Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
Encyclopedia
Dizzy Mizz Lizzy was an alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...

 band from Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 that started in 1988. Between 1994 and 1997, they were highly successful in Denmark and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, heading the early 1990s rock revival in Denmark. The trio consisted of Tim Christensen
Tim Christensen
Tim Christensen is a Danish singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who plays guitar, bass guitar, drums, Mellotron, harmonium, keyboard, piano and organ...

 (vocals, guitar, songwriter), Martin Nielsen (bass guitar) and Søren Friis (drums). Christensen would later describe the band's success as: "The Dizzy records were a mild version of what took place in Seattle with a delay of two years, and therefore perfect for Denmark," referring to the grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...

 movement. Together with bands such as Kashmir
Kashmir (band)
Kashmir is a Danish alternative rock band consisting of Kasper Eistrup ; Mads Tunebjerg ; Asger Techau and Henrik Lindstrand .-History:...

 they revived rock in Denmark, but lacked an entrance to the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 and US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 like the modern Danish rock bands do. The group had disbanded in 1998, but went on a reunion tour from 18 March through to 29 September 2010 in Denmark and Japan. After the last show of this tour, they definitely quit. Since 2000, Christensen is also an accomplished solo artist.

Formation and early years (1988–1994)

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy was founded after Christensen's family moved from Espergærde
Espergærde
Espergærde is situated in Northern Zealand near Øresund and is statically considered part of the larger urban area Espergærde-Snekkersten-Elsinore, some 5 to 8 km south of the centre of Elsinore and in reality separated from the urban area of Elsinore-Snekkersten by a 100 m wide unbuilt area,...

 to Valby
Valby
' is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. Located in the southwestern corner of Copenhagen Municipality, it is a heterogeneous mixture of different types of housing - including apartment blocks, terraced housing, areas with single-family houses and allotments, as well as remains...

, a suburb of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

, and Christensen became classmates with Nielsen at the Hanssted Skole, where they already cared more about music than about their school work. Nielsen picked up the bass because Christensen already played the guitar, and a friend recommended Friis to them. Christensen received his first Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...

 as a gift. For a while they did search for another band member, as they would later explain: "We previously did try to expand to a quartet with an extra guitarist. But that didn't work at all, so we stayed a trio." As critics explain: "From the outset it was clear that Tim Christensen was the group's undisputed center, but the band benefited significantly from the collective dynamics." They practiced in a cheap youth club in Hvidovre
Hvidovre
Hvidovre Kommune is a municipality in Region Hovedstaden near Copenhagen on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 22 km², and has a total population of 49,380...

 in search of their own style, making "porn rock
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...

 with nauseating choruses," inspired by poodle rock bands such as Europe
Europe (band)
Europe is a Swedish rock band formed in Upplands Väsby in 1979 under the name Force by vocalist Joey Tempest, guitarist John Norum and drummer Tony Reno. Although widely associated with glam metal, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal and hard rock elements...

, Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...

 and Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...

. They won the competition "Rock Træf" in 1990, using the 5,000 kr
Danish krone
The krone is the official currency of the Kingdom of Denmark consisting of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. It is subdivided into 100 øre...

 (about
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...

 700, or US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

 1,000) prize money to record a demo. The band entered Denmark's largest music championship DM i Rock in 1991 and came in fourth.

Inspired by Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...

's 1991 album Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...

, and especially their breakthrough hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...

", their style swayed to grunge-inspired music. As the band would explain, "Suddenly there was something about playing rock music the old-fashined way," and they would throw themselves onto "Hey Joe
Hey Joe
"Hey Joe" is an American popular song from the 1960s that has become a rock standard and as such, has been performed in a multitude of musical styles by hundreds of different artists since it was first written. "Hey Joe" tells the story of a man who is on the run and planning to head to Mexico...

" by the Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Rock and Roll
Rock and Roll (Led Zeppelin song)
"Rock and Roll" is a song by English rock band Led Zeppelin, which was first released as the second track from the band's fourth album in 1971, with a guest appearance by The Rolling Stones pianist Ian Stewart.-Overview:...

