KISS STILL LAYING THE 'SONIC BOOM'

Everyone has a childhood hero or at least someone that they idolized growing up. For some, it’s a sports figure; some might even say a movie star or a relative. For me, I had my sports figure idols, but mainly worshipped rock stars. As a child, I wanted to be Nikki Sixx from Motley Crue, Duff McKagan from Guns ‘N’ Roses, or Gene Simmons from Kiss, which would only make sense for me to become a bass player. Now, it’s not everyday that you get to meet or speak to your childhood idols, but I’ve been lucky enough to have that day happen a few times already meeting Nikki and Duff. Today, I would get the chance to speak to the idols of all idols, the heroes of all heroes….I wanted the best and I got it! Today, I was getting a chance to speak to Gene Simmons, the marketing genius-bass playing-reality show TV star-demon of Kiss!

Gene, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer, and Tommy Thayer, collectively known to the rest of us as the legendary Kiss, recently released their first studio recording since Psycho Circus eleven years ago. Sonic Boom, a three-disc set performed by the current lineup contains studio recordings on the first, featuring the new single “Modern Day Delilah”, while the other two CDs include live recordings from earlier this year. Sonic Boom is actually a Wal-Mart exclusive, which is something that AC/DC successfully accomplished back in June.

Kiss also recently kicked off a North American Tour to celebrate the Thirty Fifth Anniversary of their innovative album Kiss: Alive. The tour started with two sold out nights at Detroit’s Cobo Hall Arena, the very same stage Kiss: Alive was recorded. Right before Kiss went on the road, they received news that they were finally being nominated for the Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame along with Genesis, The Stooges, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Unfortunately, they’ll have to wait until January to see if they are among the inductees. While they wait, Kiss will be bringing their “Alive/35” Tour home to New York City’s Madison Square Garden on October 10. Gene Simmons, was able to call me between cities to talk about his favorite topics….Kiss and Gene Simmons! Kissmas came early for me this year! Here’s what the Demon had to say:

Tim Louie: Hey, Gene! I have to start this off with congratulations on your Rock ‘N’ Roll Hall of Fame nomination! Kiss is finally nominated! How does this feel?
Gene Simmons: It’s appreciated, but we don’t take it too seriously. Our fans are everything to us. The Kiss Army is legendary and has become iconic. It’s become it’s own thing. Every other band in the world knows about the Kiss Army, and they’d give their left nut to have it. So, nice to be nominated, but it’d be nice to win. It’s not the end all or be all. We do our talking onstage!

TL: I think you guys will get it. Kiss is the main influence for many bands out there today. You’re the pioneers to what we see today in live performances….
GS: Well, we don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. All we know is that when we go to see wrestling and we see fireworks or we go and see McCartney or any other band live and you see spectacle and fireworks, and all that. Where’d that come from? The stampeders? If the only thing we’ve done is raise the bar substantially for live performances, that’s good! Then we’ve left our mark! It’s no longer enough to just get onstage with a tie-dyed t-shirt and sneakers, and look at your shoes and think that your giving people a show.

TL: Sonic Boom is your first studio album in eleven years. Can you tell me a little bit more about it?
GS: Eleven brand new songs; it’s a three disc special package. The second disc has fifteen songs by this lineup re-recorded. The third disc is of us in South America at Buenos Aires Stadium in April, just a few months back. And what Sonic Boom is, is this is who we are now. No keyboard players, no children’s choirs, no synthesizers, none of that. Meat and potatoes straight down the line, and it all goes back to a spirit of innocence that we had when we first started. When we first strapped guitars on our shoulders. Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer sing their own songs. The band is back to being full octane.

TL: Now, how are the Kiss fans receiving Eric Singer as Peter Criss and Tommy Thayer as Ace Frehley?
GS: It’s not “as” anything. In football teams there’s a number. If one of the players gets kicked out of the band three times for not being a team player and for using drugs and alcohol, “your ass is grass!” as they say in New York! You may have been worthy of the team once. Why the hell would you continue to keep somebody on the team if they’re not carrying their load?

TL: The reason why I ask is because the first time you replaced Peter Criss and Ace Frehley with the late Eric Carr and Vinnie Vincent, Eric Carr wore the face paint of a fox and Vinnie Vincent wore an ankh on his face…..
GS: We tried different personas and it was okay, but we said why do we have to? This is iconic. When I go to see Batman at the movies, there have been different people as Batman, but it’s still Batman. Why would we change it?

