IMAGE BY KEVIN MCGONNELL
Meet Sami Graystone. The purple haired hell raiser responsible for our Babes Ride Out UK poster artwork is the amazing Illustrator & owner of The Meathook, singer in the band Zealous Doxy & proud new mama to one sick new Z750 chop & which she'll be will be riding all the way down from Leeds, West Yorkshire to come hang with us at Babes Ride Out UK. Hit her up if you're riding from round her way!
Where are you from?
Im originally from Hull, in East Yorkshire ( North of England) but I moved away when I was about 15. I travelled around a lot, mainly through skating and music but Ive always been a Yorkshire girl at heart. I live in Leeds now so its definitely where I'd call home.
How long have you been riding & what made you first start?
About 10 years now (legally!) Its pretty hard to say specifically why I actually started riding. I grew up trackside around scrap car racing with my family. We used to stick the cars in the back of a coach that we ripped the seats out of to travel from race to race. As I got older, growing up in the middle of nowhere meant we had quad bikes and trikes to play with & that eventually progressed onto little 50cc dirtbikes. So its always been kind of inbuilt in me I guess.
What was your first Motorcycle?
My first bike was a Yamaha SR125. I loved it so much. It was the first proper thing I ever owned. We went everywhere together. I covered alot of England on that little thing. However, one day I woke up and it had been stolen. I cried like I've never cried before, haha. That was my freedom, my fun, my commuter, my everything and someone took it from me. Absolute dicks! The police found it burnt out a couple of weeks later. I actually had it tattooed on my arm whilst I was in the states by the lovely Dan Collins of Old Gold Garage, it has a banner wrapped round it that says 'Highway to Hull' (Thats what I used to sing at the top of my lungs heading back home to sunny Hull on the M62, doing 80mph........downhill with the wind behind me!)
What do you ride now?
I've been working my butt off , given myslef a party ban, been living off peanuts and had to heavy heartedly part with my FZ400, but its all been worth it, as I've just got myself a beautiful new Z750 chop, built by an awesome fellow Yorkshire rider.
How did you first meet the VCs?
We met at a Dirt Track Riders ladies practice day last year. After tearing up the tracks together we've been incontact ever since & hung out at events such as Dirt Quake and The Trip Out. We always fire ideas around, keep each other updated with our plans & we mutually support with what we are doing. I really appreciate what they're doing in the moto scene. I'm always excited to hear whats coming next with them!
What does the BRO Uk eventmean to you?
Personally, I've dreamily followed the girls since the beginning, wishing I could be there too, but have managed to miss it every year! So the fact that they're coming here is awesome. I have no excuse now!hahha. Its been awesome to see what started as such a fun idea between a few like minded chicks, turn into this, now international, event that shows and unites the epic amount of lady riders there are out there. BRO also celebrates the fact that women are more empowered and independent than ever, but on a bigger scale I think it inspires everyone no matter what sex to live your life how you want to, be free and have fun. I couldn't be more stoked to be involved in the event and I'm looking forward to riding, chilling and partying with a bunch of fellow biker lasses.
Tell us more about the meathook:
The idea of starting The meat hook was a way of me having an identity, a brand, rather then just going under Sami Graystone illustration, so that I could start selling my own art work as well as doing commissioned work. The name is loosely inspired by my family business of butchering. I grew up around a lot of blood guts and gore! My work is generally bike themed, with naked chicks.... maybe a bit dark sometimes. I get alot of inspiration from the 70's and my childhood/life! But I try not to analyse to much and just go with what I think looks rad.
The Meat Hook is ever evolving. I started out just selling prints and stickers but since then I've l started doing tees which I print by hand mayself. So far I've been pretty overwhelmed by the response to what I've been doing. Its awesome that people want to buy my stuff and I'm very grateful of it. Its still very early days, but I've got hundreds of ideas buzzing around my head about what to do next, so fingers crossed, all being well, The meat hook will go from strength to strength
For tickets to BABES RIDE OUT UK go to www.babesrideout.com for more info