What music do you work to? Also, What is appropriate from a business standpoint?

[Mr. Frog]

I can't work without music playing. I'm sure the rest of you are the same. What are you currently listening to at your workplace? Also, what do you think is appropriate/tasteful? I like to listen to mellow stuff if I am working an early shift. Maybe cut loose a little later in the day. Lately a lot of 60's reggae, Blues, 70's and 80's punk. Not so into tattooing to crazy Grindcore , Death Metal, or Stoner Rock. I also think some of my customers would rather not be tattooed to real loud, brash music. What are YOU currently listening to? Also do you care about what your customers think of your musical tastes?

[Julio Avila]

i could probably listen to van halen all day long haha

really for me its all about the shuffle on my ipod. i have a huuuge selection. most good some bad. all three of us at the shop have ipods there. i can pretty much listen to everything if the ipod is on shuffle. each song is only a few minutes long. if i absolutely hate a song, another less shitty one will be on in a few minutes.

i have noticed that ive bene trying to eliminate certain songs from my ipod. or i just change them as soon as they come on. the rap group UGK has a song that i LOVE. however, everytime it comes on, it never fails a group of soccer moms roll through with some kids. the song is called BITCH YOU KNOW YOU LIKE THAT. yup thats what its called.

another song that gets me is that guns n roses song ONE IN A MILLION. i like it and it doesnt bother me but in that song axl calls out on "niggers" and "faggots" and it never fails as soon as them lines come on, a black woman or some gay dude or a lesbian will roll through. its just embarrassing to me.

everybodys got some bullshit on their ipod. i got linda ronstandts spanish cd on my shit. im 35 and ill listen to whatever the hell i want! and on occassion ill make you suffer with my musical tastes haha

[mario desa]

hahaha...yeah i actually took a bunch of Ghostface off my ipod and some other hip-hop i love, but just isn't appropriate in the shop. we get a lot of gay clients and i just feel horrible when a song comes on and "faggot" is dropped. also, waaaay over harder music, with a few exceptions, but never in the shop really.

lately, it's been a mix of jazz (thelonious monk, bill evans, billie holiday, miles davis), Kraftwerk, flaming lips, vampire weekend, the fall, stuff like that. we always have lou reed, iggy pop, nick cave and leonard cohen in the mix!

hmmm...ramones, the clash, misfits, gorilla biscuits, dag nasty, descendents, led zeppelin, nirvana...too many!

i can't work to metal or hardcore anymore, barely listen to it in general. can't take it anymore, i can't stand being yelled at! and it just gets me on edge.

[hogg]

Haha...UGK is one of my all-time favorite groups (they're from my hometown), so I'd be stoked to hear them while I was getting tattooed. I guess I have to go to Milwaukee for that, though. I'll save a spot for you, Julio.

[Lochlan]

Great topic and thanks for starting it Mr. Frog. Hope you don't mind but I moved it to "War Stories" as it seemed more fitting?

[Mr. Frog]

I cannot believe Mario didn't mention the Smiths, or Morrissey. I guess that's just a given.

[Kevin Campbell]

My favorite stuff to listen to when I'm tattooing is the more melodic pop punk stuff like Screeching Weasel, the Vindictives, the Queers, Jawbreaker, that sort of stuff. But my Ipod seems to have a mind of its own when it's put on shuffle, and will always play the most offensive Too Short or or Kool Kieth song whenever a bunch of soccer moms come in with their 14 year old kids to get piercings or whatever. I have managed to get most of the obnoxiously unfunny rap skits deleted off there though...The only stuff I will occasionally get up and skip the song is for Immortal Technique, who has a few songs that are a bit gnarly for anybody to have to listen too..

[mario desa]

I cannot believe Mario didn't mention the Smiths, or Morrissey. I guess that's just a given.

ha...only one other dude (dalton) at the shop likes the smiths, everyone else hates it, so i don't play it, though it sometimes comes up on shuffle, and everyone groans or mocks it hahaha!

oh, but i did forget lungfish and the pupils, duh.

[Mr. Frog]

Haha. I love me some Too $hort and Kool Keith. Yeah I get some groans when the Smiths come on.

[E. Gregory]

a lot of stoner rock, doom, metal, etc.....do not care what anyone thinks or likes.

sometimes i might hit a playlist that mixes some mellower music into it if i think i might actually be talking a lot during the tattoo.

[Julio Avila]

I hate when people moan about a song. Like it's really the worst three minutes of their lives. If it's a customer that complains I tell them they don't have to listen to it. I'll call them back into the shop when the songs over.

[Jake]

I hate when people moan about a song. Like it's really the worst three minutes of their lives. If it's a customer that complains I tell them they don't have to listen to it. I'll call them back into the shop when the songs over.

fuck man I've sat through some stupid shit while getting tattooed. I'm not going there to listen to music. I've got a record player and ipod and all that. Hell, usually you're talking anyways during a session.

[Julio Avila]

i sat for a few hours while rassier and jesse tuesday ranted about how much of a genius yngwie malstreem is. or however you spell that fucks name.

