It’s turn into clear that ever since Ink-N-Iron left the Queen Mary in 2015, the one tattoo conventions value attending in Southern California are the Golden State Tattoo Expo up in Pasadena and Musink on the OC Honest & Occasion Middle in Costa Mesa. Certain, there are others in locations like Pomona and Lengthy Seashore, however these are a reasonably vital step down each in high quality and recognition.
Whereas Golden State tends to be arrange extra like a standard tattoo conference and carries a powerful give attention to the artwork of tattooing (and associated merchandise), Musink has at all times been the place to be for a weekend-long get together celebrating tattoos, music, customized vehicles, and the tradition that goes with all of them.
So if you happen to’re trying on the lineup for this yr’s Musink and pondering it appears a bit odd, you’re not alone. With the headliners of Suicidal Tendencies, Limp Bizkit, and the Vandals — together with supporting acts similar to Concern, TSOL, Sick of It All and Useless Kennedys — the most important attracts of this yr’s large occasion have various folks questioning what decade they awakened in. However the pageant’s perennial host, Travis Barker, is fast to level out that there’s fairly a little bit of rising expertise to stability out a few of the older acts.
“This yr’s slightly completely different within the facet that we’ve Limp Bizkit and some new and thrilling bands which might be simply loopy,” Barker says. “There are lots of first-timers who’ve by no means been at Musink, and that’s thrilling to me. We sort of went old-fashioned on Friday — we’ve really put in affords for Suicidal [Tendencies] yearly, however it by no means labored out — however then on the Limp Bizkit day it’s very new college with bands like Ho99o9 and Metropolis Morgue.”
In fact, no Musink can be full with out some form of dwell efficiency by the well-known drummer himself. In earlier years, Barker has hit the stage with everybody from Blink-182 (of their first main present with Matt Skiba) to Yelawolf to Transplants, and this time round he’s scheduled for a “Drum and DJ” set earlier than Limp Bizkit on Saturday night time. That’s to not say the 43-year-old percussionist will solely be behind a drum equipment as soon as this weekend although.
“I’ll in all probability hop up and play like two songs with Suicidal on Friday after which do one thing with a DJ on Saturday, after which probably one thing on Sunday,” Barker says. “I identical to doing visitor stuff with whoever desires me to affix them.”
For many who can solely make it out to in the future (and aren’t closet Fred Durst fanboys), Sunday’s lineup consists of not solely the punk rock powerhouses, but in addition the hangout for all the native bands. With Concern, Useless Kennedys, TSOL, Anti-Flag, and Voodoo Glow Skulls all performing earlier than the Vandals, it’s about as strong of a basic punk rock lineup as you’ll see wherever. For that matter, it’s such a powerful day that even the Vandals are taking it (considerably) critically.
“I’m simply amazed by the lineup, and after I have a look at it I’m going ‘Why are we on high right here? Why are we taking part in final?’” laughs Joe Escalante, the Vandals’ bassist. “We don’t care about once we play or who we play earlier than or after, however we’re simply honored and grateful that whoever the powers are that determined this lineup thought we might shut the present. We’ll do our greatest.
“It’s like ‘Oh crap, we’ve obtained to apply!’” Escalante continues. “We went by means of a few years of phoning in our exhibits, and I used to joke that 1 out of each 14 Vandals exhibits was wonderful — however you would possibly go to 1 of the opposite 13. Now, we really apply weekly even once we don’t have a present lined up simply because we’re such good pals and wish to get collectively. We’ve got good administration and an excellent agent, so now there’s a tour supervisor scheduling the practices and all that stuff — and simply babying us — so we’ve much more enjoyable collectively.”
Seeing the Vandals carry out as of late won’t seem to be that a lot of a particular occasion for these of us right here in Southern California, however a lot of the world solely ever will get to see them on the occasional pageant gig. Outdoors of their hometown exhibits, the punk rock veterans have realized their finest wager to stability their international music careers with the remainder of their lives is to line up as many one-off pageant dates as attainable.
“There are [music] festivals everywhere in the world now, and I don’t understand how anybody else feels about them, however we love them,” Escalante says. “We’re nonetheless alive, however we’re too outdated to get in a van and play a bunch of small exhibits or do a tour like folks need us to. At festivals, we get to play in entrance of lots of people all of sudden, and that’s actually the one means individuals are going to see us anymore. We’ve obtained a bunch lined up for the entire spring and summer season, and it’s nice to play one right here in our personal yard.”
Other than the music, Musink can even characteristic lots of of tattooers from everywhere in the world and a who’s who of the highest native outlets. However essentially the most noteworthy change to Musink from one yr to the subsequent has actually been the Low ‘N’ Sluggish Automobile Present that Barker curates yearly. Over the past handful of years, it’s gone from a small assortment of basic rides serving as some further eye sweet to a whole show of not simply vehicles, but in addition vans and — as of this yr — classic BMX bikes.
“I do know different festivals have little shows which have Instagram moments, and I actually really feel like ours is the vehicles,” Barker says. “We’ve got some actual showstoppers on the market. They’re one of the best that you may probably come throughout, and I really feel like that automobile tradition goes hand-in-hand with the tattoos and music.”
MusInk that includes Suicidal Tendencies, Limp Bizkit, The Vandals and extra on the OC Honest & Occasions Middle, 88 Honest Dr. Costa Mesa, (714) 708-1500, www.musinkfest.com, $29.50 (single day)-$199 (Weekend VIP), all ages.
Josh Chesler used to play baseball for some fairly cool groups, however now he simply writes about superior stuff like tattoos, music, MMA and sneakers. He enjoys injuring himself by skateboarding, coaching for fights, and taking part in musical devices in his off time.
