Norwegian band Shining (not to be confused with Sweden’s Shining, also signed to Indie Recordings) has been nominated for the A-ha Grant of 1 million NOK, a sum equal to 150’000 USD / 125’000 EUR. The band is one of two bands that will receive the award – but only if they get enough votes! Voting has already started and the last chance to lend a hand is tomorrow, Friday 18th June at 20:30 CET. Detailed info on how and where to vote to are posted at www.shining.no. As Jørgen Munkeby says himself: “If there was one time we needed your vote, it is now.”
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A link to Shining’s video statement is here and you can vote by clicking here. You will need to select “Shining” and press the button “Stem”. Then in the next frame you will need to enter an e-mail address for the vote to count and then press “Register”.
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Munkeby comments in an upcoming voting propaganda video soon to be posted on the band’s sites: “The fact that Shining has been nominated for a huge grant by A-ha, the most successful pop act ever to come out of Norway, reminds us of the fact that it is possible to make jazz catchy, and that metal is no longer reserved only for people with big shoes, leather pants, and frizzy hair.” Of course, if you’re a big shoe wearing, leather pant parading, frizzy haired metal ‘clown’ freak you may well have changed your mind about voting for Shining having read this paragraph.
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Shining’s ‘Blackjazz’ album remained in the official best-seller charts in Norway for 5 consecutive weeks – to the pop world’s wonder, and to the joy of true music lovers! Magne Furuholmen, keyboardist for pop legends A-ha says about the grant: “We are not looking for the potato , as they do in programmes like X Factor and [Pop] Idol [we’re not sure what this means but don’t have time unfortunately to clarify whether potatoes are allowed to partake in the Norwegian versions of these popular television programmes – ZT]. We’re looking for a combination of artistic uniqueness and an un-scared attitude, and we think it would be especially joyful if we end with an artist that is more of a fresh and exiting vitamin shot, than the more obvious one.”
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As a part of the grant, Shining will perform their single “The Madness And The Damage Done” for an audience of 100’000 people at the City Hall Square in Oslo, Norway, June 18th. This show will also be broadcast for 1 million TV viewers in Norway, one quarter of the whole Norwegian population.
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