No, not the space people thingy - I couldn't care less about that. The great venue/club/jar of memories in Reykjavik. News emerged a few days ago of plans to take down the wonderful NASA venue and turn it into yet another hotel. If there's one thing Reykjavik has a hell of a lot of it's hotels, surely this is insanity? Actually, of course RVK has a good helping of music venues too but that doesn't mean that one of the best, most charming, most important and most full of memories should be allowed to bite the dust. It's important to me, it's important to a lot of musicians, fans, bar staff and it's surely pretty crucial to the continuation of Iceland Airwaves as we know it - there's not a venue like it. Some good news later in the week from the grapevine, it appears all may not be lost.
Of course it comes down to money - can it justify the rent that's asked of it? Can the city or the government do anything to help preserve it and smooth the route to survival. A hell of a lot of people would like that, it would be a fine and popular thing to support. Well over 1,000 people have already signed this petition (there's also link on the top left of this page) organised by the excellent John of the equally excellent Brainlove Records.
Please, please sign the petition.
In the meantime, and off the top of my head (so forgive omissions and hazy memories), some personal NASA highlights:
In 2004 instructed by the good folk of 12 Tonar, my first trip to NASA was to see Mugison's Airwaves show. Actually the first band I saw were the long gone Ske, but the advice to see Mugi was amongst the best I've ever received. Ever since I've enjoyed Mugison and trusted 12 Tonar.
I think 2006 was the year that the mighty Reykjavik! played a typically boisterous show there, the highlight of which was a three girl choreographed dance routine to "All Those Beautiful Boys" - hilarious and brilliant. We watched with (well beneath) Boas from the audience. You know what? I dug out the video...
2007 was an amazing festival. French band The Teenagers were so cool back then, their Airwaves NASA show was sleazy brilliance. The best kind! On the Saturday night we wandered into NASA off the street after something else finished to catch the second half of a sweaty, pumping, incredible set from Gus Gus swiftly followed by the usual amazingness of Ghostigital (right) - maybe my favourite Airwaves night of them all.
I remember 3 remarkable gigs from 2008 in NASA - the first time I ever saw Retro Stefson, they were so young, they filled the stage with balloons, they sounded great! Dr Spock, complete with rubber gloves, balaclava and a large dose of gob. And Faeroe Islanders Boys In A Band really rocked NASA but the best of the year, one of the most startling things I've ever seen, the choir of mountainous fishermen, Fjallabræður (right) - incredible sounds and then they hit the dancefloor.
The FM Belfast show in 2010 at NASA - the final show of the festival was immense. It was late, it was load, the stage was as crowded as any part of the cramped venue. They played forever, they played every song, everyone knew all the words and then, from somewhere, they played Sweet Child Of Mine and finally the whole place shouted every single word of Underwear right back in their faces.
This list was compiled from 84 votes. 27 different records got some love, Iceland is truly full of wonderful music-makers and some lovely fans too. Here's our best of 2011 list...
1. Sóley - We Sink
2= FM Belfast - Don't Want to Sleep 2= Björk - Biophilia
4= Sin Fang - Summer Echoes 4= Of Monsters & Men - My Head Is An Animal
6. Reykjavik! - Locust Sounds
7= GusGus - Arabian Horse 7= Lockerbie - Ólgusjór
9= Hellvar - Stop That Noise 9= Snorri Helgason - Winter Sun 9= Mugison - Haglél 9= HAM - Svik, harmur og Dauði
Thanks to everybody who took part. I've counted up 84 music-loving votes. I've checked and I've double-checked my maths.
27 different records (including a couple of E.P.s) received some love - I guess that underlines the breadth of talent around right now in Iceland. In a shock (!) development, 12 records have made it into the Top 10 (because 4 tied in 9th place). And, thank the lord, we had a clear cut winner and I do not need to make a casting vote. Tomorrow, here, I'll post the top 12 records as voted by lovers of Icelandic music. It's an exciting time!
For now, just as a tease, some of the albums which did not make the dozen most popular were by such awesome talents as Ólafur Arnalds, Vicky, Lay Low & some band called Sigur Rós.
So here's the plan. You lovely fans of Iceland, music and therefore Icelandic Music email me at markollard AT googlemail.com with up to 5 of your favourite albums of the year by Icelandic artists. We'll have a deadline of Monday December 19th, then I'll do some sums and report back on the top ten and we will crown the inaugural people's choice for the Icelandic album of the year.
Sóley Stefánsdóttir first came to my attention playing with the rather marvellous bands of Mr Sindri Már Sigfússon - Seabear, Sin Fang Bous and then plain old Sin Fang. Presumably she got fed up of not being in other bands - I believe the other members of Sindri's line-ups also turned up in bands such as Kimono, Mr Silla and Skakkamanage. We're really glad she did - her solo records are beguilingly different and totally absorbing. Her debut E.P. from 2010, Theater Island, contained six minimal and dreamy tunes highlighted by the amazing "We Will Put Her In Two Graves". That was promise was followed up and exceeded by her full length debut We Sink earlier this year. It's an album of fragility and beauty. It's been described as a soundtrack to Alice In Wonderland and certainly manages to sound innocent but also dark and threatening. It's a gem.
The exciting news for me and other Londoners is that she is coming to play at the very excellent monthly Scandinavian (and Icelandic) showcase night JaJaJa next week, Thursday November 24th at The Lexington. Music lovers should get down there. I was really excited to have a quick chat with Sóley before her very hectic sounding 24 hours in London. So hit play on the track below from the new album and have a read of what she had to say...
Congratulations on all of your great reviews at Iceland Airwaves! You seemed to be playing shows almost constantly, how many did you play in total and did you have a favourite?
Thank you. I played my stuff six times and with Sin Fang twice so yes I played a lot of shows, lot of fun and stress but I have to say that I really liked the on venue show at Kaldalón in Harpa on the Wednesday night, it was full of people and I heard there was a big queue outside the door which was really surprising! I also secretly like the surprise show I did on Friday night at Tjarnabíó. I was asked with one days notice so there was no time to announce it clearly so when I came on stage I think there were like three Australian people in the crowd and they "wooo-ed" a lot and made me feel very comfortable because when I went on stage and I saw no one, because it was all black in there, I got a bit pissed off thinking why I was doing this other show because no one knew I was playing. Anyway, in the end I was not stressed at all, I mean I have never ever been as calm as then and after a few songs the crowd grew and in the end I was pretty happy that I did this "secret sóley show!"
And did you manage to enjoy any of the rest of the festival? What bands did you see that were great?
Well it´s hard to enjoy the festival and be playing that much. For example I was playing with Sin Fang at the same time as Beach House was playing and I would have loved to see them. But I saw Tune-Yards. She was awesome, I loved her show!
How important is Airwaves to you as an artist?
It´s one of these showcase festivals which means a lot of journalists and other people who maybe work at festivals etc come to your show and I was for example invited to play at Eurosonic in Holland and ByLarm in Norway which are both festivals like Airwaves. I think I was also invited to play at jajaja after someone saw me at airwaves, I'm not sure though! It´s also most important for people who are there for the music. Now I´ll stop talking business! I mean music lovers travel a long way to come and spend money on flight tickets and staying and living in Iceland for a week. I mean in the end it´s all for them. It´s a good opportunity for Icelandic bands to get known outside iceland without leaving the country!
How do you compare playing your own shows to the shows you play as part of Sindri's band?
Since September we have only been two in my band. So it's very simple but still very tense at times because it´s almost only voice, keys with effects, loops and some weird sounds. So if I´m nervous, hell you are going to hear it! I have nothing kind of to back me up. Not a big band at the back of me so my act is a bit naked while Sin Fang is more like a real pop band with five members and everyone playing together. It´s just different.
Are you looking forward to your show in London? How long are you in our little town for?
Yes I´m really looking forward to it. Me and the drummer are going to stay in good old London for 24 hours! It´s almost like having a meeting. we are going to a business trip to London!
