Brisbane Tattoo Artist Blogs // Side Hustles, local shows & music lore, Screen printing, tattooing and life

Since I last checked in a bit over a month ago, was a bit of a blog about being vegan as well more recently reviewing the new Zach Creggor, Resident Evil. My last actual personal blog was probably about 2 months ago, in which it was heavilly regarding music, events, friends and a bit of self reflection on my own anxiety disorders.

This blog will also have some leanings towards the theme of music, as well as lore that accompanies my (as of writing this) recently posted carousel on Insta. Recently, there's been pretty major developments in my life, so there's a bit to reflect on and share

First up, is just a lil Yokai Copic sketch I did as a drawing excercise (these days I endeavour to draw, illustration marker or pencil to paper at least a half hour EVERY day). It's nothing special but it's reaction was good, so for postherity I thought it was worth including and sharing some insight/lore over

The next is a photo of me wearing my uniform of my double life. There's a high chance I won't be doing this role for much longer (new opportunities have developed, read on for more on that :D)

It's not legally allowed that I discuss anything regarding this job especially online, but what I will say is that it's built & developed within me a lot of character, insight and strength for the passed couple years I've been doing it and I'm really grateful for all the impactful souls I've shared life with along the way in that world

Music wise, I shared on Insta some clips of my last most recently attended gig, put on by the mighty To The Grave (Vegan Deathcore lords ❤️‍🔥), which featured two bands I've been DYING to see. One of which I knew wasn't going to take long as they are from Melbourne, which is the new local Slam GOATS Algor Mortis

I truly believe I would love this band regardless of how local they are to our shores, it's mind blowing to me that they are from Melbourne, I think they are a cut above the rest internationally all chips on the board of brutal death & slam metal.

I heard them first through my algorithm, which was their colab with Waking The Cadaver, and for those whom recognise how insanely cool that is, seeing Algor Mortis live finally was ten times cooler than what I could have anticipated .

I got extra hyped to see this after listening to Aaron Osborne's podcast (Oblivious Maximus) recently where Algor Mortis were featured. During this episode, one member of the band is revealed as a full blown audiophile, he's obsessed with obscure and rare media especially of which is not online anymore

For anyone who didn't recognise the name I just mentioned, (Aaron Osborne) he is a low key music icon (Guitarist in AGLO, Extortion, Mental Cavity, I Exist) and podcast host second (amongst other awesome things this multifaceted legend's life), the Audiophile member from Algor Mortis got on this podcast episode with Aaron recently and kicked it off by saying how he'd located demo's from Aarons High school band, and on air said he was 'very disappointed it wasn't good'

Definitely one of those anecdotes that made me lol in real life especially when Aaron Osborne (music legend) followed that up with 'I'm sorry you didn't like my High School band'

I guess the point of me including this tale is to expand on how legit Algor Mortis are, aside from their brutal slam and groove sections they are musicians who care SO much about music and most of all, local music

The other band I saw and documented in this recent Insta carousel, was the mighty and edge AF lords from Alabama, No Cure 🔥

This was a really rad show, I definitely was not disappointed. Dane from To The Grave (Shouts out Dane) had told me a while ago that they were bringing them out, not to say Dane isn't a bullet proof trusted source, that at the time was just such a wild statement for me to hear and believe from anyone, I ignorantly thought 'No Cure is my niche band I found, no way they have a following here in Australia', boy was I wrong

No cure packed the venue the F**k OUT, it was SICK. Real stoked I got to meet the vocalist Blaythe after the show as well score a vinyl and shirt

No Cure when they were first came to my attention, was one of the niche, cool things I loved about them was all their merch & shirts were water colour based screen printed. For those who aren't sure what that means, most Screenhouses use a Plastic based ink to print shirts usually, as it nevers drys without curing and requires chemicals for cleaning. Water based only requires water to clean and maintain, so it's kinda the most environmentally friendly way (and most comfortable way) to silk screen a shirt, and also the rarest. So pretty friggin' cool No Cure were doing that in their camp right from the get go

I mention Water colour screen printed shirts as a facination because I've for a while been quietly/not-so-quietly been obsessed with screen printing

About 3 years ago, I did potentially what was the worst tattoo guest spot experience ever in Darwin. It was seriously so defeating, from irrational clients (really cool clients as well) to a truly batshit crazy studio owner whom thrust me into her highly anxious chaos unwillingly.

