Photos By: Nicolas Bates

Day three of the Musink Tattoo and Music festival unfolded to be the best yet, saturated with beautiful ink, edgy piercings, and good punk rock.

Making my way through the strings of tattoo lovers and music fans -and believe it or not strollers- I kicked it with a few of the guys from Old Shoe Records. The boys from the band The Sparring (now with Old Shoe) played earlier in the day, and shared their excitement about being the BBQ band on this years warped tour.

Cruising further, I checked out the Pecker booth where ink genius Oliver Peck worked on his seemingly endless flow of customers. Peck was kind enough to let me pull up a chair and admire his work more intimately. When asked what he thought about the fest he noted the positive effect it has on the tattoo industry.

“I think Musink serves the tattoo community. It draws people that might not necessarily come to a tattoo convention, so we get a wider variety of people coming through. It’s definitely a good thing.” Peck said.

In the convention center featuring live music, Face to Face toyed with the amped up mob before them. “I told you I wouldn’t do any sing along bullshit but I can’t pass up an opportunity,”  lead singer Trever Keith said before launching into a rambunctious version of Pastel.

NOFX took the stage next opening with Linoleum. Frontman Fat Mike kept the crowd laughing with constant smart-ass comments, simultaneously sipping drinks through his straw and dodging unidentified flying objects. The band ripped through crowd chargers like Stickin In My Eye and Don’t Call Me White. The only time this awesome runaway show slowed was during the trumpet laced and El Hefe graced Eat The Meek, much to the crowd’s delight.

Before the show I slid past security and ambushed Fat Mike in front of the band trailer. I politely asked him how a platform like Musink served the punk rock community. Stone faced and with a voice full of grit and sarcasm he replied: “What? I don’t know. I get paid to do it.”

Vive le punk rock!