Bigbang (Norwegian band)

Bigbang (also styled BigBang, bigbang or BIGBANG) is a Norwegian rock band. Formed in 1992, the band is led by frontman and chief songwriter Øystein Greni. Over the years, the band's lineup has changed several times while remaining a trio and with Greni as the only constant member.

Bigbang has been described as "Norway's best live band", with their album Radio Radio TV Sleep holding the distinction of being the best selling live album released in Norway. The band has released eleven studio albums, one live album and two compilation albums.

History

Bigbang was formed in 1992 by guitarist and vocalist Øystein Greni and drummer Christer Engen while they were in high school. Among their influences were American punk and hardcore bands, and classic rock from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, while they also had parents active in the music business. Bassist Erik Tresselt completed the band's first lineup and the trio went on a month-long tour of the United States in 1993, and released their first album Waxed in 1995 on their own independent record label, Grand Sport.

Drummer Engen left the band to join Turbonegro in 1997, and was replaced by Martin Horntveth, previously with Jaga Jazzist. They released the single "How Do You Do", and remained together until January 1999 when Horntveth returned to Jaga Jazzist, to be replaced by Kristian Syvertsen. Syvertsen remained with the band until April of that year when he left and was replaced by Olaf Olsen. and released on the own label Grand Sport in March 1999. The band's breakthrough came about following a highly successful 1999 by:Larm concert in Stavanger, when suddenly several record companies demonstrated great interest in signing them. The band signed with Warner Music in 1999, and immediately re-released Electric Psalmbook in the fall of 1999. The BigBang song "Long Distance Man" is an English adaptation (with completely rewritten lyrics) of a Norwegian song by Undertakers Circus, "Nettenes Prinsesse" from 1973.

The album Clouds Rolling By from 2000 was the start of commercial success for BigBang, as the song "Girl In Oslo" became established as a hit and had been released in several compilation albums by that time. In early 2001, BigBang was Launched in Germany, Switzerland and Austria with the EP release Girl In Oslo. The title refers to a skateboarding trick requiring a high level of proficiency. The release was followed by a U.S. tour spanning five weeks.

National network NRK taped a documentary over these live sessions, which climax is a performance of "Girl in Oslo" featuring five drummers, one of whom being Thor S. Greni. The 2008 album From Acid to Zen was their American debut release, which received complementary reviews from among others David Fricke of Rolling Stone who selected the album as his "Fricke's Pick" and compared it to "a shotgun buffet".

As of 2009, the band released the seventh studio album Edendale, with Nikolai Eilertsen returning as bassist.

Lasse Weeden – bass (2007)

Timeline

Discography

Albums

{| class="wikitable"

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="10"|Year

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="170"|Album

!align="center" colspan="1" width="20"|Peak positions

!align="center" rowspan="2" width="180"|Certification

!width="20"|NOR

|1995

|Waxed

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|1999

|Electric Psalmbook

| style="text-align:center;"|—

|2000

|Clouds Rolling By

| style="text-align:center;"|2

|2002

|Frontside Rock'n'Roll

| style="text-align:center;"|3

|2005

|Poetic Terrorism