I find that your songs have a very literary air, and I've read more than one journalist make the comparison with Alice In Wonderland. Do you have a favourite book or author? And has that been an influence on your lyrics?
Yes for inspiration I read a lot of poems, in Icelandic. my favorite poet´s name is Davíð Stefánsson and he wrote these beautifully dark poems about death and love that can never be. Since I was little I loved Edward Scissorhands, it was so scary when I watched as a small girl, so i like Tim Burton and if he would call me and ask me to make music to his new movie I would quit everything else, move to Hofsós, a small town in the North of Iceland, have only a piano, candles, banana bread and espresso machine and start composing.
So here's the thing, and I say this with the credibility of someone who goes to precisely zero other music festivals most years, Iceland Airwaves is without doubt the greatest music festival in the world. I've done it for years and years, and it's only getting better. This year was, in a nutshell, every bit as good as always with the addition (permanent) of the incredible Harpa building and venues, the addition (temporary) of Björk's too good to be true Biophilia shows and the addition (again) of more great people to meet and friends to keep. The curation of international artists was as good as ever (bands on the upwards curve) plus the additions of Yoko Ono and Sinead O'Connor added a different kind of buzz. For me of course the international part of the line-up is of secondary interest compared to the continued amazement at the volume and talent of the local acts.
The high points were many, and I'll get to them very soon. The disappointments were few: Late running shows at the otherwise brilliant Bakkus programme of events (not official Airwaves) on Friday meant I missed out on seeing HAM (according to the Airwaves brochure, "If you miss this show, kill yourself" - eek) for the second year in a row. An enormous downpour left me stranded (like a wimp) in Nasa whilst Prinspóló played at Tjarnarbío. Hoffman cancelled their show, not for the first time. Glaumbar is a great venue if you are one of the 30 people who can stand around the stage, but it's a terrible, chattering, obscured view bar-room if you are not. The Aurora Borealis that appeared as a green smudge on Saturday night never developed (whilst I was watching anyway) into a real show.
That's it, a handful of minor inconveniences from four days of partying in Iceland (no Sunday for me this year). The organisation was perfect, the queues were no worse than usual apart from the occasional punchy drunk, the beer prices were very mixed (three cheers for Bakkus, slap in the face for Hressó). There seemed to be more than ever going on off venue. I've still never made it to The Nordic House for any of their shows, the reports I heard were good and bad. I still find any show in a bookstore totally irresistible and a unique experience, and I'm utterly addicted to that marquee in the backyard of Hressó - it's a fun space and the line-up is unfailingly strong.
I've had my say on the Björk show here, and two weeks later I really can't believe how good it was to be so up close and personal and see that unique show during Iceland Airwaves. Trying to pick individual songs as highlights isn't easy, but Crystalline and Cosmogony of the new songs and Isobel and Nattura of the older ones are rarely out of my head. The other new star of the show of course was the Harpa building (above) which now, controversially, is finished. I understand the local reservations about the building and its long, drawn out completion but as architecture Harpa is a stunning achievement. From the outside it is beautiful and fits in its position in Reykjavík harbour perfectly. Its look is stunning by day and glittering by night. Inside, it is a light, open and airy building housing four world class music venues of varying sizes plus cafés, free wi-fi and, fantastically, a brilliant new 12 Tónar store (below). And then there were the shows, day and night, relentlessly...
Wednesday was the travel day. After a rapid airport to guesthouse to Hressó transfer, I started Iceland Airwaves 2011 with Retro Stefson and a beer. I had arrived in the best possible fashion. Retro Stefson are a wonderful live band that never quite captures it on record but on stage, here or elsewhere, very few can match the sense of fun and excitement they bring. The bulk of the night was obviously spent at Harpa watching Björk. After we tipped out of there, the evening was spent running around venues catching as much of the Airwaves opening night spirit as possible. The new sight of Krummi (the singer from hard rockers Mínus) playing from behind a laptop in Faktorý was 15 minutes well spent, as was a few songs from hip-hopper Blaz Roca in Gaukur - the Icelandic language certainly lends itself to rap, and this guy is the best I've seen. Then into Bakkus for an affordable beer and a good set by newly formed band, Dream Central Station, which features either 2 or 3 members (depending on who you believe) of the now sadly defunct but once utterly outstanding Jakobínarína. From there it was back across the (very) windswept harbour to discover two more of Harpa's halls - Norðurljós for functional sets from Dikta and then Pétur Ben & Eberg and Kaldalón (seated only, a little disappointing) for a bit of Markus & The Diversion Session. Of course Björk dominated day one, with honourable mentions to Retro Stefson, Dream Central Station and for the late night snack.
Thursday was a hectic day, daytime and evening, and featured more bands than any other this year for me. It started with recent iceblah interview 'victims' Porquesi down at the tiny space of the downtown hostel. I often struggle with instrumental guitar/drums/bass bands, but Porquesi have enough in their armoury to hold the interest. They play with the pace of songs very effectively and in their tune "Obvious Harmony", had one the songs of the week for me. I was to see them play twice more. Running around town during the afternoon I saw, in very quick succession, a bit of Borko in the Hressó marquee, I heard but couldn't see Mugison at the new (and very beautiful) Kex hostel, Mammút at Kaffistofan and then Þórir (right) at the great original 12 Tónar store - watching him alone, seated, with an acoustic guitar in that shop is loaded with great memories of Airwaves past. His set was made up only of Icelandic language songs, so the language was lost on me but the voice and playing gets me every time. Finally for the afternoon session it was back to Hressó again to watch the wonderful and charming but a little late running ("I was at my job, I forgot about the show!") Sóley play an excellent solo show in support of her new record before joining Sin Fang on stage for their brilliant show packed full of indie pop songs, which was performed to a packed out venue and delighted crowd.
Thursday night got underway at Bar 11 to see excellent UK band Yunioshi (right). They are not only a really good live band, but also deserve massive love for enjoying Iceland Airwaves 2010 so much they came back again to play a series of off-venue shows (Iceland Airwaves does not have repeating overseas acts). Just prior to Airwaves they played several dates all around Iceland with their friends Bloodgroup. Much respect! From there I went to see Dream Central Station at Iðnó, having really enjoyed them the previous night. This show wasn't as good as in Bakkus though, the bigger (and frankly, emptier) room did them no favours and perhaps neither did the earlier slot, they definitely sound like a late night band. However, given that they formed a matter of months ago there's a load of potential here, I'll be keeping an eye on them for sure. There then followed some running around, starting at Nasa where I was delighted to see Estonian band, Iiris. They weren't in my plans at all but were one of those typical Airwaves delights of being in the right place at the right time - a whirlwind of a front-woman backed by a tight and loud band, Iiris was a total and unexpected delight and everyone in a half full Nasa knew it. Off to Amsterdam to see Porquesi's only on-venue show amongst their dozens (it seemed) of off venue efforts. Still, this was a relatively small venue and their instrumental indie sounds filled it very well indeed, there was much nodding of heads and tapping of feet. Back in Nasa, Lára Rúnars (right) was putting on a slick show to a sadly quite empty room. The front few rows were clearly loving it, and although she's not really my kind of thing it was clear she was doing a great job up there. I had picked out Karkwa weeks ago as a (shock! horror!) non-Icelandic band I'd like to see so I headed to Tjarnarbíó to catch some of their show. It started slowly and I was left slightly disappointed that they seemed to be playing a less characterful, and more pedestrian, version of the recorded stuff I had heard. I got the impression the venue wasn't helping them, at Hressó 2 days later they were much, much better. Next, off to the Art Museum to see the last part of Hjaltalín's big show, they finished with a wonderful "Feels Like Sugar" and the packed house couldn't get enough, there was a tremendous atmosphere in the cavernous space. It was set up nicely for Retro Stefson, I was really keen to see how they would do in this big room, essentially as supporting act to one of the festival's biggest overseas acts, Beach House. Of course, I thought they did a great job - the music really works live but so much more than that, these kids can work a crowd so incredibly well - they had everyone crouching, then leaping, then parting down the middle so they could run up and down the created corridor.