" by Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...

, and The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

' cover of the Larry Williams
Larry Williams
Larry Williams was an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, songwriter, producer, and pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana...

 song "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", from which the band's name was derived. They started writing some potential songs and decided to dedicate themselves to a career in music. Christensen received a Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...

 4x12 G1275 amplifier
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...

 from his parents for his 18th birthday, which helped him writing heavier music and would shortly thereafter result in the riff to the hit song "Waterline". Their style would frequently be linked to Led Zeppelin and Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...

, even though critics admitted that "the trio wants, and inexplicably even manages it, to create their own musical identity;" a style that would become known as power rock
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...

, which the band would later also use to describe themselves and were more comfortable with than the term grunge: "We are not so wild about the descriptor grunge, as it has become a predicate for a variety of dimensions. We focus on the music, not the descriptions. What we play is genuine, vivid, and with the energy in high gear." As a reviewer would put it: "[It is] 'Grunge light' perhaps - but well-composed, well-acted, engaging and above all different and personal. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy had the pedal to the metal, and it did something." Christensen explains: "It's like The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...

 who came out of the punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...

-wave without being punk, and still did well. It's the same with us. We came out of the grunge-wave, without being grunge."

Their new-found sound took them to the "DM i Rock" semifinals in 1992, where they were beaten by Passion Orange. With their third attempt on 30 April 1993, the trio won because of "their obvious talent and charisma," beating such bands as Kashmir
Kashmir (band)
Kashmir is a Danish alternative rock band consisting of Kasper Eistrup ; Mads Tunebjerg ; Asger Techau and Henrik Lindstrand .-History:...

, who came in second, Inside the Whale, and Impotators, who all have had a significant place in the 1990s revival and further development of rock in Denmark, but of which Dizzy Mizz Lizzy has been the most successful. They have all become friends, which is also evident from Christensen's later contributions to Kashmir albums, his songwriting with Inside the Whale frontman Marcus Winther-John which continues until today, and having Inside the Whale guitarist Lars Skjærbæk as his lead guitarist ever since he went solo in 2000. Part of the grand prize was a recording session for a 4-track demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

 at Sweet Silence Studios
Sweet Silence Studios
Sweet Silence Studios, at 85 Strandlodsvej, DK-2300 Copenhagen S, or DK-2400 Copenhagen NV, in Copenhagen, Denmark is a recording studio originally built by Danish engineers Freddy Hansson, Stig Kreutzfeldt, and Flemming Rasmussen in February 1976. A variety of artists have recorded there,...

, which spawned the songs "Waterline" and "Silverflame" that became huge hits on DR P3
DR P3
DR P3 is the third of the four national radio networks operated by the Danish public broadcaster DR...

 and DR P4
DR P4
P4 is the regional radio channel of Denmark's national public broadcasting corporation, DR. The 11 regional stations which make up P4 originate their own local programming and also carry jointly produced nationwide content...

. The grand prize also contained a spot in the travelling Rock Show '93 and performances at the L'Europe d'Art d'Art festival in Niort
Niort
Niort is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.The Latin name of the city was Novioritum.The population of Niort is 60,486 and more than 137,000 people live in the urban area....

, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

, the Nordic Rock '93 competition that they also won, and all the major Danish summer festivals. A reviewer from that time remarked, "They are not quite as extroverted as one might have expected, but in return they play much better than one might dare hope for. Dense and energetic, making one wonder why there are only three men on stage. One is tempted to look into the back room to see where the rest of the band is hiding." They would also entertain with ironic covers of among others "Stayin' Alive
Stayin' Alive
"Stayin' Alive" is a song by the pop group Bee Gees from the Saturday Night Fever motion picture soundtrack. The song was written by the Bee Gees and produced by the Bee Gees, Albhy Galuten and Karl Richardson. It was released on 13 December 1977, as the second single from the Saturday Night Fever...

" by the Bee Gees
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees are a musical group that originally comprised three brothers: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio was successful for most of their 40-plus years of recording music, but they had two distinct periods of exceptional success: as a pop act in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and as a...

