For the Love of God...

For the Love of God is a sculpture by Damien Hirst that consists of a platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8,601 fine white diamonds, including the centerpece, a massive pear-shaped stone on the forehead. It cost 14 million pounds to produce and sold for $100 million US dollars...

(One must go for the obvious:Diamonds are a ghoul's best friend...)

Yeahhhh!!!

Von Dutch is still alive!

Von Dutch, born Kenneth Howard the originator of modern pinstriping. No, this is not just a name on a t-shirt or a hat and he is not related to the marketing people only using this greatly underrated artists name and signature. Simply dedicated to the man's art both on normal canvas and automotive canvas.

Kenneth Howard was born in 1929, son of a sign painter. After being drafted in the US army in 1946 being honorably discharged in 1949, he quickly followed in his fathers footsteps as a sign painter, painting store fronts in Southern California. During the 50s he was hired to paint cars, and discovered a technique to mask damaged paint by adding decorative designs.

Those designs we now know as pinstriping. During the sixties Dutch worked on movie cars and also several vehicles for his friend Steve McQueen. Dutch got to know McQueen through his stunt double and motorcycle dealer Bud Eakins. In his early years Von Dutch spend some time working for Eakins.

This was also the time he first painted his trademark the flying eyeball. The creative sculptures coming from this man's mind are unbelievable. The cars and motorcycles he touched with his chipmunk hair brushes became pieces of art. And don't forget his superb capabilities as a gun-smith.

Living most of his life in trailers just because he wanted to. To some he was crazy, others say just bad tempered. He could love you but never show. At least the man is far from the fake hollywood style clothes everybody now associates with his name. The man is a legend, which he already was in his own time.

A bigger artist than Dali, Ed Roth and so many others of his time. At the time of his death on September 19 1992 he left a big hole in the art world, but his work is here for the long run.....

Von Dutch is still alive!!!

Kati (PinkKatillac)

☠ www.pinkkatillac.com

Kustom Kulture Products

Italian Motorcycle Museum

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Wheels from Brazil! Águas de Lindóia!

If you think the only cool custom car and hot rod events can be found in the U.S.A...

You’re WRONG!!!!!!

In the city of Águas de Lindóia in Brazil annually in april you will find some of the coolest rides in the world together, in one of the most beautiful locations you can imagine. From VW Beetles, original or rodded to restored classic model T Fords and everything in between. We will let the pictures do most of the talking. Check out these beautiful Impala’s, T and A model Fords, Opala’s (Brazillian made Chevrolet) and many other US made and other classics.

Fortunately Pinkkatillac had a reporter present to cover this event for everyone to enjoy the experience. The pictures also give the viewer a great impression of the beautiful scenery. Sit back, relax and enjoy some of the finest wheels Brazil has to offer………….

Special thank's to Breno Caruso.

Kati (PinkKatillac)

☠ www.pinkkatillac.com

Kustom Kulture Products

V-Twin Expo, Cincinnati Ohio, February-2009

The professional V-Twin industry got together again at the Duke Energy convention Center in Cincinnati Ohio. All the big names in the industry were off course present. The high profile builders like Arlen and Cory Ness, Roland Sands, Russell Mitchell, Jerry Covington, Rick Fairless, Dave Perewitz, Donnie Smith, Paul Yaffe, the Sucker Punch Sally crew and many others were present some of them presenting their cool products to the market and others just wandering through the aisles.

Due to the current economy there were less exhibitors than previous years and off course also less visitors. On the Saturday when the show opened there was a good crowd strolling through the hall so the industry was pretty happy about the attendance which was showing that even though times are less for everyone in the world there is still a big interest in the V-Twin aftermarket. The only places where you could really clearly see that there were less people was in the bars and restaurants at night where in other years it was impossible to get in and/or find a table and now you could be seated almost everywhere.

Due to the economic downturn there weren’t as many new products to see as in other years but there were plenty of nice bikes on display spread over the different booths.

Kati (PinkKatillac)

☠ www.pinkkatillac.com

Kustom Kulture Products

Stray Cats Farewell European Tour 2008!

Rockabilly power trio the Stray Cats, with Brian Setzer on guitar and vocals, Lee Rocker on slap bass, and Slim Jim Phantom on drums performed 2 shows in Amsterdam this summer. The first one on August 25 in the worldwide known venue Paradiso which is actually an old church building in the center of Amsterdam, a fantastic intimate atmosphere with a small audience.

The opening act was a rockabilly trio as well (what else????), Buzz Campbell and Hot Rod Lincoln. They really worked their butt off to warm up the crowd that was already warmed up for the Stray Cats…but they put up a terrific rockin’ performance. And when they finished their drummer handed me his drumsticks which I treasure as a souvenir….. Also the crowd was great, rockabilly cats and kittens everywhere, sideburns and pompadours and a lot of Bettie looks all around….and all of them in the mood for good old rock’n roll the Stray Cats way….

