No Lies Just BS

The Shenandoah Rose was a huge success and Nick is here to give y'all a report and update everyone on how things went and what's coming up. It was truly a legendary weekend celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Alley Cat Tattoo and the launch of a very special gathering of artists in the Shenandoah Rose Tattoo Fest. So check it out and check out all the artists' social media to see some amazing tattoos and memories from the weekend. And while you're getting immersed in the art, be sure and give Shop Talk a look over on YouTube with Nick, Andrew Conner and Porter. 

It's that time! The Shenandoah Rose is this weekend. In honor of Alley Cat Tattoo's 25th Anniversary, the shop will be hosting a ton of world famous artists and hosting a big party weekend. Nick sits down with Porter to discuss 25 years of Alley Cat and Harrisonburg and talk about what everyone is looking forward to on the big weekend we've been preparing for all year. It's a great hang and a fun time, so come join us to celebrate, or enjoy this episode if you can't. Don't forget about Shop Talk over on youtube. You're gonna love it.

It has been a minute, but Dave Cavalcante from Jinx Proof Tattoo in Washington D.C. has come back to check out the new shop and record in the back with Nick. It's an awesome discussion about some truly renowned shops that Dave came up in throughout his storied career. You don't want to miss this conversation and all of the names talked about on this one. His buddy Nico, also from Jinx Proof, came along for the ride. So check this out and check out Shop Talk on YouTube. You'll love it.

The final episode from Nick's recent trip to Asheville, NC where he sits down with Christian Elias from Serpent and the Rainbow Tattoo. This is just a great episode about getting into tattooing and meeting legends all the way around. From growing up on an island to tattooing in NY and all kinds of other places, you don't want to miss these stories. You're also gonna wanna go check out Shop Talk over on the NLJBS youtube page. Hang out with Nick, Andrew and Porter while they discuss only great tattoos. It's the best.

On the latest road trip, after hittin' Knoxville, Nick heads on over to Asheville, NC to hang out at Serpent & the Rainbow Tattoo. While there, Nick once again has the opportunity to converse with Dean Denney about tattooing and art and life. It's an excellent conversation you don't want to miss. So enjoy this and then head on over to youtube and check out Shop Talk where Nick, Andrew Conner and Chris Porter show you some of their favorite tattoos and what's so great about them and the artists who executed them.

A quick road trip last week dropped Nick in Knoxville to hang out with Doc Cooper at his shop Saint Tattoo. An over thirty year tattooer, Doc tells some great tales of how things were back in the nineties on up to today. It's a great time and an awesome hang with some other folks in the shop. So check it out, then go check out Shop Talk on youtube. You're not gonna want to miss an episode.

Coming down from his private studio, Work Room, in Brooklyn, Chris Wielk returns to the show to talk to Nick about more tales from Japan and other shop stories recalled from his travels. Chris has been doing guest spots at Alley Cat Tattoo, so come on down and see him and set something up. Definitely come by the Shenandoah Rose Tattoo Fest this summer and say hello. And always get on youtube and check out Shop Talk with Nick, Andrew Conner and Chris Porter. You're gonna love it.

Four hundred episodes of your favorite tattoo podcast. That's the milestone we've reached here, folks. Nick sits down again with the legend, Gordon McCloud, sometimes known as Wrath. It's a killer episode in itself, so definitely don't sleep on these stories from Gordon and Nick. But stop what you're doing right now and listen to the first twenty minutes and hear from a bunch of old guests and friends congratulating Nick on four hundred episodes. You're gonna love it. Then go watch some Shop Talks, y'all.

We haven't done any traveling in a minute or had any guest artists for a while, so here's one more clip show as we head into the 400th episode of the show. Nick talks about how everything has gone so far and what's to be expected in the future, leading up to a special guest in two weeks for the four hundredth episode. Plus hear a few things from Jimmy P, Jill Bonney, Yoni Silber, Frank Ramano, RIchie Montgomery and Corey Miller. There's some Shenandoah Rose discussions as well. Enjoy the info and when you're done go check out Shop Talk on youtube. You're gonna love it.

