How hard can it get? Part 2 in which we hunt down the ponies

In Norway it’s time to look forward as broadcaster NRK is advertising for applicants for MGP 2011. Rumor has it that Per Sundnes plans to put Helene Bøksle on the ESC stage for Norway next year. Miss Bøksle is lovely and all that, but not exactly our cup of tea. So we decided to ask ourselves the following: “In a country with so many great artists, why can’t we show Europe some decent music? What makes our best artists and songwriters stay away from such a great audience? And how hard can it get next year?” Follow us as we challenge our favorite song writers to join and let them carry on the challenge to their favorites. 

Pics by Sigurd Fandango (Ola on the far left)


Remember when you were young and a piece of the My little pony heaven was all you could dream of? Forget it. We have found the ponies you really want to ride. Here's Ola Innset from My Little Pony - the band, not the brand.

In our personal quest for good songs to the Norwegian MGP finals, time has come for the best indie pop music Norway can offer you. GEE was very exited when song writer and lead singer Ola Innset from My Little Pony agreed to an interview. Could we get them to participate?

“I think many serious artists stay away from MGP because they don't want to end up helpless in an empty circus of gossip magazines, jamba ring tones and Per Sundnes”, Ola says. Regardless, he doesn't rule out participating himself and ensures he do enjoy Eurovision. “I would like to write a song, but due to strict demands about the song not having been performed before, it has to be sometime in the future”, he says, making us regret the fact that we didn't contact him earlier. Ola would only participate with a very good song in a song writer contest, and the good songs he has written recently are all for the album to be released this fall.

Well, we can hardly wait for that new album. There is hardly anything cuter in Norway than the five twenty-somethings from My Little Pony, a band that quickly was starred in our Spotify lists. Their mix of good quality pop music with soft voices, acoustic instruments and a certain country music feel really hits our spots. One should love a band that makes a tribute song to the one and only hero, MacGyver. But what do they think about Eurovision?

“MGP and Eurovision can be great entertainment on a Saturday night. Those points are fun, but the bad quality of shocks you”, Ola nags on. “Luckily it's not exactly the best song from each European country that is presented, or I would have been sad. A more serious competition containing things like art and culture, and not just cynical commercialism, would have been more interesting for me. Probably some would find that less interesting, but I think Eurovision is underestimating its audience”.

“Yes, communist”, we'd add if we didn't agree just a little bit. Could Ola nonetheless see some perks of participating in MGP for a band like his, in spite of the Per Sundnes circus? “It would be good if you could maintain some sort of control of your exposure”, Ola thinks. He would love for a good PR strategy to present his band to a large audience without compromising their own style and goals. Apart from that, he thinks Spain is a little ahead of Norway when it comes to Eurovisional quality. “Several Spanish bands we know have participated in the local finals. La Casa Azul even came third in 2008. The pop music community is very large there, and many bands make great pop music without wanting to hit the middle pages of glossy magazines”, Ola adds, with a clear reference to the more streamlined commercial bands of Norway.

So, Ola is not so keen on MGP being used to extend what he classifies as “the not so very threatened ecological system of lower ranked Norwegian celebrities”. Although we think My Little Pony would deserve all the attention they could get, we do get their fear of not being taken seriously in a competition based on commercialism. “Guess the only way to help change this, would be to participate ourselves, though. I'm just not sure we are pioneers enough for that”, he explains.

Another thing that makes GEE love My Little Pony, is their open, inclusive texts. Like their own version of Brokeback Mountain, "The Ballad of Johnny Diesel", about the boy who comes out as gay to his father. What does Ola think about the inclusiveness in Eurovision? “Well, I do like fun parties, not just artistic expressions”, he guarantees. “And Eurovision is successful in being the party everyone can participate at without having to hide who they are or who they want to sleep with. But it can be a bit too much for those who want to sleep with people of the same sex, but not participate in the whole gay subculture. Maybe some gays hate Eurovision because they have to act 'gay'. Ideally you should be able to be who you are both to yourself and others. If Eurovision can help someone to achieve that and others to accept all kinds of people, that's nice”, Ola believes.

Quite a speech there and, although ambivalent, we do sense a certain faith in Eurovision being able to change away from the things Ola doesn't like about it. After all he tells us he diggs the old Eurovision music, especially from the 60s. And we know My Little Pony covered  Massiel's Lalala (Spain 1968) once while touring Spain. If he were to write a song, he would start out with the concept of simple songs with a certain alternative structure that he uses for My Little Pony, but maybe move a little bit more towards a radio hit structure of verse-bridge-chorus. Well, we think a song from Sir Innset would be perfect for a Eurovision audience not underestimated, so could we at least hope? “The deadline is not far away, but I'll let you know if I get in the mood and record a super song before the 15th of September”, he promises us.

OK, that almost satisfies us, but since we are who we are and Ola is who he is, we need one small question more: “Since all you need to know about us is online, Ola, do you really love us or are we just in your network?”

Ola’s answer will remain in our dreams for a long time: “I really love you”.

Our hard verdict:
These are still the cutest ponies around. Only now we know they've got brains too. We desperately need something like that in Eurovision, so we do hope Ola comes to his senses real soon. Even a bad song from him would be better than most. Plus for a critical sense, having covered lalala and for trashing Per Sundnes while loving us and MacGyver. Minus for a bit overstated anti capitalism, but hey, we've all been young and idealistic once and we all know how that went.

Up next: Einar Stubhaug
So, it's time for us to leave Ola Innset and let him pass on the challenge. Who would he like to write a song for MGP? "It's a not so well kept secret that Einar Stubhaug from the skate punk indie pop band Nomber 5s is one of this country's best song writers. He should really write a song for MGP. And his cover of  the French song from 2008, 'Divine', is worth listening to", he encourages.

