What's the longest song you've ever heard?
Typically, modern songs are between 2 and 4 minutes long. Symphonies and progressive rock groups may push that up to 9-10 minutes and in the rare case of Paul Westerberg's 49:00, the song goes on for 49 minutes. Usually though, you won't hear songs go longer than an hour. Would you believe that someone has not only exceeded our expectations for song length, but has also performed that song live far longer than the longest concert?
Mark Mallman did just that. In 2004, he performed Marathon 2, a 52.4 hour long song.
He might not be well known, but he's built up a great following. He's known not just for his music, but also his lively performances and stage antics. These are things like riding a stunt scooter off a ramp during a song, dancing on his piano, riding his piano with his crotch, wearing a werewolf mask and calling himself "Mallwolf", kicking, screaming, and solidifying himself as the wild man of the Twin Cities. He gained national attention after performing Marathon 1, which was a 26.2 hour song. This was merely a precursor to Marathon 2, in which he nearly doubled the length to 52.4 hours.
On September 4th, 2004, Mallman readied himself for what was going to happen the next three days. He had a binder with a staggering 628 pages of lyrics and a rotating cast of 75 musicians working in shifts. He could only stop for bathroom breaks and any food or drinks had to be consumed on stage. Music had to be continuously playing. If it was not, they would have to start all over again. Another reason it was continuously playing was that it would keep Mark Mallman awake. The music ranged from catchy rock songs to Pinnk Floyd-inspired improvisation to intimate piano ballads. He could only eat small amounts of food at a time, or else his stomach would fatigue him ( like when you eat too much Chinese food). Whether or not to drink alcohol became a strategic decision. Near exhaustion, his voice hoarse, the fans cheering him on, he finally reached the 52.4 hour mark. A big banner saying "Mission Accomplished" dropped behind the stage. Amidst cheers of the crowd, someone yells for an encore. After a big "Fuck you", Mallman obliges, this time with a much shorter song.
"Victory!" *plays FFVII victory music*
Marathon 2 was considered for a Guinness World Record. Unfortunately, it was denied because of the subjective nature of determining what a song is.
".....zzzzzzzzzz..."
