From dealing with the overly critical, religious ‘Keyboard gangsters’ on social media to being mistaken as a bad man by small children, it’s safe to say Brian “Head” Welch understands exactly how it feels to be unfairly judged by others. But as the epic new KoRn song ‘Hater’ states, Head has a “you can’t bring me down” attitude.
Some of the haters out there might be shocked to learn that the guitarist of KoRn is a tenderhearted, happy-go-lucky, selfless father who has a passion for sharing his gifts with others in need.
Read about Head’s perspective on tattoos, life in the spotlight, his involvement with The Whosoevers, and more.
What inspires you to do what you do?
Well, music flows through my entire being. It’s the gift I was given from the man above. So everything I do, whether it’s music or books or speaking, all comes from that place.
How do you think the tattoo lifestyle affects you and the world around you?
I think it’s amazing how the tattoo lifestyle affects not only my world but the world at large. Basically, most of the time, tattoos reveal what’s in a person’s heart. The art gives a glimpse of a person’s inner life for others to see – whether it’s a positive piece of art or negative. But what I love most about the tattoo lifestyle is that it’s giving our generation another avenue to express art. In past generations, artistic expression hasn’t been encouraged like it is now. In our day, art is bursting through the seams in so many different ways… it’s awesome!
Have you ever felt unfairly judged because you have tattoos?
Yeah, every time I go out in public LOL. Once, at LAX airport after traveling 20 something hours with no sleep from Australia, I was sitting on the ground at my crowded connection gate looking like a homeless person. A mom walks by holding the hands of her very young children. Her young son says, “Mommy, that’s a bad man!” Everyone at the crowded gate stared at me, so I had fun with it and angrily looked at the kid and growled, LOL.
How many tattoos do you have?
I don’t know how many to be honest. Maybe 25 – 30 sessions total?
Any favorites?
My favorites are my left arm, with a statue of Jesus on my shoulder, a portrait of my daughter underneath him, and a KoRn album artwork piece (Untouchables) underneath her. I did my whole left arm in only 3 or 4 sessions.
What was the most painful tattoo experience you had?
Definitely my back. I got the logo of my record label tattooed on my back and it hurt so bad that I still haven’t finished it ‘til this day! The label actually ended up tanking anyway, so I’m not sure what I’m gonna do now, LOL. I guess keep my shirt on! What a waste of a good six pack!
Who is your favorite tattoo artist?
There’s too many to name man, don’t make me try.
Describe your first experience getting a tattoo and why you chose to get it.
I chose a cool font and got two very special names for my first tattoo; the name of a child that me and my girlfriend gave up for adoption 20 years ago, along with my daughter’s name, who turned 17 this summer. Those two very emotional days were completely life changing and I wanted my first tattoo to be one that I would never, ever regret.
What advice would you give someone who is thinking about getting their first tattoo?
Make sure you really want one, because your first will lead to your second, you second to your third, your third to your fourth, etc.
What are some of the challenges you’ve faced being in the spotlight?
Dealing with completely bitter overly religious ‘Keyboard gangsters’ on social media sites that would never say anything to my face, constantly talking smack online because they don’t have the self-esteem to speak up in real life.
What advice would you give to aspiring metal musicians/bands?
Get into rap, electronic, or pop music! There’s not much money to be made in metal music nowadays, LOL. If you don’t care about making a decent a living, then stay metal ‘til you die!
What made you decide to get involved with The Whosoevers?
I got involved because I love Jesus more than anything in life. He is God and he is irresistible. Everything in life makes sense when you really get to know Jesus and his character. I would easily take a bullet before renouncing Jesus. He is more real to me than any human relationship I’ve ever been in. A lot of people think anything to do with Jesus is B.S., and I can’t blame them since organized religion has been dragging his name through the mud for centuries. But as soon as every single human being’s spirit leaves their body on death’s day, all the mocking will stop. But the real question is this: who will receive the biggest spanking? The sinners or the bitter, judgmental, religious people who caused so many to mock his name? Hmmm… Food for thought.
If you had one message you could share with the world, what would it be?
A relationship with God through Jesus. One on one. No religious B.S.
Look, we are all here trapped in the world like prisoners serving our death sentence. Our life may mostly be a joyful prison, but make no mistake – it’s still a prison. Jesus is not a joke name to make fun of. He’s the only one who has faced death and conquered it. No other human being can face death and conquer it alone. We can only get out of this world’s prison safely by knowing Jesus because He is the only one who has the keys and the authority to legally lead us to freedom in the spiritual realm.
All we have to do is pray something like, “Jesus, you are perfect. I am far from perfect. You want to trade your perfect life for mine? Ok, I know a good deal when I hear it. I’ll trade my imperfect life for your perfect life. Forgive me. As I trade my imperfect life, I choose to believe the hilariously good news that I am made 100% perfect in God’s eyes by you dying on the cross for me. According to your promise, I’ll give you my trash, while you let me partake of your divine nature. Help me get to know the real you now and in the years to come so that the day I leave this planet, I will be laughing with you, not at you like so many others. Thank you.”
If you said these words or something close to it, get on over to thewhosoevers.com and start learning about Christ and the reality of the spiritual world. We can start interacting with that world now. We don’t have to wait until we die. Jesus is the legal door and we have permission to fully seek this out now to see how real it all actually is.
To find out more about Brian “Head” Welch, visit his website or connect with him on Facebook.
