I know this thread has been going on for awhile, but I'm new here, and wanted to share my experience. If I'm out of line feel free to call me an asshole. I'm not a tattoo artist, but a tattoo receiver or some are using the term "collector" these days. I was a bit of a hippie when I started getting tattooed, and the shop I went to played a mix of things, but more metal/punk than anything else. It was usually loud and vulgar, and not something I was very used to. It was a place I really wanted to fit in though so I dealt with it and it grew on me. That has been about a decade ago, and I still listen to a lot of metal and punk. To me it seemed like one of those rights of passage, classic tattoo shop things. All the guys there were always totally cool and welcoming, but it was very clear that this was their world you were being allowed in to and if you didn't like it you were free to go somewhere else.