'Viking' Sigur Ros in 24-hour YouTube takeover

Sigur Ros will become the latest act to takeover YouTube tomorrow (7 Mar) and will use the opportunity to stream their feature-length documentary Heima in its entirety.

As well as the 97 minutes of that the band will use the rest of their 24 hours in control of the popular video site to play selector, hosting ten fan videos on a frontpage that’s used by hundreds of millions of people.

The ten videos have been made as entries for a YouTube-based competition to find the best fan interpretations of Heima, winners chosen by the Icelandic quartet who will also record a video message for the takeover.

“Like all Icelanders we are intensely proud of our mighty homeland in the far North Atlantic,” the band’s Georg Holm said. “It is in our Viking blood to want to conquer nations and peoples, but our longboat was in the repair shop having the barnacles removed, so we just made a film to send out into the world on our behalf instead.

“It turned out all right in the end, and lots of people have already enjoyed it. Now it's your turn. And a special thanks to everyone who entered the Minn Heima competition."

YouTube’s music community manager Michele Flannery said he hopes the takeover “breaks down the walls between fans and musicians as they are able to directly participate in the creative process”.