It was a show, and the (not quite full by now) Art Museum knew it. Beach House were next, and although there were fears of disappointed queuers I think everyone got in OK, there was certainly some space towards the rear. I like the Beach House record, but two songs in I had had enough. It's true that plenty of people were loving it, but the dreamy pop just didn't connect with me. I headed out, knowing that the excellent Sin Fang would be on stage in Iðnó. And indeed they were, playing to a hot and heaving crowd, there was not one inch of space left. Sin Fang's music is the very definition of indie-folk to me, and not the crappy kind. It's always a pleasure to see them but actually this show was so crowded that it was less brilliant than earlier in the day at Hressó. Time to end the night with a crazy party and a chill out. the crazy party was going on at Amsterdam where The Fist Fokkers (not as scary as they sound) were doing a few of their own tunes but also a load of covers that had been "crowd-sourced" on "social media" sites, all very 2011. The result was a bit sing along party where hairy, topless men with fairy lights for necklaces and headbands led a bar full of drunkards through renditions of the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage", Sinead's (sorry, Prince's) "Nothing Compares 2 U" and No Doubts' "Don't Speak". A crazy, brilliant yet totally typical Iceland Airwaves moment. The chill out at the end of this Airwaves night came at a unusually full Glaumbar where the lovely Lay Low was singing with her acoustic guitar. It was beautiful and it was sleepy. And it was a 5 minute walk home, after a 19 band day.
Friday's daytime session was more curtailed than others. I started at Hressó again - the shows are always good, the food is always good. The beer is also good, although it is amongst the most expensive in town. I saw Caged Animals, but *may* have been a little distracted by my incredible burger during their set which I could certainly hear but not really see. They are an American band playing guitar tunes with an electro edge. It was fine. Finnish rockers Murmansk were next up and they were a lovely surprise. I was a little worried, they had been described as "goth to the core" - but they sounded like a good, noisy, occasionally brooding rock band to me. I had expected to quickly go off to check out other events, but I stayed for the whole set and checked out where and when they were playing their main show (I never made it). Sóley was once again out and about, she definitely played as many shows as anyone - today she was playing upstairs in the Eymundsson book store and was every bit as good as the day before, songs such as "Smashed Birds" from the new record becoming better with every listen.
Friday night was much anticipated. The plan was to see three giants of the Icelandic scene - Mugison, Reykjavik! and HAM. It was a good plan. Readers that are paying attention (well done you!) will know that I was to miss one of them. The evening began in Nasa with Samaris, winners of this year Musiktilraunir contest for new bands. They make a nice, interesting sound with plenty of room for development. This is trip-hop sounding stuff, it reminded me of some of Tricky's older sound, but with added clarinet. Does it work? Kind of - it sounded a little samey after a while, but let's wait and see, this band has been going for 8 months. I left Nasa and began to head over to Harpa in plenty of time to see Mugison. There was a brief stop to see those nice Dandelion Seeds in Amsterdam for a couple of songs - 70s rock, nice harmonies, good drumming and bass. I was at Harpa in plenty of time to get a good spot for Mugison, in time even to see the end of Hljómsveitin Ég's show - a band that have never grabbed me. Very quickly the Norðurljós hall filled up ahead of the Mugi-show. Mugison has been essential since his very first record back in 2004, he is perhaps enjoying a peak of popularity in Iceland right now thanks to his brand new Icelandic language album Haglél and chart-topping omnipresent single "Stingum Af", and of course his ever growing and now seemingly glowing, beard. Having heard the new album, more quiet and acoustic than some recent, QOTSA-supporting, rockier stuff, I was a little concerned that this could be a quiet and Icelandic language heavy show. Not a problem - Mugison at Harpa was THE show of Iceland Airwaves 2011. It was packed, everyone was excited and Mugi delivered. He started with the wonderful Mugiboogie, a cracking, noisy, dirty rock singalong of an opener. the pace was maintained through The Pathetic Anthem and into Sweetest Melody where this large white roomful of people were screaming every word back at the stage. The pace and volume dropped as he ran through four tracks from the new album, including a stunning version of the aforementioned single which had the Icelanders in the room beaming with delight. The noise came back for the traditional set closer and utterly genius track "Murr Murr", which has developed from a sweet acoustic song a decade a go into a fierce, fun rocker driven by an insanely catchy riff. This was the perfect show, he's a wonderful songwriter and showman in front of a highly talented band (how sweaty was that drummer!?).
But the night was young. Once out of the heaving, happy mass of people Mugison had left in his Harpa wake it was off and out across the blustery harbour and headed to Bakkus for Friday night part 2 - Reykjavik! Bakkus is a brilliant bar, it's the best size, it has Reykjavik's best atmosphere, cheapest beer and the venue that was once known as Gaukur is now integrated into it (different from what is now Gaukur, which is what was Sodoma, and before that Gaukur's pool room. Clear?). On arrival a band called Beatless were playing, this was pretty fun. It was dance music fronted by an older guy telling stories (that might sound like Ghostigital! but not even close to being that good), still it was interesting. Should I have known who the guy was? They were followed by a band called Vigri, who passed me by as I was at the bar and chatting - everyone was here tonight. Everyone wanted to see Reykjavik! who were proudly clutching, and quickly selling, their brand new and utterly brilliant record, "Locust Sounds". Time, frustratingly, was ticking by. Clearly it would be midnight before R! took to the stage. The same time that HAM would begin over the road at the Art Museum. ARGH! CLASH! NIGHTMARE! In fact, there was no choice. I would be back in London by the time Reykjavik! played their only other show on Sunday night. I had to stay, I had to see them. Add to that, Bakkus was rammed full of people I know, plus Jónsi who I bravely (!) said hi to at the bar. (Yep, me too - he was everywhere this week!). It was late, I had given up on HAM (frankly, I had forgotten about HAM), Reykjavik! came on stage without giant Viking guitarist Valdi (which may have limited the scope of the set a little?) but with a big bottle of vodka to be given out by guitarist and chief party-starter Haukur to anyone seen singing along (and knowing the words) to the tunes. And yes, no surprise, Reykjavik! were as ever a blisteringly fantastic live band. You will never see more energy given, more noise created and more chaos ensuing from a live show. I love watching them play their songs live - the new ones sounded great, I think it was "Sneak" that they kindly dedicated to little me - they won't have heard my shouted reply, the voice had gone by then - better, though, than Paul Sullivan who was in the gents for his shout out! (Sorry Paulo). As for the more familiar stuff, a brilliant version of "Cats" was followed by a rasping, astonishing and utterly terrifying version of the ever-brilliant "Kate Bush" which was delivered in an almost pitch black room creating a brilliant atmosphere, with Boas as mobile around the room as ever delivering much of the vocals from atop the bar (right). An encore was demanded and we got "All The Beautiful Boys" a gem from the first album. Everyone knew the words, but the vodka bottle had been emptied long ago. There was no point going elsewhere now, we all hung around to see the wonderful Mammut, but this time from the distance of the venue's front bar. They sounded good I seem to remember, it was a good night.
Airwaves Saturday, and what a beautiful clear, crisp, sunny Reykjavik morning. No better place to be in those circumstances to than in Harpa watching Iceland's latest next big thing Of Monsters And Men. Big things are happening for this band, the week before Airwaves they signed with Universal, and the Rolling Stone review following the festival compared them to Arcade Fire. Good work. They were clearly the buzz band of the week and all being well those of us lucky enough to see them perform in the coffee shop at Harpa or in the tiny bar Glaumbar will look back on that very fondly as they sell out stadiums worldwide! Live, they are charming and confident, on record they are forceful and the tunes work immediately and stay with you. The Arcade Fire comparison isn't unfair on either band (yes, that was me the little blog man telling Rolling Stone magazine that their journalism was OK). Anyhow, it was a really chilled and low key show by a band going places and following it I took the opportunity, given the amount of sunlight pouring in through Harpa's glass walls, to have a proper poke around this incredible construction. It is stunning. The rest of my Saturday's off venue entertainment came at the now traditional and very welcome Canadian Blast at Hressó. First up I saw a much improved show by Karkwa that made me glad to have picked them out pre festival as a band I wanted to see. The personality and driving drums and guitars were here this time, I think they had some sound issues on Thursday. I'm wary of bands labelled as "experimental", so I was unsure what to expect from the hyped band Esmerine. Their set was pleasant if never spectacular until they were joined by Airwaves addict and all-round genius Patrick Watson to perform their collaboration "Snow Day For Lhasa", which was a stunning moment. Finally, it was time for a bit of sitar driven rock from Elephant Stone and I think they delivered the best show of this year's Canadian Blast, certainly they had the largest and most appreciative audience that I saw there all day. The sitar was used sparingly, certainly they never became any kind of novelty sitar band but when it was used it was fabulous to watch as well as to hear.
