SEE THE PHOTOS + FOOTAGE
This past Sunday, June 21, on the solstice and longest day of the year, the Norwegian blackjazz band SHINING played the world’s first concert on top of a grandiose mountain structure hanging out 700 meters-that’s nearly 2300 feet-above the ground.
How they f!@# did that they do that?
Here’s how.
The band flew a PA system and power generator up to the mountaintop and blasted their patented “blackjazz” music to a group of 300 fans and mountain hikers who had embarked on the daunting task of walking the five-hour trip to the top o’ the mountain.
A fan-filmed clip of the concert can be seen HERE. If you are afraid of heights, screw it and watch ANYWAY!
Post-show, SHINING frontman Jørgen Munkeby said, “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever been part of! First of all, I’m happy that we’re all still alive! But I’m also happy that we got all the technical aspects of this to work, as it’s no easy task to plan a full rock and metal concert on top of a freaking mountain!”
The concert was filmed with one helicopter, one drone, and several cameramen. It will be released once the material is gathered and processed.
Munkeby added, “We have this video series called ‘Live on Location,’ where we set up our stuff in unusual places and test our musical strength against uncontrollable environments. And what’s more uncontrollable than a huge rock literally soaring above a 700 meters straight drop down to the ground in the middle of the Norwegian mountains? I can’t wait to start working on the footage and getting it out there!”
A picture the band posted on their Facebook page after the show instantly garnered global attention. By Tuesday, June 23, it had been seen by nearly a half a million people, leading to TV exposure and No. 1 trending status on Reddit.
“I am happy for all the attention this gives us. But I’m not surprised. This is indeed an amazing and extreme setting for a concert. The only thing that would bring more attention would be if Dave Grohl decided to play up there. But I hope he doesn’t,” Munkeby said, jokingly referring to the accident Foo Fighters’ frontman had in Stockholm last week, where he stepped off the stage during a show, broke his leg, and kept playing.
The band will release its Spinefarm debut this fall. But for now, they are all about the mountaintop.
Photo credits: All photos by Jarle Hovda Moe, except photo #2 by Frode Røe