Convention Connection: Bob Tyrrell’s Wildest Night With Gill “The Drill” Montie, Blues, and a Blackout Tattoo
Bob Tyrrell flew to Beaumont, Texas, to do a guest spot at his friend Gill “The Drill” Montie’s new tattoo shop. The plan was simple: tattoo for a few days and get tattooed by Gill. Instead, they never made it to the tattoo shop that first night. They ended up backstage at a Jimmie Vaughan show, drinking until midnight. Bob woke up the next morning with a big bandage on his hand and a tattoo he doesn’t remember getting. Chico Cortez caught up with Bob at the Tattoo Society World Expo in New York for Convention Connection. In this video interview, Bob shares the story, plus how he got his start in tattooing at 34.
Key Takeaways
The night: A surprise Jimmie Vaughan show, backstage passes, Coronas and Jäger shots, then a midnight tattoo from Gill that Bob doesn’t remember.
The friendship: Bob and Gill became close friends right away and have stayed that way for years.
His late start: Bob started tattooing in 1997, at 34 years old.
His training: A quick three-month apprenticeship at Eternal Tattoos in the Detroit area, where Tom Renshaw became his teacher.
His favorite subject: Skulls. He has at least 20 of them tattooed on him.
Who is Bob Tyrrell and why does his story matter?
Bob Tyrrell is a Detroit Tattoo Artist known worldwide for his black and gray work.
He didn’t start tattooing until 1997, when he was 34. He took his drawings to Tramp, the owner of Eternal Tattoos in the Detroit area, and was offered an apprenticeship. After about three months, he was tattooing full-time.
The whole tattoo shop helped teach him. But one Tattoo Artist, Tom Renshaw, went out of his way to become his teacher, without Bob even asking. Bob says he learned more from Tom than from anybody else.
His story matters because it shows that starting later doesn’t stop you from building a legendary career. If you’re thinking about a change, read why a tattoo apprenticeship is perfect for career changers.
What really happened that wild convention night?
The wildest night of Bob’s story didn’t happen at a convention. It happened during a guest spot in Beaumont, Texas.
A detour downtown
Gill had just opened his tattoo shop in Beaumont, and Bob flew in on a Thursday. Gill picked him up from the airport, and on the way to the tattoo shop, he gave Bob a quick tour of downtown Beaumont, which Bob describes as really small.
Then Bob spotted an Antone’s. As far as he knew, there was only one: the legendary blues bar in Austin, where Stevie Ray Vaughan was kind of the house band for a while. Blues legends like Albert King played there. “Everybody you can name,” Bob says.
This Antone’s was brand new, and there was a tour bus parked out front.
Backstage with Jimmie Vaughan
Gill went inside and came back out with news: Jimmie Vaughan was playing that night. He had tickets and backstage passes. Gill had tattooed another guitarist in Jimmie’s band and knew Jimmie, too.
So they parked and went in around 6 p.m. They never made it to the tattoo shop. They spent the whole night drinking Coronas and shots of Jäger while the band played everything.
The tattoo he doesn’t remember
Around midnight or 1 a.m., they finally went to the tattoo shop. Bob wasn’t planning to get tattooed that night, but Gill ended up tattooing him anyway. Bob was blackout drunk and doesn’t remember any of it.
He woke up the next morning with a big bandage on his hand. Underneath was the Antone’s logo: a skull with crossed bones.
“That was a really fun night,” Bob says. “I remember most of it.”
The night still connects to his life today. During the interview, Bob wore a Jimmie Vaughan shirt. He’d seen Jimmie play in Detroit just three weeks earlier.
Takeaway: Some of the best tattoo stories come from the friendships you build along the way.
Who is Gill "The Drill" Montie?
Gill “The Drill” Montie is a well-known Tattoo Artist and one of Bob’s closest friends in the industry. You can follow him on Instagram at @gillthedrill.
Bob describes Gill as “a true outlaw” who looked like one cool character. When they met, they became really good friends right away, and they’ve stayed close ever since.
Bob met Gill through tattoo conventions, possibly at the very first one he did.
Why do tattoo conventions change careers?
For Bob, conventions helped launch his career.
About three years after he started tattooing, his work began appearing in magazine articles. That’s when he started doing tattoo conventions. Before online portfolios, that kind of exposure was how Tattoo Artists built their names.