Someone tried to steal all my tattoo equipment when I was checking into my airbnb, my girlfriend at the time convinced me to take this trip to Darwin then dumped me the week before we were due to fly out

The studio owner of whom I guested with was a money desperate lunatic who just seemed & persisted to have everyone around her under her thumb. One of my Airbnb's I checked into was a scam & fraudulent and Darwin experienced one of it's highest rates of crime this time period as well while I guested

I'm grateful for this time for the illusion shattering realisations that gave me the clarity to truly let go of things after this trip, as it really had me staring at myself and the state of the world.

For anyone whom fly's budget conscious like I do and has visited Darwin, you can relate that all flights entering and leaving, only do so at @1am-ish

After I finally got back to Brisbane from this trip, single, broken, myopic, sleep deprived and betrayed with a new sense of clarity converging, I remember being in the carpark of Grill'd and just having this realisation 'it's been a good run with tattooing, but the time is now to upskill, because I can't put my faith in strangers anymore without expecting this kind of blind Narcism being a risk to go through'

I truely up until this point would say the majority of my guest spots, both interstate AND International, had all been life affirming and amazing experiences, this was the first time I truly felt helpless to the hurt I'd just gone through and I needed a new way forward

It was around this time I'd started to colaborate in music projects (a bucketlist ambition as I'd spent the decade prior only prioritising tattooing), through my fixation and obsession with this endevour, I'd learnt the only way artists in this realm could make money, was by printing and selling their own merch

Through also being pretty succesful up until this point with selling my own, outsourced screenprinted merch, the clarity that converged on me at this point was 20/20 .. I needed to learn and invest in Screenprinting

I had a few grand set aside of which I would usually at this time financially re invest in tattooing. Instead this time I invested in what little screenprinting equipment I could afford as well as workshops (Shouts out Sam @Polygone Cowboy)

After getting my beak wet so to speak, I then invested more thousands of dollars into what seemed like a sure thing with screenprinting

It was probably aropund exactly this time just over 2 years ago that I started this blog, as shortly what followed was my older sister took her own life, my landlord discontinued my lease suddenly, my assured living arrangements were compromised due to housing crisis at the time, I fell completely out with my old tattoo studio, my social media was nuked and I couldn't use meta at all for months (my only source of work up until that point) as well I had to go to court to face a abusive ex-partner who was fixated and lashing out at me in anyway they could. It was the roughest by far, period of my life

In short from there, I had to abandon all my investment in screenprinting ... until now

Up until recently, I've done some DIY screenprinting, as well as really trying to push that metaphorical boulder uphill of just finding somewhere in which I could take my screenprinting equipment out of storage.

While I was figuring all this out, I've been printing and pressing all my hand made merch items with a digital process

Fast forward to about a month ago, our space in which weve been running this operation out of has notified us they have been sold and will need us to vacate with a months notice.

At first this really felt like an undeserved curveball, but since I've come to see it as a serendipitous twist of fate

Through this happening, I have been fortunate to come in contact with Alex & James who both own and operate the Creative printing group ( check them out here at www.creativegroup.au )

James came across my situation and reached out, since meeting we've managed to organise a truly incredible opportunity of which I will be joining and colaboarting with their team and finally adding Screen printing within my artisan wheel house

Essentially, they are doing me the most massive solid by giving me their time to get me up to a standard in screenprinting of which is no longer undecuated and within DIY, rather professional ways and reinforced through their vast years of experience

I'm currently working most days across all forms of work I do until I can confidently lock in on screenprinting, art and tattooing to have those be my only fully focused, forms of professional output

Until (hopefully by the latest end of October) I'm Independant & fully confident in the entire screen printing proicess, believe me when I say; I am broke, I am at capacity with work and all plans are cancelled until I get over this hump

Tattooing is by far still the most paramount to my identity and expression of soul. I am not choosing screenprinting over tattooing in any capacity, we just live in a time of which is the most expensive it's ever been to be alive of which coincidentally tattooing is the most over saturated it's ever been with more than most tattooers choosing to be influencers over tattooers.