.

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy (1994–1996)

The high expectations set by the demo put enormous pressure on the band, especially as the demo was in limited circulation and demand grew as the band took a long time to release their debut album. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy had declined various offers from foreign labels, waiting for a Danish label to come forward. They "quite literally felt on home soil" when they were contacted by Nick Foss, head of A&R at EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

-Medley, and known by the band as the producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...

 of several albums by D-A-D
D-A-D
D-A-D is a Danish rock band previously known as "Disneyland After Dark", a name that had to be changed after a threatening lawsuit from The Walt Disney Company. Their style of music is often categorized as melodic heavy rock...

 and The Sandmen. He signed them to the label and went into the studio with them for three months. At long last, the eponymous debut album Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
Dizzy Mizz Lizzy (album)
Dizzy Mizz Lizzy is the eponymous debut album of the Danish rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, released in on 4 March 1994.- Reception :Before the album was even recorded, the songs "Waterline" and "Silverflame" from the band's 1993 demo received heavy rotation on radio stations, including DR P3 and DR P4...

was released on 4 March 1994. It was a huge success in Denmark, selling 220,000 copies, making it the best selling rock album ever in Denmark. This record still stands, while it has by now has sold over 250,000 copies. One notable fan is Crown Prince Frederik
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...

, who is an outspoken lover of rock music, and who has attended many of their concerts. By accident the CD ended up with Hans Otto Bisgård of EMI's Japanese division, who was excited about the album and had it released in Japan where it sold about 100,000 copies. Five singles were released from the album and all got much radio play: "Silverflame", "Barbedwired Baby's Dream", "Love Is a Loser's Game", "Glory" and "Waterline".

Interviews paint a picture of rather well-behaved musicians; they kept living with their parents until their debut album and ensuing tour had earned them enough money to each buy their own homes in Copenhagen. The closest they ever came to typical rock star misbehavior was a backstage food fight
Food fight
A food fight is a form of chaotic collective behavior, in which food is thrown at others in the manner of projectiles. These projectiles are not made to harm or damage others, but to simply ignite a fight filled with spontaneous food throwing. Food fights may be impromptu examples of rebellion or...

 in Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....

 with Inside the Whale, and thrashing a disappointing hotel room in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 at a time they felt depressed and homesick. The band members rehearsed 3–4 times a week but also received choreography
Choreography
Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Choreography may also refer to the design itself, which is sometimes expressed by means of dance notation. The word choreography literally means "dance-writing" from the Greek words "χορεία" ...

 lessons since at that time they considered themselves "an incredibly boring band to watch," in terms of performance. They were the support act of the Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors
Spin Doctors is an American alternative rock band formed in New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits, "Two Princes," and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," which peaked the Billboard Hot 100 charts at #7 & #17 respectively....

 on their October/November 1994 tour through Denmark, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

, and Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. before playing three sold-out shows in the Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese cities Sapporo, Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

 and Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

. The performance in Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

 on 16 July 1995 was recorded and released as Japan-only CD as One guitar, one bass and a drummer, that's really all it takes — Live in Japan. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy performed for four consecutive years at the Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde Festival is a festival held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the six biggest annual music festivals in Europe . It was created in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and promoter Carl Fischer...

, from 1993 through to 1996. The 1994 performance was on frontman Christensen's 20th birthday, when sales of their debut album had just crossed the 50,000 mark. In 2003, Christensen considered that particular performance a special highlight in his career. Dizzy Mizz Lizzy won the 1995 Danish Grammys
Danish Music Awards
The Danish Music Awards is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called IFPI-prisen until 1991, when it changed its name to Dansk Grammy . The current name was given in 2001, after the American Grammy Awards took copyright on the name Grammy....

 for "Danish group of the year", "Danish newcomer of the year", "Danish rock album of the year", and the "People's choice award" which included a fee of 25,000 kr (about € 3,350) to help cover travel expenses. In the time leading up to the release of the band's sophomore album, it was speculated the band would be changing their name to "Dizzy". Although this abbreviation is in widespread use among both band members and fans, it was never considered by the band to use it as an official name.

