A glimpse inside High Voltage Tattoo
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YOUR TATS
In High Voltage Tattoo, Von D gives us body art with a rock-and-roll sensibility (she named the book after her shop, which is, in turn, named after the AC/DC album). The luxuriously illustrated, 178-page tome is part autobiography—one chapter’s titled “Proble m Child” (are we surprised?)—part gallery, part shout-out to some of her influences and heroes in the tattoo field, and part guide to getting inked yourself.
The book also features some of her famous hard-rockin’ clients, with a full depiction of the angel she tattooed on Sixx’s torso from a photo he took, as well as ink she”s done for Ian (who played matchmaker for Von D and Sixx), My Chemical Romance guitarist and Leathermouth frontman Frank
HARD ROCKIN’
INK-SLINGER
KAT VON DREVEALS
HERBODY ARTINHER
HOT NEW BOOK
AMIDST THE SEA OF INK COVERING CELEBRITY tattoo artist Kat Von D’s body, as cataloged in her new book, High Voltage Tattoo (Collins Design), there are the sort of things you would expect to see adorning a rocker chick extraordinaire—a Misfits skull, a 666 (courtesy of Anthrax’s Scott Ian), an “I love you” from boyfriend and Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx…and both a portrait and initials paying homage to Ludwig Van Beethoven.
“Beethoven has always been my favorite composer,” explains Von D (née Drachenberg), the star of TV’s LA Ink and, before that, Miami Ink, who’s actually a classically trained pianist. “Beethoven’s music is obviously amazing.
“I always say music and tattooing have directly and indirectly influenced each other,” notes Von D, who started getting into heavy music when she was 12 and tattooing when she was 14. “Some of the first people who had tattoos in the public eye were musicians. Plus, tattooing is a form of self-expression, and so is music. Both have this, ‘I can do whatever I want’ kind of attitude.”
Misfits and Incubus. Her client list is full of them now, and though she’s always “looking for people who want to get cool tattoos in general,” it’s clear the rockers are among her favorites.
Tattoo, for which Sixx wrote the way we don’t have to go too lon each other,” Von D says. GARY GR there’s something wrong with you. And often, they are right…trust me. Number of other magazines whose photo directors dMötley Crüe’s Mötley Crüe’s r, which kicks
AFF
TWO GUYS IN A BATHROOM STALL—IT FEELS LIKE THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WHOLE WORLD IN THAT MOMENT. I’VE ACTUALLY GONE INTO BATHROOM STALLS WITH FRIENDS SINCE I QUIT, JUST SO I STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT BONDING.
As even the maniacs in Motörhead and Slayer know, there’s a difference between living dangerously and living stupidly, which is why when riding a motorcycle, you should always wear a helmet. Preferably a Motörhead or Slayer one, like the dudes at Rockhard Helmets (rockhardhelmets. com) make. Totally DOT- and Snell M2005-certified (and totally limited edition), these bad boys will keep any headbanger from banging that head too hard if it hits the pavement—and they also come in —METALLICA’S LARS ULRICH ON
HELME TS: JUS TIN HY TE; ULRICH: DOUG PE TERS/RE TNA
o a weekly sex advice column for their publication’s website where they address such things as the ins and
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