Rigzi has a few free spaces for tattoos.
Contact
Rigzitattoo@gmail.com
to book a spot.
Tattoos and music go hand in hand. So this is the perfect opportunity to marry the two…
Rarely I write a review as a personal experience. But this one has to be that way. This was special.
Inconspicuous…. not super easy to find; Hart & Huntington Tattoo at The Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, is a fair bit smaller than the original shop that appeared on TV show Inked in 20015/6. Dizzle is gone.
This is very well maintained establishment, with a small retail section and some superb artwork by the resident tattoo artists on the walls. We must have encountered at least 100 almost naked women on the way there… Hard Rock pool parties are very well-known for the scantily clad and slightly tipsy gals….
My husband and I were greeted by a staff member on our arrival, and I caught the tail end of a story that blew me away, but also confirmed that I was in the right establishment. I won’t repeat the full story, but I will just say that you won’t get a tattoo here unless you are able to sign paperwork for yourself and take responsibility for the care of your tattoo.
That makes this a classy establishment.
BJ was the guy at the desk. He is a friendly and knowledgable guy. He also has a super hot wife, but that’s another story.. BJ took all our information, guided us through some paperwork, gave us a quote, recommended an artist, booked our appointment for the following Saturday, and like every other establishment in Las Vegas, he took our money.
OK, to be fair it was only a $100 deposit!!
Ink Masters contestant and friend of guitarist Dave Navarro, Lea Vendetta came into work while we were there to book. No airs, no graces, no make-up, she just sat down and started to work. Impressive.
Mike Roche, punk bassist for TSOL was around too. He is also a talented tattoo artist. He also seems like a nice, very grounded guy!
We made a quick return visit to HH the day prior to our appointment, to meet our artist Steven Banegas, and to give him a little more to work with for our following appointment.
Steven is bald and heavily tattooed….. he is also quiet, thoughtful, proud, respectful, intelligent, humble and super talented.
We were early to our 7pm appointment. Steven was already there preparing. He greeted us, and we got to work. We spent almost five hours with him for our appointment on the day. All needles were opened in front of us, all cleaning and breaking down was carried out professionally. Steven made sure we were super happy with our stencils, placements and final work. He also made sure he was happy with it all. Another good sign.
I would wait years to get more work by Steven, and I know I will likely never get ink by anyone else. Steven is a true professional. You are his guest when he is performing his magic. He is truly one of the best. I can honestly say that this was one of the best experiences my husband and I have had together, and we have been together for two decades!
We both got great tattoos that day and both of us are ready to go again!
I just want to thank everyone at Hart & Huntington Las Vegas, for making it such a great experience.
See you soon HHtattoo.com
by Karen Graham Headbangerwoman Picture by KG August 3 2015
Jonny Hetherington, singer and songwriter with Canadian rock outfit Art Of Dying, was recently gracious enough to answer some questions from TiTT via Email. Hetherington is well known for taking the time to interact with his fans, both on the road and via social networking. He has always made it known that he is well aware that if the fans were not around to give support, that Art Of Dying would not be where they are today.
A gracious man, yet highly talented and very deserving. An unusual mix and for that we are all grateful.
We know the Die Hards have been waiting for this for a while and we are pleased to bring this quick update on all things Art Of Dying….
TiTT; You are writing now for another record. How many tunes have you got so far and when do you anticipate a new release?
JH; We are a writing band, so writing never seems to stop. We write on the road, at home and pretty much everywhere we go . Out of the 50 or so ideas we have kicking around, we’ve narrowed down the new record to about 15 or so songs that we love. We’ve been demoing those songs over the past couple of months and are pretty much ready to step into the studio.
TiTT; Will there be more from Adam Gontier in partnership with Art Of Dying now that he is going it alone?
JH; I wouldn’t count it out, although it’s not in our current plan. Adam has been so supportive in the past, so you never know. It usually winds up being a scheduling thing – if we happen to be in the same neck of the woods at a creative time it can happen quite naturally. As many of our listeners know he is Cale’s (Gontier, bassist) cousin, so we end up bumping into each other quite a bit, whether it’s on a tour or on a patio in the middle of nowhere.
TiTT; What live work will AOD be doing this year?
JH; When the new album is done we will be touring to support it wherever we are able. The road is our home and we can’t wait to get back out. We’ve been getting so much love online from outside of North America as well, so we’re going to do our best to play in more parts of the world than ever. I can’t stress this enough: Let your local radio station know how you feel about Art of Dying. Call, text, tweet and post on their Facebook pages. Your radio station will listen to you, and they are a huge part of bringing us back to town.
TiTT; You seem to have a very balanced life. Does it still rain inside?
JH; Balanced? Me? Ha! I’m anything but balanced… in fact, I live via extremes much more than in the middle. Moderation is pretty foreign to me. It definitely rains inside for me as I’m sure it does in everyone’s world that is reading this and I wouldn’t want it any other way, as that’s where the inspiration for music and art originate.
TiTT; You have always loved Soundgarden. What is your opinion of King Animal and did you catch a live show yet?
JH; I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve been too wrapped up in my own music to give it my full attention. Rain check?
TiTT; Do you think the Seattle bands will have a very strong influence on todays youth as they did when you were growing up?
JH; I think the music and energy of the grunge years will last just as the strong music of every generation has. The youth of today will find the music that makes them feel, question and stand up.
TiTT; Your fans have a huge love of tattooing band references on themselves and yet you have no (visible) ink. Will you ever consider getting a tattoo?
JH; I can’t seem to commit to anything long enough to have it tattooed. My songs are my tattoos, so if I ever get ink it will most likely be Art of Dying lyrics.
TiTT; As you get older does the influence for writing change, or do you always use similar experiences and subjects of reference ?
JH; I write about how I’m feeling in the moment and that has never changed.
TiTT; Dan Donegan and David Draiman of Disturbed believed in you and groomed you. What are the most important things you learned from them, both on the road and in the studio?
JH; Pace. They both taught us how to pace ourselves in the studio and while touring. It’s really important to be the best you can be on stage and on recordings, and they’ve had great advice on how to meet the challenges.
TiTT; What is a great recipe to start the BBQ season off? We all know you are a master of the grill!
JH; You’ve inspired me to post a blog. Head over to http://jonnyhetherington.com/2013/04/jonnys-bacon-irish-whiskey-cheddar-meat-ball-sliders/ as I’ve just posted my Bacon Irish Whiskey Cheddar Meat Ball Sliders!
A HUGE thank you to Jonny Hetherington for taking the time to email us the answers to our questions.
By Karen Graham April 3 2013