Conventions also gave him something just as valuable: relationships. That’s where he met Gill, and that friendship led to a guest spot, a wild night, and a tattoo he’ll never forget, even if he can’t remember getting it.
Today, you can build your presence online, too. Explore these platforms to help Tattoo Artists build their brand.
What is a blackout tattoo and why is it so demanding?
In Bob’s story, “blackout tattoo” doesn’t refer to the tattoo style of solid black coverage. It means Bob was blackout drunk when Gill tattooed him, and he doesn’t remember it happening.
It’s a story from a different era, told just the way it happened. Today, many tattoo studios won’t tattoo someone who’s been drinking. Professional standards also include safety requirements like the OSHA bloodborne pathogens standard.
How can you break into the convention scene?
Bob’s path offers a few lessons.
Step 1: Bring your art to someone who can teach you. Bob took his drawings to Tramp at Eternal Tattoos.
Step 2: Learn from everyone around you. The whole tattoo shop helped teach Bob.
Step 3: Find a teacher who pushes you. Tom Renshaw went out of his way to guide Bob.
Step 4: Find what you love to tattoo. For Bob, it’s skulls. He has at least 20 on his own body.
Step 5: Get your work seen. Magazine articles helped Bob start doing conventions.
Step 6: Build real friendships. His friendship with Gill started at a convention and has lasted for years.
Before you start, read about the mistakes aspiring tattoo apprentices should avoid and the tools every beginner Tattoo Artist should know.
How does Ink Different turn beginners into pros?
Ink Different turns beginners into professionals through the Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship, an 18 to 24 month, four-phase tattoo apprenticeship. Ink Different has trained Tattoo Artists for 15 years. No prior art experience is required.
Phase One: Art and design fundamentals.
Phase Two: Machine practice on synthetic skin.
Phase Three: Supervised work with real clients in a tattoo studio.
Phase Four: Building independence and preparing for licensing.
Like Bob, you’ll learn hands-on from experienced Mentors inside a working tattoo studio. You’ll also join Ink Different’s “Good Humans” culture, a supportive community that has your back.
This is a career that comes with confidence. You’ll finish with job-ready skills, licensing support, and a guaranteed job offer at one of Ink Different’s own tattoo studios. The Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship is available at 60+ tattoo studios nationwide.
What is the Master Mentorship program?
Once you’ve built your foundation, Ink Different’s Master Mentorship connects you with Master Mentors, including Al Fliction, Liz Cook, Kyle Dunbar, Boneface, Jordi Pla, Marcel Oliveira, and Kara Gutierrez.
Bob credits Tom Renshaw for teaching him more than anyone. Master Mentorship offers that same kind of guidance from Tattoo Artists who’ve shaped the industry.
Ink Different also offers Spanish-speaking locations in Denver, Orange County, NYC, Miami, San Antonio, and San Diego.
Ready to write your own convention story?
Bob Tyrrell started tattooing at 34, learned from everyone at Eternal Tattoos, and built friendships that led to stories he’s still telling decades later. Some he even remembers.
Seats are limited, with only two apprentices per tattoo studio per Mentor.
Ready to become a Tattoo Artist? Apply now to Ink Different’s Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship and start building an AI-proof career with licensing support and a guaranteed job offer at one of Ink Different’s own tattoo studios.
Follow Bob on Instagram at @bobtyrrell, Gill at @gillthedrill, and Chico at @m4l_chico.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened on Bob Tyrrell’s wild night with Gill Montie?
During a guest spot in Beaumont, Texas, they saw Jimmie Vaughan play at a new Antone’s with backstage passes. Later that night, Gill tattooed an Antone’s skull on Bob’s hand, and Bob doesn’t remember getting it.
What does “blackout tattoo” mean in Bob’s story?
It means Bob was blackout drunk when he got tattooed, not the solid-black tattoo style.
When did Bob Tyrrell start tattooing?
In 1997, at 34 years old, after a three-month apprenticeship at Eternal Tattoos in the Detroit area.
Who taught Bob Tyrrell to tattoo?
The whole tattoo shop at Eternal Tattoos helped, but Tom Renshaw became his main teacher.
How long does the Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship take?
Ink Different’s Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship takes 18 to 24 months across four phases, with licensing support and a guaranteed job offer at one of Ink Different’s own tattoo studios.
Is it too late to start tattooing later in life?
Bob Tyrrell started at 34 and became world-renowned. The Traditional Tattoo Apprenticeship is built for beginners at any age.