TL: Kiss recently kicked off this Thirty-Fifth Anniversary of Kiss: Alive over at Cobo Hall Arena in Detroit. How did it feel to go back there after thirty-five years?
GS: It felt really amazing! On one hand, it’s sad because Cobo is being torn down, but we also met on the back cover of the double live album….You have to remember in those days, it was lunacy to release a live record, much less a double live record. Kiss has always been like that…Nuts!....So, the back cover shows two fans in the middle of a sold out hall, three nights I might add, and they’re holding a Kiss banner that they made. Well, those two guys showed up all these many years later with the same banner. One’s a successful real estate agent and the other is a doctor. The Kiss Army….That’s right!

TL: So, you’re coming back to New York City to play Madison Square Garden once again. How does it feel to come home and play The Garden?
GS: I will tell you a story that is near and dear to my heart. The band was put together at 10 East 23 Street. It was a loft, and The Garden was ten blocks away. I would walk up there and see basketball or The Stones or whomever else was playing. We all have dreams! And when Kiss played there for the first time, I walked in through the front door because in those days people didn’t know what we looked like without the makeup. They were just aware of Kiss. They thought that we looked like that 24 hours a day. So, I walked in through the front door, walked through the crowd, went backstage, put on makeup, got up onstage, and rocked the house! The rock ’n’ roll rites of passage, if you will. It was like climbing Mount Olympus, when you get to the top, the view is amazing! I will tell you this, I mean you couldn’t see under the makeup or anything, but when I was onstage the first time at The Garden, they didn’t see it, but The Demon cried. Oh yeah! It says something about The American Dream! That it is alive, it is well, and I’m living proof of it. I wasn’t born here. The first thing that I ever heard was “What are you stupid? Can’t you speak English?” If you work your tail off, and to have the doors open, anything is possible!

TL: With the music industry constantly changing partly due to the economy and partly due to technology, what advice can you give struggling musicians who can’t seem to attract label attention?
GS: Well, it’s really tough. I have a label, Simmons Records, through Universal, but it’s really tough because the industry is in disarray. It’s not dead! Sonic Boom, we put out ourselves through Wal-Mart, but we come with our own fan base, so we can do that. It’s really tough out there because of the downloading thing. Pandora’s box has been opened and the record industry has suffered because of it. It’s almost dead, but it’s not. I suggest that new bands go out there and make your own CDs and distribute them as best you can. The days of big advances and record companies….That’s over!

TL: I see that you’re also in Mike Judge’s new movie, “Extract”?
GS: Yes! I play an asshole L.A. lawyer, of course! I have a good time with anything that I do. I do my best, have a great time and don’t take it seriously, and let the cards fall where they may. It seems anything that I try to do turns out okay.

TL: It’s no secret that Gene Simmons, the businessman, is a marketing genius too!
GS: Well, the word genius is highly overused. It’s interesting. I have a different philosophy about stuff. Most people want a job. I just like working. There’s a difference. I’ve never taken a vacation, but that’s not because there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just I don’t want to go away from doing stuff everyday working.

TL: Gene, is there any truth to the rumor that your creating this reality show based on developing a new version of Kiss?
GS: Mark Burnett and I have been talking about it, and of course, Paul. It’s a conversation. I mean everything is a conversation until it’s real.

TL: Speaking of TV, how do you feel about the country sneaking a peek at Gene Simmons’s life every week on TV?
GS: Whom else? I’ve got cooler hair than Donald Trump. Why wouldn’t you be watching? Season five is being shot on the road following us. The family is not coming on the road with us, but Miss Tweed is going to be in New York and filming an episode or two there, while Nick and Sophie are in school.

TL: Thanks for sitting down and talking with me, Gene! It was truly an honor speaking to one of rock’s royalty.
GS: You bet!

Kiss released "Sonic Boom" on October 6 at all Wal-Marts. For ticket info on Kiss, log onto kissonline.com.

VINCE NEIL INK--Las Vegas, NV

So, last May when I was in Las Vegas, I featured a tattoo parlor from Las Vegas called Pussykat Tattoo. This past May, I made my yearly jaunt back to the City of Sin, and made a pit stop into Vince Neil Ink, which is located right on the Vegas strip across from Caesar’s Palace. Yes, I know! Some of you might be saying, “Doesn’t Tim write about anything else that’s not Motley Crue related?” Hey, can I help it that one of my idols owns a tattoo shop on the Vegas strip? You should’ve seen what it was like for me to drag my girlfriend into the shop with me!