Rotator (1996–1998)

Nick Foss had made an agreement with Christensen that if their debut album won gold (equal to 40,000 copies at that time), the next would be recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios
Abbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...

 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, which was Christensen's boyhood dream as he is an immense fan of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...

. As a result of the album having sold over four times that amount by 1996, the follow-up album Rotator
Rotator (album)
Rotator is the second and final studio album released by the Danish rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy.- Overview :EMI-Medley head of A&R and producer Nick Foss had made an agreement with lead singer and guitarist Tim Christensen that if their debut album Dizzy Mizz Lizzy won gold , the next would be...

was recorded at this place that breathes history. However, the other band members did not share Christensen's enthusiasm, and did not appreciate the unique symbolism recording in these legendary studios, which meant Christensen had no one to share his palette of emotions with and as a result the recording sessions did not really fulfill all of his expectations. In retrospect, this period showed the first signs of the band members heading in different musical directions, and Christensen explained in 2000: "I needed change while the others wanted to continue in the same style, and that was actually the most important reason we split up." This can especially be heard in the song "Rise and Fall"; although songs were always a collaborative effort by the band, Christensen requested Nielsen and Friis to allow him to be in full control over this song, and as a result it is distinctly different from all other songs on the album.

The record was less carefree than its predecessor, with a hint of bitterness especially in regard to the state of the music industry. The album reached gold status the very day it went on sale on 24 May 1996, and appeared to live up to the notorious expectations of creating a worthy sequel to their debut album. Reviews were generally positive and it sold 100,000 copies in Denmark, "which is exceptionally high for a guitar rock album in Denmark," but was not nearly as much as the debut album had sold. Another 100,000 copies were sold in Japan. The singles "11:07 PM" and "Rotator" became a hit, the album won the 1997 Danish Grammy for "Rock album of the year" and Nick Foss received the prize for "Best producer". They played on festivals in Denmark, Norway and Germany, and went to Japan in September 1996 for shows in Tokyo (2×), Sapporo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...

. In Denmark, they played dozens of shows which fatigued both the band and the fans.

Disbanded (1998–2009)

After five years of non stop recording and touring and having lost touch with reality, the band decided to take a one-year break in 1997, but ultimately split up on 10 March 1998 amidst a wave of prominent Danish bands disbanding. Critics would later explain their decision as the band having the courage to stop in time despite enormous success, although it was largely due to fatigue that the trio could not bring themselves to continuing to play. Their tastes in music had also become less compatible, with Christensen wanting a more vintage Beatles-like sound and Nielsen and Friis preferring to make heavy metal music
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

. In January 1998 they had worked on a few demos together, some of which would end up on Christensen's debut solo album Secrets on Parade
Secrets on Parade
Secrets on Parade is the debut solo album by Danish singer-songwriter Tim Christensen, released on 5 October 2000 on CD and vinyl. It is considered the transitional work between the music he made with Dizzy Mizz Lizzy and his solo music...

(2000), released after a difficult time of coping with the breakup and finding his musical style, but it was a success and allowed him to further pursue a career in music. Nielsen and Friis initially also intended to continue in music. To walk off the extra weight he had gained from being at home for a long time, Nielsen took a job as a postman. Friis became a truck driver delivering gas containers. Christensen explained in a 2000 interview: "We meet occasionally and have great fun together. Of course we talk about the old days and amuse ourselves with it, because we experienced a lot of great things together and I simply can not remember anything bad from back then. (...) But we just developed ourselves in three different directions, and we kept growing further apart, so it was simply the time to stop."

Eighteen days after the breakup, the Japan-only release The Greatest was released. The song "Waterline" was included on the 1999 charity record
Charity record
A charity record is a release of a song for a specific charitable cause. Some of the earliest charity records came from the Music for UNICEF Concert, with ABBA's Chiquitita and the Bee Gees' Too Much Heaven among them released as singles, with all the royalties going to UNICEF...

