The Tattoos of Damiano David

The Tattoos of Damiano David

When the Eurovision Song Contest took place in Rotterdam last weekend, something was a little different. Tattoos were front and centre on display, not only on the singer of Italy’s winning rock contribution from Måneskin, Damiano David, but also on one of the show’s presenters, Nikkie de Jager. Does this mean tattoos are officially mainstream now? We’ll leave that debate for another day, but let’s take a look at the ink adorning the stage, along with all the pyrotechnics and silvery sequins. 

Damiano David
From Damiano David’s Instagram account @ykaaar

More than just Eurovision

One does not need to have watched last Saturday’s Eurovision final to have heard of Måneskin, their hit Zitti e Buoni, or – their lead vocalist, Damiano David. Proper musicians and rockstars in their own right, the band began as buskers on the streets of Rome before participating in the Italian version of X factor in 2017. 

Italian Elle said that the singer, allergic to gender labels and intolerant to mainstream trends (maybe tattoos aren’t mainstream after all?), is ushering in a new, more free, and captivating masculinity. Given the number of internet searches for his name over the past week, it seems the rest of the world would agree. But, let’s get down to business – what tattoos has he got? 

Religious bordering on blasphemy

The Italian and therefore culturally Catholic singer has gotten into a spot of trouble when choosing to tattoo the face of Jesus with a crown of thorns on his body. As the face closely resembled Damiano’s own, and he announced it on his Instagram account with the caption ‘I am Jesus’, some accused him of blasphemous tendencies. Also, along the religious theme, he has a snake coiled around an apple in the middle of his chest, right at the solar plexus. 

Boys DO cry

Damiano David tattoo
From Damiano David’s Instagram account @ykaaar

However, Damiano also has a rose on his shoulder with the word ‘mom’ written underneath – aaaaw. There is also the text ‘IL BALLO DELLA VITA’ across his collarbones, translating to ‘the dance of life’. It is not the only pieces of text on his body, however. Just above the front of his pelvis, he has a line from Italian rapper Vegas Jones, which reads ‘for that pair of golden wings, paid all the gold in the world’, accompanied by… a pair of wings.

There are also smaller pieces of writing on his left arm, along with a fine line piece of a naked woman, but we are yet to find a photo clear enough, what with the blurry-edge rock aesthetic and all, to make out what they say. 

Meanwhile, in large letters on his left torso, Damiano has tattooed the phrase ‘boys don’t cry’, only to cross out the don’t and replace it with do. Changing stereotypes, one piece of body art at a time. 

Share:

© 2024 All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy