- Title: UK: Death metal band are sealed in a box as part of London sculpture festival
- Date: 2nd July 2014
- Summary: CLOSE OF STOPWATCH ON PHONE SECURITY GUARD WATCHING STOPWATCH ON PHONE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SECURITY GUARD, CELESTINE GEORGE, SAYING: "Well we're just going to leave them inside there for around fifteen, they should open it themselves. If around fifteen they have not opened it we'll have to do it ourselves within around 20, 22 minutes. We'll have to pull it out." Reporter asking: "Are you worried they might pass out?" "I think they should be alright because they're still going on, so they should be fine. They're good, they're strong boys."
- Embargoed: 17th July 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVABD5HZL2BGZ7TC5M44BGAG8FZ0
- Story Text: Death metal band Unfathomable Ruination perform in a sealed box until the oxygen runs out, as part of the Sculpture in the City exhibition, in London.
The 'Sculpture in the City' exhibition in the heart of the City of London's insurance district began on Wednesday (July 2) with the launch of unique piece of performance art called 'Box sized DIE featuring Unfathomable Ruination'.
The installation, outside of the Gherkin building, was created by the Portuguese artist Joao Onofre and features the death metal band Unfathomable Ruination.
The band were sealed inside a 2 metre squared steel cube from within which they played until the oxygen level was expended.
The band remained in the box for over twenty minutes, while passers-by listened to the rumbles of noise from within the black cube.
One onlooker, Andy Malt, said "What was really interesting was actually like there was something obviously inside that box that was really really loud but outside it's just, kind of, a dull noise amongst lots of other dull noises. You only kind of get any effect from it if you go up and touch it and feel the vibrations coming through. It's really interesting."
Carlin Fier, who works for Brookfield (one of the nine companies in the insurance district of the Square Mile who are supporting the exhibition) remarked, "I thought it was really unique. I've never seen anything like that. I felt kind of bad for the band that were stuck inside a box and not being able to breathe, but it was really cool."
Unfathomable Ruination consists of Ben Wright on vocals, Daniel Herrera and Ross Piazza on guitars and Doug Anderson on drums.
When they exited the box, drummer Doug Anderson remarked that "the last five minutes were killer" with singer Ben Wright adding, "We can breathe now."
The small box meant that the band were "literally sitting on each other's laps." Anderson added, "I think that's one of the things that people overlook the most when they've seen it because they just think, oh it's small, there's no air. But the space issue is way bigger than all of that put together really. I mean, obviously it's hard to breathe, but the fact that you have no elbow room, I was literally smacking my elbows every time I did a drum fill or something like that, and the guys heads are like touching the ceiling."
The band will perform as part of the performance work twice a day for five weeks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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