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Dre Rock

@stilldrerock

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Tattoo machine builder & Tattooer.
Owner of @rogerstatooart & @saturnia_tattoos @luckystattoomuseum_nz
@ludo_mortuus 💍

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Meet the kaitiaki of Roger’s TatooArt, Dre Rock.

Dre has been tattooing since 2006, when he was made redundant from a job in telecommunications and had a chance encounter with Tony ‘Bones’ O’Sullivan whom Dre had previously met at an art course in 1998. Dre knew his career in that field was over, and Tony invited him to come hang out at the shop. Dre has never looked back.

Back then, and in New Zealand especially, tattooing was much more of a subculture and a trade than it is now and you had to know somebody in the scene who trusted you enough to show you what was beyond the veil. Learning to tattoo from Tony wasn’t in the traditional sense as there wasn’t the space for him in the shop as an apprentice at that time. So, Dre’s first tattoo was done after hours, and Tony kindly offered him a patch of skin on his leg.

With Tony watching over his shoulder as he learned to tattoo, along with the tools of the trade, Dre was frustrated with the challenges of accessing the great tattoo gear that was available in the USA and Europe. So, he began importing Aaron Cain machines and that snowballed into a tattoo supply company. He formed a friendship with Aaron who introduced him to the founder of Lucky Supply, Jimmy Whitlock, and Dre was offered to be a part of the business which he’s still heavily involved in today.

Dre specialised in Japanese Traditional style tattooing, and nowadays works predominantly on large scale work. He builds custom tattoo machines by hand, founded Lucky’s Tattoo Museum NZ and co-owns Saturnia Tattoos in Upper Hutt with his wife Ludo Mortuus.

Stick around for part II, where we’ll talk about how Dre got to know Roger and Tommy and how he came to be next in line to safeguard Roger’s precious shop. taken in Rogers Tatoo Art by @stilldrerock

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2 months ago

Only 2 left of the LET ME RIDE liners. Get one while you can!
Built as a power liner for bold work. 7-14RL all day 💪
Only 12 of these were made never to be repeated as a limited run.
Ceramic coated in Candy Yellow.
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#drmachines #drerockmachines #drerock #tattoomachine #itstheDRE #tattoomachines #drerocktattoomachines #machinesbydrerock #tattooart #tattoo #tattoos #tattooing #tattooequipment #tattoogear #tattooer #equipment #machines #tattooist #tattooartist #inkart #inkedmag #traditionaltattoo #custom #letmeride #customtattoomachine #nztattoos #coilmachines
#coils #customtattoocoils #coilmachine by @stilldrerock

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3 years ago

Only 2 left of the limited run of G-Thang.
• Never to be repeated •
💥DON’T MISS OUT 💥
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#tattoomachine #tattoomachines #tattoomachinebuilder #customtattoomachine #customtattoomachines #aintnuthinbutagthang #gthang #wellingtontattoos #wellingtontattooartist #wellingtonnz #newzealandtattoo #newzealandtattoos #wellingtonartist #drmachines #drerockmachines #blingart #rapmusic #oldschooltattoos #traditionaltattoos #tradart #tradartist #coilmachines #coilmachine by @stilldrerock

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3 years ago

49 years on Cuba Street | Roger’s TatooArt is the longest standing tattoo shop in New Zealand.

We have flash from 1960s & 70s, hand drawn by the most respected pioneers of tattooing (Roger Ingerton & Kevin Gray). All designs can be brought to life by our new generation of artists.

Come get a piece of NZ history today, we are open 7 days a week & walk in’s are always welcome. taken in Rogers Tatoo Art by @stilldrerock

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2 months ago

CYBER LINER - Custom 1-Off.
Precision CNC’d Ductile Iron frame.
Ceramic Bubblebum Pink finish.
24ct Gold plated hardware.
Sterling Silver Contact screw.
8-Wrap, 1-1/8” Coils finished with pink pearl Automotive Vinyl & Custom tape.
35v/22uf Tantalum Capacitor.
SOLD. by @stilldrerock

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2 months ago

Part II of our kaitiaki series.