[Mr. Frog]

I knew this dude that had a T-shirt in the 80's that said "Yngwie Who?" on the front. "Yngwie Fuckin' Malmsteen That's Who!! on the Back. It was Hilarious.

[Chad Smith]

For me its Leatherface right now, mix it up with some Dwarves,Cobra skulls, Turbonegro, The Clash. If the soccer moms decend upon me I hit them with some Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros. I as well try to keep up some kind of conversation though.

[xjamestravisx]

I prefer to listen jawbreaker, Lawrence Arms, banner pilot type stuff when I tattoo. But on a more chill day, I like the Smiths and talking heads an that kinda stuff. If it's me tattooing my friends and no one else is at th shop, it's American Nightmare and Bane.

Do you Chicago natives really hate Lawrence arms as much as ive heard?

[A.Sanchez]

we've been rocking this "Out on the Floor" northern soul comp a lot lately, and Barry White.

It's super relaxing and when we get the customers who say, wow I've never heard this in a tattoo shop before

I take that as compliment

[maxx1221]

While I am not a tattoo artist, I was checking into this thread out of curiosity. I noticed a lot of you guys mentioning you needed to take off some songs so they wouldn't pop up during shuffle, and trust me I think most people have a few songs like that! Anyways a helpful hint is that you can make it so certain songs don't pop up on shuffle! I'm in class right now, and can't check out exactly how to do it, but I can post how to later if anyones interested.

[Perez]

i could probably listen to van halen all day long haha

I have done this many many times, Between VH1, VH2, Fair Warning, 1984, Diver Down, and Women and Children First that's enough to fill a whole day with awesome. (Not to mention the WB demos if you want to get REALLY crazy) I can never get sick of VH ever. I could be at a fucking funeral and if "Unchained" came on I'd be like "Ok! Guess we're partying!"

Greatest Rock and Roll band of all time.

(and Yes I have a Van Halen tattoo)

[mario desa]

last saturday i played a miles davis lastfm station...it was on for about 5 hours. it was awesome. also done 5 hours of smog.

[The Hyena]

Old Jazz works great. I listen to the shit out of it, but the last shop I was at, a few of the dudes couldn't handle it. Those were also the super black metal dudes, and I couldn't handle that shit. Oh well. Shuffle is pretty great. You can weed songs out or creat large playlists, but Mario is on it with the LastFM shit. Way better than Pandora. Old school hip hop on LastFM is awesome. Like UTFO or RunDMC. It's fun as hell.

LastFM stations I frquent: Django, Juliee Cruise, Throwing Muses, The Replacements, Van Halen, Black Angels, Billie Holiday, Janet Klein.

[dari]

I have done this many many times, Between VH1, VH2, Fair Warning, 1984, Diver Down, and Women and Children First that's enough to fill a whole day with awesome. (Not to mention the WB demos if you want to get REALLY crazy) I can never get sick of VH ever. I could be at a fucking funeral and if "Unchained" came on I'd be like "Ok! Guess we're partying!"

Greatest Rock and Roll band of all time.

(and Yes I have a Van Halen tattoo)

I really, really hope they play VH at my funeral!

[The Hyena]

Also, different clients like different shit. I know that's a no brainer, but I've heard people talk about how they like to get tattooed to metal, because they feel it gives them the balls to sit through it. And that's not just teenage dudes saying that either. Some people obviously like mellower shit, and some the more upbeat fun stuff.

Whatever. You can't please everyone. At least if I'm happy and the client isn't too put off by it, then it stays on.

Last time I did a spot at Three Kings in Brooklyn, Albrigo had the greatest tattooing music. Weird ethereal, ambient shoe gaze shit. I love that shit. Like half Jesus and Mary Chain, and half Twin Peaks soundtrack.

[MsRad]

I really, really hope they play VH at my funeral!

Dari, sometimes i think we have the same mind.

[Scott Sylvia]

just for the recored devo crack that wip BETTER be played at mine..dare you not to laugh..

at our shop i work with 5 other assholes who think they are the only one with good musical taste and your just a dick for playing anything, so lets say it gets tricky..we listen to an ass load of sabath which i use to love. a bunch of shit like tom petty, zep,van halen,high on fire, sleep, waylon, if it was up to me i would listen to a combo of sleep and country that would be the perfect mix. i agree leatherface is amazing. i love oi and older punk/hard core not the shit when everyone heard slayer for the first time that can blow me. all of the crap about music at our shop and how some people take what you want to hear as a personal attack has led to" music free mondays"..where im the only boss that works and you, meaning the co workers can play what ever the fuck they want. smiths, dance hall, rap, whatever it rules..when customers complain, if its not black metal playing cuz i dont know why any one would want to get tattooed to that unless your trying to find a spine to sit good? if its not that i tell them they get a pick when they pay the rent, or i give them "oh you didnt pick this? wierd?" they usually get it.

i do however think that customers should NEVER be offended as in nigger or faggot crap, they are paying me for god sake they shoildnt be miss treated by there suroundings,oh and yes i like the smiths just hate the fans....so sensitive.haha