Saturday night, like the previous one was aimed squarely at the giants. Today's targets were Ghostigital, Ólafur Arnalds and GusGus - would I get all three this time after falling one short on Friday? I began at Nasa where I wanted to see new (to me) Icelandic electro-pop band Kiriyama Family. Plenty of potential here ad one to keep an eye on but I wanted to do some venue hopping early in the evening. So it was off for a bit of the very gentle Pascal Pinon at Glaumbar, in time for their best moment "I Wrote A Song" followed by the fuzzy sounds and hairdos of Led Zep obsessives (just a guess) The Vintage Caravan at Gaukur and then up to Faktorý to catch some of Tonik's set (strong dance stuff, great pink lights) before Ghostigital. Part of the fun of Ghostigital concerts is watching them set up beforehand. Clearly this is a band with a lot of wizardry going on, there are a lot of wires on the stage, but the band members roam around on stage, off stage, to the bar with such nonchalance that you wonder how it all comes together! I'm sure, of course, that everything has been testing a hundred times earlier in the day. Certainly, when they did all coincide on stage and the lights went down everything was perfect. The first thing to note about Ghostigital's set was how very, very, very, very loud it was. Yes I was at the very front next to that great big speaker but they do always get more volume out of a set-up than anyone else can manage, year after year. The show itself was great, the guitar working especially well this year. I missed the backing visuals of last year's excellent Tjarnarbíó show, but the brilliant electronics created by Curver were outstanding, pulsating and insistent, there was no escape. As for the wonderful Mr Einar Orn, he gave another great performance, getting more like Mark E Smith (or is it the other way round?) every year. His lyrics vary from the recorded versions of songs so often and so seamlessly, it is fascinating to watch. He is so alive on stage, in his natural habitat, prowling around bathed in bright lights and dense fog - putting the world right. The fantastic new single, "Don't Push Me" sounded particularly great, a good sign for the forthcoming album. This is a band, and a front-man, that you cannot take your eyes or ears off.
The 5 minute walk from Faktorý to Harpa was a very long journey in terms of musical styles. Going from Ghostigital to Ólafur Arnalds does require some mindset adjustment. I arrived at Harpa to find the Norðurljós room seemingly packed. Nobody could move in or out. However when this blockage did move it revealed plenty of space further forward - what were all those people trying to achieve hanging around the doorway? In the 5 minutes before the show the room filled up quickly, as full as it had been for Mugison a day earlier. I think this was the best show I've ever seen (of 5 or 6) from Ólafur, the band seemed especially relaxed and their enjoyment transferred quickly to the audience. I'm afraid I'm terrible at knowing song titles when I don't have lyrics to prompt me, but I do know that set closer, 3055, was a particular highlight.
Once again, the visuals that accompany the songs definitely adds to the experience as does the brilliant lighting of the stage and the room. A victory for the artist but also for the venue - truly wonderful stuff. two great shows within an hour and I was onto the final lap of my Iceland Airwaves 2011. After sticking around to see the first couple of songs by Danish band Treefight For Sunlight I headed back across the harbour one more time to search for entertainment before my finalé of GusGus. First, to Amsterdam to watch Swords Of Chaos - this is the sort of hardcore, screamy rock that I can love here, in small doses, but no more than that. A packed bar of devotees was lapping it up however. 15 minutes later I wandered up to Glaumbar where Endless Dark were playing. Of course being Glaumbar, this wasn't a full plugged in show from these young riffers but it was a total revelation. Endless Dark (right) are a very talented 6 piece rock band, with some excellent songs in their armoury. I suspect that the challenge of playing a small, chilled acoustic set would expose most bands of their age and genre but they thrived here. They proved that you can take away the fuzz, the noise, the show and their tunes and talent will shine rather than disappear. I was so impressed with this performance, another wonderful Airwaves surprise. The queue outside the Art Museum told me it was time to get in there ahead of the GusGus show, so I did manage to see the final 10 minutes or so of Canadian 80s, synth types Austra, which was pretty pleasant. Like in Bakkus a night ago, it seemd like everyone was in the Art Museum tonight, it was full of familiar faces and various Icelandic musicians here to pay their respects to the perfect end of night band, GusGus. They sounded great, for such a long-standing dance act they have truly stood the test of time and have developed and changed over their 2 decades (ish!). Watching them I was left with the impression that the quality of vocals, now and throughout the career, had a lot to do with this - they really are at their best live. That said, as the set went on, the crowd towards the back of the hall (where we were) grew more and more chatty, seemingly slightly losing interest in events at the other end of this long, narrow space (right). Still, it sounded good and a good social event as well. At the end, I spilled out into the cold air knowing that 4 hours later I'd be on a flybus away from this unbelievable party. Another Iceland Airwaves in the bag, and even more incredible memories.
So yes, my A list of Icelandic bands were reliably brilliant (Reykjavík!, Mugison, Ghostigital, Ólafur Arnalds, Retro Stefson, GusGus, Sin Fang, Mammút), the next generation are getting better all the time (Of Monsters & Men, Endless Dark, Pascal Pinon) and there were some really memorable shows by bands I hadn't seen before (Sóley, Porquesi, Dream Central Station, Samaris). Everything I have come to expect from this increasingly brilliant few days every year. Oh yes, and there was Björk too. This festival continues to give unique, special moments - one after another.
A few other sights of the week:
Scary bicycle
Too much singing along to Reykjavik! will make you horse
Prinspóló are one of those Icelandic supergroups where you'll recognise everyone on stage from one or more bands. This lot are led by local legend Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson, of Skakkamanage and the truly wonderful but now defunct and legendary Runk. The band includes members of FM Belfast, Reykjavik! and Sudden Weather Change. So, they're pretty good, as those credentials would suggest. I had a chat with Svavar about this and that...
Hello Svavar, where are you? What are you up to?
Hi there. I'm at my home in Reykjavik where I'm planning a road trip with Prinspóló, FM Belfast, Sin Fang and Borko. We're going to Akureyri on October 22nd on a tour we call Partíthokan (The Party Fog).
The band has been touring in Eastern Europe - was that a load of fun or are you all fed up with each other now?
We did Poland in September, with a stop in Berlin. It was awesome! Polish audience took us like royals and we had so much fun. Our love to Poland and to our selves has gained very much after the tour and now we have a plan on touring Poland every year until 2054 or something.
When Prinspóló go on tour about 4 other bands lose members! How does everyone cope with that?
Well, the Prins is always number one because we have no king.
Good answer! When you play at Airwaves there will be 5 or 6 other shows happening - so why should people come and see you play?
You should because you must. The herd must follow it's Prins.
You aften spend a lot of time clearly saying something very funny in Icelandic between songs - are we allowed to know what you are saying?
Yes of course. I really suck in English storytelling, especially when I'm about to pee in my pants with stress. And sometimes, while on stage, I feel like saying something to the audience, especially when they are smiling to me, and then something long and pointless comes out of my mouth. Usually I'm in some kind of a mental blackout because of stress and I don't know where I am or what I'm saying.