It's been a while since Tucker Wyatt hung out with Nick on the show here, and he's since parted ways with the Mother Tuckers and has a new band. He didn't bring them this time, or his guitar, but he brought some great stories from the road and a lot of bullshit for the show. So check it out and then check out some of his music and catch him live on tour with Congress the Band. And keep on watching Shop Talk on youtube. It's the best.

With all the VA Beach trip episodes done, we're going back to the beginning and beyond with these clips collected from all the podcasts with everyone's favorite tattooer: Timothy Hoyer. If you enjoy these, go back and check out the full episodes. You'll hear Nick talking with Timothy, but also Andrew Conner on almost all of them and even an appearance by Brian Bruno. We think you're going to love hearing some of these tales once again. When you're done, go check out Shop Talk. It's on youtube now so you can see the tats. Hell yeah.

After talkin' to the guys at Saltwater Tattoo, artist Sam Clayman and sayin' what's up to George Archer; Nick finally gets to chill with Anthony 'Ant' Anderson as the last stop on his VA Beach trip. Ant tattoos at Red Five at VA Beach and has been doing his thing in the industry for over thirty years on both coasts. You'll hear all about it and about some wild tattoos in this one. So check it out then go over to youtube and check out Shop Talk. Tell ya' mama.

Nick and Avery hit the road for a few episodes, beginning at Saltwater Tattoo which already released. Now we've got the incredible Sam Clayman. Sam's got an incredible collection of tattoos and produces some amazing art himself. Nick and Sam talk about that art and a lot things related to it, and also share some Va Beach connections that are super interesting. It's a great episode. Remember to hit up youtube for that Shop Talk fix, too.

After having to miss the Philly Convention weekend where we usually get several great episodes every year, Nick decided to have Avery drive him down to VA Beach and record with the guys from Saltwater Tattoo. It's been a while, so it's great to hear once again from Tony Riccio and Mike Rickards and joining them now is long time tattooer and shop guy for Saltwater, Mr. Chad Vanawken. There's a ton of great stories in this one, so don't sleep on it. And remember to head over to youtube and check out all the Shop Talk episodes with Nick, Andrew Conner and Chris Porter from Alley Cat Tattoo. We'll see everyone in a few months for the Shenandoah Rose Tattoo Fest in Harrisonburg, VA.

The big East Coast snow storm kept us from traveling to Philly and recording all the episodes we had planned, so we're presenting to you a collection of stories from all of the episodes featuring the legendary Scott Sterling. Scott has been making machines and presenting seminars for a very long time. He's well traveled and has a vast amount of experience in the tattoo industry. So enjoy these clips taken all the way from the beginning of NLJBS, across six different episodes in the last few years. And don't forget to check out Shop Talk on youtube.

It's a full episode with Alley Cat Tattoo's very own veteran: Mr. Chris Porter. The man with all the names. Hear Nick list 'em and check out all the fun history in this episode. There's a lot of discussion of beginnings and old shops and the early days of Alley Cat. Plus some great hip hop history lessons thrown in. It's always great to hear these two together, so when you're done head on over to youtube where they are joined by Andrew Conner on Shop Talk and you'll be blown away by the beautiful tattoos they discuss on every episode.

Nate hall, also known as Nathan James hall, is a singer songwriter from Greensboro, North Carolina who is also the longtime frontman of Old Heavy Hands: Rock and Roll out of the south down there and longtime friend of Alley Cat Tattoo and No Lies Just Bullshit. He is the owner operator of Legacy Irons Tattoo in Greensboro, North Carolina, where he got his start tattooing, but he's also tattooed out of Chicago and, of course, all around the country. Nate has been the subject of many episodes of No Lies Just Bullshit. He's a great storyteller and great friend, and we're proud to present this best of Nate Hall, on NLJBS. And always remember to check out Shop Talk over on youtube. You're gonna love it.

We finally got Matty Goldstein to sit down for a full episode of NLJBS. He hit the road from Key City Tattoo in Frederick, MD along with fellow Key City artist Justin Bush and headed into Rocktown to Alley Cat Tattoo; Harrisonburg VA. It's a great conversation about starting out as an artist and getting into tattooing later. There's a ton of great stories and we're even joined by Chris Porter and a few other friendly faces along the way. So check it out and then check out some Shop Talk episodes on YouTube and you've got yourself a great time. Keep loving tattooing. No Lies Just Bullshit.

