Recently, a blogger questioned the vegan and straight-edge drummer about how he justifies his sociopolitical views, considering he’s also a wealthy guy who has been seen talking on an iPhone and has a nice house that’s been displayed on Cribs. “I live in America, in civilization, and I have friends who live in it, so I’m not just going to go off and live off the land. I grew up in this,” Hurley explains. “I don’t want to go [it] alone, and you can’t expect any of your friends to do something like that. That’s kind of a crazy idea to most people. I’m into comics and into movies and all these things—it’s definitely a contradictory thing with the job I have. But the point is that I understand that the way we’re living isn’t sustainable and isn’t great for the world.”

When it comes to tattoos, both Ian and Hurley are pretty well inked, although the drummer has covered more of his body. Ian says his ink falls into two categories: those he simply likes and those that have a deeper meaning or influence on his life. In the case of the former, his tattoo of Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies and the word “Patience” written in kanji fit the bill, whereas his images of Gene Simmons as the Demon and head shots of Angus and Malcolm Young are apropos of the latter. His first ink, done on his right shoulder around 1990, is a sun and a Northwest Indian face inspired by ink that Henry Rollins had on his back.

“Some of my earlier ones were done by a guy named Gary Kosmala in Huntington Beach,” says Ian. “He was working with Leo Zulueta at Black Wave [in Los Angeles], and I had met Gary even before that shop opened because I was living in Huntington Beach. He did my right inner forearm, my left bicep, and my right arm with the dice and the flames. … A guy named Guf at Ace Tattoo in San Diego did my Gorey piece and my Thraxagram thing on my arm.” Kat Von D did his Angus and Malcolm pieces as well as the 666 on his finger. There’s also a Paul Booth piece on his leg that’s a work in progress. “Most of the [finished] work is on the top of my foot, and after having the outline done, I’m really in no rush to get it finished.”

Hurley’s first ink, a “Mom” tattoo on his chest, was a birthday present to her and a thank-you for raising him on her own (his father died when he was younger). He also has small tattoos on both sides of his body, one that says “family” and another that says “love.” He explains that the pieces meant a lot to him at the time, “probably because of the alienation of my dad dying, and my siblings leaving when I was close to a few of them.” Hurley has four half-sisters and five half-brothers (he is at least 10 years younger than the youngest of the group), but after his father’s death they moved on with their lives and did not stay in touch.

The family-inspired pieces were done by Mario Desa at Chicago Tattoo, while the majority of the rest of his work has been done by New York–based artist Seth Wood, who began with the sleeves. “The right side was [about] going through these bad things, and the left side was coming out stronger,” says Hurley. “And then my back piece was originally inspired by Seven. On my back I was going to do the disgusting things about the human condition, and the front would be the good things, but then it morphed into a Tibetan god of death, a demon mask thing.”

After that, he moved on to his hands, and huge pieces that cover his ribs to his ankles on both sides. “I think I have morphed from seeing tattoos as this thing that tells a story to just being able to appreciate what Seth does. He’s one of my best friends. I love him and respect him as an artist a lot, so I give him a million ideas, and [see] whatever he comes up with.”

A love of tattoos certainly unites The Damned Things, as does their appreciation for classic rock, comics, and a healthy sense of humor. The vibrant side project has also invigorated the band members by giving each of them a breather from their main projects—although they may be returning to their respective groups soon. Anthrax has a new album tentatively scheduled for a fall release (“Plans are known to go awry,” says Ian); Every Time I Die reportedly have a new CD in the works; and Fall Out Boy, contrary to some reports, have not died.
“It’s definitely not broken up,” Hurley divulges. “I know Patrick [Stump] has been saying a lot publicly lately, [but] we never did break up. I think we had just been touring for a long time and had a couple of things percolating on the side. Patrick was writing songs that didn’t fit at all and had wanted to do a solo thing for years, and The Damned Things was around for years as well, so we took a break to clear our heads, do these other things, get them out, and see how we feel. … We’ve been off for two years at this point, and I definitely want to do it—I love that band still.”

For now, though, he and the other members of The Damned Things are just happy to blow off the doors during the INKED Tour. They certainly don’t view this as a simple side project. “This is a band that definitely has a lot to say,” Ian declares. We look forward to seeing you in the pit.