As soon as the three guys from Massapequa entered the stage the crowd was rocking and rolling when the first notes of Rumble in Brighton were coming out of the amps…this tour also brought some first ever live versions of songs like Gina and Sweet Gene Vincent which had never been performed in front of an audience before. The guys gave the audience everything they asked for and even more, a terrific show with sparks flying off, in which you could really see those three guys on stage enjoying themselves to the max as well as their audience.

The second show the band did in the Netherlands was also in Amsterdam but in a much bigger venue called the Heineken Music Hall. And also at this show Buzz Campbell and Hot Rod Lincoln did the warm up, even better than they did in Paradiso…. 

When the cats came on stage the roof went of off the building for the next one and a half hour, and the encore was extended to 4 songs instead of the 2 they did in Paradiso…. All in all the performed two superb shows, in a terrific entourage…. It only makes you sad to think this could really have been their farewell tour…..and we might never be able to experience this again……

We can only hope that Brian, Lee and Jim feel the same we do: ROCKABILLY RULES!!!OK!!!

Kati (PinkKatillac)

☠ www.pinkkatillac.com

Kustom Kulture Products

Championship Custom Bikes as Art!

Former World Champion, Japanese master builder Chicara Nagata, was recently honored with an exhibition of his builds in a New York art gallery. The world renowned Ippodo Gallery brought together a collection of Chicara's bikes, including his 2006 World Championship winning and 2007 World Championship second placed bike for the gallery's display called 'Chicara Liquid Chrome'.

Nagata, who was in attendance for the opening of the show, said, "I am thrilled that Ippodo Gallery has introduced my work to a new audience. It was a treat to speak with many different kinds of people at the exhibition's opening, many of whom had never thought a motorcycle could be a piece of art."

The combination of custom motorcycles and New York gallery space provided a unique attraction, drawing not only motorcycle enthusiasts but national mainstream media including TV, fashion and general interest consumer magazines as well as art aficionados. "I am very pleased with the incredible and diverse response to Chicara's exhibition. His work reinforces Ippodo Gallery's mission to bring the best of Japanese craftsmanship, in all of its many forms, to American audiences," said Shoko Aono, Director of Ippodo Gallery.

Pictures by Rena Ohashi, courtesy of Ippodo Gallery
www.ippodogallery.com/Chicara_e.html

Kati (PinkKatillac)

☠ www.pinkkatillac.com

Kustom Kulture Products

"The more i learn about men...

THE MORE I LIKE MY CAR!"

Stray Cats, Harley’s and Hot Rods!

The Stray Cats became well known in the early 80s for their raucous vintage yet modern style of rockabilly music. In the US initially there wasn’t a lot of interest, so the three young men from Long Island hopped on a plane to England. Brian Setzer, Lee Rocker (Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (James McDonnell) after living a stray cat life on the streets of London, caught the eye of producer/singer/guitarist Dave Edmunds and ended up making their first record called simply Stray Cats.

Stray Cats was a European only release and did the best it could in the European charts, with Runaway Boys becoming their first number 1 hit single, but Stray Cats also featured their signature songs Stray Cat Strut and Rock This Town. The Stray Cats established their name in Europe with that record which was the perfect show cast for their hot rod type of music. Hot Rod’s and rock and roll have always been part of the same scene, together with Harley’s and custom bikes. Stray Cats used all of that in their music and also on their record covers.

Their second European release, Gonna Ball in 1981 showed the Cats together with their own built Harley-Davidson Shovelheads in front of a typical US diner. That record also featured one of their first hot rod themed songs, Rev It Up And Go. In 1982 it became time for their first US album, called Built for Speed, featuring the song of the same name referring to every possible aspect of a custom car, black with flames and a fuel injection.

And off course the albums cover showing some of the coolest custom cars you could think off.  The other songs on that record were a mixture of the best that their first two European albums featured.  In 1983 it was followed both in the US as in Europe by Rant ‘n Rave with the Stray Cats, featuring songs like Look at that Cadillac and Hotrod Gang as well as a road song like 18 miles to Memphis.  Of that record the single Sexy and 17 however is one of the most famous, and the 7” single showed off one of their best sleeves with a drawing by Ed “Big Daddy” Roth of the three cats in a hot rod.  After a few years of absence the next album was Rock Therapy, showing a new hair style for the Stray Cats together with another cool car, and a great cover of the Gene Vincent song Race With The Devil. On 1989’s Blast Off they moved away from the car theme due to the dance style influences in the music industry, but bringing some good songs like Blast Off, Gene and Eddie and Rockabilly Rules. 1990’s Let’s go faster  lost the car/bike theme further, with only the albums theme song referring to the hot rod spirit. 1991’s Choo Choo Hot Fish and 1992’s Original Cool had no references at all to any wheels but trains in the cover of Mystery Train.  After this the Cats went their own way with some occasional touring together over the years. But they did well on their own solo careers as well and also in that they finally got back to their hot wheels origins.

Especially Brian Setzer is very succesvol in both his solo career as well as with his Brian Setzer Orchestra.  On most of his record covers you can find images of cars, the most notably being his 2003 solo album Nitro Burning Funny Daddy showing his own Metalflake flame painted hot rod Ford.  And a lot of his songs on the different albums including the BSO’s Christmas albums show reference to hot cars. Even Santa drives a 57 Chevrolet instead of a sleigh.  Lee Rocker’s 2006 album Racin’ the Devil, has a real custom carstyle cover by Vince Ray, and some songs are back to the roots, like Funny Car Graveyard with references to Von Dutch and Daddy Roth.  Still with every release these Cats come out with we’ll be excited to hear what ‘s new and exciting and how cool the covers will be.

As long as they keep on rocking we’ll be happy!!! Rock ON!!!

Kati (PinkKatillac)

☠ www.pinkkatillac.com

Kustom Kulture Products

"The more i learn about men...

THE MORE I LIKE MY CAR!"

Big Twin Bikeshow and Expo 2008

Between November 7 and 9 2008 it was time again for the annual Big Twin Bikeshow and Expo (BBE), which is one of the biggest custom motorcycle and lifestyle events in Europe. For the last 9 years the BBE has also been the place to be for the Zodiac Dealershow, which brings a tradeshow in addition to the custombikeshow, with many of their American as well as european vendors exhibiting.

Zodiac is well known throughout Europe as the leading aftermarket warehouse distributor for aftermarket parts and accessories  for Harley-Davidson.  The BBE is also an affiliate to the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building, the winner of the BBE custom bike show will go to the World Championship finals during the Sturgis bike week in august 2009 on BBE’s expense.  Which means that the level of the custom bikes at the show is high.  The bikeshow was divided in four different categories: Old Skool, Custom, Freestyle and Chopper, with three prices for the best bikes in each category.  The jury and the public voted for the extreme long and low Indian chopper built by Lasse Sundberg from Sweden. The bike has a perfect blend of old skool elements combined with a traditional long fork chopper style, the frontfork is only 42 inches overstock!!!

Lasse will be competing against the top of the world at the World Championship in Sturgis next year.

Off course the bikeshow is only a part of the event, during the weekend in the bikercafe you could find all kinds of entertainment in the form of live music and off course the erotic striptease……

The biker market presented vendors of all types, where you could find a diverse assortment of t-shirts and other lifestyle goodies….and even a Hot Rod….   The tradeshow part introduced several of the main aftermarket companies known throughout the custombikescene, like Performance Machine, Supertrapp, Accel motorcycle products, Cyron lighting, S&S Cycle, Progressive Suspension, Morris Magnetos, Spectro Oils, etcetera, etcetera…. And off course the Zodiac hall wouldn’t be the Zodiac hall without some of the fastest v-twin equipped two wheelers in the world, including the latest dragbike built by Zodiac’s general manager and multi European dragracing champion Ton Pels.

During the weekend Zodiac also hosted a big party for their dealers and vendors by invitation only, and off course PinkKatillac was also present to report on that for her loyal readers. The party was a good time for everyone who attended, with terrific food, good drinks, nice people and Zodiac casino where you could try to bet with Zodiac dollars, that could by their dealers be used to place a bid on all sorts of parts being sold to the highest bidder, with the top price being a brand new S&S V-Twin engine.

The whole show was well visited, well organized and it was good to be a part of it.

Already looking forward to the 2009 edition of the BBE.

Kati (PinkKatillac)

☠ www.pinkkatillac.com

Kustom Kulture Products

"The more i learn about men...

THE MORE I LIKE MY CAR!"

Rock Around the Jukebox

Since 1988 dutch collectors and lifestyle magazine the Jukebox fanaat is organising a jukebox trade show and lifestyle event, full of 50s, 60s and 70s cool stuff, with a lot of good music, and most importantly rock’n roll!!!

During this two day event you can find every possible vintage jukebox you can think off, some of the most rare types you can imagine, some in perfectly restored shape, others as found in need of a lot of restoration.

All types of rocking records, 78 RPM in Bakelite, as well as 45 and 33 1/3 RPM in vinyl can be found with many vendors. As well as plenty of rock’n roll lifestyle goodies, mens drape clothes, womens petticoats, creepers, Bettie Page style pumps and dresses, you name it, you find it. Slot machines, pinball machines, chewinggum vending machines and all types of 50s vending machines and music machines you can run into, and even buy at this amazing event.

Rock’n roll and 50s lifestyle is getting hotter and hotter in Europe and you could experience it at Rock Around the Jukebox in all it’s glory…. The pictures will speak for themselves. Note the dates for next year in your agenda and make sure not to miss it…: October 3 and 4 2009, be there just like me!!!

 

Kati (PinkKatillac)

☠ www.pinkkatillac.com

Kustom Kulture Products

"The more i learn about men...

THE MORE I LIKE MY CAR!"

You're welcome!!!

Welcome to Pinkkatillac’s Kustom Kulture Magazine which now can also be read in English after many requests.

The Portuguese edition already has a good fan-base and after many requests you are now looking at the English version. The magazine will be updated as often as possible with many new stories on different events in the Kustom Kulture lifestyle, mostly related to Kustom cars, Hot-Rods and Custom motorcycles.

Please check back regularly for news, and please leave comments to help me improve the magazine.

Enjoy!!!

Kati