Fire breathing
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Time-lapse composite of a breath of fire |
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A man demonstrates his skill at fire breathing |
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Prominent fire breather Matt Fowle exhibits his skill at a major Sussex (UK) alternative arts festival (Summer 2006) |
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65 fire breathers perform simultaneously at Burning Man 2005 |
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A simple fire breathing torch |
Fire breathing is the act of creating a large
flame by spraying, with one's breath, a flammable liquid upon an open flame. The flame is usually held an arms length away and the spray should be both powerful and misty.
While not a difficult skill, it is the most dangerous of all the fire arts, and not just due to the obvious risk of serious burns. The fuels that create the most spectacular flames are often extremely
poisonous and
carcinogenic. To increase safety, fire breathers must avoid highly explosive fuels such as alcohol, spirit-based fuels, and most petrochemicals, instead using safer combustibles with a high
flash point (>50 °C) and relatively low burn temperature. Due to its relatively safe (~90 °C) flash point,
paraffin or ultra pure lamp oil, is the safest fuel for fire breathing.
A favourite among audiences, fire breathing often features as a dramatic highlight in climactic performances.
Gene Simmons of the
rock band KISS is arguably the most famous human firebreather and regularly spouts fireballs during KISS shows.
A number of
legendary creatures are said to possess innate capabilities for fire breathing, most notably
dragons.
These are arranged in alphabetical order. These acts should not be attempted without professional training.
Vapor stunts
Vapor Stunts use the vapors (as opposed to liquid fuel) collected in the mouth (usually during an extinguish, see:
fire eating) to light or keep a flame burning for what are usually smaller stunts. Vapor stunts include:
* Human Candle - slowly feed a candle sized flame with vapors you hold
* Cigarette Light - light a cigarette with a slightly larger human candle
* Vapor Transfer - ignite one torch with the vapor from another
* Volcano - shoot vapors straight up
One person blasts
One Person Blasts consist of a person spraying and igniting an atomized liquid fuel into the air to create a fire blast effect. One person blasts include:
* 45 Degree Fire Blast - 45 degree up angle
* Camp Fire - bounce the flame off the ground
* Carousel - long horizontal blast while rotating through a full circle
* Forward Fire Blast - parallel to the ground
* Lift - 2 or more Repeating Blasts lit off of one torch ignition
* Marlboro Man - light your blast off the Marlboro you shoot out with the blast
* Repeating Blasts - 3 or more short blasts without refueling
* Torch to Torch Light - light a torch held 3' from their ignition torch with a short blast
* Upward Fire Blast - shoot upwards
Group fire stunts
Group Fire Stunts are fire breathing stunts that involve 2 or more people fire breathing together to create larger, usually more impressive stunts. Group fire stunts are usually highly choreographed, and can take years to master. Group stunts include:
* Biggest Blast Ever - 2 or more simultaneous blasts straight up
* Box - 9 people, combined skills allow passing l>r, r>l, front> volcano, volcano to front
* A Circus Tent - 4 or more blasts 45 degrees upwards, lighting off a high central point
* Crucifixion - Forward Fire blast done over the length of a second performer's body, while the second performer is lying on a table. This is typically done with the flame mere inches from the second performer's body
* Eight - also known as "double circles" is when you have one kneeling circle blowing a horizontal blast, and a second standing circle (directly behind the first circle) blowing a vertical blast simultaneously
* End to End/Rainbow - 2 simultaneous Fire Blasts, both lit off a high central point
* Grandfather/Elder - 3 off center, simultaneous campfire blasts. Creates a very tall fire vortex
* Group Carousel - Star Blast with group rotation
* Machine - short blasts on the sides, long center blast, reconfigure, repeat
* Multi Blast Carousel - Group Carousel with many short blasts instead of one long one
* Star Blast - 4 or more full blasts, all breathers standing back to back and blowing out
* Straight Pass - 3 or more people passing flames without secondary torch ignitions
* The Most Dangerous Trick in the World - Fire blast lit off of partner's volcano
* Wheel - 3 simultaneous blasts, center straight up, ends out to the sides and up 45 degrees
Black Metal Culture
The
heavy metal subgenre known as
black metal has been known to feature fire breathing among its imagery. While heavy metal has a history of including fearsome stunts and sideshow spectacles, the most likely originator of fire breathing in black metal culture was
Quorthon, frontman of the founding Swedish black metal band
Bathory. In a number of famous promotional photos, all dating from before 1988, Quorthon is seen spewing plumes of fire. According to bathory.se, the only official Bathory website, Quorthon ceased this spectacle due to overblown media attention to his image rather than music[
1].
As the Scandinavian black metal scene of the 1990s expanded, a number of the infamous Norwegian musicians began to produce similar promotional photos of fire breathing, most likely in emulation or tribute to the Bathory photos. An example of this can be seen at
www.peterbeste.com featuring
Frost of the bands
Satyricon and
1349 performing the stunt in a cave in
Neosodden,
Norway. A number of black metal
music videos have featured examples of fire breathing as well, including
Immortal's "Call of the Wintermoon" and Satyricon's "Mother North". The former was an extremely ameteur (and unintentionally hilarious) exercise which featured dubious skill at the art of fire breathing, while the more professional Satyricon video featured choreographed scenes of band members breathing fire onto inverted crosses.
The band
KISS and The Twiz are also notorious for their fire breathing.
*
Firedancing*
Fire eating*
Fire Breathing Arts World-wide resources for fire breathing trainers & performers
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North American Fire Arts Association