I have to take the opportunity to ask you about Rúnk - that was the band that made me realise (I think in Grand Rokk in 2002) that there was a depth to Icelandic music beyond former Sugarcubes, so thank you! - It was a great band, is there any hope of you guys getting back together again?
How nice of you to say. Well, next year is the 10th anniversary of Rúnk's one and only LP Genghi Dahls. If time and money is on our side we might have a Fanta Lemon or something.
If you get together, I'll buy the Fanta Lemon! Can I also ask about Havarí? The store closed earlier this year, but is there any news about it reappearing?
We have no plans on that, and we are all pretty busy working on even worse business models than Havarí. But you should never say never. We still have a social number for the company and some debts to pay.
Have you seen the festival line-up? What are you really excited to see?
I will probably go and see what my colleagues in Reykjavík and Sudden Weather Change are up to. Both are releasing and working on very exciting stuff. Then I might check on Borko, Beach House, Dad Rocks!, Ghostigital, John Grant, Mr. Silla, Sin Fang and Sóley and what ever knocks on my ears.
You can see Prinspóló at Tjarnarbio at 8:50 on Saturday 15th (today!) - pay your respects to the prins, and bring your party hat. You'll have no regrets.
I'm an optimist. So all the anticipation of how good it would be to see Bjork in Reykjavik, at Iceland Airwaves, of how good this particular much lauded performance of Biophilia could be, could have been crippling. In fact my wildest expectations had nothing on the reality. This was music and performance at it's pinnacle, in a setting so perfectly intimate that it was hard to believe. To see a major world star performing her finest creative work in her home town, in a beautiful, brand new venue delivering crystal clear sound, with a crowd which, by her standards, must be tiny was a treat beyond all optimism.
As soon as I went into the room it was clear this was going to be incredible. A small stage, mostly at ground level hosting a range of bizarre instrumentation, some electronic and some (as promised) entirely natural - dominated by the 4 giant magnetic swinging things which doubtless have a name, but whose function is to set the beat on various songs. To one side of the stage was around 20 rows of tiered seating. To the other 3 sides just 4 or 5 steps hosting an audience never more than 7 or 8 deep kept back from the performance area by just a rope
We were asked not to take any photos, and that was almost entirely observed until the very last song. I think people guessed that Declare Independence was the climax and that this was their chance to capture this performance. Still, there were no flashes. Clearly, I'm just excusing myself - the photo above was the best my iphone could do in that room and in that light! The photo below of the choir dancing is from IcelandAirwaves on instagram, so that must be OK!
The lights dimmed just a few minutes after 8. Bjork was the last to enter the stage. She was supported by Manu Delago on the percussion, ipads, upturned woks (probably not) and who knows what else and a guy (sorry, missed the name) on keyboards, laptops and assorted electronica. There was also a harpsichordist for some tracks. As well as these three guys there was a choir of twenty or so girls who were brilliant and charming throughout, active on all but one or two tracks and dancing throughout, sometimes choreographed and sometimes freeform at the madder moments.
Bjork herself was wearing the dress and that wig from the album cover. The wig is incredible, it appears to be held on by an inch wide black chin strap, and it has the effect of making her already tiny features and frame become even tinier.
I'm not going to try to run through the show. It was an incredible nearly two hours. It was perfect. She seemed nervous at first but within 3 or 4 tracks was very clearly enjoying herself enormously, I guess she had a lot of friends and family in the audience. Oh, and that voice. That voice. The voice that first got me interested in Iceland back in the Eighties is still in wonderful working order from quietest whisper to the rasping but tuneful screams. She danced, she ran around the stage in circles, she sat down and sipped at tea.
I overheard more than one conversation on the way out around the topic of best gigs ever. This has few peers. For the Bjork stattos out there, I did get the setlist, so here's what she played:
Thunderbolt
Moon
Crystalline
Hollow
Dark Matter
Hidden Place
Mouth's Cradle
Isobel
Virus
Sacrifice
Vertebrae By Vertebrae
Where Is The Line
Mutual Core
Cosmogony
Solstice
(encore)
One Day
Nattura
Declare Independence
The Grapevine review of last night is here. You can still get one of 200 tickets for Sunday's show by queuing at Smekkleysa on Sunday morning. I really suggest you do.
Mr David Berndsen, or "Berndsen" as we know him is a regular Iceland Airwaves favourite. He wears his flawless eighties influences high up on his sleeve for all to see. His shows are all about giving the crowd a good time. They're usually full of locals too, that's always a good sign.
Hello - Where are you and what are you doing right now?
I am having a cup of coffee, and preparing for Airwaves and planning to move to Porto next monday!
Wow! Good luck! When you play at Airwaves there will be 5 or 6 other shows happening - so why should people come and see you play? what should we expect?
People who are in a good mood and want to have a good time should see us play! or if you just want to chill you can see something else! There are a lot of fun bands playing this year.
Is it fair to say that you're a guy who loves the music of the 80s? Are there any bands in particular who influence your sound?
I love the 80´s music, and all things about it, the synths, the look, the sounds. I am mostly influenced by OMD, Duran Duran and The Twins.
But you have a beard! (a very excellent one) there weren't many beards in music in the 80s were there?
Ha Ha... I don´t know if my beard is considered to be 80´s! It's just a twist on things.
I've just recently heard your excellent song with Bubbi Morthens - how did that collaboration happen?
We used to work on a radio program together, and fooled around making a song and couple of months later we did a song and it became a mega hit.
Have you seen the festival line-up? What are you really excited to see?
Excited to see Oculus, Hermigervill, Gus Gus and a lot of cool stuff.
What are your tips for first-timers at Iceland Airwaves?
I recommend people to just walk around downtown and see whatever that's always so fun, just see thing you don´t know nothing about!
And that, my friends, is THE BEST TIP for Iceland Airwaves, go and discover stuff you don't know. Do as Mr Berndsen says! You can see Berndsen at Iceland Airwaves 2011 at Hresso on Wednesday at 4pm, at i8 on Friday at 4pm and his main show on Saturday is in Nasa at 9:40pm. Synthtastic.
At Iceland Airwaves last year, a band called Yunioshi arrived determined to have fun, make friends and entertain. They succeeded brilliantly and I know I'm not the only person delighted to see them back in town again for Iceland Airwaves 2011. I don't spend a whole load of my Airwaves time watching acts from outside Iceland, but this lovely bunch will be on that short list for the second year in a row. Good work them. Here's the story...
Hi again! I'm excited that you're going to be around again this year in Reykjavik - how has your year been?
We've been quite nicely busy so far this year. Plenty of festivals both in the UK and abroad. A couple of highlights have been playing in Toronto for Canadian Music Week back in February and then the amazing Dot to Dot festival in the UK. We managed to pack out the venues and get people dancing. The venue we played in Toronto was burlesque themed - the topless bartop dancing ladies were a little distracting during the set - but something we should encourage more at our gigs we think!
So, Yunisohi, what did you enjoy so much about Airwaves 2010 that you want to do it all over again in 2011? (see also their awesome video diary from last year below)
Airwaves is such an awesome festival. I think we might even go so far as to say our favourite festival to play. Last year we met some amazing people, played to the best crowds who just got involved, played some amazing venues from half-pipes to cosey cafés. Whats not to like!? We're so lucky to have made some really good links with Reykjavik over the last few years - it feels like our home from home. I think the crammed gig at Kaffibarinn, the crazyness of Bakkus and the shear oddity of playing in a hairdressers will long stay in my mind as unforgettable moments!
You don't appear on the official line-up, so what are you up to?
We're semi-official! Airwaves don't tend to book international artists year on year, but such is our love for the festival and Iceland we've booked some great off venue shows - Barbara on Wednesday at 9pm, Bar 11 as part of the Gogoyoko line up on Thursday at 8pm so far - and maybe one more to be confirmed!?
We're also arriving a week early to tour with our good pals Bloodgroup which we're really looking forward to. We'll be playing their hometown on one night so it will be a real honour to play with them there. We're playing The Green Hat in Akureryi on Saturday 7th followed by The Slaughterhouse in Egilsstaðir on Sunday 8th before a few of us take a slow drive back to Reykjavik along the South Coast. Its gonna be amazing exploring more of Iceland.
