Big up to 45RPM for the interview.
1. Who are you?
Im 45rpm From the WHAT crew based in Bristol
2. What do you do and how long have you been doing it?
I paint on things as it seems to make me happy, the bug kicked in in 1999 on train trips to London watching Zelda tags go by.
3. What crews do you rep?
The WHAT crew, Im a big believer in sticking to one crew, you should drink and paint with your crew members. I socialise with all my crew on a regular basis and count them as my best mates. Not only that but they inspire/push me daily.
4. What got you into graffiti?
I’m rubbish at everything apart from Art, its fun to misbehave so you put the two together. Naughty boys club. What other art form lets you paint so big and so freely. Il get in to Watercolours when I’m older.
5. Favourite writers?
Seno FKF inspired me so much as a nipper and still does to this day. A true King
Petro, Ive always loved his style also his photos are next level.
And recently Lugosis TUFF from Italy and Mike DFM from USA. Styles for miles in everything they do! my new favourite writers. Go check there stuff.
6. Any crazy chase stories?
The one that shook me up the most was getting chased by a mobile CCTV van years ago, I ran and ran for ages down loads of back alleys in Bristol, just as I thought id got away, I ran down an alley between two old factories and jumped in to a door way. It was the wrong door to jump in to as it had three blokes trying to break there way in to the factory, One grabbed me and they started to go through my pockets and were asking for my phone etc. It was a double stroke of bad luck, but I spat out that they needed to get running themselves as I was being chased by two coppers on foot. This totally changed there tune and they all jumped in an old van, and burnt off with one in the back with the doors open as they sped away, the dude in the back shouted Cheers fella!. So one minute mugging me the next thanking me, so random! I then had to remind myself to start running again. Getting in to my house I had to wake a flat mate up as I needed to pour out the story. All for a tag…
7. Do you rather bombing or piecing? Why?
Bombing, its guaranteed to make you feel better. Bombing everyday keeps life’s monotony at bay. I think thats a saying…
8. What are your 3 favourite pieces you’ve done?
Id say the wall section on my site are the pick of the pieces I still don’t mind! Sometimes the loosest quickest thing is my favourite.
thebearded45.co.uk
9. What are your 3 favourite pieces by other writers?
This Petro piece I snapped in 99
Seno from same time
And a Skel
The first two blew my mind as a sprog and I looked at the photos I took daily so there so ingrained in my mind ( pre internet ) so my photo album was my life. And the third is so clean and has so much flow that it ticks my boxes as perfect graffiti for me.
10. How would you describe your style?
Stupid, Loosey Goosey. Cider fuelled, nonsense . Id like my pieces to look like I had fun doing them.
11. How did you get involved in The HangerOne Project, what was it like painting a plane and did it ever fly after that?
Hangfire sell paint in Bristol, I’m a regular and they brought the subject up, I nearly bit there hands off! Its going to be hard to top that.
And no it didn’t fly, I’m guessing the paint would come off, its parked outside there office on the runway like a stupid billboard!
12. Favourite country you’ve painted in and why?
The last one is always the favourite as I only like the last piece I painted! San fran last year involved probably the best 48hrs of my life involving painting, tattoos, strippers, bacon, painting, booze, painting, strippers, ice-cream and missing my flight
13. Top 5 tunes?
This is my top 5 played tunes on my computer so I can’t argue with that
Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats, I’ll cut you down
Electric Wizard, Funeralopolis
Minor threat, Minor threat
Electric Wizard, Satyr ix
Pissed jeans, false jesii part 2
14. Other than graff, what do you like to do?
Travel, take photos, and paint, there my three favourite things and they can all be combined.
15. Film or digital?
Film, Digital does nothing for me, its like it has no life. I get as much of a kick out of taking photos of the before and after a mission or a boozy night with film, its addictive. I have a film I need to finish this week that I’m gagging to see, you don’t get that with digital.
All the stupidness I snap is on here
45rpmwhat.tumblr.com
16. Favourite letter and colour?
Im a sucker for Orange a nice retro one, I love the Terry orange colour in that new Sugar, thats the latest winner for me. And any letter thats not R, P or M the worst letter combo ever…
17. Beer or weed?
Cider! I dropped the weed years ago, now I’m Tony two tokes on special occasions.
18. Top 3 graff movies?
Not that fussed. Would be old ones that got me as a kid so Dirty hands and Network terror.
19. What plans do you have for the future?
Keep painting, keep drawing, I still feel like Ive got so much to learn, Im not actually that good, so keep painting!
20. Any last words or shouts?
Massive shouts to all my painting mates, you know who you are!. Im so lucky with the shitbags I get to drink and paint with, especially my WHAT boys and everyone in the Gin for the boys club. Plus the misses as she lets me do all off the above, she’s a keeper.
Last words would be practice makes perfect. its true, I’m still practicing daily…
LostInTheMood 