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Band leader Øystein Greni grew up knowing he wanted to create music. Influenced by his father’s soul band Undertakers Circus, who had opened for Led Zeppelin, Greni was also inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Curtis Mayfield, as well as the punk rock of The Jam and Dinosaur Jr. Originally comprised of vocalist and guitarist Greni, bassist Erik Tresselt, and drummer Crister Engen, the group embarked on a U.S. tour in 1993 soon after forming to raise their exposure abroad.
In 1995 BigBang issued their debut album “Waxed”, which despite gaining little attention, was followed by an impressive performance at the by:Larm music festival. The successful appearance led to the group to sign with Warner Music who reissued their sophomore album “Electric Psalmbook” in 1999. From the album, the single “Wild Bird” earned significant radio play and exposed the band to a wider audience despite failing to chart.
After a temporary disbandment, the band returned in 2000, to break into the mainstream with their Top Five hit single “Girl from Oslo”. Aided by the single’s success, the accompanying album, 2000’s “Clouds Rolling By”, peaked at No. 2 on the Norwegian Albums chart. The group subsequently released their follow-up “Frontside Rock ’n’ Roll” in 2002 in dedication to two friends and skateboarders who had died in their youth. The album, like its predecessor, reached the upper echelons of the chart, and was followed by the group’s first live album “Radio Radio TV Sleep” in 2003. Known for one of the greatest live shows in the world, “Radio Radio TV Sleep” introduced this auditory spectacle to a host of audiences and remains Norway’s highest-selling live album.
After a number of line-up changes BigBang released their fifth full-length album “Poetic Terrorism” in 2005, which also proved to be the group’s first No. 1 record. After the release of their sixth studio album “Too Much Yang”, BigBang moved to Los Angeles, California, U.S, and made their American debut with “From Acid to Zen” in 2008. The band has subsequently released the albums “Edendale” in 2009, “Epic Scrap Metal” in 2011, and “The Oslo Bowl” in 2013, all of which were No. 1 albums in their native Norway.
Frontman Oystein Greni has held together the foundation of the indie rock trio BigBang over the years, with the line up changing drastically, but maintaining his spot in the band. The talented musicians cerate drum bass beats cleverly on their acoustic guitars, and harmonise their vocals perfectly.
Whilst their live recordings are fantastic, I had heard from countless sources that they are exceptional live performers, and some have said they’re in fact Norway’s best live band. The band’s decision to write and perform in English has been beneficial to the group in their attempts to spread their music, as it’s much more accessible in English than Norwegian.
They opened with the track Smiling For, and performed lengthy guitar and drum instrumental solos, which also enabled Greni to introduce the band to the audience, and thank us for coming. The way that their voices blend and weave together demonstrates true talent, as the artists alternate seamlessly from soprano to alto and back again. Their talent is something that must be experienced live to achieve a comprehensive understanding of their sound. Their performance of the newer tracks from Epic Scrap Metal was phenomenal, and the highlight of the evening has to be when they played an unreleased track from their new album – simply magical.
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