Hey there Halloweeners! Hope you are having a spook-filled day... Wahahaha! I recently discussed how I love this holiday but am frustrated by how small the celebrations are in old blighty... Dull or what?! I decided to have a mini-spook-on with my niece, nephew and their pals and pulled out my old trusty costume.
My fantastic skeleton is a hand-painted number that was creatively assembled by an old housemate of mine. Let's go back in time:
Where are we?
Brooklyn the eve of Halloween 2009.
I decided to paint my costume for 2 reasons:
1. Cost effective
2. One of a kind
I picked up some paint and rooted through my wardrobe for old black/tight items that would do the trick. With everything together it was time to get painting. How on earth does one draw a skeleton?? Hmmpf... I found an image and realised that there was NO WAY my artistic ability was up to the challenge. Luckily I lived with a lady who was very gifted in this department and she kindly agreed to give it a go.
Over 3 hours I spent on a freezing cold floor, lying still while my girl painted the costume - with me in it. It was grueling but I was so happy with her work that I remained statuesque, channeling the cold.
All was well until I took off the outfit and was met with another skeleton; a perfect double that had seeped through onto my skin. This body art refused to budge, I scrubbed and showered but still it remained. I had to go to work the following day with a painted collar bone protruding above and beyond the constraints of my clothes.
Over the next couple of weeks my second skeleton started to fade, I finally got rid of it properly with the help of some white spirit.
The Party
My costumed effort was all in aid of a Vice Magazine Party that I had been invited to thanks to two of my fab friends Jenn and Mark.
The I quote "pioneer's of Hardcore Punk" band Bad Brains were playing, I had never heard of them but so what? The venue was huge and was set in an enormous warehouse that stretched up a whole block, it was dark, eerie, sticky and slippy and I felt as if anything could happen - a feeling I enjoy.
Think: 1987 you wake up in Santa Cruz and things have turned a bit Lost Boys.
The only picture of me that I have from the night is this one... Squint and you might see me:
A couple of snaps from inside the venue:
Here is my beloved Jenn and Mark in there amaze costumes:
Oh how I enjoyed taking a mini-trip down memory lane... Thinking about Halloween and how it should be.
