Kent Weeks, (Lucky Devil Metalworks in Houston), contacted us recently, with a report on the Texas National Bike Show sponsored by Bikernet.com, poster shoot. Just two days prior we received an e-mail report from the esteemed photographer, Rigid Frame Richard, or Richard Roesler. We reviewed Kent’s story and Richards e-mail and something didn’t jive. We woke up Bandit in the middle of the day and interviewed him. He didn’t help, so here we go starting with the Devil:
So… A photo shoot of a photo shoot? You got it, whatever you want, no problem, any time (lunatic).
So Bandit wants a photo shoot of the photo shoot, groovy. Here ya go.
“That’s not exactly the story,” said Bandit during a post-shoot investigation. “We’re doing all we can to support the Texas National Bike Show. Last year the date was shifted due to Katrina or one of those wild hurricanes. The Bikernet staff voted unanimously to bolster Kent’s efforts to build the show and we started with a contest to support the Texas National Bike Show Poster. So a feature promoting the poster would be a good thing, right?”
It's been raining in Houston for months. Half the state was flooded and Saturday was no different, except we had one very cool bike, one very hot chick and a whole bunch of other people standing around the Lucky Devil paint shop wondering when RFR was going to start shooting the winning bike for the Texas National Bike Show poster contest. Frankly this thing has been complicated from the beginning.
”Wait just a minute,” RFR said spitting chewing tobacco at the deck. “I’m a professional. I can’t shoot a state of the art photographic extravaganza in a shop fulla motorcycles. I’ve been by the shop and told ‘em to clean it up.
”I would probably be done with the shoot, except ‘Someone’ (see the devil), allowed all kinds of shit to be parked on the floor so it takes forever to get that fixed to this level, and I still have more to go. I even sent him an image that was taken for some friends (I had to hide their identities in case any of them were wanted), in Mr. Lichter's studio, pointing out things such as everybody wearing socks, parachute used to rotate bike so has not to leave tire marks, etc.
”But did he take this advice to heart and learn from it…NO!”
First, we had to find the winning bike, and we have the Golden God of motorcycles to thank for that, our poster bike contest was a success on Bikernet.com and we found a Texas winner: Hemi Head Customs, Tim and Tina Scates.
Second, we had to coordinate all of the players, have you ever tried to rustle into one place at one time, bike owners, models and a photographer (who would rather sleep than shoot a pretty face). Well, I am here to tell you, it ain't easy! We were all set to go on the day of my lovely wife's grand opening party for her dealership, but no, our Miss Texas National forgot she had a previous commitment, so we had a bike, a photographer but… no pretty face.
”Same with the Road King shoot,” RFR continued to grouse. “I have reflections from the HEB Banner, from last years bike show, he decided to hang right above the ‘shooting area’, yeah right. How can a pro shoot a bike with banners reflecting in the chrome.”
Well a few weeks went by before we could get everyone all together in one place, but we finally succeeded.
Now for the fun part, the owners of the winning bike Tim and Tina Scates (very cool people) showed up around 1:30 and the skies looked rain threatening. The only time I ever see Tina is when she’s on her hands and knees polishing their bike. Tina was immediately on her hands and knees polishing every detail on the bike. I wish I could talk Mrs. Devil into such a task, but she runs the bike show. Got to cut her some slack. Tina was in a big hurry to move the bike inside. Shortly thereafter our roving photographer Rigid Frame Richard showed up looking bleary eyed and frazzled. You see Friday was his last night working at the fabulous St. James (a serious house of ill-repute). He wascovered in stripper dust, and looking very much the worse for wear. Speaking of a Lucky Devil's (bastard).
“No more photo-shoots at Lucky Devil Metal Works, with paint dust flying, metal shavings on my lense or oil puddles to slip in,” RFR continued. “I will have to set up someplace in town, then he will just have to travel!”
By this time the sky had opened up and the streets were rushing in water and we still hadn’t seen hide nor Big Texas Hair of our model! No worries, Big Eric was in the house with his traveling bar and he informed us that she was on her way. Miss Texas National, Liz, arrived and the party started with lights flashing, fan blowing, hair flying. Looks like a photo shoot to me…
I have been giving him a hard time about it handling the shop like a professional studio,” RFR sniveled, “ but it was a waste of time. He started welding in the corner. I got the Girls of Bikernet shoot, but then grabbed my shit and hit the road.”
Here's where I came in. Although I was facing serious metal bending deadlines, I also was supposed to grab a story for Bikernet on the shoot. Well, if my lovely had not purred in my ear “Get your ass in the paint shop now and take some damn pictures!” I would probably be in Dutch with Bandit right now (God, she's great). So I got my ass in gear and started taking pics. And, oh what fun! Like I said before, lights flashing, wind blowing, hair flying, I love my job.
Well, now that my assignment is complete it's time to head back to reality. I must say a photographer’s life is good, but I'd much rather twist metal for a living.
–The Devil
Mrs. Devil here and boy is the Devil in trouble!!! In his story he failed to mention some very important things, like my Texas National Bike Show. So I will have to take matters into my own hands.
We have started registration on line @ The show is going to be Friday and Saturday, November 3rd and 4th at the Galveston Island Convention Center. We will have an abundance of entertainment, a vintage Burlesque show, 2 nights of bikini shows, cool customs, and much, much more. It’s all sponsored by Bikernet.com. I am excited to announce that this year we have added something new, “The Texas National Builder Showdown”, it’s an invitational bike build-off, and we will feature all of the bikes in a builder’s row, as well as the shops sponsoring the builds. We invited 11 builders and so far we have had more than a few respond with a resounding yes. And if I am not mistaken our Golden God of Motorcycles, Bandit and the fabulous Bikernet will be doing some features on the build-off in the coming months, so look for that too. The Texas National is about supporting smaller local and national shops and giving everyone a chance to show off their hot rides in a very cool place. So drop by if you are in Galveston Texas, November 3rd and 4th. Tickets at the door are $10.00 for both Friday and Saturday, so you can come and go as you please. Now… I am off to give the Devil a spanking that will show him never to ignore me again! –Mrs. L. Devil 