Anyway, Vince Neil Ink was everything that I thought it would be! Like I said, it’s located on the Las Vegas strip in O’Shea’s Casino. In this instance, location is definitely not a problem. Upon entering the shop, the walls are adorned with Motley Crue memorabilia and merch, as well as, Vince Neil merchandise. It’s virtually a Motley Crue fan’s wettest dream! This immaculate 1,230 square foot shop features four tattoo rooms, which includes one VIP room and one room that allows Vegas strip strollers to view tattoos in progress. Also, in the front window, to complete the rock ‘n’ roll vibe is a chopper built by Count’s Kustoms. It’ss displayed with “Girls Girls Girls” painted right on it. Did I mention that this place a Motley Crue fan’s wettest dream?

Anyway, when I walked in, the shop was already packed with people either looking to get work done or were just there as observers. Already tattooing was head tattoo artist, Dano, who, by the way, is my new hero after reading his Republican views on his myspace page. Dano has been tattooing for about twenty years now and his work speaks for itself. Actually, the whole crew….Or should I say ‘crue’ are exceptional artists, and I guess you would have to be if you’re being showcased on of the biggest tourist attractions in America. Rounding out the rest of the artists at Vince Neil Ink are Juan, Jeromy, TJ, Less, Brett, Bumper, Marq, Kat, John Law, Ron, Justin, and MJ, while Jenny, Alison, Ashley, Jessica, Paige, and Lauren maintain the front of the shop. The majority of their work is custom, but they won’t turn down any flash art if it’s requested, but after looking at their work, I would request some custom work if I was to get anything done here.

Vince Neil Ink opened its doors in November of 2006, and has been open every single day from 11 AM until 2 AM. Walk-ins are always welcome considering they are in the heart of the Vegas strip, but they do urge that if an appointment is to be made, it should be through a visit to the shop. Each artist is there to consult the customers as to what they want done, as far as artwork. I actually witnessed as Marq was consulting one of the customers. As far as prices go, they’re pretty comparable to the prices around here in NJ tattoo parlors. They tattoo at about a minimum of $100, but if you ask me that is pretty cheap for a shop that is located right on the world famous Vegas Strip. Also, let’s not forget, you can say that you got tattooed at a shop owned by the singer of Motley Crue. So, that’s all included in the price. Then again, if you get tattooed at High Voltage Tattoo in L.A., you can say that the girlfriend of the bass player from Motley Crue tattooed you, but then again I wrote about that shop already!

I know that this isn’t a shop in NY/NJ, but most of you do travel, and if you are in Las Vegas on vacation, this shop is a “must” stop, whether you’re a Motley Crue fan or not! The artwork by these artists are even better than Vince’s voice, but then again that’s not saying much, I guess. The shop is clean, the staff is super-friendly, and the place is pretty merch driven for those just looking to buy t-shirts and stuff. I know that I missed this year’s Tattoo Convention in NYC, but my stop at Vince Neil’s shop made up for that. If you’re in the Las Vegas area on vacation, stop in the shop located at 3555 Las Vegas Boulevard, Las Vegas, NV in O’Shea’s Casino. You can also contact the shop by emailing them at vinceneilink@harrahs.com. If you’d like to see the shop online, then log onto vinceneilink.com or myspace.com/vinceneilink.

Well, I’m off to check out my next tattoo place! If you have a tattoo shop that you want to suggest to me please e-mail me the name of the place and whom I should ask for! Email me at chigger273@aol.com.

CRUEFEST 2: CRUE IS BACK AND THEY BROUGHT THE DOCTOR....

Let me start by saying that although most of you know how I feel about Motley Crue, I had my doubts about how this playing Dr. Feelgood from front to back would fare. For those of you who were at the PNC show, I don’t have to tell you – “THEY F’N ROCKED!” That may have been one of the best Motley Crue shows that I have ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot! Playing Dr. Feelgood in its entirety was genius on their part since it was the twentieth anniversary of the CD’s release. Dr. Feelgood may not be every Crue fan’s favorite CD, but every one of those songs was fun, and you can’t help but get into them. Many of the songs have never been played live before, and I have to tell you, it brought me back! Memories of being a young metal head, and listening to Dr. Feelgood on tape came flooding back. Plus, I have newfound respect for the CD, since my girlfriend pointed out that every single one of those songs – is perfect for stripping! Hmmmm…..Motley Crue singer Vince Neil questioned the crowd, “Who owned this on vinyl?” After playing “Without You”, Vince joked, “Now, for side two!”

