mmg.com.au

Gone are the days of the basic ship and anchor tattoo.

The Shepparton Custom Bike, Car and Tattoo Show again proved modern body ink is genuine art.

Show publicity co-ordinator Craig Veysey said people from as far as Leicestershire in England and Tasmania attended the event on Saturday.

Mr Veysey said the show had about 12 tattoo event categories.

‘‘Everything from best back, best arm, best leg, best oriental,’’ he said.

‘‘With young people these days, every second person has a bit of drilling on them.’’

Mr Veysey said tattoos were judged on criteria such as colour, creativity, design, detail, originality and theme.

‘‘It’s a lot different than the old anchor and sailing ship on the side ... it’s proper art,’’ he said.

‘‘A lot of tattooists these days are actually artists in their own right.’’

The show has run for more than 20 years and Mr Veysey said more flash cars and motorcycles than usual filled the Overlander Hotel.

Pale Rider, Bone Dry, Mick Coates and The Allnighters and the Angels tribute show, Darkroom, offered musical entertainment.

‘‘We’re always refining the show and getting bigger and better (musical) acts,’’ Mr Veysey said.

Money raised from the event will go to the McAuley Champagnat Programme, a Notre Dame College initiative that started in 2006 to engage and retain students who struggled to fit into normal schooling.