Nick explains it all in the intro, but there's no new guest this week. So, in an effort to not leave y'all hangin' - we assembled this perspective on a name that comes up all the time when discussing tattoo histories: Peter Tattoo. The infamous shops ran by Peter Poulos and  Larry Romano. We've got stories from five older episodes. Starting things off, naturally, is Larry's son, Frank Romano. Then we hear a few things from Richie Montgomery. Eric Fischer is next. Then it's Angelo Miller along with Erik Desmond with a few tales, and finally from a more recent episode, we hear from Kris Magnotti. We hope you enjoy these stories put together like this. Don't sleep on Shop Talk, either. Get on over to youtube and check it out!

After a long day at the Norfolk Tattoo Convention, Nick had the pleasure of sitting down with long time tattoo legend Mike Perfetto and this amazing episode is now part of tattoo history. Good friends of Perfetto and of the show Mike Schweigert and Wrath are in attendance and only add to the brilliant conversation that was had that evening. Do not sleep on this one. There are some great stories about old times and how tattoos got done and some of the obstacles to overcome to get them done. Once you've listened, go jump on youtube and check out Shop Talk. You won't regret it.

While at the Norfolk Tattoo Expo Nick had the opportunity to sit down with James Jarvis from 138 Tattoo in Gloucester Point, VA. This one is full of great old school tattoo stories you have to hear. There's plenty of talk of a lot of great tattooers, especially Brian Bruno and some tales from his early years. While you're at it, check out Shop Talk on youtube for some more great tattoo discussion.

While visiting Richmond and Absolute Art Tattoo to celebrate the legend Brian Bruno, Nick got the chance to sit down and talk once again with John Setzer from Civilization Tattoo down the road. Veteran of the show, this is a great chance to get caught up with what's going on at their new shop as well as hear the usual great stories about shops, tattooing and all kinds of other things from Nick and John. Be sure and check it out and don't forget to check out ShopTalk over on youtube for some excellent insight into some of the best tattoos you'll ever see.

It's been a while since we've had Ben Proudman on the show. He travelled down from Key City Tattoo in Frederick, MD to come check out Alley Cat Tattoo and brought along Nick Filth with him to do some tattooing. The guys hang out with Nick and talk tattoos and throughout, most of the crew at Alley Cat comes in to hang for a bit as well. It's a great conversation and a lot of fun, so check it out. Nick also makes an announcement revealing a bit more about the Shenandoah Rose being held next year in Harrisonburg, VA at Alley Cat so make sure you listen up. And don't sleep on Shop Talk over on YouTube. Check it out every week and enjoy the amazing artists and discussions.

It's been a while since Timothy Hoyer has been on an episode. He's working at Alley Cat a lot these days, but he wanted to wait for Andrew to be available to record and here it is. Nick hangs with these two art wizards and long time legends of tattooing for a good three hours and we get to hear some excellent conversations about all of the things you expect and a whole lot of love for Brian Bruno, for sure. So enjoy the premium info laid down here and the afterward, go check out the youtube for some Shop Talk and stay inspired.

It's always great when you connect with folks who have a history with tattoos in some fashion. That's the case here with Nick's friend Jerry who came by the new shop location and shared a bourbon and talked about some really old tattoos he has and how he got them. There's some great life lessons on the way as well.  Don't forget to check out Shop Talk over on youtube to see the old segment from the show that has returned how it was always intended: showing you tattoos that we love and appreciate and talking about what makes them great. Also, Nick tells a bit more about the upcoming Shenandoah Rose event taking place next year at Alley Cat Tattoo and our 25th anniversary.