Motley Crue’s stage set up always has a theme with extra-added theatrics. This time – lights dim and out walks a “naughty nurse” pushing a giant wheelchair! Center stage, out of the wheelchair seat pops another hottie dressed in a straight jacket. A few extras in lab coats come running out to give her a big needle – as her scream echoes through PNC Bank Arts Center – lights go out, curtain drops to reveal Motley Crue cutting into the title track from a stage set up to look like a giant padded room – Yes, cheesy but so awesome! The two naughty nurses were became leather-clad backup singers. To keep consistent with the theme – even the managers and guests watching the show from the side of the stage wore lab coats.

Regardless of the two backup singers, in my opinion, Vince didn’t even need them! His voice actually sounded strong, and he pulled through every single song like a champ singing every word! Unlike many of the Crue shows in the past, Vince did not overkill the audience participation thing! The audience did not finish out the songs, and it was nice to see Vince live up to expectations. Motley Crue was “on” for every song, their energy bled into the crowd and from where I was…everyone was out of their seats screaming and dancing for the ENTIRE show. They did two encores after finishing up the Dr. Feelgood CD. The first consisting of “Wild Side”, the title track of their latest CD “Saints of Los Angeles”, and “Shout at the Devil”. The second encore opened with “Home Sweet Home” and wrapped up with “Girls, Girls, Girls”. Another surprise was that since Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee’s hand was injured, and he couldn’t play, his bud Morgan Rose of Sevendust filled in – which was still awesome because it sounded like Tommy was playing. He is an amazing heavy-hitting drummer that can play his ass off and mimic Tommy’s style. Sevendust is one of my favorite bands, so I was excited to see him playing Crue songs. True to his “I never slow down” tradition – Tommy just couldn’t keep away! He kicked Morgan out of his seat for a few of the slower songs, and he played control freak on most of the other songs. Again, another reason why he is just so damn cool!

Now I didn’t really make it in to see all of the great opening bands at Crue Fest 2 like Charm City Devils, Theory of a Deadman, or Drowning Pool because it was a workday, but I did get to see Godsmack, who always sounds phenomenal! As a long-time Godsmack fan, I have to say that they were consistent! Their sound was amazing! They rocked with all that they had, but I felt that their stage presence fell a bit short! Yes, there was pyrotechnics, and sweat, but aside from Sully and a couple of twirling drumsticks, there is a definite lack of energy. I can’t seem to stay focused through their entire set. They hit the stage strong and ended even stronger with a dueling double drum solo in which Sully played the bongos and drums. During that – my eyes were glued to the stage.

Overall, Crue Fest 2 was a success, as far as the show goes. I understand that they are trying to make this an Ozzfest-type of event, but they’re missing the mark! It just doesn’t have that same “all day metal festival – music for the masses” vibe. It just feels like a show! The 2 stages, the concession stands, opening the venue early…all these items are meant to contribute to the festival mentality but I’ve seen it done better for Warped Tour and Bamboozle. Now that there is no more Ozzfest, what is our big metal-head summer festival? C’mon Motley Crue….make me prouder than this!

The Real L.A. Ink - High Voltage Tattoo in Hollywood, California

I recently journeyed out to Anaheim, CA for wedding with my hot girlfriend. Anyway, besides that, we made our way to the streets of Los Angeles, home of the wannabe actors, actresses, models, and rock stars! The only thing real out in L.A., that I noticed, was their tattoo scene! That was no joke! There were probably as many tattoo parlors on every street corner as New York City has a Starbucks. They seem to take their ink very serious out in L.A., though I think that New Jersey and NYC can give Los Angeles a run for their money.

The one shop that my girlfriend and I made a point to visit was Kat Von Dee's place, High Voltage Tattoo, which was located at North La Brea Avenue in West Hollywood, CA. Yes, that's the shop that you get to see on TLC's hit tattoo show, L.A. Ink. Unfortunately, Kat was not around for any questions because she was probably on the road with the new love in her life, Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx, who is currently on the road with CrueFest 2008. Since Kat wasn't there, I figured that I would just observe how the place was run when the cameras weren't rolling.

First of all, High Voltage Tattoo's shop hours were 9 p.m. to midnight, Monday thru Friday, and on the weekends, they're open from noon to midnight. So, needless to say, when we arrived at the shop at around 9 p.m., there was a line outside to get into the shop made up of people who had made appointments to get tattooed. There were also a few people on line who were walk-in customers who hoped to get some ink done on this night too. I guess when you make enough money from the TV show and your celebrity clientele; you really don't need to stay open all day. Plus, you know that your shop will be packed every night because of the crazy publicity that you keep getting on TV.

