You may have seen him during one of the audition shows of America’s Got Talent this year. He calls himself “Noel the Freak” and looks every bit the part with his painted face, multiple tattoos and piercings (including large gauge metal clips hanging from his ears) not to mention his entourage of two huge guys known as “his Vikings” who wear kilts and carry sledgehammers. Their act consists of various daring but crazy stunts such as Noel hanging large metal hooks from his lower eye sockets.

The hooks are attached to a concrete block at the ends of two heavy chains while his Vikings – Lurch and Butterhorn – smash the block with the sledgehammers as Noel takes the impact with a big grin of pure satisfaction, both for the well-executed stunt and for the audience’s mixed reactions of everything between cringing and clapping.

It‘s the perfect example of the typical circus-style freak show, something that is now on the endangered list as far as entertainment goes. Maybe the judges on America’s Got Talent didn’t appreciate Noel’s dedication to a dying art, but there are many of us in the body art community who appreciate the roots – even the most bizarre ones – that brought us to where we are today.
I talked to Noel to get to know more about the guy off-stage, and I was really impressed with his attitude about life, ambition, and passion.

His life has been a rough ride, with some of it downright horrifying. When a person experiences really bad things in their lifetime, there are basically two ways they can go: they can allow it to destroy themselves and wind up in jail or an early grave – or – they can accept it, learn from it, overcome it and move forward. Noel took the wrong path in the beginning, but found his way back to the right track just in time and has been moving forward ever since. While some may think that his freak-show lifestyle was the negative result of the tragedies he has faced, it has actually been his saving grace.

Noel Thomas Austin grew up in the minute town (population 299 as of the 2000 census) of Custer, Washington. He was always the “weird kid” in school, never fit in anywhere or with anyone. Even at a young age, he was an outcast because of his learning difficulties (which was later diagnosed as dyslexia) and his eccentric tendencies. It wasn’t until he moved to Seattle that he discovered he wasn’t actually the adopted child of an alien species – in fact, Seattle was ripe with young men and women just like him.

For the first time in his life, Noel felt at home.
Noel spent the next few years letting go and discovering himself – experiencing everything life had to offer, both good and bad. He made friends, got a stable job as a commercial painter (which he still does to this day), and found an interest in body decoration. He was invited by his piercer to attend an event one evening, which turned out to be Noel’s first exposure to suspension. When he entered the building, he was shocked to see someone hanging from the ceiling by their skin; his shock quickly phased into fascination and a strong desire to learn more about ways to push his own physical limits.

As he became more deeply integrated into the society of body manipulation, he made friends who encouraged him to improve his skills and try even more daring stunts. He met a showman from Las Vegas named Andrew who taught Noel his trick of hanging large hooks from his eyes. Noel practiced the act for months, tweaking and altering it until he could successfully pull it off with two gallon jugs hanging from the hooks.

He started off with just an inch of water in each jug, and would increase the amount of water every couple of days. Each attempt left him with bruised and blackened eyes, but he kept at it until he was able to lift both jugs filled with water (FYI: One gallon jug of water weighs 8 pounds). But you might be asking yourself, why? What possesses a person to do this kind of thing?
Well, it’s not for money, fame or anything superficial. Although some may enjoy financial gain and recognition, that’s not the reason they do it anymore than a painter paints just because they think it will make them rich and famous. These are people who simply find pleasure in seeing how far they can push their bodies. It’s really no different from a runner or weight lifter who pushes his limits to see just how much his body can handle, but because it’s an expressionist form of art it requires an audience. There’s a psychological reward for attaining a new height in physical accomplishment—a sense of self-satisfaction that brings about an inner peace that can’t be attained without a little fear and pain.

That psychological reward – that inner peace – is what Noel describes as the best medicine for a damaged soul. “It’s like therapy….you can’t even buy this kind. If it’s done right, it doesn’t ‘hurt,’ not really… Once you’ve hurt yourself enough on a regular basis, your body stops freaking out.”

But is it really healthy or is it just a more public form of self harm? Noel explains the difference by saying, “I suppose at first [for me] it may have been self abuse, but it turned into a therapeutic, creative outlet. I like things that scare me. It takes you out of our own self for a minute. I think it’s similar to [skydiving]. I’ve never , but it’s the same concept. You’re jumping out of a perfectly good airplane for no reason.” And yet, skydivers aren’t ridiculed or labeled as outrageous freaks to be feared because of their choice of natural high.

As Noel progressed in his skills, he found opportunities to share his acts publicly and discovered that he thrives on the thrill of an appreciative audience. Applause became the next stage of his therapy in giving back some of his self-worth and fulfilled a need to do something meaningful in his life. He and several friends formed the PURE Cirkus and have even joined forces with the Jim Rose Circus, combining their acts for a truly amazing show. Providing entertainment for others and spreading happiness isn’t just for magicians and boy bands, you know. It’s really amazing to watch these artists at work and to see what the human body is truly capable of.

See just a few examples of the great acts provided by the Jim Rose Circus in this promo video by Brian Black & VC Publications.

But there’s much more to Noel than just his freakshow act. He’s an ambitious and restless individual who grabs at every opportunity life presents him with both hands. Because he couldn’t find clothing that suited his style, he started creating his own by trial and error. Cutting up several different items and then putting them all together into one impressively edgy piece started as a hobby and evolved into a new opportunity.

Friends started asking where he bought his clothing and, upon finding out that he made them himself, would ask for something to be made for them as well. That developed into an entire fashion line for Noel called Pure Clothing. He recently had his first fashion show to demonstrate some of his recent creations.

As if that wasn't enough to keep him busy, Noel also auditioned for a role in a local independent film, Liberation, produced by Wonder Productions. While they were actually looking for a 20-something guy with a freaky, thuggish look for the part of a drug dealer, Noel got the part. When he was complimented on his "costume" he explained, "This isn't a costume. This is how I look every day!"

Noel has a high respect and great appreciation for everyone who has helped him get where he is today and is very generous with his praise.

He is especially appreciative of the time he has spent in front of the camera with the highly talented photographer Eader and video producer Brian Black.

Despite the many things he does, Noel still had time to accept an invitation to do a short tour with the Jim Rose Circus again and is also in discussion with a promoter for a job as an opening act for a very famous rock band.
It's easy for naysayers to look at someone like Noel and assume he's a slouch with no real motivation and that couldn't be farther from the truth. I don't think I've ever met anyone with more ambition and drive.

Despite the challenges and tragedies he has faced, he continues to live life to its fullest every single day, taking nothing for granted. If that's what you call a freak, then I guess I'm one, too!