 Grænseløs Greatest
Grænseløs Greatest
Grænseløs Greatest is a double compilation album released 1999 to the benefit of Flygtning 99 - a first aid campaign conducted by the Danish Refugee Council, DanChurchAid and the Danish Red Cross to support refugees of the Kosovo War....

 in support of refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...

s of the Kosovo War
Kosovo War
The term Kosovo War or Kosovo conflict was two sequential, and at times parallel, armed conflicts in Kosovo province, then part of FR Yugoslav Republic of Serbia; from early 1998 to 1999, there was an armed conflict initiated by the ethnic Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" , who sought independence...

. In 2000, the Danish dance-pop
Dance-pop
Dance-pop is dance-oriented pop music that originated in the early 1980s. Developing from post-disco, it is generally up-tempo music intended for clubs with the intention of being danceable or merely dancey...

 duo Infernal
Infernal (band)
Infernal is dance/pop group from Denmark, consisting of members Lina Rafn and Paw Lagermann. They made their Danish debut in 1997 with the release of the track "Sorti de L'enfer", and have gone on to international chart success in recent years. Their most successful single to date has been "From...

 used samples of the 1994 song "Silverflame" for the song "Sunrise
Sunrise (Infernal song)
"Sunrise" is a song by the Danish dance-pop duo Infernal. It was released as the second single from their second studio album, Waiting for Daylight, in 2000...

". It was released as the second single from their second studio album, Waiting for Daylight
Waiting for Daylight
Waiting for Daylight is the third album and second studio album by the Danish dance/house act Infernal, released in 2000 in Denmark. It was later released as Muzaik in 2001, with a more pop music-oriented sound and a few bonus tracks.-Track listing:...

.

On 29 April 2002, the band released a greatest hits collection
The Best of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
The Best of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy is a greatest hits album released by the Danish rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy in 2002. The first disc contains tracks from the band's two studio albums Dizzy Mizz Lizzy and Rotator, the second disc holds a live registration of a concert held in Aarhus on 11 May 1996...

 including a live performance recorded in Aarhus
Aarhus
Aarhus or Århus is the second-largest city in Denmark. The principal port of Denmark, Aarhus is on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical center of Denmark...

 on 11 May 1996. The band's only performance during their 1998–2009 break was a tribute concert called Brandalarm (Fire Alarm), held on 16 August 2006 in the Copenhagen venue VEGA for musicians whose studio had burned to the ground
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...

. Here, they played 5 songs in about 20 minutes ("Thorn in my Pride", "When the River Runs Dry", "Waterline", "Silverflame", and "Glory"). Christensen commented in 2008 that this was a one-off event, but that the band would be open to do a reunion tour at some point in the future for nostalgia's sake, but without the aim to go back into the studio to record a new album.

Reunion (2009–2010)

On September 15, 2009, the band announced a Danish reunion tour taking place in Spring 2010 with concerts in Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...

, Aarhus (2 shows), Aalborg
Aalborg
-Transport:On the north side of the Limfjord is Nørresundby, which is connected to Aalborg by a road bridge Limfjordsbroen, an iron railway bridge Jernbanebroen over Limfjorden, as well as a motorway tunnel running under the Limfjord Limfjordstunnelen....

, Esbjerg
Esbjerg
Esbjerg Municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. Its mayor is Johnny Søtrup, from the Venstre political party...

 (2 shows) and Copenhagen (4 shows). The idea was spawned while Christensen, Nielsen and Friis went bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...

, which they often did when meeting up. EMI suggested the reunion to be paired with the release of a box set containing their collected works. Although the band were sceptical about it at first, Dizzcography
Dizzcography
Dizzcography is a box set released in 2010, containing all previously released material by the Danish rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. The CD version is collected in a black printed cardboard box as four Digipak CDs and a 40-page booklet. The box set was also released in a limited press on 8...

was released on March 29, 2010 as a 4-CD or 8-vinyl record
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...

 box set, containing remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...

s of all previously released material (the band's two studio albums Dizzy Mizz Lizzy and Rotator and the live album
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...

 Live in Aarhus '96), and the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...

