Month: May 2014

We did a short interview with local Cape Town tattoo parlour Cape Electric. They’re a crew of solid individuals producing amazing tattoo work with a smile and a rad attitude. We asked Gareth and Waldo a few questions…

What is Cape Electric’s history? What is the story behind its opening?
It was a combination of things to be honest. We felt the need to create a space for ourselves with creative freedom where we can pursue our preferred styles of tattooing and also create a relaxed, comfortable and professional environment for us, our clientele and the general public. A tattoo shop wall to wall in paintings and hand-painted flash, a space where every corner would inspire us to be better at what we do and to make everybody that walks in here know they are in the right place to get a tattoo.

What is the most difficult thing about running a tattoo parlour?
Nothing is easy in tattooing.

What is one of the negative trends that are peaking in the tattoo industry at the moment?
People getting watered down ideas of tattoos, paragraphs of script, upside-down tattoos, white tattoos and tattoos that contain no black… A picture says a thousand words and it should still look good 20 years down the line.

Tattoos by Gareth Lloyd

What makes a good tattoo artist?
Dedication, hard work and sacrifice, everyday, on repeat.

Any future plans or goals for the studio? I recently saw a picture of Waldo building a mini-ramp.
Hahaha, it wasn’t a mini ramp. We put up a photo Gareth took of Waldo while doing some renovations around the shop and said he was building a mini-ramp just to get some reaction. If we had space for a mini ramp there would probably be one and none of us would work. We will just continue doing what we do best, doing tattoos and having a good time doing them. The shop has been open now for almost 3 years and we’re not going anywhere anytime soon. The shop is constantly evolving and we’re always busy with some sort of renovation or expansion.

What are some of the weirdest things you’ve tattooed/been asked to tattoo?
Vaginas. They’re not weird, just an awkward place to tattoo.

What are people’s most common questions when getting their first tattoo that you can settle right here?
“Does it hurt?” YES!

Who holds the record at the studio for tattooing the longest session? How long was it?
We don’t really keep track of that kind of stuff, as long as the tattoo looks good nothing else matters, but maybe between 5 to 6.5 hours.

Tattoos by Waldo del Rocca

Has Cape Electric been involved in things outside of the studio like the skateboarding or music industry?
Gareth sponsors a band called Truth and its Burden and other than that we sponsor Peasant and we get involved in certain music events where we can or get approached. Skateboarding has always been part of us all, but we haven’t really been active in sponsorships or events. We should be.

Any last words?
Stop thinking about it and COME GET TATTOOED!

http://www.capeelectrictattoo.com/