Tribal Tattoo By Starpaw.

Last week the humdrum of everyday life was getting me down; I needed a pick-me-up, a rush - but where exactly do today's rebellious teena...20 somethings go to get their kicks? A piercing and tattoo shop? Surely not? It'd been a week since I'd been gearing myself up for this, the time it had taken to find a willing victim, I mean friend, to take with me to hold my hand, so to speak while I pay a total stranger to shove a needle through me.

After he'd finally got back to Hull, having been stuck with no money out in the middle of nowhere (Hessle to be precise) we bravely strolled in the freezing cold to Tribal Tattoo on Spring Bank (the green place, conveniently near the Old Zoological I might add).

All that faded when I reached the door and almost backed out until my friend did his appointed job and shoved me through the door. It finally hit me - this is going to hurt like hell! Why did I not think of that before? Cursing my brain, which shrugged and went back to sleep. So after mumbling what I wanted doing, half lucidly paying up and signing a consent sheet, the waiting came. My hand moved wildly, twitching and shaking. "It's a sign that you're nervous, that is", motioning towards my hands calmly. Is it really? No shit. We were asked into the back room.

The moment of the needle coming closer as some program played on the TV in the background called "Big snakes and the idiots who keep them" (well, that was the general gist) describing how a huge snake had got hold of this guy and squeezed him to death. Lucky bastard.

Pete a tattoo customer.

"Want any of the freeze spray?" asked the piercer. I mumbled something, which he took as meaning yes and began to spray advising me not to inhale the fumes (considerate really for someone about to stick a shiny needle in me.) Spray, Spray, Spray, hey this isn't so bad... ARGgghHhhhhHHHHHH!!! Whoever marketed this stuff as numbing spray was, to be blunt, a lying bastard! This part hurts more then the rest of it! Even the needle! But the next thing I heard was the piercer telling me "It's through" and then putting the jewellery in.

Oh, was that it? Okay a massive rush that had me babbling insanely for a good hour, but not half as painful or distressing as most people make out. This would probably have annoyed my friend but when I turned around he was sat getting the same thing done to his eyebrow. So we both annoyed other people in the pub by both babbling for hours about it. Seeing someone else have a needle put into them is probably more painful than doing it yourself!

Steve one of the owners.

So as they say in Hollywood, to cut to the chase a brilliant experience from the excellent guys in Tribal Tattoo who despite the hard image are the nicest people on the planet, making you feel at ease all the way through the process. Clean premises (with interesting tribal masks on the wall) and they show you a fresh needle and the jewellery being sterilised, all with gloves on which is what you should always look for! Give them a go next time you feel like something new!

Tribal Tattoo - 236 Spring Bank, Hull Phone: 01482 221250 Copyright © Starpaw 2004

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