 The Rest of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy which comprises the original 1993 demo, two B-sides
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...

 and the live album Live in Japan. The renewed interest for Dizzy Mizz Lizzy inspired the Danish producer and DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...

 Morten Breum to release a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....

 of "Waterline" on 5 April 2010.

Dizzy Mizz Lizzy were overwhelmed when the tour's first show on 9 April at the K.B. Hallen
K.B. Hallen
K.B. Hallen was a multi-purpose venue in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was opened in 1938, but burned to the ground on 28 September 2011.It was named after Københavns Boldklub, Copenhagen's first ball-playing club, which was established in 1876....

 had sold out in less than 15 seconds on 20 September 2009, and less than 45 seconds for the other shows. They realized the demand for their shows was far greater than expected. The band subsequently expanded the tour to a total of 52 dates, including a Japanese leg to the tour in May and another in September, making this one of the most successful comebacks in the history of Danish music. Their performance at the Roskilde Festival coincided with Christensen's 36th birthday. The band definitively quit after the tour's final show in Tokyo on 29 September 2010.

After the reunion (2010–current)

The documentary Lost Inside a Dream: The Story of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy about the band's rise, break-up and return premiered at the Copenhagen International Documentary Festival on 4 November 2010. The band's last public appearance to date was at the film's second screening on 8 November 2010, where they answered questions from the audience. For this documentary, Danish film maker Theis Molin received the Politiken Publikumspris (People's choice award). On the same day, the 2CD/DVD and 2CD/Blu-ray set Live in Concert 2010
Live in Concert 2010
Live in Concert 2010 is a 19-song live recording of two concerts at the K.B. Hallen on 16–17 April 2010, by the Danish power rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. It was released on 8 November 2010 as 2CD/DVD and 2CD/Blu-ray. In Japan, it was released on 27 April on King Records...

was released, which includes the documentary and features a live recording of two concerts in the K.B. Hallen on 16–17 April 2010, making it the first Danish performance to be released in Full HD
1080p
1080p is the shorthand identification for a set of HDTV high-definition video modes that are characterized by 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and progressive scan, meaning the image is not interlaced as is the case with the 1080i display standard....

.

On 12 November 2010, EMI released the compilation album Big-5: Dizzy Mizz Lizzy as part of their Big-5 series, containing their artists' five best tracks. In the case of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, these were all taken from their eponymous debut album.

On 25 November 2011, Christensen released his fourth solo album, Tim Christensen and The Damn Crystals
Tim Christensen and The Damn Crystals
Tim Christensen and The Damn Crystals is the fourth studio album by Danish singer-songwriter Tim Christensen, and the eponymous first album of the formation Christensen and The Damn Crystals...

. Many interviews also asked him questions about Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. Christensen admits that one week after the last show, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy was already out of his system again. And on the question whether the people have stopped asking about a Dizzy-reunion, Christensen answered: "No, they haven't. Except that now, it's no longer: 'Will Dizzy ever reunite?' but instead: 'Will you do it again?' And I won't exclude the possibility, but it won't be any time soon. But I have stopped asking that question to myself."

Equipment

For the 2010 reunion tour, Christensen and Rasmus Meyer of the Danish guitar pedal manufacturer Carl Martin designed his signature Dizzy Drive with knobs for level, tone, drive and edge. Its production was limited to 250 pedals, and went on sale on 16 May 2010. Christensen's effect pedal board during the reunion tour was quite small and only contained the following stomp box
Stomp box
thumb|Puck'n Stompa by PetermanA stomp box or stompbox is a simple percussion instrument consisting of a small wooden box placed under the foot, which is tapped or stamped on rhythmically to produce a sound similar to that of a bass drum. A stomp box allows a performer such as a singer or guitar...

es:
  • Boss
    Boss Corporation
    Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...

     DD-20 Giga Delay
  • Boss RC-2 Loop Station
  • Carl Martin Dizzy Drive
  • Vox
    Vox (musical equipment)
    Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...

