Tattoo Soundtracks

[Gnawa]

I haven't found a thread that deals with this as such (though I may have missed it), but I thought I'd start my first thread by giving props to the shops with the best tattooing soundtracks. Where do you hear the best tunes to get tattooed to?

In my (limited) experience, Brooklyn Tattoo has had the best background music to get tattooed to. When my man Willie is given control of the music, I know I'm in for a great experience. There is something about the jump from Bad Brains to Slayer to Funkadelic to The Misfits to Tomohawk to The Police and beyond that totally appeals to me and takes me to a very happy place while the needle hums in my ears, the smell of green soap fills my nostrils and the ink sinks into my skin. I'll always think of that shop when I hear certain songs, no matter where I am. While it was a true pleasure and surprise to hear live Stiff Little Fingers last time I got work done at Fun City, a shock to have Hooverphonic playing as Darren Rosa works on my back at Rising Dragon and a blast from my past to hear Pharcyde at Invisible, Brooklyn Tattoo will always get the medal for best music to get tattooed to.

[slayer9019]

Music being played at the shop I frequent is all over the place. From Christian Death, to Biohazard, to Tupac, to some odd electronic music, to someone messing around with youtube playing weird videos. I will say as much as I enjoy some really heavy metal it is not the best to get tattooed to. I feel it is too damn hard to relax.

[fizz7283]

They play pandora at the shop I go to. I'm pretty much always the first customer in so my artist lets me choose the station and it's usually Morrissey or depeche mode because I know all of the artists there like all the music on those stations. Once I chose tool and that had to have been one of my more fun tattoo experiences.

All of the other shops I've ever been tattooed at just play the local rock/alt stations. So I really enjoy the shop I go to now, I don't have to listen to the same top 40 songs over and over again.

[deadsp0t]

The ship I frequent plays satellite radio, no idea what station etc but it usually in the Heavy side.. Pantera, Slayer, Slip Knot etc.. Occasionally there's some older stuff like Kiss :shrug: depending I wear my headphones, the ear cups flip up and Ray and I usually talk the entire time some I end up just ditching the headphones after a break.

[Dennis]

Kurt had a 500 CD changer last time I was getting tattooed, so there was a wide variety of music. My favourite albums that I've been tattooed to so far are:

Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling Towards Ecstasy

Delerium - Karma

Devin Townsend - Terria

Type O Negative - October Rust

[Riyko]

The shop my mom got all of her tattoo's at and I got my last one at (3 tattoo's at 3 different shops in 3 different parts of north america haha), they listen to heavy metal and death metal, as for the station I think they bring in CD's to listen to.

[spookysproul]

Delerium - Karma

Type O Negative - October Rust

These sound splendid to have on during tattooing.

I think the most common type of music for shops that I've attended would be more of a "stoner metal" type vibe, but obviously it varies from there. I definitely prefer less-grating music like stoner metal or - to me, at least - black metal, something that will keep me calm and contained.

[CABS]

One day I walked in to Temple and they were playing "Give Me Something To Dance To" by NWA. I was sold.

Then as I was leaving, they were playing "Liquid Swords" by GZA. Temple fan for life.

[Mark Bee]

I think it was the last time I was at The Pearl and they were playing Les Surfs. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Avery Taylor]

Bob Roberts plays the best music to get tattooed by.

[deadsp0t]

One day I walked in to Temple and they were playing "Give Me Something To Dance To" by NWA. I was sold.

Then as I was leaving' date=' they were playing "Liquid Swords" by GZA. Temple fan for life.[/quote']

No chance of any hip hop/rap where I go so I bring my own :D

[heathenist]

All the times I've been tattooed at Chicago Tattoo Co. (pre-Great Lakes Tattoo), they had really good music selection, my favorites were Misfits the first time I went and was tattooed by Mario, and Ryan Adams-Heartbreaker the last time I went and was tattooed by Nick.

[bongsau]

American Me movie soundtrack was one of the best things I've ever listened to while getting work done.

I tend to dislike when they are blaring new school metal/hardcore in a shop. How the hell am I supposed to relax with this angry music screachin in the background eh! Getting my thigh tattooed I think they listened to a Madball album 4 times in a row this one time. I mean I love Madball as much as the next coolguy but c'mon! Put on some cool jazz or party rap maaaaan

[CultExciter]

@bongsau

Ain't no talking when I'm talking so shut the fuck up.

[real meta]

Rock of Ages has been my personal favorite as far as shop soundtracks go. They were playing a steady stream of doom metal, sludge and the like when I was there, and it seems like that's pretty much the norm. I forget everything that they played, but I remember they were blasting Om when I first came in. Hard to beat that, although I have to wonder how the squares feel about it.

[suburbanxcore]

Typically my regular artist just puts his ipod on shuffle so there's a mix of pretty classic punk/metal/hardcore, or we just shoot the shit with no music.

Last weekend at Right Coast, they had a ton of Prince going on. While not something I normally listen to, it was nice and relaxing.

[bongsau]

What the fuck is "party rap"?

Like Three 6 Mafia or Trinity Garden Cartel...slow and low, havin laughs while getting bruised up on the table

[blujax01]

"Muskrat Love" :p

[ShawnPorter]

I go with OM, Zoe Keating, Wilco, Lungfish...

Sort of all over the place.

[AverageJer]

Nice. It's always good to talk about music.

I think the best music I have been tattooed to was the Jack White pandora station. I have also thought it would be cool to have some really nice classical or Jazz on so that I can really focus on calming myself (I am not good at sitting still). Ultimately though I think the best choice is whatever helps the artist focus.

[real meta]

Skrewdriver

Not to be the thought police over here, but I am curious about this particular choice...

[CultExciter]

UGK all day.

- - - Updated - - -

Not to be the thought police over here, but I am curious about this particular choice...

Hopefully just the first record.

[Johannes]

skrewdriver's first is punkrock, and actually pretty good...but being european and being harassed and gotten into fights with neo-nazis pretty much my whole life I say fuck that band and their followers.

[ShawnPorter]

Not to be the thought police over here, but I am curious about this particular choice...

It's always funny when Skrewdriver gets brought up. Well, not really FUNNY per se, but it's one of those 'get out the popcorn, kick your feet up and watch it unfold'.

Usually it starts with 'well, their first album was ok' (which we've already gotten) and at some point a devil's advocate will point out that it's ok to listen to NWA but not Skrewdriver and isn't that equally blah blah blah.

Oh look. My popcorn is ready. :D

[real meta]

I really wasn't trying to start any sort of serious debate/argument, which is why I started that post off with a hedge. I assume that everyone who's into good tattoos is a decent human being. I'm a big Death in June fan, who a lot of people take issue with, although I don't think Douglas P. and Skrewdriver are exactly on the same level. I was really just wondering how a place of business managed to get away with playing something so objectionable, but I actually didn't even realize that their first album predated their questionable politics. Perhaps that makes me the ignorant one.