The thought of a single needle did make me think of injections, but that could not be further from the truth.

Part way through...
This tattoo took about an hour to complete.

Unlike a machine tattoo, this method uses dots that look like a solid line.

Given that only one drop of ink is picked up by the needle, this method of tattooing does take longer than expected, but I found it so relaxing, I ended up dozing off during the procedure.

With part one done, it was on to the second and possibly most meaningful part of this 2-piece work.
"D.L.T.O.M.I"?
When he turned 90, Clint Eastwood was asked how he was able to continue his work in the film industry. He seemed to be showing no signs of slowing down and was, in fact, working on a new movie at that time.
His response?
"Don't Let The Old Man In".

The late country music legend, Toby Keith, wrote a song in his honour: https://youtu.be/yc5AWImplfE

Now my mantra, even though I am 20 years his junior, it is forever etched onto my arm to remind me of that fact daily. This part of the tattoo also took about an hour.

Complete and ready to show off...

The paw print in the middle bears no connection to the new ones. It was done as a tribute (by a different artist) 5 years ago when we had to euthanize my 12-year-old cat.

And this is how well the tattoo has healed, two weeks after it was completed.

The healing was faster than I expected and there was neither scabbing nor itching, which is often an irritant often associated with 'regular' tattoo pieces.

My thanks to Eyre for making the experience such a pleasant one. Her contact details once more:

 Instagram.@theunorthodoxunicorn and her mobile, should you wish to find out more about the process or make a booking is 0789145625.

 

 

A behind the 'behind the scenes' look at the recent Steve Doen Beautiful Noise concert.

 

It all started with an idea some years ago when long-time friend, Julius, suggested to Steve that they produce a stadium concert with the songs of Neil Diamond. I do believe that it took a lot of convincing to get Steve to believe that he could pull this off without having to rely on a corporate single sponsor that might try to control the narrative of the show. And then COVID got in the way and put paid to an actual outdoor event where a huge audience could be present. But finally, all the stars aligned and it was a go! Yes there were 'nay-sayers' and those who did not believe that this event would actually take place. But BLIKSEM, were they proved wrong, 

There was one full day of musical rehearsals at a venue in Midrand. A 30-piece symphony orchestra together with a 20-piece on-stage band were brought together to make the music of Neil Diamond come to life in the best possible way.

Getting ready to be tinkled? No, certainly not. When you do Diamond a piano gets played!

Time to make certain that all is in tune. Does anyone tune by ear anymore? Nowadays it seems to all be electronic. Price of progress?

Drumming up support. This is what the audience does 

not get to see.

Hidden in the depths of the pit on either side of the stage, a cellist is often hidden from the view of the audience and this is all that they get to see.

I always wonder if flute players are glad that they chose this particular instrument as it is easy to carry and pack. Unlike a double bass player, that has a lot of weight to carry around.

Without the rigging team high in the sky, the event would NOT have taken place. I am in awe of these seemingly fearless professionals who go where people like me fear to tread. I enjoy terra firma and the firma it is the less the terror. 

The orchestra POV. 

Even the medic on duty was singing along...and why not? I don't think that there is a person in the known world that does not know the songs of Neil Diamond. I have visions of astronauts landing on Mars, opening the hatch and belting out "Sweet Caroline" only to be answered by the Martian inhabitants going" Oh, Oh, Oh"...

Perfect weather for the rehearsal. Steve doen Diamond better than Diamond does Diamond.

Videographer Kobus worked his magic during the rehearsal. The hand and arm belong to Steve.

The event took place in the shadow of the imposing Voortrekker Monument. The amphitheatre venue is one of the largest in South Africa and has seen, and will continue to see some great events. BTW, the next event there will be the Rabbit reunion concert in June 2023.

Although no rain was forecast, the weather department certainly got that wrong. We were all hoping that these would blow over, but we too were proved wrong.

And when the rain came down, which it did in bucket loads, none of the audience moved! Some had come prepared while others used chairs or plastic bags to try to keep dry.

A concerned sound engineer made certain that all his equipment was safe before giving the 'all clear' to proceed.

One of the hardest working members of the audio crew. Were it not for him and his almost invisible team, the audience would have heard nothing and there would have been 50 angry musicians on stage. Not to mention one really annoyed singer.

Time to get the party started! And what a party it turned out to be, despite the deluge.

I had forgotten just how special it is when an orchestra hits that opening note. Goosebumps all round. 

A solo violinist gets the show started...and the audience goes wild.

And out of the darkness steps Steve himself! This jacket was later sold post the concert for R5000.00 and that money was donated to a charity of Steve's choosing.

It was all too much for certain audience members...In this case, Steve's daughter just wanted to be held while her Pappa sang.

One day she will understand just how iconic a figure her father actually is.

And net somer so was dit alles verby. 

There are already talks about Steve Doen Steve in 2024 and ticket sales have already begun. I, like the 20k-strong audience who were at this event, cannot wait.

A big thank you to all those behind-the-scenes people who made this event the success that it was.

I believe that this was the tip of the iceberg and there are even greater things down the road for live concerts in South Africa by our own artists. 

We need to show our home-grown talent how proud we are of them and what they have done for South African music of all genres.

