David Byrne Turns London Theater Into Musical Instrument

Musician and artist David Byrne is launching his sound installation Playing the Building, which was previously sited in old buildings in Stockholm and New York, at London’s Roundhouse theater. The 160-year-old building, which originally functioned as a steam-engine shed, has been transformed by what Byrne calls "Victorian steam-punk technology." An organ, which can be played by the public, is attached to parts of the building and makes the strangest sounds when played. "There's no speakers, no electronics or samples, or any of that modern rubbish," Byrne said. "It's all very old, mechanical stuff." It’s not the first time the Talking Heads' founder has played the Roundhouse. In the 1970s his band performed there with The Ramones and The Stranglers, but back then the punk audience spit on him, which made him never forget the building.