Keith Bang Bang
McCurdy
That’s where my name came from
, Keith McCurdy says, describing the hyper-detailed gun tattooed on his neck, with Bang
inked beneath it. McCurdy mustered up the courage to get the neck tat at 18 years old, the same age he bought his first tattoo gun. It wasn’t long before McCurdy was known as Bang Bang, quickly becoming one of the biggest names in the tattoo world today.
Rihanna was Bang Bang’s first celebrity client, with other big names like Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Rita Ora and Cara Delevigne following suit. If you want proof of Bang Bang’s star-studded client list just check out his leg; the brazen artist allows his high profile patrons to tattoo his appendage, making his body a living autograph book. Bieber tattooed a Swaggy mouse
while Perry went with a classic depiction of hard candy.
We reached out to Bang Bang to learn the stories behind his most loved and loathed tattoos. He was up for the challenge, responding: It’s ironic, I’m being tattooed right now!
If you haven’t heard of Keith McCurdy, also known as Bang Bang,
you’ve probably seen his work on some celebrity or another. He’s the artist behind the Shhh...
on Rihanna’s finger, the love yer brain
on Miley Cyrus’ arm, and many more famous tats.
Perhaps the most striking property of McCurdy’s work is its realism. Flowers, animals, and other figures pop off his clients’ skin, so it wasn’t surprising to learn that he finds inspiration from photographs. Sometimes people bring photos to his studio, although the final product usually comes out different.
If it looks impossible to tattoo, I probably want to do it,
he said, recalling a recent arm he covered in New York City architecture. Other favorite tattoos he’s given include Rihanna’s gun and Cara Delevingne’s lion. He’s also tattooed -and been tattooed by-Kylie Jenner. She was actually really good. I was surprised,
he said. His leg now sports Kylie’s signature K
with a crown to represent her nickname (King Kylie ).
