How did you come to tattoo ?

The first one is on my stomach which is written "Poison Free", it was 3 years after I've been Straight Edge, I wanted to do that one to be permanent and that the most important thing to me so I got that one first.

Among all your tattoos which one do you prefer and why ?

I like this one on my arm which is Virgin Mary playing bass I'm catholic so I like the symbol of Virgin Mary and I play bass si it's kind of both of what I like.

Which one is your last one?

My last one will be my knuckles I've got those about 3 months ago !

Do you have an idea for the next one?

Yes, I gonna be to have one of our tee shirt design on the back of my right arm, it's a coffin with angels with bad wings.

Is there a tattoo artist that impresses you much ?

I like Jim Minola he plays guitar for Death By Stereo, he's the one who did some tattoo of my left arm and he's also finishing my left arm and probably does some of my right.

Do you see any corrolation between music and tattoo ?

Definitavely, I mean a lot of people who have tattoos are hardcore music fans, in the sens listenning to music 24 hours a day, and people who listens music and getting tattoos cos of the band they listen to, there's band's logos getting tattooed, band's quote or artwork or everything. All the people I see having quote or artwork from their favorite band, so I think it is a definitive link between either.

And what about the Straight Edge tattoos?

I mean most of the kids who are SxE are SxE because of going to HxC shows, so I think there's a lot of reasons why kids are going to have SxE tattoos.

And what's your opinion about SxE tattos, why did you make yours?

I definitively did it for myself but even if you get a SxE tattoo when you are 16 or 17 and maybe when you're 30 two years after you get SxE, but as far as I am concerned you should never regret your tattoos, you should always look, like I am 40 years old and look down on my arm and I remember getting tattoo and what I was doing when I was SxE. It's almost like pictures, you can look back and remember what you were doing, so it's like a memory write on your body.

What do you think about the rise of tattoo, is it a fashion or a new breath for the body culture?

I think it's a little bit of both, I mean there's so many kid coming to HxC shows cos they see it on TV now, but 5 years ago it was never on TV. I know there's a lot of kid who are coming to our shows they buy our tee shirt like at the shopping mall and there's some other kids who are more underground, seen that there's some HxC artwork. I think some kids get them cos they're fashionable but there's definitively the tattoo's culture for their own reasons and I cannot think that it's a little of both cos the tattoo culture will always been around more than people think but I think there's a lot of kids who get them for fashion too, but I think the fashionable aspect is rising.

Do you have a message for kids who would like to be tattooed?

Think very hard of what you want, don't get drunk and then have one or don't have your friends dare to have one, cos you'll probably regret it after 5 minutes you get it !


Interview Laureline & Ben
Translation Laureline