By Amy Walters & Sam Truelove
A body modification fanatic dubbed a "real life demon" has described his passion for hanging in mid-air by hooks pierced through his skin.
Victor Hugo Peralta, who has the Devil’s “666” carved into his scalp, alongside £400 metal horns implanted into his skull, claims 95 per cent of his body is inked. The 53-year-old, from Argentina, first got a tattoo aged 13, which was the word “F***” across the fingers on his left hand.
Now married to Gabriela, 52, the pair have held the Guinness World Record title for “most body modifications” as a married couple for 10 years. And now they enjoy a new passion. Victor and Gabriela have travelled to more than 20 different countries to perform in front of large crowds, with each of them being suspended from a hook that’s pierced into their skin.
“We were inspired to see that for centuries, many sought to reach a state where pain could take a back seat and become a state of satisfaction,” Victor told What'sTheJam. "What for others is painful became pleasurable for us and we enjoyed it fully demonstrating that we can overcome the pain that many people fear.”
Victor and Gabriela, both from Argentina, started their act in March 2010 after watching a suspension show and feeling a “passionate” inspiration. With ropes, needles and hooks, they began to fly through the air and reach a level of adrenaline that left them with an exhilarating hunger for more.
Since then, they’ve travelled to Uruguay, China, the United States, Spain, France and Mexico with their act. But it’s not come without its sacrifices, with injuries and scars quite common. Victor said: “On some occasions, my skin has been torn from lifting three people at the same time and others, due to equipment failure. Gabriela had quite a big accident where she broke the joint part of her left arm and had to do physiotherapy due to suffering 14 fractures.
“She had to stop doing shows for a year and I suffered intense pain for quite a long time, but I didn’t want to stop. We have many scars and they’re a part of our lifestyle now – we love them. But on a scale from one to 10, it’s a two for pain and an eight for happiness.”
The pair, who have done more than 150 shows, usually have to pierce their skin with up to 10 hooks at a time. And while it’s an entertaining watch, it can sometimes get too much for the public. Victor explained: “The public is usually impressed and admires our work, but for other people, not so much.
"I’ve seen people faint because of the shock from seeing us bleed... but the overall response is very good. The show is quite hectic, bordering on violence, but still is funny and interactive with the audience. When they see our happy faces, they understand that not everyone feels the same about this act and that other people’s tastes shouldn’t be demonised.
“I’ve also used this passion to protest against discrimination in front of my country's congress, too. My favourite part of the act is pulling, where ropes are hooked onto my body and by pulling them, I left up Gabriela who is suspended through hooks on her back. It’s important to be responsible – and keep in mind that it can fail.”