Once or twice we've made a mistake here on NLJBS. This was an easy fix. Whether you've already listened to episode 381 or not, here's the whole thing again, with an additional 25 minutes at the end that was left out the first time. Nick explains everything in a new intro, so check that out. And if you don't want to listen to the whole thing again, just past the two hour mark, you'll hear the original ending then you can listen to the additional 25 minutes. And here's the original description if it's your first listen: Having been a guest on an earlier episode already, Sam Yamini sits down for his own conversation with Nick while attending the final Pagoda City Tattoo Festival. This is the second episode recorded at that show and it is a great one. Lots of excellent stories from the past and talk of Japanese tattooing. Sam came all the way from Dedication Tattoo in Denver, CO. Check this one out and check out Shop Talk on youtube. Lot's going on. Enjoy.

This is the third and final episode from the tenth and final Pagoda City Tattoo Festival and it is a great one. Nick finally got the chance to sit down and talk with Dean Flashman. Dean has been tattooing for a very long time, so we get to hear some great stories about getting into the game under Marcus Kuhn and working on the Gypsy Gentleman, all the way up to working with Bill Canales where he is currently tattooing in San Diego, CA at Full Circle Tattoo. Don't miss this entry documenting tattoo history and don't miss another episode of Shop Talk on youtube. Go check out NLJBS over there and get plenty more stories from Nick. Subscribe and all that. 

Having been a guest on an earlier episode already, Sam Yamini sits down for his own conversation with Nick while attending the final Pagoda City Tattoo Festival. This is the second episode recorded at that show and it is a great one. Lots of excellent stories from the past and talk of Japanese tattooing. Sam came all the way from Dedication Tattoo in Denver, CO. Check this one out and check out Shop Talk on youtube. Lot's going on. Enjoy.

This is the first of three episodes Nick recorded at the 10th and final Pagoda. It's a return of J Smalley from the Golden Cobra Tattoo Club in Surf City, NC and Jimmy P from Full Hearts Tattoo in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Almost immediately they are all joined by veteran of the show Angelo Miller from Inksmith & Rogers in Jacksonville, FL.  It's a great time and a great many words of wisdom and tattoo knowledge are recorded for the history of this thing we all love. Tattoo. In the second hour, they're all joined by Glenn Wilson of Glenn's Tattoo Service in Wilmington, NC. It was a great conversation and a great start to Pagoda for a fun weekend. 

Great friend of Alley Cat Tattoo & NLJBS, Mr. Dave Capella, comes back up to Harrisonburg to do some tattoos and hang with Nick for a talk. Porter joins in for the first half of this excellent conversation. You see, Capella already recorded an episode a while back, but it mistakenly got deleted and never came out. So here he is again, talking with Nick and having a great time. You will too. So give it a listen and go give a follow to NLJBS on YouTube and check out all the Shop Talks. Just as good as the old ones and you can see the tattoos that are being discussed!

There's lots going on around Alley Cat Tattoo and NLJBS, but Nick found time to take a trip down to a rainy Richmond, VA to talk with Mr. Adam Marton from Civilization Tattoo down there about so much fun history, good times, good friends and great stories that you don't want to miss. His partner in crime, Adam McKowen is with him, and though he doesn't say much, he contributes some great thoughts throughout. So check out Alliance Tattoo Supply, check out the NLJBS YouTube channel, watch Shop Talk and get your ass to the 10th and final Pagoda City Tattoo Festival. We'll see you there!

While in Harrisonburg, Kohen Meyers stopped by Alley Cat Tattoo to do a guest spot and the hang out with Nick and Jake Hockman for some killer tattoo talk. He's from just down the way in Durham, NC where he owns Welcome Tattoo. It's a great episode talking about everything you love hearing about on No Lies Just Bullshit. So check it out and enjoy, then go on over to youtube and check out Shop Talk. There's more of 'em every week, so get on it.