Kat Von Dee opened up High Voltage Tattoo in July of 2007 when she left the show Miami Ink, the show that made her household name. High Voltage Tattoo would later become the location for Miami Ink's spinoff series, L.A. Ink starring Kat Von Dee and her crew. On this night, only four of Kat's staff members were on hand, but they were busy with these walk-ins. It took me about twenty minutes just to get a t-shirt from the place. The place had a great vibe to it, but it felt like a tourist trap for people who watch the show religiously.

On High Voltage Tattoo's website, highvoltagetattoo.com, you can make an appointment by filling out a form, choosing your artist, explaining where you would be traveling from, and by simply uploading a picture of what you want tattooed. There is also a disclaimer on the site saying that appointments made online are for off camera only and that if you want to be tattooed on the show, then log onto lainkcasting.com. Depending on which artist is working on your tattoo, prices will vary.

Speaking of artists, Kat seems to surround herself with only the best. There's Kim Saigh, Jeff Ward from Chicago, Dennis Halbritter, Khoi Nguyen (whom I met that night and wasn't friendly at all), Hannah Aitchison, castmate Corey Miller, Adam Forman, native Hollywoodian Nate Fierro, another native Californian Mojo Foster, and Adrian Gallegos. Now, that's a staff and a half, but the mystique of High Voltage Tattoo is their celebrity clientele! Their plethora of celebrity clientele includes members of HIM, Incubus, My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Guns 'N' Roses, the Misfits, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastadon, Scott Ian of Anthrax, Sebastian Bach, Godsmack, Slayer, Papa Roach, Bam Margera, Steve-O, Jenna Jameson, Eve, Ja-Rule, of course, Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. The list goes on and on!

Now, since I couldn't really talk to an artist, I couldn't include a 'five questions with a featured artist', but I do have to say that this shop was pretty cool to be in even though it was the setting for a TV show and the place was too packed. If you make it out to Los Angeles, CA and always wanted to get tattooed by the staff of L.A. Ink, make sure you either go to highvoltagetattoo.com.com to make an appointment for off camera work, and for on camera tattooing, fill out the form on lainkcasting.com. If you're in L.A, and just want to see the shop for S and G's, they're located at 1259 North La Brea Avenue in West Hollywood, CA.

Well, I'm off to check out my next tattoo place! If you have a tattoo shop that you want to suggest to me please e-mail me the name of the place and whom I should ask for! Email me at chigger273@aol.com

Jersey Notes

My bro, Stan Yedlock from the band Split Point, recently sent me a message letting me know that Split Point has made it to the semi-finals of the Jersey Shows Battle of the Bands. Congrats to Split Point! The semi-final round will be played at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on Sunday, November 29. Stan told me that he thinks that Split Point might be the only Metal band in the competition. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at The Starland Ballroom. Log onto myspace.com/splitpointmusic to purchase tickets or even listen to a few “live” pre-production tracks that the band recently recorded, so that their fans can hear new music……..
I recently heard from my old buddy and amazing guitar whiz Steve Bello, who has been in and out of retirement from the local music scene lately. Well, according to Steve’s email, it sounds like he’s out of retirement once again. It turns out, Steve has stayed in touch with the kids from the band Knollwood, and recently Nikki, the drummer from Knollwood, left the band. She reached out to Steve asking if any of his students were looking for a drummer. Unfortunately, Steve received no response from any of his students, so he decided to jam with Nikki on his own for S and G’s, and could not believe what he heard. The two were so excited about their chemistry, that they began working on material that Steve Bello had already written before he went into retirement, as well as writing new material. Steve told me that he’s not sure how serious this is, he just wants to get his music off his chest and see where it goes. It looks like The Steve Bello Band has once again resurfaced! Don’t expect to see any live shows anytime soon, but you can expect a few new songs from “The Bello” by checking myspace.com/stevebello every now and then…….
A couple of weeks ago, Kindred Souls lent their support to the ING New York City Marathon for the sixth year in a row. They played a free concert along the route on Central Park South. This was great exposure for the band as thousands were able to listen to and enjoy the music of Kindred Souls. For more info on Kindred Souls and to check out their new CD Social Ninja, log onto kindred-souls.com…..
John Mosco, the man behind Sixty Miles Down, finally filled me in on what was going on with the band. I mentioned a few weeks ago that there was a brand new Sixty Miles Down song “Burned” on the band’s myspace page, myspace.com/sixtymilesdown, and that John seemed to be the only member left on the page. Well, John wanted to set the record straight. Turns out, there was a band member with medical problems, one that needed to finish college, and one that just didn’t see eye-to-eye with John musically. So, John has decided to continue on with new musicians as Sixty Miles Down. He currently has a new guitarist and a former member of Sixty Miles Down possibly returning. He’s currently searching for a drummer and bass player to fill out the rest of the new Sixty Miles Down lineup. If you know of a bassist or drummer that might fit what John is doing contact him through 60MD.com…….
And finally, since I’m mentioning some old friends, I got a text recently from Anthony “The Main Vein” Coviello of the reunited Long Gone Day. He wanted to let me know that the new longgoneday.com has finally gone live! You can go there and find out when Long Gone Day is playing next, see pics of the reunited band, and even stay up to date on what’s going on with the band now. Check it out, it’s longgoneday.com.
That’s all for now! And remember, if your band wants some exposure, email me at chigger273@aol.com and let me know where your performing next. No cover bands, please!