     Joe Satriani Big Bad Wah
  • Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner

Albums

Year Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
DK
Tracklisten
Tracklisten is a Danish top 40 record chart that is presented every Thursday midnight at .The weekly Danish Singles Chart also known as Track Top-40 combines the 40 best selling tracks from legal music downloads and the sales of music singles on either CD or vinyl...


1994 Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
Dizzy Mizz Lizzy (album)
Dizzy Mizz Lizzy is the eponymous debut album of the Danish rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, released in on 4 March 1994.- Reception :Before the album was even recorded, the songs "Waterline" and "Silverflame" from the band's 1993 demo received heavy rotation on radio stations, including DR P3 and DR P4...

  • Released: 4 March 1994
  • Label: EMI
    EMI
    The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...

    -Medley
  • Producer: Nick Foss, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
?
  • DK: 250.000
  • JP: 100.000
  • DK: 4 Danish Grammys
    Danish Music Awards
    The Danish Music Awards is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called IFPI-prisen until 1991, when it changed its name to Dansk Grammy . The current name was given in 2001, after the American Grammy Awards took copyright on the name Grammy....

  • DK: 5× Platinum
  • 1995 One guitar, one bass and a drummer, that's really all it takes — Live in Japan
  • Released: 13 December 1995
  • Label: EMI
  • Japan-only
  • 1996 Rotator
    Rotator (album)
    Rotator is the second and final studio album released by the Danish rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy.- Overview :EMI-Medley head of A&R and producer Nick Foss had made an agreement with lead singer and guitarist Tim Christensen that if their debut album Dizzy Mizz Lizzy won gold , the next would be...

  • Released: 24 May 1996
  • Label: EMI-Casadida
  • Producer: Nick Foss, Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
  • ?
  • DK: 100.000
  • JP: 100.000
  • DK: 2 Danish Grammys
    Danish Music Awards
    The Danish Music Awards is a Danish award show. The show has been arranged by IFPI since 1989, and was originally called IFPI-prisen until 1991, when it changed its name to Dansk Grammy . The current name was given in 2001, after the American Grammy Awards took copyright on the name Grammy....

  • DK: 2× Platinum
  • 1998 The Greatest
  • Released: 28 March 1998
  • Label: EMI
  • Japan-only
  • 2002 The Best of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
    The Best of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
    The Best of Dizzy Mizz Lizzy is a greatest hits album released by the Danish rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy in 2002. The first disc contains tracks from the band's two studio albums Dizzy Mizz Lizzy and Rotator, the second disc holds a live registration of a concert held in Aarhus on 11 May 1996...

  • Released: 29 April 2002
  • Label: EMI-Casadida
  • Producer: Nick Foss, Lars Overgaard
  • 4
    2010 Dizzcography
    Dizzcography
    Dizzcography is a box set released in 2010, containing all previously released material by the Danish rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. The CD version is collected in a black printed cardboard box as four Digipak CDs and a 40-page booklet. The box set was also released in a limited press on 8...

  • Released: 29 March 2010
  • Label: EMI
  • Producer: Dizzy Mizz Lizzy, Nick Foss, Flemming Hansson
  • 6
    Live in Concert 2010
    Live in Concert 2010
    Live in Concert 2010 is a 19-song live recording of two concerts at the K.B. Hallen on 16–17 April 2010, by the Danish power rock band Dizzy Mizz Lizzy. It was released on 8 November 2010 as 2CD/DVD and 2CD/Blu-ray. In Japan, it was released on 27 April on King Records...

  • Released: 8 November 2010
  • Label: EMI
  • Producer: Theis Molin
  • 4
    Big-5: Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
  • Released: 21 November 2010
  • Label: EMI

  • Singles

    • "Barbedwired Baby's Dream" (1994), EMI-Medley
    • "Waterline" (1994), EMI Europe
    • "Love Is a Loser's Game" (1994), EMI-Medley
    • "Silverflame" (1993), EMI Europe
    • "Glory" (1995), EMI-Medley
    • "Rotator" (1996), EMI
    • "Find My Way" (Japan, 1996), Toshiba-EMI
    • "11:07 PM" (1996), EMI-Medley
    • "When the River Runs Dry" (1996), EMI-Medley

    External links

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