Good idea, we'll try contacting him. And while we wait for Ola to hit his mood, let's hear it for My Little Pony and their MacGyver blues

How hard can it get? Part 1 in which we woo our fav punk

In Norway it’s time to look forward as broadcaster NRK is advertising for applicants for MGP 2011. Rumor has it that Per Sundnes plans to put Helene Bøksle on the ESC stage for Norway next year. Miss Bøksle is lovely and all that, but not exactly our cup of tea. So we decided to ask ourselves the following: “In a country with so many great artists, why can’t we show Europe some decent music? What makes our best artists and songwriters stay away from such a great audience? And how hard can it get next year?” Follow us this summer as we challenge our favorite song writers to join and let them carry on the challenge to their favorites.

Let’s forget about the phantom of the opera. This year Norway needs to punk things up a little with someone already knowing their way around Germany. Null$katte$nylterne and their fab lead singer Torkil Torsvik might actually consider the job.

He’s one of the coolest Norwegians we know with a rough, dirty, but still very honest punk rocker style. He is Torkil Torsvik, aka Torkil the Reptile, and how can we not crave for him to rip off his shirt at the Eurovision stage in Germany next year? Wouldn’t that be fun, Reptile? “Well, I’ve never really considered participation”, he admits. “As a rocker, I’ve kinda thought of MGP as a phenomenon pretty far away from what I am doing. But since you ask me so directly, I might actually consider it. Some metal from Keep of Kalessin didn’t hurt this year, so maybe a little Trønder punk would shake things up a little next year?”

Trønder punk in their own dialect
Torkil and his band Nullskattesnylterne, translating to something as untranslatable as zerotaxcheaters, represent what we in Norway like to call Trønder rock. Trøndelag is the name of the counties in the middle of the country, around the cities Trondheim and, not the least, Namsos – the official rock capital of Norway and home city of Torkil and his buddies (although for connoisseurs, Torkil grew up in Kolvereid, a recruitment base for Namsos). A lot of good rock music has originated from this town, with Nullskattesnylterne being among the best. And of course they all sing in their own fab dialect, so no English and a lot of great guitar riffs for MGP there. We couldn’t think of a better contender for Helene Bøksle, whom we know Per Sundnes wants for next year. No nonsense Trønder punk over family friendly folklore pop anytime.

Sing-a-long and choir chicks unleashed
But what does Torkil think is a good song? “It's the one tune people can't listen to without moving their body and perhaps also sing along”, he describes. “Our band loves sing-a-long and party atmosphere. But a song is also good if it can hit a certain mood in people, and then both text and melody is important. I also guess if you are to make a typical Eurovision-song, then the sense of recognition is important. And it should fit the concept of a gigantic stage, pyro effects and 3 choir chicks unleashed”, he upholds.

Well, so far we're even more certain this man could make a great song for us. When we contacted Torkil, we kinda didn't expect him to digg Eurovision, but he ensures us he gets the good entertainment of it all. “I did love Jan Teigen in the 80s. It was heating up a little with Glasnost, but it was cold war, goddamnit. Romeo by Ketil Stokkan was also lovely”, Torkil says. The problem is more the fact that he doesn't like to compete in music, which he thinks is a general opinion among musicians. Along with the fear of being labeled as a Eurovision artist, similar to how Idol participants gets their Idol prefix, he predicts this to be the reason established artists stay away from MGP.

 "Hey, Per, we'd show Europe the real pyro"



No more playback, please
Nonetheless, Torkil thinks it could be good PR for a band to participate as long as it is carefully planned. Although if he were to adjust the competition, he would lose the chairs in the arena, make the stage smaller and more intimate plus get rid of choir chicks and playback music. “Today this is a competition in studio production and costumes more than being able to actually play a decent song. That's more about hitting the right trends in Europe”, he nags.

Torkil's main concern along with only being able to play one single song is having to perform with playback. If he were to contribute a song for MGP, he would prefer for him and Nullskattesnylterne to perform it. “But not with costumes and choreography. We would play live, but suspect it's not allowed? That would be a reason for not participating. And I would only play our own song with my band. I'm a vocalist in Nullskattesnylterne, not a solo artist”, he maintains. Well, no problem for GEE, that, as we also love the rest of this tight band with their great guitars and drums. And we are very sure the MGP and Eurovision crowds would love these hunky men's tendency of ripping of their shirts and lighting up their pyros, so not much more choreography needed there. This is the whole package on a silver platter, maybe even for Mr. Sundnes?

So, when Nullskattesnylterne win MGP 2011, what would be their preferred destination for Eurovision in Germany? "Nürnberg", Torkil replies instantly. "It's a great city, and we have many fans there after touring a lot in that area. The historical context also adds to the greatness", he finishes. And GEE can't wait to see him there.

Our hard verdict:
Sing-a-long and party mood, pyromaniacs and ripping off your shirt. This certainly evokes dreams in GEE's hearts. As for playback, NRK won’t give us a decent answer, but most playbacks are due to the rule of only six people on stage, we think. And Nullskattesnylterne will follow that rule. Dear Torkil with friends. We want you in MGP. And we would be so happy to escort you to Germany. There's really nothing else to say except when can we expect your song to be finished?

Up next: Lars Vaular
It's time for Torkil to pass on the challenge to someone he would like to see in MGP. What's his hard choice? "I would like to challenge Lars Vaular to give it a try", he says. "Norwegian lyrics are far too few in MGP, and in Norwegian music in general. Besides Lars Vaular has a cool attitude that could be a hit in Europe." Well, we couldn't disagree on that one, so let's see if we can find him in the summer heat.

In the meantime, follow them on TV and get up and dance to the Norwegian kind of punk, aka Null$katte$nylterne: