Criss Angel Speaks to Media
Updated Jul 31, 2008 at 01:44 PM

For the media covering the Criss Angel escape Wednesday night, it was a major bore until the building fell and we later talked to Angel himself (who showed us a burn scar on his thigh that happened in a previous stunt).

We were so far away from the action that Angel could have been in Vegas. People watching at home actually had a better view of the stunt. Of course, the most impressive thing about being there was the blast itself, But we were distracted from the art of the implosion by wondering what was going on with the stunt. Most people on the beach wound up watching the show on the big screens set up near the media platform.

The crowd screamed every time a TV camera turned toward them.

They screamed when Angel came over for a short after blast interview:

He blamed the fumbling with the locks on the rainy weather and the challenge of doing it live on camera in 3 minutes and 30 seconds:

“Honestly the water” was a problem, he said. “When we were doing rehearsals this afternoon, it was raining and it was screwing up my grip. Picking locks is a very detailed and precise thing and I always use the an analogy that it’s very much like a police officer on a target range shooting his gun and he very skilled. But when he’s put in a combat situation, his heart rate goes up ... and he is unable to perform at his capacity.”

Did things go according to plan?

“I filpped it on you, didn’t I,” he said. In order to flip it, you have to get out of the handcuffs and get through the locks and do what you do.”

How do you get out?

“I thought I did it pretty well,” he said. “I did what I had to do. The first door and that lock gave me a little bit of a problem and I had a contingency plan. Trust me, I’m not a fool. I’m not going into a building that has 450 sticks of dynamite and not have . I’m not going to BS anybody. I am who I am. The artisrty that I perform is what I do.

Did it go according to plan?

“In my mind, it went according to my plan.”

Would the fans be disappointed?

“It’s not about what you do, it’s how you do it and if you can go out there and walk away and inspire people to over come their fears then that’s the important thing.”

How many people were really there. At first police estimated 10,000 and then A&E estimated 15,000. I estimated 20,000. There could have been more.