MUSINK Tattoo Convention & Music Festival – Day 2 – at The Orange County Fairgrounds – Costa Mesa, CA

Day 2 of Musink began early Saturday afternoon and brought on a new day and a refreshing atmosphere to the tattoo convention. Contrary to the previous day, the sun was out and shining down on the fairgrounds, demonstrating tremendous promise for the outcome of the day. Saturday's line up provided more punk bands than the previous day, and included renowned punk rock bands the Buzzcocks and The Damned, both which headlined the event. Glass Heroes, Powerflex 5, G.F.P, Final Conflict, The Sparring, Invisible Humans, and The Headcat all joined the headlining bands and contributed to the musical entertainment of day two.

Glass Heroes began their set at 12:30pm and were the first band to kick off Saturday's events. Glass Heroes played the Jagermeister stage and performed their set. Although the days crowd was still building, Glass Heroes took full advantage of their time on stage and played with never ending vivacity.

The band cultivated a Punk rock sound similar to the sound of Cock Sparrer, and the resemblance made Glass Heroes all the more pleasant to watch. Glass Heroes soon used up their time on stage and thanked the audience, though the audience should have been the ones thanking Glass Heroes for their Oi! experience.

G.F.P, which is professional skateboarder Tony Alva's band, hit the Jagermeister stage shortly after 2:30 pm. The band played primarily Punk rock, but exceptions in the set included songs influenced by the steady beats of reggae. The vocalist wore dark aviator sunglasses which he managed to keep on as he wildly jumped and moved while he performed. Although the crowd consisted of few people, Tony Alva performed his bass duties as if he were performing for thousands of people, ultimately providing this crowd with the full value of what his entertainment is capable of providing.

Final Conflict began to play at 3:30pm and garnered more of a crust punk following. The band's screaming vocals were accompanied by heavy distortion, and many of their fans listened on with heavy body movement. The band played for approximately 30 minutes, and used the short time to gratify their fans with their maniacal music.

Close to 4:30pm, The Sparring approached the stage unlike any other band that day. While most bands take the time to get comfortable and let their energy build up, The Sparring was loud, raw, captivating, and unpredictably in your face from the very beginning.

The Sparring are on the move - Keep this band on your radar -Excellent stuff!

With volatile energy, the band not only generated the largest audience of the Jagermeister stage, but also managed to incorporate the audience into their performance, an act not yet done during Musink's two day course. Vocalist Joel Bourne jumped over the barricade that separated the stage from the floor and dove straight into the audience while still performing. He then stormed around the floor, focused the audience's attention onto himself, and demanded that they all, "start a fucking pit!" So what did the audience do? They followed his command and immediately prompted a fast paced circle pit. Joel Bourne dominated the audience and evoked circle pit after circle pit each time they fizzled out. The Sparring ended their set with "JFK" and announced that they were set to play this year's Vans Warped Tour. After witnessing the mesmerizing stage presence of the band, members of the audience cheered vigorously and clapped wildly. There is no doubt that The Sparring's intensity and momentum augmented more and more the longer they remained on stage. The Sparring showcased an impressive performance that ultimately caused them to become the most memorable band of Musink's second day.

After The Sparring played, the attention of the audience drifted over to the large half pipe by the Jagermeister stage which would host the hour long Legends Skate Jam with professional skateboarders Tony Alva, Mike Vallely, Duane Peters, Steve Olsen, and other prominent skateboarders. Onlookers speculated with excitement and anticipation as skateboarder after skateboarder attempted risky flips and stunts, all for the purpose of entertaining the audience. As each skateboarder drew close to achieving a stunt, audience members applauded with praise and support. When audience members could sense a fall or crash coming on, each would cup their hands over their mouths and cringe with terror at the risky consequences of each skateboarder's act. The uncertainty of the risk each skateboarder could encounter was a sublime experience for both the skateboarders and the audience. Through the risks, the Legends Skate Jam was a successful event that lured even people who have never displayed a liking to skateboarding.

Small Paul's band the Invisible Humans took the stage inside the "Music" room close to 6pm, and as each band member approached the stage dressed in a suit and skinny tie, the heavy influences of 80s fashion in their appearance foreshadowed the type of music the band would produce. Invisible Humans played music that intermingled Punk Rock, New Wave, and synth pop to create a distinct sound that brought diversity to Musink. The band provided music as enigmatic as Depeche Mode's music, and with music that unique, Invisible Humans is a band that will prove to be unstoppable and unrestrained.

