Tattoo Talk: Crucified Barbara Guitarist and Backing Vocalist Klara Force on the Meaning Behind Some of Her Ink

Klara Force, guitarist and backing vocalist of the Swedish hard rock/metal act Crucified Barbara, recently took a moment to speak with us about her tattoos. The band is getting ready to release In the Red, their fourth full-length album and follow-up to The Midnight Chase, on September 10th. Check out what Klara had to say!

When, where and what was your first tattoo?
Force: I had my first tattoo when I was sixteen. It’s a g-clef on my upper right arm. I was so proud to play music and being in a band (I still am…) and wanted to show it with a tattoo. Since I was so young all the tattoo shops I went to refused to do it, even though my father went with me and gave his permission. Finally I found a place that didn’t care when I lied about my age and I was so happy when it was done. It wasn’t well made and kinda looks like shit, but I haven’t had the heart to cover it up, it’s a part of me and my childhood.

Do any of your tattoos have a particularly special meaning behind them? If so, do share.
Force: Most of my tattoos are made in the spur of the moment. I love doing them on tour without planning. I have a very relaxed attitude towards tattoos; it’s just ink on skin. However, there’s one on my lower left arm that’s very special to me. It’s a tribute to my four nephews. Red old school hearts with their names written on banners. Since my siblings can’t seem to stop reproducing I guess there’s gonna be a few more names on that arm.

Do you have any new tattoos planned or underway? Give us the dirt!
Force: One of these days I have to do a Crucified Barbara tattoo! Some people say it’s bad luck for your career to tattoo your own band name, but I consider the girls in the band more like my three wives, so in my case, it would be a family tattoo.

Have you seen any fans with a band tattoo, anything crazy memorable?
Force: I’ve seen quite a few! Our bands logo, song titles, album covers, parts of lyrics and almost photo realistic portraits of us. It’s a weird but cool feeling seeing people so dedicated that they decide to eternalize you on their own skin. We’ve been talking about posting a section on our website with pictures of all the great fan tattoos we’ve seen. There are some truly great ones!

We know you have one… tell us about that stoned/drunken joke-tattoo you once got…
Force: I had a drunken night a couple of years ago with a friend who is a tattoo artist. We ended up in his shop and he gave me a really cool skull tattoo. He forced me to give him a tattoo as well, so I did an upside down cross and the letter K (for Klara) on his leg. Then, to crown an epic night, I made a tattoo on myself, three dots between my thumb and my index finger. My grandfather had the same tattoo. In Sweden those dots mean you’re kind of a wandering drifter, but I have understood it has a different meaning in other countries.

Check out the song “To Kill A Man”