What’s up folks? Anthony here with another killer interview with the one and only CHRIS FITTY ONE! You all know him from A&E’s Epic Ink and don’t forget the Geekster Ink Tour. So how did I get so lucky to get an interview? Between touring to cons and always having something up his sleeve and doing  tattoos he took some time to chat with me and this is what we talked about.

EE: Just a few short weeks ago you put on the very FIRST ever Headbanger Con, and I was lucky enough to be there. I wanted to thank you personally for one of the most epic times of my life. Us at Empire Extreme are truly honored that we could be apart of this event.

C51: Im so glad man thank you for coming dude that’s exactly what I wanted to accomplish that kind of response you know.

EE:Lets get into your past a little what were your musical influences? What inspired you to the metal genres? 

C51: Umm, Megadeth. Anthrax and Metallica. But it started way back in the day with Zeppelin when my dad would play Zeppelin records, and then I discovered Megadeth and Motley Crue’s Shout At the Devil that really changed my life. 

EE: So what was your favorite song off that album?

C51:umm Looks to Kill. I mean I loved them all, my buddy and I used dress all up in leather and moms make up and she had these big wooden fork and spoon that would hang in the dining room that were three feet tall we wrapped bandanas into an air guitar id be Nikki Sixx and he would be Mick Mars and we would air guitar the whole album. On repeat over and over in my room it drove my parents crazy.

EE: What was your first show? 

C51: My very first show kind of screwed me and it was how do you top this. It was AC/DC The Who Made Who tour that was my very first concert ever. Let me tell you like about a middle school kid going into an arena and see a giant bell raise from the stage and smoke comes out and Angus Young playing under it. You know Who made Who tour my mind was blown forever from that point on

EE: If you had a theme song what would it be and why?

C51: oh boy that is a question I have never been asked, probably welcome to the jungle I would say. You know to me that song has so many changes to me musically you know I can relate that to all the changes I have had in my life and so much ups and downs lyrically you know we got fun and games and we have everything you need blah blah blah. Its kind of fighting that adversity you know and umm lyrically and musically I can relate to that song.  So yeah rite off the top of my head with out really pondering it.

EE: So lets get to the present how did you come up with the idea of a Headbangers Con? How did you make the impossible possible?

C51: My wife actually came up with the idea, so in a nutshell I had a reality TV series on A&E and that lead me to tattooing some celebrities and then that lead me to tattooing some rockstars, that’s what kind of got my foot in the door. I started tattooing Charlie from Anthrax and he introduced me to other and eventually I met Morgan Rose from Sevendust and now I have a Sevendust tattoo they are one of my alltime favorite bands. And when I met Morgan I was like a giddy little school girl. I don’t know what it was him and I became long lost brothers, we hugged each other the moment we met and its was like I fell in man love a true bromance, and we became instant best friends. And have been ever since. We were at a Walking Dead convention and Morgan was getting tattooed by Bret. And I was doing another show about my tattooing and I was interviewing Morgan as a fan. As I was interviewing him my wife noticed something and as we got on the plane she was like you know I noticed as you were interviewing Morgan he was all looking at the place and the costumes and was in awe and kept mentioning how awesome it was and so was Charlie, he is a huge geek and was in complete awe and he goes to conventions. So she said babe I know you’re a metalhead and like going to these conventions why not do something for them. That pretty much sealed the deal. I mean you have all the connections in the entertainment industry why not. I asked her if she was sure about it you know you wont have any attention for a year. And she said okay so thirteen months of Planning. 

EE: Now that its all said and done how do you feel about it now? Are you going to go to Disneyland?

C51: Oh man I cant shut it off, im still riding this high. The next morning I woke up and I wanted to get going on the next one. So I am already scouting areas and sponsors, it takes sponsorship money and I already working on that, but I am starting this headbangers love to keep the brand going. 

EE: So are you ready for Christmas?

C51: yeah my wife has all that covered and I am grateful for her. She had been amazing,

EE: So if you had to choose Star Wars or Star Trek what would you pick?

C51: oh man I love that question, I am apart of the one percent that loves them both. You know what I mean. To me its really hard to choose just one. You know its like the Beauty and the Beast. Star Trek is the beauty the brains you know it’s the intelligent scientific make you think show and then Star Wars is the beast it’s the bron it’s the war and epic battle between good vs evil  you know. Its like apples and oranges. Its two completely different things and its not even fail to lump them in the same category you know.  I love them both dude you can even go sub genres like Star Trek from the cheesy classic stuff to the new generation where you have academy caliber acting in It and story telling to the new stuff. With theatrical filming and acting,

EE: omg man its an honor brother and I appreciate what your doing to the metal community.

C51: Brother anytime and its pleasure.

Wow what a chat, this proves that there is no rest for the wicked is there? This man is one busy SOB and there isn’t anything from stopping his dream. This is what happens when hard work and dedication pays off. So what’s next? I guess we are going to have to wait and see what Chris has up his sleeves for us at the second HEADBANGERS CON!!! Check out Chris’s Website https://chris51.com

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Anthony Bernardi

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