30 minutes after Invisible Humans' performance, The Headcat, which features "Lemmy" from Motorhead and Slim Jim of the Stray Cats, performed a set which mixed various genres together. Headcat's songs maintained a classic RockNRoll feel with upbeat rockabilly influences. Lemmy's deep, masculine, and rugged voice provided the Motorhead influence which Slim Jim balanced with his upbeat tempos. Slim Jim played his drum set standing up, a task which is not easy for most drummers, yet Slim Jim smiled and played his instrument with fervor through the duration of the band's set.

Prior to Buzzcocks hitting the stage, Jim Rose of the Jim Rose Circus advanced onto the stage and stated to the audience that he was about to perform acts which caused him to attain the title of "freak". Jim Rose then inserted a spoon into his nose which he pulled out through his mouth. The crowd ooh'd, ahh'd, and quivered at the sight of such a spectacle.

When the Buzzcocks finally arrived on stage, the immense energy of the audience could be felt by all inside the venue. Buzzcocks opened up with "Boredom" and the crowd pogo'd enthusiastically. The 70s RockNRoll music of the Buzzcocks provided catchy and upbeat music, and halfway through the band's set, even the toughest of guys were dancing along to each song during the set. Buzzcocks played "Why Can't I Touch It?" and caused the empty pit to instantaneously be full of lively dancing, and playful body swaying.

After an hour, the Buzzcocks announced that the next song they were about to play would be the last of the night. Buzzcocks then began to play "Orgasm Addict" and a violent circle pit immediately broke out. It was the only circle pit the Buzzcocks encountered during the set, but the individuals in the circle pit made sure to compensate for it by providing the most vulgar and rowdy display of the night. Those running around in a circle began to insinuate hand motions that conveyed the lyrical content of the song. All in good fun, the crowd's participation caused the Buzzcocks to issue their gratitude for being given the opportunity to play for the crowd at Musink. The Buzzcocks dismissed themselves, thanked the audience, and handed over the stage to Jim Rose.

Jim Rose returned onto the stage to inform the audience that he had just put an end to a chick fight, and upon saying that, male audience members let out groans of disappointment. Jim Rose then reassured the audience that he had put an end to the fight because he had figured out how to fix the problem. The solution: a staple gun. He let the crowd know that he forced both women to do a coin toss, on grounds that the loser must have a dollar bill stapled to her forehead. Jim Rose called both ladies to the stage, had the females commit the deed, and the audience let out a loud "OOH!" It was officially time for The Damned to end the night.

The Damned commenced their time on stage with "Fan Club" and immediately sparked fanatic behavior on behalf of the crowd. Each individual in the room sang along to every song the band performed, ultimately proving that The Damned has a large fan base in Orange County. The audience diminished in size, but the hysteria over The Damned was over the top and impressive to speculate upon. Captain Sensible, who is an original member of The Damned, skillfully played each song with no mistakes and appeared astonished to still be playing as long as he has been. A few women in the audience constantly screamed out for his attention, their screaming never ceased. The Damned went on to play "Neat Neat Neat", "Ignite", "New Rose", and "Love Song" among many other songs. No circle pit or vicious action was conducted by the audience, but instead the crowd danced along to each song or stood bewildered by the band's stage presence. The Damned ended their set with "Smash It Up", and though a full circle pit did not quite make it, the audience pushed and moved around in a tremendous frenzy.

The Damned ended their time on stage after an hour, and many people could be heard shouting and requesting an encore, but no encore was given. The Damned's set was whimsical and alluring, no other band could seduce its crowd the way The Damned does.

The second day of Musink was a grand success which unfolded and progressed the experiences of the first day. Saturday was packed with more people, more things to do, and more Punk rock which provided the chaos that those who live by the ink are fueled by. The musical entertainment provided on Saturday overpowered the majority of the activities available that day, but Musink is a celebration of both music and ink, which to some, go hand in hand. Musink was still not over though, and with one more day to go, the impact and influence of Musink still had another 24 hours to change perspectives and produce moments of shock and awe that only a convention like Musink could single-handedly deliver.
 

 

-Stephanie M.-
Big Wheel Senior Staff Writer
and
-J. Moncreif-
Big Wheel Photographer

 

More photos of day 2 can be seen HERE

 
Coverage of MUSINK Day 1 is HERE

Coverage of MUSINK Day 3 is HERE
 

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