The first time I went to Urge was a very memorable and valuable experience with an artist Emily who tattooed my chest, who is no longer there. Today I returned with a friend aiming for matching tattoo’s and one guy, at the counter although knowledgeable, repeatedly talked condenscendingly to us for a good part of the conversation while the other guy at the counter behaved like a rock star, unfriendly and way too cool for school. Customer service felt incredibly phoney and prentenious so we didn’t bother to return. Read Less

Fantastic studio!! I have multiple tattoos from this shop by different in-house artists. The atmosphere is funky, creative and welcoming to all types. The artists are brimming with talent and experience; ready to work with you to create amazing life long pieces. They treat you like a lifelong friend and not just another customer. I always leave happy and proud of the new work I've gotten! If you're looking for new ink, Urge is the place to go! Read Less

My boyfriend and I both got tattoos with Lindsay and I cannot say enough positive things about the experience or tattoos. The staff in general was very helpful at figuring out who to see and when. Lindsay took the ideas we had and made them into art worthy of being permantly on us. They clearly care about their clients and want you to have the best tattoo and experience possible. Highly recommend. Read Less

I had a great experience at Urge. I asked to have some tribal work done and was matched up with Jeff. I wanted him to work around an existing tattoo and gave him a couple ideas of what I was looking for. He came back with a great design and the finished product looks fantastic! Jeff's a very interesting guy and was a pleasure to work with. Read Less

Got my very first tattoo yesterday by Lindsay. Amazing artistic skills! She drafted up exactly what I was hoping for in a tattoo design and masterfully gave me my tattoo. She'll be my go-to person for my next! Great experience, clean and professional. Highly recommended!!!!! Read Less

I wasnt happy with my tattoo experience, i came in a year ago. It was my first tattoo and i was nervous and the tattoo guy Cory had absolutely no bedside manner. When i asked him to redraw it abit bigger, and then to move the stencil so its centered, then he redrew again but it was too big. I was feeling unsure and rushed, so i felt bad about asking him to redraw the tiny tattoo for the 3rd time. When asking for his reassurance or advice he said "I dont care, i get paid by the hour" so i felt rushed and pressured, and left with a tattoo thats bigger than i wanted. Although i do like my tattoo, I was hoping for a more positive experience. Read Less

Got a fantastic half sleeve done by Cory. This is the second piece I've done with him and couldn't be more happy with it! When I brought my idea to him he was instantly excited to make it happen and make it happen he did! I've never been more excited to be poked with sharp things but I was always stoked to come in and see what all the artists were up to in there. If you want a tattoo that people always ask where you got it because it's so awesome go here! People constantly are asking me where I got mine and who did it because the quality of work is just off the charts! The quality of humans at Urge is just as good if not better than their art too. See you soon McChicken please just take all of my money ���� Read Less

Love both my tattoos by Lindsay. Everyone at Urge seems very professional and friendly. Lindsay is super awesome for putting up with me when I'm a big chatterbox especially when nervous. :) thank you for the awesome work! Read Less

I had a foot tattoo done the other day by Warren. When I went in for my consult, he was very honest with me about what does and doesn't work in the realm of foot tattoos, which I appreciated very much. At the end of the consult I had given a mish mash of my ideas and left Warren to work his magic. Well he did exactly that. I ended up with a beautiful tattoo that fits me perfectly. I am so thrilled and grateful that he was able to see my vision even though I didn't have a finished product in mind. Truth is, he saw past my vision. If you're a first time tattoo getter or a seasoned vet, go here. All of the staff are super friendly and the place is bursting at the seams with talent. Read Less

Visited this shop on several occasions a year and a bit ago. Was curtly shunned by each artist until I reached the at the time apprentice who mocked me for my own lack of artistic ability and refused to work with me. Took my business elsewhere and received lovely service from several other shops in town, despite not giving my patronage to a few for stylistic reasons. Given how this studio's employees conduct themselves, I'm expecting to receive some backlash from them for this negative review. Seriously though, far more friendly environments to get better quality work done in Victoria. Read Less

As a client and friend of the shop for the past 15 years, I'm a bit biased. But you'll be hard pressed to find a more professional and friendly shop full of talented artists. Whether your need is some new ink, covering old ink, or getting rid of regrettable ink, they've got you covered. Read Less

I had gone to urge once before and had a great experience with a small piece. On my second visit I got a tattoo which I've wanted for a long time with the same artist and had anything but a good experience. The artist was not good at receiving feedback for minor changes to the sketch and even after changes had been made they used their initial design on my body anyways. They were unclear about the overall cost of the tattoo from start to finish, and complained about other clients during our sessions. Over all, very unprofessional. I would have talked to management if It wasn't already clear that this was simply their shop practice as I had witnessed other employee trashing customers who had come in and left. I had a couple friends visit after my great reviews from my first tat and now I will be telling people not to bother going back. Read Less

I have been very unhappy with the last two places I got a piercing done (nose, bellybutton, neither in Victoria).  I was very very nervous about getting ear cartilage pierced as I heard it was very painful, and after my last two experiences I wasn't looking forward to it.  Hannah was so friendly and did a really good job of talking me through what she was doing! She was very diligent about picking the right spot for my piercings, and was very professional.  My piercings look great and I would definitely go back here! Read Less

I came in to get my long-longed-for tat a few months ago. I met an artist who said he would draw something up for me, and I should call in a couple of days to follow up.  I called and left a message. I didn't get a call back. A week later I stopped by but my artist was busy with someone else. I left my phone number. A week later, after hearing nothing, I called again. Then I gave up. In the end I went to Greg at The Union on Yates Street and I couldn't be happier with my first tat. Read Less

I've gotten all of my tattoos and most of my piercings done at Urge Studios. I'm not sure they do piercings anymore...I think I heard they might be ink only now, but I'm not sure.Aaaannnyyywaay, I had one tattoo done by Iesza, who was marvellous but has long since moved on, one done by Eric that I was not entirely thrilled with and he's since moved on too, and two done by Emily, who does a really excellent job and is a skilled artist, as well as being friendly and funny and putting the customer at ease.I like the location now; taking it out of the downtown core makes it more accessible if you're like me and have a car - parking is less of an issue. I also like the space a lot - very bright and lots of bold colour. I know they take hygiene and standards there very seriously too, which is important.I find the price a teeny bit steep, but research shows it's gone up everywhere and Urge is about average. My giving 4 stars instead of 5 is the occasionally intimidating "hipster/snob" feel which might dissuade a first-timer, and because they do such a great job that they're popular and it takes ages to get in. Read Less