Perhaps the buzziest name in the tattoo game today is “Bang Bang,” the pseudonym for Delaware-born tattoo artist Keith McCurdy, who counts among his celebrity clientele, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Cara Delevingne, Katy Perry and LeBron James, among others. His A-list clients aren’t the only exciting aspects of Bang Bang’s life though; he keeps things pretty fresh on his own too, and earlier this week, the 30-year-old gave himself a tattoo aboard a helicopter flying over New York City. You know, because why not?
In an Instagram photo posted on December 1, Bang Bang is shown riding in style aboard a helicopter, and the tattoo artist captioned the photo with this: “Tattooed myself in a helicopter flying over NYC because YOLO. Anyone guess what word I tattooed? Here’s a hint, I’ve been saying in interviews for years if I ever tattoo in the air again I’m gonna do the word ___ on myself.” Those of you who haven’t been following Bang Bang may not know what he’s referring to, but the answer can be found in his new book, Bang Bang: My Life in Ink.
In the part of Bang Bang’s new book where he discusses tattooing Justin Bieber aboard a private jet at 30,000 feet, giving him his “Forgive” hip tattoo under pretty difficult circumstances, the tattoo artist says, “I wanted to tattoo ‘Fly’ or an airplane on him, but he insisted on ‘Forgive.’ My ideas were cooler. Just sayin’. Next time I tattoo on an airplane, I’m going to tattoo myself, and I’m going to do one of those ideas.” True to his word, the next time Bang Bang found himself in the air – aboard a helicopter flying over NYC – he did indeed give himself a tattoo, opting for the word “fly.”
Tattooing himself on a helicopter ride isn’t the craziest thing Bang Bang has done in the name of tattoos though. According to Bang Bang’s website, “Keith ‘Bang Bang’ McCurdy has tattooed Rihanna in the tropics, LeBron James in his basement, Cara Delevingne on a roof, Katy Perry in Stockholm’s Abba Museum, and Justin Bieber on a plane at 30,000 feet.” We can’t wait to find out what celebrity Bang Bang decides to tattoo next!
