Paul Booth is Closing His Last Rites Tattoo Studio

Famed tattoo artist Paul Booth, whose ties to the metal world run deep, has decided to close up shop at his Last Rites studio in New York City after two decades in operation.

Citing economic distress caused by the ongoing pandemic, Booth revealed in a statement that while he’s closing down Last Rites, he won’t be retiring, just taking a break while the situation plays out:

“Due to COVID-19 and the current economic struggle we are all facing, I have had to close down our current premises housing Last Rites Tattoo Theatre, Last Rites Gallery, and Booth Gallery. I am taking the next year to let the situation play out and plan to reopen in 2021 at a brand new location.
I thank all of you for your patronage over the last two decades and very much appreciate your support and understanding in this matter.

“To stay in the loop with future plans you can follow on Instagram at @PaulBooth and on Facebook at /PaulBoothOfficial. Thank you and may you all stay safe moving forward in these troubled times.”

On one hand, it’s hard to imagine Booth’s landlord could find another paying tenant in this environment, which makes me wonder if Booth could’ve worked out a deal to stay. On the other, maybe Booth simply had enough of Last Rites, didn’t want to bother, and felt like moving on to the next chapter of his life.

Tattoo artists in many parts of the U.S. have been forced to stay closed by local government regulations, although in some places they have begun to reopen. Tattooing is still not allowed in New York City.

We’ll miss Booth’s presence in the metal scene while he’s gone, but certainly hope to see more of him once the dust clears. In the meantime, we wish him the best of luck!