Meet Sadstab, Your Favourite Band’s Favourite Tattoo Artist

Printed Jul 17, 2020

Lockdown has been an fascinating problem to navigate for Toronto-based tattoo artist Fion Liu — a.ok.a. Sadstab — particularly contemplating their modus operandi: tattooing touring artists.

Whereas Liu’s hard-earned paycheque comes from a wide range of sources — working the ground at Toronto’s Play De Record and as a cassette participant technician at the Dupe Shop, to call a few the myriad occupations — they’re doubtless finest identified for his or her work as a stick-and-poke artist, a profession that pays principally in methods aside from money.

“I really like buying and selling and valuing my tattoo not simply by cash,” Liu explains. “I’ve traded a guitar with googly eyes throughout, synthesizers, uncommon data and extra. There have been a number of occasions the place I’ve tattooed musicians they usually’ll commerce me with tickets to their present, merchandise, autographs, hugs and friendship.”

The total variety of artists they’ve stabbed is tough to quantify (once you consider touring band members and defunct lineups) however Liu’s consumer guide boasts members from a minimum of 53 touring acts — to this point.

These artists embrace members of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, PUP, Snail Mail, Waxahatchee, Swearin’, IDLES, Charly Bliss, Weaves, the Horrors, Jeff Rosenstock, FIDLAR, Ellis, Chastity, Daughters, Joyce Manor, A Place to Bury Strangers, Jungle, Mac DeMarco drummer Joe McMurray, Hockey Dad, Palehound, DZ Deathrays, Whitney, STRFKR, Casper Skulls, Peeling, PONY, Pretty Matty, Wampire, Speedy Ortiz, Timber Timbre, T-Rextasy, Pile, Two Door Cinema Club, Kaleidoscope Horse, AJJ, Psychic Twin, Dune Rats, Hoops, Your Friend, Radio Caroline, For Jane, Ogikubo Station, RAENER, K.I.D., Doffing, Chilly Fronts, the Frights, Vundabar, the Gooch Palms, Nanami Ozone, Passion and Villain.

Whereas the multidisciplinary artist could have a penchant for illustration, cassette restore and amassing uncommon data, their abilities prolong a lot additional than methods they will monetize — and in that enviornment, they keep modest. You will not get a touch of elitism speaking to Liu, who describes their artwork fashion as “abjectly lovable.” Slightly, they pour themself into their work out of an earnest need to offer one thing again to their favorite artists.
 

Having accomplished over 740 tattoos since 2015, Liu’s homegrown tat enterprise has morphed from a easy ardour undertaking right into a ubiquitous hub for bands which can be on the street and in quest of distinctive physique artwork. With such a various vary of shoppers, Liu’s items are equally different.

Take, as an illustration, when the whole touring Waxahatchee band acquired matching tattoos of a Bath & Body Works Peach Bellini candle (in honour of their shared snort at a viral YouTube video); or when husband-and-wife duo Chastity’s Brandon Williams and Ellis’s Linnea Siggelkow acquired matching rose tattoos; Stefan Babcock of PUP’s notorious knee cactus; or Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz‘s magic wand on her ankle; each bit is tied to a novel — and generally uncommon — story.
 

You may hint Liu’s profession in tattooing bands again to an opportunity request from Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson, when he requested to fulfill them for a tattoo session whereas he was within the province for Oro-Medonte’s defunct WayHome music pageant. The 2 had beforehand met backstage at a UMO present.

“I requested if he may come to my studio ‘trigger I haven’t got a ticket nor a journey to go to the pageant,” Liu explains. “As an alternative of that, Ruban supplied pageant passes for me and two mates so I can take pleasure in my first-ever music pageant expertise.”

Happenstance experiences like these are widespread for Fion, who has tatted their manner into a lot of Toronto’s backstage areas, tour busses, random kitchens, and even one time, a parachute drop zone. 

Not solely have they hopped throughout city to arrange store behind practically each Toronto music venue, they’re additionally identified to often journey nice distances for a chunk — as soon as even so far as Hong Kong. A couple of years in the past, they headed south to Boston to offer out tattoos at Palehound bassist Larz Brogan’s birthday celebration.

Perhaps coincidentally, Palehound later recorded a tune about their love of home-poked tattoos. It is titled “Stick N Poke” and appeared on their 2019 album, Black Friday. Earlier than its launch, the band had Fion over for yet one more spherical of pokes. 
 

When and if the pandemic ends, Fion is trying ahead to forging new consumer relationships. Particularly, they’ve their sights set on giving tattoos to a bunch of latest artists, together with Noel Fielding of The Mighty Boosh, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Gary Numan, John Rocca of Freeez and Ryan Jarman of the Cribs. 

Liu does not have any tattoos themself, nor do they play any devices within the typical sense (although that does not cease them from amassing). For them, the way in which to interact of their favorite artwork kind is thru appreciation. And one of the best ways to try this is by forming private relationships with their favorite artists. 

Frequent amongst these artists is the sturdy sense of the over-arching “different.” As a listener, Liu cites indietronica, disco, new wave, funk, punk and numerous different genres as their go-tos for dropping the needle. Their wholesome document and cassette collections function a few of their most cherished instruments of the commerce, as they contemplate a very good soundtrack essential to setting the temper of their workspace.

“My ‘must-have’ instruments to create the proper tattoo are good lighting and brush pens — [and] if obtainable, a turntable,” Liu explains. 

Their multidisciplinary sensibility is exemplified by way of the way in which they flip a love of music right into a everlasting, visible medium. And whereas Fion counts this chapter of their artwork profession amongst a few of their most cherished reminiscences, their all-time favorite piece dates again to their college days: their tattoo-adjacent thesis work as a scholar at Ryerson.

“My favorite piece of artwork that I’ve carried out is my Last Will and Testament,” they clarify. “I wrote my will in a colouring guide format and talked about how my physique will likely be reworked from a machine creating artwork, to a useless machine recycled and turn out to be artwork.”

They proceed: “Very surprisingly, I acquired a full mark on it. My professor Lee Henderson added an ‘A’ subsequent to my first identify on objective as he recalled my story about my identify.”

“‘Why Fion, not Fiona?'” Liu asks their father rhetorically.

“Since you acquired to earn the ‘A’ your self.”