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Photo by Tomas Muscionico |
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Vince Neil is out of town preparing for a month long tour during a weekday visit to the tattoo shop at the Rio that bears his name, but signs of him are all around.
A few custom-made electric guitars are under glass, including one
dedicated to his late daughter Skylar. A large award recognizing his
recording career hangs on the wall that divides the artists' workstations
from the wall of T-shirts behind the counter. And Neil's business
partner, Danny "The Count" Koker, is extolling the virtues of the
three choppers on prominent display – one of them christened "Girls,
Girls, Girls" – to Vince Neil Band drummer Zoltan Chaney.
The choppers are here courtesy of Koker's Las Vegas motorcycle
shop, Count's Kustoms. Before Koker and the Mötley Crüe frontman
opened the Rio location of Vince Neil Ink in August (another location
is located on the Strip at O'Sheas Casino), Neil was a customer and
friend of Koker's. "Vince and I, we used to just run into each other,"
said Koker, who frequented the same concerts and Vegas nightlife
venues Neil did in the late '90s. "Of course, I knew who he was, but
he was never quite sure who I was."
The two were finally introduced after a con artist who had arranged a
chopper to be built for Neil was exposed. Koker struck up a friendship
with Neil and eventually built bikes for the rest of the Crüe, who
would rev up Count's Kustoms creations onstage during subsequent
tours. Meanwhile, a bond of trust began to build that eventually led
to several Las Vegas co-ventures, including an off -Strip rock club
called Feelgood's that opened shortly before the Rio location of
Vince Neil Ink.
Koker brought several artists from the A&E show Inked to the new
shop, including manager Jerome Swanson, Twig Sparks and Josh
Petty. The expertise of the six artists on staff spans the spectrum of
skin design, from portraiture to tribal motifs, mythology to modern
symbolism, religious devotion to military pride. But rock 'n' roll attitude
permeates every inch of Vince Neil Ink. A lounge area facing the
choppers practically invites people to hang out, which they do evenings
and weekends when non-touring Neil is likely to show up. "It's
just under 3,000 square feet. That's a big tattoo shop," Koker said.
"We wanted it to be comfortable and cool and large, a place to hang
out: Watch the fl at screens, listen to rock 'n' roll music and chill."
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