Dre first met Roger through Tommy Downs. He was already familiar with Tommy’s reputation within the tattoo community, having known of him as the former owner of Lower Hutt Tattoo Studio on High Street.
Dre also felt a connection through their shared roots, in Naenae, where Tommy had grown up a generation before him.

By the time Dre entered the tattoo industry, Roger was widely regarded as the grandfather of New Zealand tattooing and an exemplar of the standards, professionalism, and character that Dre sought to embody in his own career.

As Dre became a regular visitor to the shop, he developed a close friendship with Tommy, who eventually introduced him to Roger and his wife, Meg. Although Roger had retired, he remained a frequent presence at the shop and would often spend time there with Tommy.Through these regular visits, Dre came to know Roger and Meg personally, laying the foundation for a relationship built on mutual respect and trust.

On one occasion, Tommy invited Dre to the shop, explaining that Roger would be tattooing him behind closed doors and that he wanted Dre to be present for what would be a special moment, as Roger had not tattooed since retiring. When Dre arrived, Roger asked Tommy what he planned to have tattooed. Tommy responded, “I haven’t got any space, but Dre does,” revealing that he had orchestrated the moment as a surprise. Roger then tattooed a Manaia design on Dre. The experience was a significant and deeply personal gesture of trust and friendship. To Dre’s understanding, this was the last tattoo Roger ever completed in the shop following his retirement.

Dre was present at the shop for many of the important moments following Roger’s retirement and remained connected to it through the years leading up to Roger’s passing in 2015.

Tommy knew that Dre genuinely cared for the shop, understood its place in tattooing history, and appreciated its potential role in shaping the future of the craft.

When the time eventually came for Tommy to pass the baton, that history of trust and personal relationships meant Dre was the obvious choice. taken in Rogers Tatoo Art by @stilldrerock

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2 months ago

CYBER LINER - Custom 1-Off.
Ductile Iron frame plated with 24kt Gold.
ALL hardware 24kt Gold plated.
1-1/8” 8-Wrap Coils on Pure Iron Cores wrapped in Automotive Gold Vinyl.
Tantalum Capacitor.
999 Fine Silver Contact Screw.
Hinged Front Loader Tube Vice.

Made with love.
Built for strong, bold, line work 💪
SOLD. by @stilldrerock

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2 months ago

Custom ‘Cyber Liner’ machine.

Copper Plated with black trim.
8 Wrap 1-1/8” Coils on Pure Iron cores.
Tantalum Capacitor.
Copper Plated Pure Iron A-Bar.
Copper Contact Screw.
138hz unloaded - built to run hard & fast.
Made to last.
SOLD. by @stilldrerock

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2 months ago

Chrome plated custom 1-Off.
Hinged vice with added weight for balance with inner teeth for added back stem bite.
Black oxide trim.
6-Wrap 1-1/4” pure iron coils finished with real NZ Paua shell.
Pure iron A-Bar.
Tantalum Capacitor.
9999 Fine silver Contact Screw (good luck buying those now)
Built to run whatever 💪 by @stilldrerock

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2 months ago

Today marks 1 year since the passing of Bev Nicholas aka Cindy Ray.
I miss her dearly.

I miss her monthly phone calls, regular stays at her home, her cooking & her caring nature toward people and animals.
After spending many years visiting her and staying at her home more times than I can remember, she wasn’t the icon that was ‘Cindy Ray’ to me, she was just Bev and was like family.
She encouraged me, supported me, gave me advice & also told me off when I needed to be.
You never get over the people in your life that you lose,,, you just learn to live with it.
The time we all have together is short but precious.

RIP Bev. I’ll miss you always. by @stilldrerock

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3 months ago

Quality not quantity. by @stilldrerock

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4 months ago

1-Off Cyber Liner.
Money maker Drab Green & Black Ceramic finish with Blackened Iron & Copper Trim.
1-1/8” 8 Wrap Coils on Pure Iron Cores.
Pure Iron A-Bar.
Tantalum Capacitor.
Fine Silver Contact Screw (pure sterling silver)
Runs at 138hz @ 6.5v
Built for 7-14RL’s

SOLD. by @stilldrerock

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5 months ago