Hurra Torpedo

Infobox musical artist
Name = Hurra Torpedo


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Origin = Norway
Genre = Rock, alternative rock
Years_active = 1993–present
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URL = [http://www.hurratorpedo.org www.hurratorpedo.org]
Current_members = Egil Hegerberg
Kristopher Schau
Aslag Guttormsgaard
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Hurra Torpedo is a band from Norway who play songs using kitchen appliances. They were formed in the early nineties, are part of the artistic collective Duplex Records, and all members of the band also play in a variety of other bands in Norway.

During recent years Hurra Torpedo have had annual split- and reunion tours. The band struck international fame when a television performance of the 1983 Bonnie Tyler power ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart", using kitchen appliances for percussion, spread as an internet meme. The clip, from a Norwegian comedy-variety show called "Lille lørdag ("Little Saturday")" (aired on Wednesdays - "the Little Saturday" in the Norwegian week), was filmed in 1995. In early 2005 the clip was uploaded to the internet.

In the clip, the band, dressed in ill-fitting jogging suits, play on a stage surrounded by various kitchen appliances. Frontman Hegerberg plays guitar and sings in a slightly off-key monotone and with a strong Norwegian accent, Schau "drums" by hitting a stove with a stick and slamming the door of a freezer, while Guttormsgaard adds backing vocals, and at the climax smashes the top of an electrical stove with a large piece of metal more or less on the beat of the song.

In October/November 2005 they became part of a viral ad campaign by going on a coast to coast tour in the U.S. that was paid for by Ford in order to promote the Ford Fusion car. As part of the ad campaign, a mockumentary movie called "The Crushing Blow" [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20060615211827/www.thecrushingblow.net/ thecrushingblow.net] via Internet Archive] was being made, said to have been directed by the "character" Pip Simon [ [http://web.archive.org/web/20060117234638/www.thecrushingblow.net/cast.html Cast & Crew] via Internet Archive] who is played by the actress Tara Copeland while in reality it was directed by Joey Garfield [ [http://www.upperplayground.com/06/run_up/garfield.html Biography of Joey Garfield] ] .

By the end of November 2005 a clip from The Crushing Blow was viewed more than 500,000 times in a couple of days from the web site iFilm [ [http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=22240 "Smashing Kitchen Appliances to Sell a Car"] (Ford press release)] , and some of the clips spread around blog sites.

The band played several gigs in Norway the first half of 2006, and the Garorock festival in Marmande, France, with approximately 5000 in the audience.

Hurra Torpedo had two showcases at the 2006 South by Southwest festival, and in June they went on new US Tour, starting in Boston, ending in San Francisco three weeks later. This tour has no connection with Ford.

Members

* Egil Hegerberg - bass guitar, guitar, vocals
* Kristopher Schau - percussion
* Aslag Guttormsgaard - percussion, guitar, vocals

Discography

* To håndfaste burgere - cassette (Duplex Records 1992)
* Stockholm - 7" vinyl (Duplex Records 1995)
* Total Eclipse of the Heart - CD (Duplex Records 2005)
* Kollossus of Makedonia - CD (Duplex Records 2006)

References

External links

* [http://www.hurratorpedo.org/ Official band site]
* [http://www.hurratorpedo.eu/ Unofficial band fan site]
* [http://www.duplexrecords.no/ Duplex Records site] (Norwegian language)
* [http://www.duplexrecords.com/ Duplex Records site] (International version)
* [http://www.pilotman.no/ Pilot Management] (Hurra Torpedo's management/booking agency)
* [http://www.hurratorpedo.com/ Band site, also used for the advertising campaign]
* [http://www.myspace.com/hurratorpedo The band's My Space site]
* [http://www.revhughes.com/2005/02/forevers-gonna-start-tonight.html Link to the "Total Eclipse of the Heart" clip]
* [http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/tabs/h/hurra_torpedo/total_eclipse_of_the_heart_tab.htm Link to the "Total Eclipse of the Heart" guitar tabs]
* [http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2683952/ iFilm]
* [http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewnews.pl?NewsID=6490 News article about the ad agency and the fake tour]
* [http://www.dagbladet.no/kultur/2005/11/23/450216.html/ Revealing Norwegian news article about the documentary not being authentic]
* [http://www.lawrence.com/turnpike/archive/2006-09-12/ Some nice LIVE shots and an interview by Turnpike]
* [http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewhotstar.pl?Artist=HURTOR An article from Pollstar about the last US tour]