Have you had a chance to look at the line-up? Anything you're particular keen to see?
There are some great bands as usual. International ones like Beach House, Yacht, Niki & the Dove and SBTRKT will be great to see - but for me I really want to see some of my favourite Icelandic bands like Hjaltalin, Lay Low and Utidur. We're bound to catch up with Svavar Knutur in Hemmi & Valdi at some point and if we could bump into Bjork that would be pretty amazing! Of course, we'll be watching Bloodgroup every chance that we get too!
What are your tips for bands playing this year? and for Airwaves punters?
Simply, just enjoy it! We've always had the best experiences in Reykjavik. The crowds are truly amazing and the music that you get to see is just astonishing. You can find it anywhere and everywhere. You'll grow to love the eggy water too!
Do you have any new music coming out? And please tell us how we can buy your wonderful tunes...
We've released a new single this year "Invisible" available at bandcamp where you can also find other tunes as well as some free downloads. We're also working on tracks for the new release and hope to have at least one extra new tune in the set for October. We may also have something extra up our sleeves for the Icelandic crowds - we just hope we have the time to pull it off! Everything else is available on Spotify, iTunes and Amazon as well as through RVKs very own Gogoyoko.
So, yes, please, go and make friends with and listen to and dance with Yunioshi in Reykajvik this week. And after that befriend them further on facebook & twitter.
For A Minor Reflection are four young guys from Reykjavík who have grown from a hard rock duo, via a bunch of Pink Floyd covers, to the very wonderful post-rock soundscapers they are today. If this sounds like your thing you must catch them at Iceland Airwaves 2011 on Wednesday at 3pm at Kex, and then their main show on Friday in the Art Museum (Listasafn) at 9pm. If they don't sound like your thing, try them anyway - you may be pleasantly surprised and they tell jokes between songs. I had a chat with Kjartan Holm...
Hi Kjartan! Where are you, and what are you doing right now?
Right now we're in Reykjavík, Iceland and we have just finished recording an EP album which we're going to release at the end of September or the beginning of October. We're in the middle of the mixing process along with getting ready to go to China in four days.
Who's in the band?
The band consists of four 22 year old, pretty different guys who make music together. And drink beer with each other in-between. They're names are Kjartan Holm (guitar, keyboards, samples), Guðfinnur "Guffi" Sveinsson (guitar, keyboards), Elvar Jón "Elvis" Guðmundsson (bass, saxophone) and Andri Freyr Þorgeirsson (drums).
I heard that you used to play covers of Pink Floyd - is that true? Which other bands would you like to cover?
Yeah that's right. To begin with, before we had the guts to write our own material, we used to cover Pink Floyd massively. Mostly Comfortably Numb though, because of the epic guitar solo. Guffi and I, we are the egocentric ones in the band... I would like to cover Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" or Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" because they're just amazing. We're all big 80's suckers.
Who isn't! Your next record is being funded over at pledge music - how is that going? It seems like a really sensible way to get a record made.
The Pledge campaign is going incredibly well! We've reached 100% already and we have almost 40 days left. When a Pledge campaign reaches it's limit, it can still go further, so I encourage everyone who's interested in making a pledge to do so.
When you play at Airwaves there will be 5 or 6 other shows happening - so why should people come and see you guys?
People should come to see our show because we give it all we got in our live performances. It's energetic, quiet/loud, atmospheric, has visuals and extra instruments on stage, so yeah... We promise one heck of a show! And between songs, Guffi and I do stand-up. Something for everyone!
Have you seen the festival line-up? What are you really excited to see?
The festival line-up this year is really nice. What I'm most excited to see is Iceage from Denmark!
Any tips for first-timers at Iceland Airwaves?
The tips I have for first-timers at Iceland Airwaves is just to go and see and do as many things as your body and mind allows you to do! There is a reason why Iceland Airwaves is so highly appreciated by Icelanders and people from all over the world. It's simply one of a kind!
Thank you Kjartan, enjoy Iceland Airwaves 2011!
You can catch For A Minor Reflection twice during Iceland Airwaves 2011, at Kex on Wednesday at 39m then their big show at the Art Museum on Friday night at 9pm.
My instinct is to dislike (not really!) those Brits lucky enough to have settled in Iceland, especially when they end up "in bands", "with girls" or "working at grapevine", but they always turn out to be such lovely people. So I must wholeheartedly recommend that you see and befriend the half British, half Icelandic, all excellent four-piece Porquesi during iceland Airwaves 2011. You will have plenty of opportunity (see below), for Porquesi are one of those bands who seem to be trying to play more shows than any other. I managed to squeeze myself into their insanely busy schedule of gigging and social networking...
Hello PORQUESÍ! Where are you and what are you doing right now?
Good evening! We have just come back from a “hard day” at the office, taking photos with the awesome Matt Eisman of musicinfocus.net and we’re now just relaxing at Skúli’s place with some pizza and beer, just going over a mix for a radio programme we recorded last week. All in all, just working hard and playing hard.
Who's in the band?
Two Vikings: Skúli Jónsson (Guitar, Vocals, Piano), and Egill Jónsson (Bass Guitar) and two Anglo Saxons: Russell Harmon (Guitar), and Jonathan Baker (Drums).
I like your name (I told you this would be unprofessional)! Why did you choose it?
The name? Just because. Haha, nah, well “porque si” means “just because” in Spanish. Skúli and Egill lived in Spain for a year when they were younger, so the Spanish influence came from there. But we chose the name one night when we were all drunk on San Miguel and just thought that taking a Spanish name would be appropriate. And yeh, basically, just because.
So you are half from the UK and half Icelandic? A very nice mixture? How did you meet then? Are some of you Brits that are lucky enough to live in Iceland?
Yeah, that is right. We are a nice blend of England and Iceland. Russell moved here for his girlfriend, and then Jonathan came over for an internship at The Reykjavík Grapevine, and also met a girl. From there, we all just met through mutual friends, and mutual musical interests. One thing lead to another and here we are. Now we are BFF!
When you play at Airwaves there will be 5 or 6 other shows happening - so why should people come and see you guys?
There are lots of great bands and artists playing over Airwaves at the same time, so it is definitely a difficult decision; one that we are facing ourselves. However, if there is anyone out there into intense, emotive, live rock music, then they should check us out. We like to think we put on a good show, so why not?
Have you seen the festival line-up? What are you really excited to see?
Phewww, there are so many bands that we all want to go check out. Probably too many to mention, but for instance Liturgy, Deathcrush, Reykjavík!, For a Minor Reflection, Agent Fresco, Swords of Chaos, and Dope D.O.D are all on our to see list. We also highly recommend the Icelandic bands Gang Related, Vigri, Andvari, and Musik Zoo.
Any tips for first-timers at Iceland Airwaves?
See as many bands as possible, drink as much as possible, and just have a good time basically. The festival is always amazing, so just enjoy the experience.
So, yes, you ought to check these nice guys out, here are your chances...
October 12th at 4pm in Reykjavík Backpackers.
October 13th at 2pm in Reykjavík Downtown Hostel then again at 8:50pm in Amsterdam.
October 15th at 3pm on the street at Hringa on Laugavegur and at 4pm at Macyard (Sirkus)
And finally, phew, on October 16th at 8:30pm in Dillon.
After all of that you are going to want to get to know them even better, so you buy the debut album from gogoyoko or at all the great record stores of Reykjavik 101. You can make follow, stalk and "poke" them on twitter, facebook, bandcamp, myspace (yes!), soundcloud and gogoyoko. Phew - how do they get the time?
I've never quite dared to do this before, but people always want suggestions of which local bands to go and see at Iceland Airwaves 2011. And whilst I could, in all truth, wholeheartedly recommend 30 or 40 bands that I know would not ever be a let down, the number I've been asked for by 2 separate people is 5. So with huge regret aimed at the bands not on the list (and I'm leaving Bjork & Gus Gus, you all know they're great right?), deep breath, here goes...
