Inker-to-the-stars Bang Bang has lifted the lid on some of his favourite clients and what goes on inside his famous tattoo parlour.
He has etched a series of designs on raunchy Rihanna, including the words “rebelle fleur” on her neck and a falcon on her ankle, and also gave top model Cara her first tatt.
Chris Brown, 24, and Justin Bieber, 19, are fans, and pop into his New York parlour when they want a new inking.
He’s also the favourite tattooist of singer Rita Ora, 22, and etched a pink dove on her neck.
And whenever she comes in, Delaware-born Bang Bang, 27, real name Keith McCurdy, is lucky enough to check out her killer curves.
He laughs: “Rita Ora just can’t keep her shirt on around me. I must just have that effect on her.
“She’s always pretty topless around me. She has wardrobe malfunctions the whole time.
“I’m in love with her, she is so awesome. She is just a really great spirit with a fantastic smile and so much fun.
“It’s rare to meet somebody you click with so quickly, but with Rita I did.
“I tattooed her and taught her to tattoo so she did me back, then we went out for dinner.
“Now we text all the time. I’m really proud to be her friend.”
There was one obvious choice when Rita picked up the needle to tattoo Bang Bang himself.
He says: “She put boobs on the tattoo because I kept seeing her boobs, and never wanted to forget them.
“I didn’t ask her to put on the boobs on, she just did it on the stencil and I was like: ‘Yeah, OK’, even though she was just joking.
“Her tattoo, and Justin Bieber’s, on me were both pretty bad but I didn’t ask for a perfect tattoo.
“I just wanted a tattoo from them and I’m totally happy. But they definitely couldn’t charge as much for their tattoos as they do for their music.”
Hot Right Now star Rita introduced best mate Cara, 20, to Bang Bang when the model decided to get her first inking – a lion on her index finger.
And close pal Rihanna, 25, booked her the appointment. RiRi was so desperate for the top tattooist’s services she left him a string of messages begging him to get in touch.
“I had no idea who Cara was until she Instagrammed me,” explains Bang Bang.
“My Instagram followers tripled! “Rihanna’s the one who called me. Her accent is so great and she’s as funny as hell.
“She left me five messages to come and do that tattoo before I got in contact with her.
“She left one message saying: ‘Bang Bang this is Rihanna, you got rich and switched, don’t you know me no more?’
“I ended up going to their hotel suite around midnight and was there until 3am.
“Ri was getting her hair done in the other room, Cara was getting tattooed, we were drinking Dom Pérignon.”
But while tattoo veteran Rihanna doesn’t fl inch at the pain, it was a different story for newbie Cara.
Married Bang Bang says: “Cara was really excited to have her first tattoo and we settled on a lion on her finger.
“She has a ring with a lion, so it was easy.
“After a while she got queasy, nauseous, so we gave her soda.
“Ri’s not even paying attention because she’s got so many tattoos she’s like: ‘You’ll be all right.’ Ri’s a professional. With the insane schedules these girls have, they are worn pretty thin.
“Cara said: ‘Man, this is starting to hurt.’ I said: ‘You’re cool, you’ll make it.’”
And it seems Miss Delevingne might be getting as hooked as pal Rihanna on Bang Bang’s artistry – he’s already done another design on her and she’s planning a third.
He reveals: “She came to my shop at 2am and we did her initials, CJD, on the side of her hand.
This time she said: ‘Is this weird, I like this feeling? I’m hooked!’
“She wants Made In England done under her foot next and I’ve told her it’s going to be super painful. I’ll numb her foot.
“She likes that no-one will see it except her and a close few. Tattoos aren’t always for other people. She says this one’s going to be for her.
“I told her I wanted her autograph on my leg – I’m a weird dude – and she was terrified.
“But we found a place on my leg next to where Rihanna and Rita Ora tattooed me.
“She was so nervous it was funny. She was shaking and said: ‘So, do I just go ahead and do it now?’
“She did a heart with her initials inside and an arrow through but I’m not going to run away with her, I love my wife very much.”