LAVELLA-BLOG!

Despite the fact that’s it’s been 25 years since I dropped out of art school, I still tend to have little projects going all the time. One that I forgot about (until I recently found these pictures) was my “Happy Tom hat” endeavor.

It all started in 2002 when I made my last trip to Scandinavia, which unfortunately was the only one that included Norway, a county I instantly fell in love with. While in Oslo, I stayed at the apartment of Mensen guitarist Christine 16, and it was there that I first laid eyes on thee hat.

Now remember, 6 years ago Turbonegro were not the world wide phenomenon that they are today, but in Europe and hipper rock circles in the US, they were already legendary. They had been broken up for years at that point, but had recently reformed and were about to start playing out and recording again. Apparently at one of their “last ever shows” in Oslo, Happy Tom threw out a few of his trademark sailor caps, and Christine snagged one. I’ll spare you the begging and pleading that went on to pry this precious prize away from her, but I'm sure you can imagine how badly I wanted it, the ultimate souvenir of a rock and roll trip to Norway.

Anyway, she graciously gave it to me, and after that, for the next year or so everyone that came to my house, famous or merely infamous, was forced to wear it while a Polaroid picture was snapped. Here are a few of the results….