Reykjavik! are a phenomenal live band (not from Reykjavik - I know, those crazy Icelanders). If you situate yourself within 20 yards of the stage, you are quite likely to become part of the show as Boas inevitably gets itchy feet and begins to wander, either through or over the crowd, to involve as many people as possible. But amongst the visual chaos is some seriously powerful rock riffing and song-craft, you'll come away with the tunes lodged in your brain for days afterwards. They're about to release their third full length album, which judging by the previews, looks to show no let-up in quality from their first two and although they aren't officially playing until the Sunday when all the members finally coincide in Reykjavik, they will be well worth waiting for. You will leave sweating, grinning and a fan for life.
I've never seen or heard anything quite like Ghostigital. Let's get the basics out of the way - Yes, that is Einar from the Sugarcubes. Over recent years he has teamed up with electronics genius Curver to create the most original, pounding, crunching electronic music you'll ever uncover. Across Curver's sounds come Einar's words - they're random but somehow also tell you a story. They're funny and they're magical. The live experience will make your teeth shake, and your eyes widen. Like Reykjavik!, Ghostigital are also readying a new album (also their third), and the taster single, Don't Push Me, is one their finest moments to date. Unmissable.
Mugison looks like, and is, a former North Atlantic fisherman. Musically he has been ever-evolving and always crucial. At my very first Iceland Airwaves his show was highlighted to me by the good people at 12 tonar record store as the one, single show I must not miss. I've been addicted ever since. He's moved from a one-man-band armed with acoustic guitar and laptop to a balls-out rocker chosen to tour North America with Queens Of the Stone Age - now he moves between the two, and all points in between, effortlessly. Since the QOTSA tour he's re-recorded his earlier quieter numbers as rock songs. Now, you can never be sure quite what you'll be getting. At Iceland Airwaves last year he was joined on stage by 2 special guests - first a pogoing, spitting metal front man and then a choir of schoolgirls. The songs are always great. Most songs from his album, Mugiboogie, are pretty much adopted by the natives as unofficial national anthems. His most recent output has been in the Icelandic language culminating in a brand new album released this very week. His shows are as strong as his records. Highly recommended. 02 Murr Murr (live) by mugison
Olafur Arnalds makes music that is not my natural habitat. I think we can call it Modern Classical, or even Electronic Classical. Whatever, it's spellbinding, it's beautiful and live, it makes my jaw drop. Like many others, I was tempted in by his fascinating "Found Songs" project of a few years ago for which he wrote and recorded one song per day for a week - each was available immediately as a free download. From there I explored his earlier work and since then his newer stuff. I've seen his shows at Iceland Airwaves each of the last two years, and in London twice in that time also. It's really quite odd and refreshing amongst the insanity of Airwaves to watch a show, always packed solid, where the audience is in respectful and then enraptured silence until the final note of each song has faded. Do yourself a favour, take this experience and keep an eye next week here, on his new project, "Living Room Songs", if it's half as original and exciting as Found Songs, it will be a real treat.
The 5th spot would normally have been for the amazing FM Belfast. I can't believe that we won't get news of an Iceland Airwaves 2011 appearance or two from this absolutely brilliant live band. And if and when that happens, then I command you to be there (in your underwear). But since I can't 100% guarantee that they will be there, and with remorse directed at, amongst others, Retro Stefson, Mammut, Prinspolo, Petur Ben, Nora, Sin Fang, Bloodgroup, Sykur, Quadruplos, Endless Dark, Thorir, Sudden Weather Change & Vicky, let's talk about the mighty, mighty HAM. I've only seen them the once, last year, but I'll be doing my best to be there again this year as they take to the Iceland Airwaves stage. HAM (the capitalisation is crucial, and an indication of the noise) are probably Iceland's biggest ever hard (understatement) rock band, they were first active in the late 80s but until last year's reunion for Airwaves had been off the scene for some time. They reformed last year and the show was packed with Icelanders (always a good sign for music and mayhem). Oh, and they're Bjork's favourite Icelandic band so if you plan on doing any Bjork-spotting, that show might be a good place to be! Since last year's reunion, they have recorded and just released a brand new album, which sold out it's initial production in weeks. Let's hope the stores are re-stocked before Airwaves!
So there you go, my five point plan for utter Iceland Airwaves brilliance. And bring your wallets too, all 5 have just released or are just about to release new albums. Happy Days!
Iceland Airwaves is almost here again. A lot has happened since the last one (and here he is pictured choosing his own favourite Icelandic CD coincidentally titled "Don't Want To Sleep"). This nice little amateur blog suddenly gets a hell of a lot more hits around this time of year, and as normal I've had a few lovely folks getting in touch asking for bits and pieces of help and Iceland Airwaves advice (I know! FROM ME!). So I will give it a bash, and these are all in response to real questions I've had...
Yes. It is as amazing as everyone says.
No. I have no idea how they produce quite so many absolutely thrillingly incredible bands.
No. I don't think it's the glaciers.
Yes. It is brilliantly organised.
Yes. The daytime "off-venue" stuff is at least as essential as the evening stuff. You shouldn't have a waking moment to spare.
Yes. You can buy me a drink. And I'll buy you one back.
Yes. There are queues sometimes for some venues. But don't join them, it means there is space elsewhere, go do something unplanned - you'll probably find something incredible. It mostly is.
Yes. You should plan for it to be cold, wet and windy. It's likely.
No. The venues aren't very far apart, all within 800 metres or so. Enough time to get wet.
No. You can't smoke inside venues.
Yes. You should bring lots of money to buy music, you will want to.
and I've done this bit before...
The best place to read about all of it is here, sorry I mean The Reykjavik Grapevine free newspaper and awesome website. The best record store is 12 Tónar. The best coffee comes from Kaffifélagið The best hangover breakfast comes from Prikið.
So the next post right here, and very soon, will answer the much asked question, "WHO SHOULD I GO AND SEE?"
After that, the normal artist interviews will start, and there will be some new names this time, I've been brave! All the old ones are still on the archive.
I have the best excuse yet for the woeful update. Mini Iceblah (a very beautiful James) arrived just one month ago, so all my attentions are going that way. And yes, of course, he will soon be subjected to various pieces of Icelandic music and I will report back on those experiments right here.
What sends him to sleep?
What gets him dancing?
What makes him actually sick?
We really shall see...
I'm sure this is really old news, but I am really impressed with the snazzy thing The Kaiser Chiefs have done with their new album. Despite their heroics (especially off stage) at Iceland Airwaves 2006 (was it really so long ago?) there was a very small likelihood that I would even notice a new album from them, let alone spend money on it. But, I was so pleased by their idea (if you don't know, find it here) that I have auditioned all 20 tracks, made my selection, designed some artwork and made my album. And you, yes you (!), can now buy the iceblah edition of the Kaiser Chiefs new album by following the link that has hopefully appeared above.
So, I must get back to holding the baby. But not before a quick plug for the new album by one of Iceland's very, very best - FM Belast have recently launched the absolutely wonderful (and most appropriately named album in my life) "DON'T WANT TO SLEEP" - anthems for everyone. Find out more.
The Sugarcubes were my first Icelandic music love, but they were swiftly followed into my early 90s Icelandic pop affections by Bellatrix, or Kolrassa krókríðandi (translation available here), as we used to know them. They were an (initially) all-girl punk-rock band who I would listen to over and over again.
20 or so years later, lead singer Eliza Newman is still making music. In the intervening years, she has training as an opera singer and learned loads of fancy instruments, and moved (mainly I think) to London but those pop tunes are still magical.
Despite that move to London I have still seen Eliza perform more often in Reykjavik than in London, most recently at Iceland Airwaves 2010 headlining the night curated by Trúbatrix - the umbrella which promotes Icelandic female singers.
