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Music

A Group of Experimental Musicians Threw a Ten Hour Concert in an Active Volcano

Held on the Greek island of Nisyros, the marathon event gave new meaning to the phrase "DIY space."
Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

This article originally appeared on THUMP Canada. If you're trying to find a venue to throw your next DIY show, you can officially add volcanos to your list of potential "hot spots." Last week, a group of artists took part in an event called "634 Minutes Inside A Volcano," which was held in an active volcanic crater on the island of Nisyros, Greece, the New York Times reports.

The concert was curated by Athens art space six d.o.g.s and the Onassis Culture Center, and featured 15 classical, jazz, and electronic musicians (many of whom met for the first time at soundcheck) playing together for over ten hours to approximately 2,000 tourists, locals, and members of the Athens arts community, who watched from the outer edge of the cavity. A small setup of amplifiers and a mixing board allowed the improvised sounds to travel throughout the Stefanos Crater (which has better online reviews than most dance clubs), using a variety of synthesizers, guitars, and some traditional Mediterranean instruments.

Six d.o.g.s artistic director Konstantinos Dagritzikos and his partners worked alongside volcanologists to consult about safety measures, blocking off the most active parts of the area with safety rails and warning attendees not to stay in the crate for more than an hour at a time. While the risk of inhaling the sulfuric fumes was a concern, the only thing that erupted throughout this showcase was a lot of malting hot drones and otherworldly jams. There were even food truck nearby selling souvlaki and roast corn for hungry concertgoers.

"It's completely unique, basically the closest you can get to the center of the earth," Dagritzikos told the Times. "And if you realize where you are, that around those walls lava erupted 20,000 years ago and this whole island was created, it's just mind-blowing."

According to the organizers, the entire event was documented with photos and an audio recording, which they plan to release in the near future.

Max Mohenu is on Twitter.