This week Nick takes some time to introduce you to an ongoing project and talk about some of the current events in the world of Alley Cat Tattoo and No Lies Just Bullshit. Enjoy this update episode and don't forget to check out Shop Talk on YouTube and everything we've got going on these days.   *The ambient sounds used in this podcast episode are all from freesound.org where they are designated as Creative Commons 0. The creators of the individual sounds are: EarlySummerEveningKidsPlayingChippingSparrows.WAV by kvgarlic; Night Ambience by parret; Kitchen Ambience by brunoboselli; CarEngine.wav by prometheus888; Rotary sprinkler by pimstoltz; Bicycle Bell.wav by PanosA; Sad ghost by moogsy; Sleigh_Bells (7-22-12 edit).mp3 by jsm1963; Koshi Wind Chimes, Slow #2 by Kinoton; Front Door - Creaky.wav by MWsfx; Footsteps on crunchy leaves.wav by Alex_hears_things; sh sound effect (voice shh) by connerdrake98; Birds in Spring, North Carolina.wav by jmiddlesworth.

It has been since the first hundred episodes of the show, but now finally Annette LaRue has returned for some of that conversation we all love. She talks with Nick about all kinds of things from back in the day, plus many opinions on how things are now. Both good and bad. Her and Steve Tiberi came up to Alley Cat from Electromagnetic Tattoo down in Chesapeke, VA and stayed a few days and everyone had a great time. So enjoy this episode and don't forget to check out NLJBS on YouTube. Shop Talk is back!

Holley Setzer was visiting Alley Cat Tattoo to do a guest spot at the shop and fit in a conversation with Nick while she was there. Holley came up to the Friendly City from Henrico, VA down near Richmond. She's been tattooing a long while and you'll hear about it, but you'll also hear a lot about the great outdoors. And goats. Especially goats. So check it out, enjoy the talk, then check out Shop Talk over on YouTube as Nick gets famous and y'all get entertained.

Comin' down the road from Paradise Tattoo up in D.C. Nate Smith joins Nick in the friendly city, home of the NLJBS studio in Alley Cat Tattoo. Don't miss another great tale of some excellent tattooers, shops and stories. It's a great hang and a good time. And don't forget to check out Shop Talk over on youtube. It's the same great discussions you can find on older episodes, only now it feels like you're hangin' out with Nick, Porter & Andrew and you can see the tattoos while they're being discussed.

Justin Weatherholz flew down from NY to the NLJBS studios in Alley Cat Tattoo to have a sit down with Nick. They talk about music and tattoos and most importantly the fact that 2025 is the final year for Justin's Pagoda City Tattoo Fest. After ten years of great artists and fun times up in PA, the convention will end with one final weekend of hanging out with all of your favorite people in tattooing. Listen to why and what to expect during this episode and stay tuned to No Lies Just Bullshit to hear about what's to come. And don't forget to check out Shop Talk on the newly updated youtube channel.

Nick and Alex Lee go way back to the early Alley Cat days in Harrisonburg and he's a great friend and fan of the show for every episode to date. Check out this great conversation between two old friends about music, tattoos and work. Alex was a huge help in preparing the new location for Alley Cat. He built the walls of all the stations and helped Nick with his vision for the shop and the space we're calling the NLJBS studios these days for recording and filming the new Shop Talk show you can catch on YouTube. Be sure and check it out if you haven't yet, and spread the word. And enjoy another couple of hours of great storytelling and tales from the world of tattooing.

Long time friend of the show Christopher Scott came down from Electric Sabbath in MD to hang out with Nick and talk tattoos and all kinds of other activities. Beginning with a long historical discussion around the treasures he recovered from the earth and brought to show Nick, all the way to the talks about tattoos and art you've come to know and love around here, this is a great episode you won't want to miss. Plus, Nick fills you in with some great announcements about the show and what's to come. Enjoy.

After his good friend Mario Desa shot the shit with Nick a few episodes back, and with the release of his new book "Tales of a Tattoo Apprentice," Julio Avila decided to hop on a plane from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to DC, drive down to Alley Cat Tattoo and hang out with Nick for a day. The result is a killer couple of hours talking about all kinds of tattoo history and industry stories between Julio and Nick and it is definitely worth the listen. So check it out and check out his book and then if you're ever in the midwest, stop by Cornerstone Tattoo and let Julio know how much you enjoyed this episode.

The second podcast from Nick's recent trip to Philly is with Kevin Borowski from Iron Hand Tattoo in Rhode Island. Kevin has been in the game for over thirty years and there are a ton of killer stories from the past on this episode that you don't want to miss. Truly a legendary tale of tattoo past in the upper north east of the U.S. there are too many excellent details laid out here to name. Plenty of laughs and a lot of lore. This is a piece of tattoo history you'll be glad you checked out.

