My interest in body arts came about originally as a 9 year old reading National Geographic and being fascinated with the large lip plugs, the elaborate, elongated necks, and tattoos of the many ethnic cultures that where featured.
I got actively involved in body adornment via contact with the English music/counter-culture band Psychic TV and the Temple of Psychick Youth.
Firstly with cuttings whilst doing private rituals on the 23rd hour of the 23rd day of each month for 23 months, each of which ended with the letting of blood, cum and spit. The blood coming from scalpel incisions using a number 23 blade.
My next stage in body modification was piercing. After learning about PFIQ (Piercing Fans International Quarterly) magazine from TOPY.
I got issues 1-21 and a four issue subscription from Gauntlet in early 1984 and was completely over awed with the body/genital piercings that were available. After considerable reading of all the issues many times over, I sent away for my first set of piercing instruments and jewellery.
I received the equipment within two weeks and went about attempting a Prince Albert on myself at the age of 21. The procedure described used a cotton swab pushed down the urethra, and the needle pushed through from the outside… I quickly found this very difficult to perform on myself. Four or five attempts and no success. The skin is extremely tough. A friend that I branded with a crucifix tried to do my PA and he too had no luck. This was using a 14ga Piercing Blade.
After the initial failures with my PA, I did a scrotal piercing in 1984 using a 14ga needle blade and a Gauntlet 14ga Bead Ring. Very easy. 3 years later while living in Belgium I was successful using a much thicker 10ga needle blade and a lot of will power.
A few weeks later I did my septum using a 3mm dermal punch and a septum retainer, which was the old Gauntlet method of doing septum’s. Rather simple to perform, even if it did make me sneeze several times.
I soon moved from Belgium to London in September 1988, and made several appointments with Mr Sebastian, who had done most of the piercing and tattoos on members of Psychic TV and TOPY. Mr Sebastian was fond of using an injectable anaesthetic prior to the actual piercing.
I had him do a 2nd PA, a frenum, navel and both nipples. With the exception of the frenum, I still have those piercings he did.
My last piercing Mr Sebastian did for me was my labret, for which I requested no anaesthetic. This piercing was a breeze, almost painless!
By now I had hooked up with Alex Binnie who was a great inspiration both for piercing and tattooing. Alex had started tattooing full time, and did my second, third and forth tattoos in a 3 month period. I then booked in for a photo realistic arrow tattoo from Ian of Reading. By this time I was on an ink fix and had almost all my other tattoos done by Ian. I still had Alex do a few more for me, including a large Marquesian style thigh piece.
In January 1991, Elayne (Angel) Binnie arrived in London for a short period. She had recently done Alex’s tongue which he was totally stoked with and which I found highly desirable. This is when tongue piercing was extremely rare. So on a cool winter night we headed up to the old Into You studio and talked to Elayne about having an Apadravya and tongue piercing in the same sitting.
All was sweet and we proceeded to do my tongue first, a very easy piercing to have done. Then my cock was cleaned and marked. The hardest part of the Apadravya was measuring the distance between the dots, a cold rest room armed with nothing more than a set of callipers and the thought my cock was soon to be impaled made getting an erection very difficult. But a lot of squeezing and I finally got the desired result.
I removed my PA jewellery so the piercing would be as accurate as possible. Within 15 seconds of Elayne starting to push the needle through it was suddenly visible out of the top of my cock head. Again, this was surprisingly easy. More a dull pressure sensation than a sharp intense pain I was expecting. Healing was complete at about 5 months, having a PA first made things a lot easier both piercing and healing wise.
During these various piercing experiences I was having a lot of tattoo work done by Ian. My arms were in the process of being sleeved when I started on my chest piece – a Black Rhino’s head on the left side and a British bulldog’s head on my right side. Then 3 months before the 1991 Tattoo Expo at Dustable, my back piece was started.
After 60 hours over a 12 week period I had my Gorilla tattoo finished.
This piece stunned the Expo goers so much that I couldn’t take a piss without being tapped on the shoulder and asked to have my back photographed!
You have probably seen it in countless tattoo mags and books everywhere…during the 90’s.
I entered into the tattoo competition for Best Back Piece and won. My back was only the second tattoo to ever be awarded 50/50 marks, the other piece being the beautiful Celtic Viking back piece on tattooist Eus done by Roland Bonkerk.
Since the Tattoo Expo I have been asked to appear on numerous TV programmes and documentaries, including Noel’s Addicts, Bizarre, Jonathan Ross for Virgin Air in-flight documentary, Kings & Criminals, Knuckles Of Love, Desmond Morris’ Human Animal, and various other things.
During my overseas experience I performed a number of piercings on friends and acquaintances, using Gauntlet procured items and the Pierce with a Pro experiences which I had studied over and over, as well as a barrage of questioning with Elayne, Mr Sebastian, and Teena (ex Into You).
Cleanliness and placement are the prime dictates to do any procedure.
I currently have 23 piercings. Over the years I have had a total of approximately 36 piercings, and am not finished yet.
I have always had an eye for detail and perfection, and because of this, and my desire not to compromise, Flesh Wound is regarded as one of Wellington’s best Piercing Studio.
At Flesh Wound we take time to make sure your piercing is as comfortable and painless as possible, and you are fully informed on after-care and any problems that may arise.
Little wonder most of my clientèle are recommended to us by their friends.
Thanks to you all!