Singer Miguel has left fans haunted after performing a gig suspended from the ceiling by a series of hooks inserted into back piercings he got specifically for the occasion.
The 37-year-old Sure Thing hitmaker performed an intimate four-song gig at Sony Studios in Los Angeles to preview his next album, aptly entitled Viscera.
The star had piercings done in his back especially to raise the roof in LA, with three assistants appearing at one point to insert metal rods through the piercings, hooked up to wires that pulled him up into the air as he sang Rope.
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The piercing process was also filmed, with Miguel expelling huge breaths through his mouth as metal rods were shoved into his skin.
(Image: Twitter)
The “boundary-pushing performance” matched the lyrics of the new track, in which Miguel sings: “I’m hanging onto nothing / I’m hanging from the ceiling / Rope around my neck”.
A grim photograph shows Miguel with the piercings positioned at the very top of his shoulders, with a metal harness attached which helped to pull him, shirtless, into the air.
The star told The Los Angeles Time of the suspension: “Initially it was a bit of, ‘What is the most extreme way to push outside of what’s expected? How far can I go in demonstrating how far I’m willing to go for art, for conversation?’
“I couldn’t have known how committed I was to the real purpose of this sh** until I had hooks in my back.”
(Image: Twitter)
Miguel added: “It was a scary and freeing experience and emotion to go through because it’s such a light switch. It has so much to do with pain. What does pain mean?”
According to TMZ, it took Miguel several months to prepare for his biggest stunt yet, working closely with suspension experts.
Suspension has been practiced in many cultures around the world, but still carries huge health risks including excessive bleeding, fainting and infections.
But the risk proved worth it to the singer, with fans going wild for the performance – though some were simply freaked out by the piercing process.
(Image: Twitter)
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Turning to X – formerly known as Twitter – one fan wondered: “Is that sh** attached to his skin??”
“There’s not a single song that requires this level of extremity,” somebody else posted.
As a third said: “It’s giving masochism!”
But others were fully into it, with one writing: “It’s giving live performance art vibes. I like it lowkey.”
As somebody else agreed: “The ability to perform at this level while undergoing suspension like this is truly a beautiful thing.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