It's devastatingly clear and unavoidable at this point, the online influence of a person is what drives traffic and is sadly second to the craft of tattooing, rather tattooing is used as the theme of the influence

I can be old man shouting at cloud as much as I want about this, but the fact is , I remember chasing the years of experience and validation in tattooing, so I know the dog the younger generation has in them, as well I'm painfully aware of the worlds current state and this is just how it all is

I won't be offering discounted tattoo rates, EVER. I won't be embracing Generative AI, EVER. I won't be qutting tattooing, EVER

This will always be a valuable artisan craft of which I only want to sharpen my iron in, now and always

Just now I have two irons in the fire, Tattooing & screenprinting

Just due to my commitment to authenticity as well as not having a bias following or any clout to share, tattooing isn't booked out for me anymore

However, I still have to pay rent and I still need to make sure my professional life is filled with growth, inspiration and honest work. So screenprinting is allowing me to have that cup full, and I'm really excited to share that journey with those paying attention :)

Changing subject slightly, I've included another lil candid video taken at prac between me and the fellars in DogSquad. This lil snippet is from us running a cover of 'Eyeless' by Slipknot, instead of having a dozens members, it's kinda just us four. When I posted this in my stories, it definitely got a reaction, so I thought it worth preserving and expanding on. It's been an insane journey so far in entering music as an older guy, but I'm really happy currently to be colaborating when I can with these bois in the video. Shouts out Max, Angus & Luis ❤️‍🔥

We've finally made the switch from QLD cold weather to a warmer days here, although it's still not fully hot yet, I have been very happy to swap out the wardrobes and embrace summery attire again. Thus is the shots of my drip on the first days out of cold weather jail

For anyone who was a wrestling fan or (moreso like myself) a fan of the band Every Time I Die, you'd know we recently just lost Andy Williams

This is the most devastated I've been to hear of a death in 2026 and I have a lot to say on that

For now, I just wanna give some insight on the photo included in this carousel (which looks like it was taken on a 2 Megapixel digital camera ... because it was lol such was the style at the time)

This photo was taken 17 years ago a day prior the music festival, Soundwave. I'd flown up to the big smoke (Brisbane) visiting from my hometown (Townsville). I walked passed an open view Hotel and saw Andy & (their drummer at the time) Ratboy

I went in with my friend, silently freaking out. I didn't want to interrupt Andy & Ratboy but they clearly saw I was actually freaking out at the sight of them

I'll write a stand alone blog soon which will give more insight into this moment , that photo, my memories and experiences with the late & great Andy Williams. For now, I'm still truly heartbroken and shocked at the loss of life we've been dealt losing Andy

A very sharp pivot to a more recent Blog, I wrote a blog on Zach creggors Resident evil

It seems now the dust has settled, toxic fanbase and hype aside, it's been so awesome for me to see non-resident evil fans reactions

I didn't want to do a review that was a word by word retelling of characters lores and the stories developments as I find most reviews do. I really just wanted to jump on it at it's premiere and see it in it's intended format of viewing and share that experience to anyone interested

Lastly, the video I included as well on that Insta carousel was definitely not my favourite performance in front of a lense but thank you for everyones support and eyes on that.

In this new busy schedule I'm currently figuring out, that was my only day to film anything as literally the whole place is being packed up and I'm way more focused on figuring out the nuance of the screen prniting craft before I start documenting it for content, so it was the only that moment in time I had to film and provide clarity on Fight Fair Design & Print.

Our landlords of the now expired shirt space had killed the air con in our last month of our tenancy, so I just arrived, setup, and filmed what you probably have now seen which is in that carousel, was also posted on my stories, that after I wrapped those videos I went straight into packing up to leave

It's really uncomfortable for me to put myself out in video form, but as an entrepeneur and small buisness owner working in the arts & crafts, I just have to do it and not cringe at myself too much along the way

There's a few sentiments of thanks especially in this closing words but honestly, thank you to those who have just showed any support in anyway shape or form along the way. This is all really hard for me at times, I'm a spicy, neuro diverse lad who only knows how to wear his heart on his sleeve, which means I get hurt a lot, just by caring to much and pursuing authenticity over more palatable decision making

I've said it before, but I can be my own worst enemy, but I always endevour to be the best version of myself so that I can give my best to those around me, because it's what they and myself deserve

Thanks again <3

Talk soon :)