And if you are wondering what part I played in this concert, have a look at this video, done by the very talented Kobus Zietzman. https://youtu.be/JKTs625U0AI

Steve doen...Neil Diamond. Beautiful Noise.

I don't know about YOU dear reader, but my 70 years on this planet have been defined by a series of events over the decades.

Many of them are music related and one is even political, back before I knew the difference between a Democrat and a Republican actually was!

I have chosen some that I believe would also be memories for others of my age...

1] The death of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. President of the USA. 22 November, 1963. I remember when the news broke, I hid in my Dad's gown hanging in our bathroom and cried copious tears as I saw JKF as the epitome of a hero. It was only as an adult that I discovered his true nature.

2] Assassination of John Lennon in New York on December 8th, 1980. I was in my car about to head off to work. In June of 1994, I got to stand outside the Dakota Building where he was shot.

3] And bring things up to date, I can add the 29th April, 2023 when I participated in Steve Doen...Beautiful Noise at the Voortrekker Monument. Certainly a night I will never forget!

To see the interview that I had with Steve before the event, use this link: https://youtu.be/vReyEG8mRl8

We started off the event process in Midrand, near Johannesburg where the first band and orchestra rehearsals took place. A 30-piece symphony orchestra was combined with a 20-piece band to make this event unique for a singer like Steve Hofmeyr.

As soon as the musicians sat down, they began to make notes on their music.

Rehearsals HAVE to have snacks of some description...and there were more than enough for both the musicians as well as the crew to enjoy.

Full tummies make for a happy cast and crew. And we certainly were.

Well done and thank you to the caterers who kept the platters filled and who provided a proper sit-down lunch as well.

This percussionist flew in from Europe and came straight from the airport to the rehearsal room and got stuck in.

A day later and we moved from the rehearsal room to the performance venue, which was at the Amphitheatre adjacent to the Voortrekker monument.

This bastion of Afrikaner heritage was the perfect backdrop that combined the music of international superstar Neil Diamond with the talent of iconic South African singer, Steve Hofmeyr,

TV director Warren looked at the stage and perhaps wondered what he had taken on. But he is a seasoned professional and as such this was a relatively simple 18-camera shoot.

According to the company that erected this stage, it is the largest stage that has ever been performed on by a solitary Afrikaans singer.

The image does not really do the size and scale of the monstrosity justice.

With swarms of sound techs, electricians, and riggers it was no surprise to me that there was a safety officer as well as medical personnel in attendance. 

Stairway to heaven? Not quite...however this was the way that the riggers got onto the trusses that hung above the stage floor.

That being said, I did try to get the guitarists in the band to play the song "Stairway to heaven" for me, but not would oblige.

Veronique, one of the backing vocalists, has a moment with my camera.

She did a duet with Steve during the show And her Dad was the bass player in the band, so the family was well represented.

Blowing your own trumpet is hard work.

Caught in the late afternoon sunlight as the final rehearsal was winding down, this subtly lit violin makes a strong statement.

Steve steps into the spotlight at the first rehearsal. For a show of this nature, there was only one rehearsal before performing before a paying audience.

It attests to the professionalism of both Steve as a performer and the musicians that we could achieve this feat with virtually no issues. 

The orchestra was under the most capable baton of conductor J.P de Villiers.

The seats were empty during the rehearsal, but the BIG question was whether they would be full come Saturday.

We need not have been concerned.

Although no rain was forecast, the clouds told a different story.

Staying in contact with family in Johannesburg, we knew that we were in for a downpour. As to when and how hard it would hit Pretoria, we could only wait and watch.

Director Warren and PA Theart getting ready to say "ROLL CAMERAS" at the beginning of the performance on Saturday.

I did mention earlier that from a technical aspect, the show ran like clockwork. What we could not predict was the rain that poured on the venue for about an hour, just before the show was due to start.

Believe it or not, no one moved or left their seats. Audience members either used umbrellas (they came prepared) or utilized empty chairs to protect themselves.

Weather 0, Audience 20000...

Let the show begin! Lights on the sound desk on the side of the stage.

When the orchestra and band stuck up the first chord a 20000-strong gasp could be heard rippling through the audience. 

It was THEN that we KNEW it was going to be a good night. Nope, let me rephrase that. We knew that we were about to be part of an awesome and unique event.

The moment the audience had sat patiently in the rain for. Would you believe that some of them had arrived before miday for a show that was scheduled to start at 7pm!

"Hello Pretoria" shouted Steve and the audience responded with a wall of noise that almost eclipsed the sound system that was on the stage.

I do believe that however nervous he might have been in the days running up to the show, all that vanished once he realized that wet or not, the audience would support and sing along with every song.

And SING they did.

This is what Steve had to contend with at the end of the runway, but did it deter him? Not one bit. He even had to sit in the wet at the end of the stage and lo and behold, one of the audience brought him a towel to sit on.

Steve did say that he was going to shake EVERY had in the audience, he decided that discretion was the better part of valour and spent time with many audience members in the Golden Circle.

"Thank you and goodnight"!

Ticket sales for the next event in April 2024 have already started. And if this concert was anything to go by, the next one will be bigger and more spectacular.

Many thanks to the crew, the producer and his team, all the musicians, the audience, and Steve for making this an event to remember.

And if for some reason you were not there, book your tickets NOW for 2024... 

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