Another year, another trip to Philadelphia to attend the hotel room across from the convention. First up is Philly legend Martin Lacasse. After a killer tour of Olde City Tattoo, Nick got to chill with one of its longest running tattooers. This is a great episode full of old stories and plenty of tattoo talk. Check it out if you love tattoo history. You're sure to recognize many of the names brought up in this week's episode. Thanks for listening.

If you've been with us here at Alley Cat Tattoo for the last few months you know about our big move up the street into our new home and all that has come with that. Well in addition to all of the amazing things that make the new location look killer on the inside, we've got a gigantic mural on the side of the building that was drawn by Tim Lehi and painted by this week's guest, Dalton Plummer. Dalton comes back to the room he slept in for over week while doing the project to chill with Nick and talk about that and much more. Hear about his sign painting and many other adventures. Plus, it's the end of the NLJBS Hotline with a very special guest call-in. Don't miss it.

Now that there's a good place to record at the new Alley Cat Tattoo location, Nick hangs with Chris Porter and Jake Hockman for a few hours shootin' the shit. There's a ton of tattoo talk and a bit of this and that about things going on in the world. And, as always, music comes up in the conversation. It's a great time you won't want to miss hanging out too. Trevor Smith shows up for a bit to chime in on some stories. The weather is bad, but we're working on some trips soon to record with some great people. Keep listening.

It's been a while since we've had a musical guest on the show, and you won't be disappointed this time. One of Nick's favorite places to hang out down the road from his old house is his local Moose Lodge. You've already heard many stories from the joint and heard from guests who've played there. Well Nick met Tucker Wyatt after a show and they became friends. So he came to Alley Cat Tattoo along with his band and they all hung out, told stories and played music in the back room, the in development NLJBS studios. It's a fun one with some great songs. 

Veteran tattooer Nick Caruso came down to VA from his shop on Staten Island, Bound For Glory Tattoo to visit Alley Cat and chill with Nick at the shop for a while. This is a great talk including lots of thoughts on tattooing from the past to what things are like right now. Lots of great stories and a few drinks. You won't want to miss this conversation if you love tattoos like these guys. Check it out.

While at the first Norfolk Tattoo Convention last month, Nick finally had the chance to sit down with long-time tattoo legend Dana Brunson for a while. From the moment they begin, it's a non-stop tale of family, art and tattooing. You'll think you listened to a multiple hour episode in just under an hour. No excuse not to finish this one. You don't want to miss this conversation. Dana tattoos out of Cincinnati to this day and has amazing collections and stories. So enjoy the episode and thanks for listening.

For years and years, Nick has been trying to get together with this episode's guest and they finally connected at the Norfolk Tattoo Arts Festival last month. Mario Desa attended the convention, coming all the way from Great Lakes Tattoo in Chicago. After a rough few weeks and the loss of some great people close to the show, this episode is a long one that's a celebration of all things tattooing and the lifestyles connected to it. Hip-Hop, mobster movies and tattoo beginnings. It's all here, so check it out. Another great episode with another legend.

At the Norfolk Tattoo Arts Festival in Virignia put on by Mr. JD Crowe, Nick had the chance to sit down with an atist who was introduced at Pagoda this summer. Swasthik Iyengar is an artist working in NY who is originally from India and spent many years in Australia as well. This is truly an interesting episode beginning with some informative talk of various religious factions and classes. There's a lot of love for tattoos and friends made along the way being discussed here. It's a shorter episode, but very entertaining. Enjoy.

It's a sad time in the world of tattooing, but Nick and Porter are going to talk about all of the good times they had with the legend that is Brian Bruno. Hangin' out in the empty lot behind the new location of Alley Cat Tattoo, they visit the location of the house where Nick and Andrew lived during the time they all first met Brian back in the early 2000's. It's a great episode looking back at a lot of fun times, good advice and great friends. Don't miss this one if you miss the legend. No Lies Jus Bullshit. Brian Bruno forever.