Empire Tattoo has just been renamed Wolf & Wren Tattoo Collective, which seems to suit their style…read moremore! As with a lot of people these days, I chose this place because I loved the work of one of the artists (Jaya), even though it's a long way from home! I think this place has cornered the 'hipster' market due to the high quality of tattoo artists, the general ambiance of the place, and great social media marketing. The Facebook and Instagram pages are all up to date, and give all the information you need about every artist. I had made an appointment in August to talk about the design I wanted (a weaving shuttle!). I had the tattoo last night, and have already recommended them to everyone! Jaya did an amazing job at translating my image into his awesome 'etched' style, and was very good at putting me at ease for my first non-cosmetic tattoo. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. You can either get your own design adapted, or use one of the artists' artworks. The most important thing about getting a tattoo is making sure the artist suits your style - Wolf & Wren have artist of all different styles, so you're sure to find one you like!

Empire Tattoo is a very clean and proffessional looking tattoo place, something of a boutique…read moretattoo parlour. The artists here have their own unique style in which they work, and if you are looking for something outside that genre it is perhaps not the best place to go. As they have quite a strong client base, they are likely to reccommend a different tattoo studio for such pieces, but are generally very hepful in providing advice in that regard and reccommending a suitable artist. Their work in general is quite strong and mechanistic, with elements of the fantastic. They often have an eeirie or sppoky element to them. On the whole their work work seems very proficient and well executed.

I have one small tattoo on my foot, and went here because of recommendations from friends and a lot…read moreof research. I probably won't return again wasn't the best. Tattoo artists are scary to begin with, and you need to have a lot of trust in them holding a needle into your skin hoping they don't mess up your design. I picked out my design from their book, so at least they should know what it was. It was only a small sun for the top of my foot. The quote i got didn't quite match the price at the end, and the guy who did it wasn't too friendly either. But the one thing that bugged me was what happened during my inking. He had done around half of it, and it was painful! Then is seemed as though they were busy, and he had to attend to a previous client quickly outside. Or so he said, 40 minutes late he returned to me! Bored out my brains, and he kept on going with no real apology. And because he had left it for so long, my foot was starting to swell and get painful, so it hurt even more than when he started! It finally ended, I paid and walked out and have never returned. I need my tattoo touched up again, but will probably go elsewhere and not recommend them as highly as they were to me.

This place feels old school but not in your trendy hipster way…read more Its more a traditional style tattoo of shop. They are great at what they do. Just walk in the door and you will notice walls full of achievement accolades. Some truly fantastic work has come out of this place. Highly recommend.

The Body Art Shop is where I go for all of my tattoos. I personally get tattooed by Craig, but…read morefriends have gone to other artists there who they say are amazing. The shop itself looks a bit scary, there is a skeleton in a cage hanging in the window. However, I have very rarely seen a welcoming looking tattoo shop. Most of the time the artists can do a quick consult if you just walk in. But if you want to make sure you can have a good chat about the tattoo I would recommend ringing to book a time before. This way you know you will talk to the artist you want to see. All of the artists in the shop are very busy, so it is possible you will have to wait several months to actually get your tattoo done. Don't be put of by this wait. Some of the best tattooists have waiting lists longer than a year and The Body Art Shop is definitely worth the wait. Remember this tattoo is going to be on you forever. Craig is a great artist. He will happily draw you up an original piece if you tell him what you want. Recently I got a sugar skull on the back of my leg and it is the most amazing tattoo. The price they charge is very reasonable. It is approximately $120 an hour, which is amazing for the quality of tattoo you will get.

A BIG 5 STARS!! I was a drop-in without an appointment &…read morewanting a tattoo in honour of my recently deceased beautiful Shih Tzu girl Kushy. I'd been planning this tattoo for months because I knew my girl had terminal lung cancer, but I'd landed on Lampin's door step without an appointment by chance on my way home. It just happen to be at the right time to get done straight away, while Lampin had a brief break in between clients. (Perfect timing for me) I showed Lampin what I wanted & away he went doing his thing on his computer thingee & then printed off the stencil. He was very friendly & listened to what I wanted & offering suggestions etc. I was so impressed with the cleanliness and hygiene practice here - important for me because I have autoimmunes & a bleeding disorder. Everything went very well, great experience & I LOVE my tattoo. Great place, nice professional people & wouldn't hesitate to recommend this wonderful practice. Thanks Lampin!!