The Norwegian act and song was chosen on February 3rd through their long-running national final "Melodi Grand Prix". Before the final there were three semi finals with three songs qualifying from each. The winner was selected by a 60/40 combination of public televoting and an international jury. Going to Malmö is the band Gåte performing the song "Ulveham" (Wolf skin).
Gåte is a progressive folk-rock band who perform Norwegian folk music with metal and electronica leanings. Many of Gåte's songs are rearranged versions of traditional Norwegian folk tunes. Their self-titled EP was released in 2000 and this garnered success in their homeland and many other European nations - as did their debut album "Jygri". However after their second album, the band declared they were going on a hiatus mainly due to the singer, Gunnhild, wanting to devote time to solo projects. There was a brief reunion in 2009-2010 as the band conducted a mini tour or Norway billed as their final farewell. However, Gåte made a full comeback in 2017 with the EP "Attersyn", followed by the album "Svevn" and the announcement of full tours.
The staging for the act is simplistic yet effective. The stage is dark, with a slight green/blue tinge. There is effective use of strobing lights & lasers to create movement. The mystical feel is further strengthened by the use of scenic settings overlaid on the screen. The instrumentalists are situated around the stage while singer Gunnhild is in the middle on a small rotating platform. The song shifts between an enchanted bassy beat, a strong guitar metal sound and a background of interesting folky instruments. The song is wholly in Norwegian and Gunnhild's haunting vocals adds to the atmosphere. Although one would not really understand what the song is about, the feelings conveyed in the song are visceral but also full of wonder and beauty. The vocalisation between the worded parts further shows the singer's mastery of the higher notes and folkish tinge she has to her vocal style.
The lead up to the final was rather more frenetic compared to the other finalists. After their semi final performance, NRK asked band to change the lyrics as the text was based on a 1000 year old ballad and therefore could be construed as plagiarism. They duly complied but to the casual watcher, especially one uneducated in the Norwegian language, one may have not seen any difference. I feel like this song, in the midst of the Melodi Grand Prix show was very much different and identifiable from the finalists. The staging as is is perfect for the song and I would work on any size or shape of stage. I don't want to say that the song is not memorable but the song is ultimately elevated by the band 's performance and the singer's engaging vocal style. One change they may want to make is to bring more wolf imagery to the graphics creating a more obvious link between the song, the lyrics and the title - commentators may allude to before the song begins. I feel like juries will appreciate the vocals of this track while the people at home will enjoy the ambience of this entry.
ARTIST - Gåte
SONG - Ulveham
WRITING/PRODUCTION CREDITS - M. Børmark, R G Janssen, M J Lillebuen, J E Schärer, G. Sundli,, S E Sundli
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