TATTOO TONY’S UNDER MY SKIN TATTOO—Atlantic Highlands, NJ

Back in September, my band, Mean Venus was asked to play a benefit show to remember the late Anthony DiGrigorio over at Tiki Stadium in Keansburg, NJ. This is where I met Tattoo Tony, who was one of the organizers of the very successful event. Who is Tattoo Tony you might be asking yourself? Well, if you’re a reality TV junkie like myself, and you’ve watched a season or two of VH-1’s “Rock of Love with Bret Michaels”, you would know that Tattoo Tony is Bret Michael’s personal tattoo artist and one of his best friends. One of Tony’s most memorable moments on the show was when he tattooed the name “Bret” on the back of one of girl’s necks. Anyway, I mentioned to Tattoo Tony that I was in the market for a new tattoo and that I also happened to write a tattoo column for The Aquarian, and he quickly gave me his card and said, “Give me a call, bro!” So, I did exactly what he asked and took a ride over to Tattoo Tony’s Under My Skin Tattoo in Atlantic Highlands, NJ.
I have to say that on the way over to the shop, I ended up missing my turn because I was distracted by all of the Beverly Hills style mansions along the water. What was I in for? What kind of neighbor hood was Tony’s shop in? Was I underdressed? I finally made it to the shop after getting lost and was greeted by Tattoo Tony who was sitting behind his desk fighting a cold. I was not underdressed. In fact, I was dressed just right. The shop was a nice little clean spot with red walls adorned with a wall of autographed celebrity photos that Tattoo Tony had collected through the years. Of course, there was a wall of ‘flash art’ portfolios also underneath the wall of fame.
After sitting down with the Tattoo Tony, I learned that he’s been tattooing since 1984. The late Gene Bernardo, whom Tony holds in high regard, taught him everything that he knew about tattooing down at his shop Gene’s Body Art World in Asbury Park, NJ. Though, he’s a Neptune, NJ native, in 1994, Tattoo Tony felt that it was time for him to branch out, and he opened up shops in Tennessee, Florida, and North Carolina before returning home to Asbury Park, NJ to open Dark City Tattoo, where he worked for about three years. Tony opened Under My Skin two years ago in Atlantic Highlands, NJ, which is right next door to Sandy Hook. Tony says that a lot has happened within those two years with himself, his guys, and all of the TV shows featuring the shop, and says that the TV shows have definitely helped his business.
Joining Tattoo Tony at Under My Skin is another Gene Bernardo disciple named T-Bone. There’s also eighteen-year tattoo veteran Jersey Jay Wymbs, and newcomer Oscar Arias, who’s only been tattooing for two years, but claims to have learned a lot from Tony, T-Bone, and Jersey Jay. Tony tells me that he has a lot of faith in his guys to put 150% into every tattoo and even says that ‘my artists can tattoo anything that anyone can ever want’. They all have their own styles and specialties, but they will, however, spend the time to consult every customer to assure that they have a great tattoo experience.
Under My Skin is mainly a custom tattoo shop. Tony says that when customers come into the shop now, they know what they want and come in with pictures that they downloaded off of the Internet. Tony also feels that shows like “L.A. Ink” and “Miami Ink” has opened people’s eyes to tattooing, and now all walks of life are walking into the shop from truck drivers to CEOs. As far as age goes, Tony told me that the state law says that between the ages of 16 to 18, you have to have parents consent, but on the average the shop doesn’t get too many underage requests.
When I asked Tattoo Tony about prices as compared to other shops, he said that his shop is very fair. If they’re doing a piece by the hour, it’s usually $100 an hour, but if he is doing a piece by the hour, he feels that he ends up cutting his own throat. For instance, this winter season Under My Skin is running a special called $300 Thursdays, and Tony says in three hours, he can pretty much sleeve somebody, but they would be paying more than $300 if he did have to sleeve them. So, I guess he really does lose money on Thursdays! Tony says that the economy has hurt business a little, but they are still very busy.
Tattoo Tony tells me that walk-ins are always welcome at Under My Skin, and whoever doesn’t have an appointment will pick up the walk-in. For the most part, appointments are preferred especially if you want to get tattooed by Tony. You can call the shop to make an appointment by calling (732) 872-4092 or stop in and take your chance as a walk-in at 73 Memorial Parkway in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. If you want to see of the work done by Tattoo Tony, T-Bone, Jersey Jay or Oscar Arias before you take a ride to Atlantic Highlands, log onto undermyskintat2.com. Trust me, when I tell you that the stories that Tattoo Tony shared with me as far as his celebrity clientele goes, like Bret Michaels, The Wild Samoans, and E.C.W.’s Balls Mahoney, I can actually write a whole other feature on him. I can actually write a whole other feature about his relationship with Bret Michaels, but for now, I had to choose to focus on Tony’s shop Under My Skin.
Well, I’m off to check out my next tattoo place!.....If you have a tattoo shop that you want to suggest to me please e-mail me the name of the place and whom I should ask for! Email me at chigger273@aol.com.

FEELING THE STEEL PANTHER

Lock up your daughters…..And your mothers, for that matter! Steel Panther is about to be unleashed! The long-awaited debut CD from Steel Panther, Feel The Steel is finally about to hit the stores after twenty years in the making. For those of you scratching your heads wondering who the hell Steel Panther is; they were the Crue before there was a Motley Crue, they had the poise before there was a Poison, and they were banging groupies before the word “groupie” was even invented. So, why haven’t you heard of them? Because at the height of their popularity in the early 80s out in Los Angeles, Steel Panther just disappeared! The band was booked to perform at a showcase in front of every major record label in the country and they never showed, allowing Jane’s Addiction to get signed.
Twenty Years later, Steel Panther has resurged on the L.A. music scene playing covers under the name Metal Skool and selling out the Key Club every week developing a large celebrity following. This led to Metal Skool performing in Las Vegas every weekend, which is where I caught their show. As their popularity grew, they decided to add some original songs into their cover sets. It wasn’t long until someone noticed that Metal Skool was actually the legendary Steel Panther! Soon after, Universal Republic President Monte Lipman was knocking down their door handing them a rightfully deserved record contract.
This October will mark the official return of Steel Panther carrying their debut CD, Feel The Steel, featuring the popular “Death To All But Metal”, debut single “Community Property”, the catchy “Asian Hooker”, youtube hit “Fat Girl (Thar She Blows)”, and my favorite “The Shocker”. Steel Panther is comprised of Michael Starr (vocals), Satchel (guitar), Lexxi Foxx (bass), and Stix Zadinia (drums). The band recruited some of their celebrity friends to help them in recording Feel The Steel. Allison Robertson of The Donnas and Justin Hawkins from The Darkness joined them on their song “Party All Day (F**k All Night)”, while M. Shadows from Avenged Sevenfold lends his voice to “Turn Out The Lights”. Anthrax’s Scott Ian joined them on “Asian Hooker” while Slipknot’s Corey Taylor appeared on “Eyes Of A Panther” and “Death To All But Metal”. Much to my surprise, I recently got a phone call from Steel Panther singer Michael Starr to talk more about the band. Here’s what he had to say:

Tim Louie: Hey Michael! I had the chance to see you out in Vegas back in May, where I became a huge Steel Panther fan! I have to say that you guys just bleed awesomeness!
Michael Starr: And we’re way better than that band Metal Skool! The singer was hot, but the rest of the band sucked!

TL: Now, the CD Feel the Steel comes out in October. Is there a favorite song on the CD?
MS: Not really. I like them all, honestly! We’ve been writing them and working on them for f**kin’ twenty years, so they’ve pretty much grown on me, but right now at this moment, my favorite song is “Eatin’ Ain’t Cheatin’”.

TL: Are most of these songs based on personal experiences?
MS: They all are actually. That’s what makes them so real, and that’s why people are so drawn to them because they’re experiences that we’ve gone through as a band. It was really fun going through those experiences, but also really challenging. The drugs helped with that though!

TL: Your first single off of the CD is “Community Property”. Which member is that song based on?
MS: Actually, our first single is “Death To All But Metal”, but it was so dirty that a lot of people couldn’t play it on the radio. So, we put out a song called “Community Property”, which is basically about everybody who has a girlfriend. It says to be honest with your girl. You just let her know up front, “Look, I love you, but when I go on the road, I’m going to cheat on you!” That way you’re straight up with her and she knows what’s going on. Or you can just go the lying route, which works too!

TL: Going back to “Death To All But Metal”, you kind of bash many fellow musicians. Has their been any negative reaction to the song?
MS: Not really. I ran into Jacoby Shaddix from Papa Roach, and he was a little bummed, but I told him that’s what happens when you f**k my mom!

TL: How did the band meet?
MS: I met Satchel at a Ralph’s (grocery store) on Hollywood Boulevard. He had a basket full of chicken parm and I was looking for the Mac N Cheese. We just kind of bumped into each other. At the time, I had dark hair, and he had his signature red hair, and I knew just by looking at the way that he moved his hand, that he was a guitar player. So, I asked him, “Are you a guitar player?” He’s like, “Yeah, are you a singer? I’m looking for a singer.” And I was like, “F**k, dude! I’m looking for a guitar player!” I’m not kidding! That’s how it happened, and he was like “Dude, we have to dye your hair blonde!” That’s how we met Lexxi. He was a hair colorist….Well, actually he was sweeping the floor at the hair salon when we met him. He was never really a bass player. He just had killer hair! So, we taught him how to play bass. For the first five or six shows, all of the bass lines were pre-recorded by Satchel, so Lexxi was basically lip-syncing on the bass until he learned how to play.

TL: Speaking of Lexxi, why do you guys always bust his balls about being so vain and dumb just because he’s a bass player? I mean, I’m a bass player and I look good, but I’m not dumb!
MS: Well, if you think about it, Tim, you’ll probably have like ten spelling errors in this review because you’re a bass player, and that’s just what happens. Spell check, motherf**ker! Bass players are the dumbest guys in the band--there are only four strings on the bass. That’s why they pick that instrument, and it’s easy! The best songs in Metal use one string. “Running with the Devil”? One string!

TL: Who are your influences?
MS: I’d have to say that my influences are David Lee Roth, Farrah Fawcett, and Johnny Depp. He’s influenced me to change my hair color every now and then, and I liked him as a pirate. Oh, and Robin Zander from Cheap Trick is pretty bitchin’!

TL: Has anyone ever mistaken you for Vince Neil from Motley Crue?
MS: Actually, yeah! I gained a bunch of weight once. I was up to 260 pounds, and people were saying, “Hey, you look like Vince Neil!” Then I lost the weight, and haven’t heard it since.

TL: When you guys play the song “Asian Hooker” live in Asia, how is it received?
MS: Funny you asked that. Playing that song at an outdoor festival in Salt Lake City was more uncomfortable than playing it in Japan because Salt Lake is a religious Mormon city. You know, Asians know that they’re hookers over there! They don’t care!

TL: Who in the band has perfected “The Shocker”?
MS: Satchel picked it up when he was f**king this chick in college back in 94 or something like that. You’d be surprised at how many people don’t know about ‘the shocker’. It’s such a simple f**kin’ tool! They may be doing it in different ways like sticking their fingers in their chick’s ass and then another finger slipping into her pussy. They’d be doing ‘the shocker’ and not even knowing it. I guess that’s why we wrote it. We’re bringing you awareness of things like ‘the dirty sanchez’ or ‘the shocker’ while your doing some blow.

TL: I have to tell you, Michael, I just listened to Feel the Steel, and you sound great! You really sing your ass off!
MS: Well, thanks, man! It comes from years of partying, but at the same time, you just have to know when to say when not to party! Before the show, maybe a little bump, but no pot because that will screw your voice up. During the guitar solo, a big rail is killer so that you won’t hurt your voice. Afterwards, four Advils, some Jack, and then you smoke some bud, you’re cool! But if you do a bunch of blow and smoke a big bong rip before the show, you’re done!

TL: Is that why you have such a large celebrity following? Is it the drugs?
MS: Well, who doesn’t love Metal besides you and I? All of the bands from now love it too! We’re the only ones doing it, so they come and see us play. Plus we get the most bitches at our shows!

TL: So, when are you guys heading out here to the East Coast?
MS: We have nothing booked yet. We want to see how the record sells first, but we’re supposed to be in Philly sometime in October. That’s nowhere near the East Coast, though!

Well, I, for one, cannot wait for Steel Panther to hit the East Coast! If you haven’t heard of Steel Panther, you might want to check them out at steelpantherrocks.com. You’ll love it!