Gaga: I Wear Wigs to 'Cover the Pain'

Opening the monthlong iTunes Festival in London on Sunday, Lady Gaga finally revealed why she dresses so ... interestingly. "When I didn't feel strong enough to be me, I created someone else. And it worked," she told the audience, explaining that she uses "wigs and make-up [to] cover up the pain." She then removed the wig she was wearing and revealed, "This is my real hair" (a "tousled brunette bob" is how the BBC describes it—click to see a picture). She continued to change wigs and costumes onstage, the BBC reports.

She had earlier, on Twitter, told fans they should come to the show dressed bizarrely, wearing things like "bedazzled pig snouts," "trash bags," or "artclothes," which are "clothes you don't mind getting covered in live art." (There was supposed to be a "paint zone" at the concert, but the BBC notes paint was only sprayed on canvasses, not people.) The hourlong show was Gaga's first since a broken hip forced her to cut her tour short earlier this year, and she played only new material—which frustrated some. "Just play 'Poker Face,'" one audience member was heard shouting. (More Lady Gaga stories.)