I asked Dave Monroe of Trouble Bound Tattoo, the organizers of the 2nd annual tattoo convention at the Remax centre, for a soundbite, he replied “usually I’m good at that sort of thing, but I haven’t slept for 6 days.”

His nap Sunday evening when it all shut down after 3 days of non stop tattooing and competitions, was well deserved. This weekend, 60 tattoo artists from all over Canada and the globe gathered to spread the tattoo gospel to the citizens of St. John’s, and the city looks the better for it.

When asked the inspiration behind the event, Monroe said that the scene has been developing here for years, and interest in visiting the city has been growing in the tattoo community elsewhere in tandem with it. So it seemed a natural progression at this point to make it happen, and the city has received it well both years.