Tattoo Tuesday - Valerie Vargas

As the first ever Tattoo Tuesday (with many more to come) I thought it was only fitting to feature one of my favourite artists, London's Valerie Vargas.

Working out of Frith Street Tattoo in Soho, Valerie has made a name for herself with her eye for old-school designs with a modern twist. As always, click the images to see a larger version:

Though at this point Valerie's lengthy waiting list is closed, keep an eye out on Frith Street's Twitter, as well as her website for any updates or cancellation slots.

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Frith Street Tattoo -

Web: http://frithstreettattoo.co.uk/

Address: 18 Frith St, London, W1D 4RQ

Phone: 020 7734 8180

Surprisingly Good Bands

Trawling through the internet, I find out about a lot of pretty weird bands. When I say weird I don't mean experimental, though some of them are, I'm talking about the bands that just have such off the wall concepts that you're surprised anyone can pull it off.

Back before I moved down to London, my band up in Newcastle always had a bit of an Arnold Schwarzenegger fixation. Every moment at rehearsals that wasn't taken up by playing was filled by shouts of "Get to the chopper!" and “Do it!”.

We dreamed of the idea of an Arnie-themed band, little did we know, but that crafty bugger Tim Lambesis (of As I Lay Dying fame) had already beaten us to it.

Playing every instrument, and doing most of the vocals, Lambesis' Austrian Death Machine pays homage to everybody's favourite former governor / action hero. The only role not filled by Lambesis is that of Arnold, sorry, 'Ahhnold' himself, with Destroy the Runner's Chad Ackerman taking on impersonation duties:

Check out Austrian Death Machine on their website: http://www.austriandeathmachine.com/

All images / videos are property of Austrian Death Machine / Metal Blade Records

'Oh, Sleeper' Tour

Metalcore Texans Oh, Sleeper are embarking on a US tour alongside Like Moths to Flames and the considerably lighter We Are Defiance.

Kicking off the tour on March 29th, the 'I Heard It First' tour will take the bands across the States, including a slew of dates in Florida. For those that hadn't already guessed by the name (and the poster) the tour will give Oh, Sleeper fans a chance to catch a glimpse of the band's as yet unreleased album.

Full list of dates:

Tue, Mar 29

The Refuge, Fredricksburg, VA

Wed, Mar 30

Soapbox Laundro-Lounge, Wilmington, NC

Thu, Mar 31

Sector 7G, Augusta, GA

Fri, Apr 01

Murray Hill Theatre, Jacksonville, FL

Sat, Apr 02

The Nightlife, Sarasota, FL

Sun, Apr 03

Rocketown, Pompano Beach, FL

Mon, Apr 04

Toy World, Lake Wales, FL

Tue, Apr 05

1982 Bar, Gainesville, FL

Wed, Apr 06

The 7 Venue, Douglasville, GA