Las Vegas Weekly

April 12, 2010 · 11:13 AM

Photos: Brody Jenner, Avril Lavigne ink and link up at King Ink debut

By Robin Leach

Avril Lavigne and Mario Barth at the grand opening of Mario Barth's King Ink Tattoo Studio and Nightclub at The Mirage on April 10, 2010.

Photo: David Becker/WireImage

Looks like a new romance between Bromance star Brody Jenner and singer Avril Lavigne! The couple have denied it, but there’s no question that they were together closer-than-close for a Las Vegas weekend, and then they went public with their affection at the star-studded opening weekend of the sensational King Ink tattoo palace in The Mirage from reigning royal of the art Mario Barth.

Brody and Avril wound up in King Ink getting matching lightning bolt tattoos. Brody had his imprinted on his neck, and Avril had hers on her wrist adding the number 30. Avril recently split from her husband Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley, and Brody’s longtime romance with Playboy Playmate Jayde Nicole has ended.

Brody and Avril were seen here at the new Light Group restaurant Union and then at Haze, both in MGM CityCenter’s Aria. Everywhere they went, there were spywitnesses reporting the couple kissing up a storm, holding hands, nuzzling and dancing all over each other, but they deliberately stayed well apart from our red carpet photographer Erik Kabik.

Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee also introduced his now-steady girlfriend Sophie to Las Vegas for the first time, and they, too, added ink from the master. Other celebrities attending included Laura Prepon, Juliette Lewis, Lemmy Kilmister, Matt Sorum, Joel Madden, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Josh Todd, members of Buckcherry, DJ Skribble, Ron White and Kris Allen.

Mario gave me a private tour at his VIP party, and here are photos of the opening from Denise Truscello, David Becker and yours truly. We posted a preview story Friday morning.

King Ink is an extraordinary tattoo salon, ultra lounge and outdoor after-hours club unlike anything ever seen in Las Vegas. While guests enjoy the bar scene, the retail displays and the dancers under the $500,000 chandeliers, tattoo artists are at work until dawn breaks. There are computer screens for guests to select from thousands of designs. Live video cameras show the artwork in progress out to HD TV screens on the patio but are turned off when patrons request body piercings of more intimate areas! Tattooed cocktail servers wear their bras outside their outfits.

Mario told me: “Nobody has ever attempted to do anything like this before. We are thrilled the way it’s all turned out. Everybody loves it. It’s the birth of a lifestyle and combines fashion, tattoos and a party.” My pal celebrity hair king Michael Boychuck added: “This is sensational. It is one giant hit right from the start!”

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

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