I went head to head with
our drummer - Oldschool
WWF style!
Jeff Custeau
Photographer : Eubey Panter
“Motorcycles, old cars, and anything that hauls ass.” – These are just a few of Jeff Custeau’s many interests. Jeff’s the new
guy with New Skin Laser Tattoo Removal, the only company in Victoria that removes tattoos in an actual tattoo shop! Jeff grew
up around everything that inhibits the tattoo culture. Obsessed with music and art, he has lived a life of rock and roll and has
enough stories to tell to fill this entire magazine. Jeff and his band have played with such notable bands as: The Dead Kennedy’s,
Nashville Pussy, SuperSuckers, Vibrators and so many more. Jeff currently plays with a local band called The Stockers, who will
be releasing their newest album in 2013. We spent some time hanging out with Jeff, chatting about music and the tattoo removal
industry. Here’s what Jeff had to say…
H
ey Jeff! Let’s talk about your music. Let’s begin with the
inevitable question regarding your most memorable road
story.
The band and I were booked to play a show in Salmon Arm; we arrived late the night of the show, so you can imagine the difficulty we
would have trying to sort out accommodations before heading on
stage! After much effort to find a vacancy somewhere, we stumbled
across a senior’s home that ironically, was situated right beside the
venue we were scheduled to play at. We looked at one another and
said, “What the hell, let’s give it a shot!” We approached the lady at
the front desk and asked if she might have an empty room, and if
so, would she “rent” it to us for the night. Miraculously, she did, and
said we could stay the night for eighty bucks! Little did we know, the
senior’s home was actually for elders with severe brain injuries! Now
most people would take in to consideration the atmosphere around
6 | West Coast Ink | Issue 1
them and probably try to stay extra quiet for the evening - NOT US!
You can imagine the kind of shit a rock band would get into when all
staying in one room over night. To paint a mental picture, imagine a
senior’s home turned into an old school “Wrestle Mania” ring! Guys
were jumping off furniture, we were tossing chairs and pretty much
anything we could pickup for that matter!
As I understand it Jeff, when you’re not touring with your band
and making music, you’re in the shop helping to alter and remove unwanted tattoos... How did you get into the tattoo removal business?
I worked in the healthcare industry for thirteen years. I wanted a
change from the standard, but I still wanted to help people. I wanted a
job that was “out of the box” so to say, and would keep me interested
for a long time to come. My passion for tattoos lead me to realize the
other side of tattooing, which was tattoo removal. This occupation