Happily then, this morning a new CD from Eliza arrived in my mail. The new record is called "Pie In The Sky" and contains 10 (or 11 if you 'go digital') new but reassuringly familiar sounding tunes - Eliza writes classic pop and has a beautiful voice and an ear for instrumental embellishments. I've only heard the record twice but those tunes are working away at embedding themselves into my brain, and they're very welcome. Hopeless Case, and particularly Star Wars Bar are the early favourites.
I was lucky enough to interview Eliza just before she played at Iceland Airwaves 2010, you can read it right here if you wish.
And, finally, I'm resolved to upping my attendance record at her reasonably frequent London shows, so I hope to see you at one of these upcoming opportunities to hear some sweet pop songs:
I love any chance to see an Icelandic act in London, everyone knows that much. Last Monday was especially exciting since Ólafur Arnalds is one of the very best Iceland has to offer (Found Songs was among my very favourite albums of 2009), and I've had to miss more than one of his previous London shows, so this was my first chance to see him outside of Reykjavik. It was also a delight to have a gig so close to home, most seem to head for the far-away, almost mythical, lands of (oh so cool?) Shoreditch & Hoxton.
The venue, Notting Hill's Tabernacle, is a fabulous looking building in the middle of a largely residential area just off Portobello Road. Even an hour before show time, when I arrived, the queue to get upstairs and into the venue was snaking right around the ground floor bar. I guess this was to try to grab the best of (or as it turned out all of) the unreserved seating. I'm not great with queues so we grabbed a table and got stuck into a bit of red wine and a table-full of excellent burgers. I could tell we weren't missing much, since the band were nearby tucking into noodles and beer.
The show began almost dead on 8:30, although hilariously having been informed downstairs that it would begin at 8:20 the audience had been in hushed anticipation for 10 minutes before Óli and the gang arrived on stage. I've never known gig politeness reaching such heights. The performance was exceptional, ranging across all his albums and including a couple of new and unreleased pieces. It lasted about 90 minutes - twice as long as either of the Airwaves shows that I've seen. The stage set was typically sparse, and in the main exceptionally dark (which explains why I haven't posted any photos of my own, and stole that great photo from this site) although there was some excellent strobing when the electronic beats were to the fore. My personal highlights were the exceptional versions of 3055, Fok and Ljósið ("a song about bathtubs") after a tiny false start. At times the sparse but threatening sounds of the beats reminded me a little of Massive Attack's finest instrumentation. The only negatives were to do with the venue itself which was horribly hot and with a very creaky floor - not great for such a hushed atmosphere.
Ólafur Arnalds in London was a complete pleasure. the very good news is that he's coming back very soon, on July 19th, to the larger and air conditioned Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's south bank. I suggest you follow this link and sort yourself out with tickets.
So, Happy New Year. Blogs everywhere are full of top tips for music in 2011. I'm not going to give that a go, mine would (as always) be full of Icelandic acts! Having said that, I will say that I've been clicking on a lot of these 2011 tips and have found 2 bands that sound really promising, Cults and Love Remains. Both fairly lo-fi, but affecting on my early listens. Anyhow, I have no reason to talk about 2011, I haven't finished my 'best of' 2010 lists yet, but it's coming. And in fact, as 2 people pointed out (and frankly I'm staggered that anyone is paying that sort of attention) I never posted the 2009 lists on here. If I get one request to see the 2009 lists I'll put them up. I'm so on the ball.
There's a fair bit going on in the world of Icelandic music. Jónsi finished off his world tour in Reykjavik with a hugely anticipated show. When I saw him in London it was a wonderful (and incredibly hot as I remember) night. This reviewer was impressed, especially by the drummer.
Retro Stefson have been going down a storm in Holland, Bloodgroup are doing a European tour which seems to mainly been restricted to Germany. In fact Germany seems to be miles ahead of us (U.K.) in terms of loving and attracting those lovely Icelanders. In my other life in book publishing I read recently that over 100 books by Icelandic authors were published in Germany in 2010, I shall get to work on putting that right! That was from a recent edition of Iceland Review which also contained a deservedly praise-filled article about Amiina's new album and shows.
There are few albums I'm catching up on (and therefore won't be in my 2010 lists, they'll be 2011 instead - my game, my rules). I've just received Agent Fresco's full length debut, "A Long Time Listening" but haven't had a listen yet. I'm looking forward to it, the reviews have been mainly excellent and although I've not yet fallen in love with them, maybe that's coming. An album I can't wait to get hold of is Apparat Organ Quartet's long time coming, "Polyfonia" - judging by their Airwaves 2010 show, the advance track "Cargo Frakt" and the words of everyone I know who has heard it, it's an album that will be bothering the upper reaches of the 2011 list! Finally Benni Hemm Hemm have a new release "Skot" which I'm hoping to get hold of at their London show (YIPPEE!) on January 27th.
Talking of London shows, the musical highlight of the first quarter of this year is pretty certain to be Ólafur Arnalds show at The Tabernacle on Feb 7th. I've never seen him play outside of Reykjavik before and this is a very happy coming together of wonderful artist and brilliant venue. Can't wait. I thought it was sold out but there do appear to be tickets at this link. You can also read a recent feature on him from The Observer newspaper (published recently, but I think I'm right in saying that the interview was done during Airwaves).
Finally, I'm off to the U.S. very shortly for a quick visit which will include a spare few hours in New York. All suggestions for using that time (cool record stores perhaps) will be gratefully received... Happy New Year!
I'm just back from a nice sunny break somewhere on the other side of the equator, and surprisingly happy to find London looking more like Iceland than usual (snow, great hats, no trains whatsoever...). This was a holiday featuring two very long flights and time spent lazing around on beaches - that is to say, prime music consumption time.
I had a plan. It was late November and therefore time to start thinking about those all important end of year lists. Obviously. The plan was to catch up on a few albums that came recommended but that I hadn't really got to grips with yet. This is the story of how I got totally distracted from that aim, and what I found instead.
First came a shocking discovery, I had only 7 new actual physical CDs (2 of them signed, this still makes me happy!) this year. I think for years I was probably averaging over 50 annually, times have changed. I admit, I'm not including in that the 10 or so I picked up in Reykjavik in October, I can't kick the physical habit for the Icelandic collection! Still, I've clearly been doing a lot of downloading this year and have, in the main left behind the 'need' to own.
Anyhow, the plan started well on the plane out of Heathrow and I listened first to Caribou and the to Zola Jesus. Then the distractions were started by a surprising source, British Airways' in-flight enterteinemnt system's "Best of Manchester" compilation. And I was gone, the first 4 or 5 days on a tropical beach were spent remembering just how great New Order have been, how remarkable "Bummed" by The Mondays still sounds (not sure I'd ever enjoyed it as much) and finally how much goodness there actually is on that Stone Roses second album. Yes, really. I mean, it was obviously killed by what they had done before but go away now and listen to "Driving South" on headphones, and loud.
My nostalgia trip remained in Manchester for a while longer, I moved on to some old James (in preparation for seeing them in December) and then to some brand new Charlatans ("Love Is Ending" is a great tune) before hitting the road to spend some time with The Pixies, then Suede before inevitably moving to The Sugarcubes - all their albums in full and in order in fact. That's a whole load of pleasure.
For the final couple of days and the flight back I ended up with Prince, my idea of the greatest of them all. The London O2 shows of a couple of years back are, I'm pretty sure, the high point of my live music experiences. I have seven of the twenty-one gigs recorded in full (don't tell Prince, please) and I listened to all of that before I hit the ground in London.
It was a total delight to hear all this stuff again, with the time to just listen and enjoy. I'm a big junkie for hearing new music all the time and discovering new sounds, but the obvious point is that I haven't been doing that for 20 years or so without accumulating a load of great music. I should listen to that more often.
Anyhow, these end of year lists still need doing, so I'm off to double-check that These New Puritans are as shit as I thought when I last had a listen, because the NME seem to think they have made the album of the year.
Airwaves Saturday is always a pleasure. And after an incredibly great Airwaves Friday, a lot to match up to. The afternoon session with a quick look in at a couple of off venue gigs. Firstly was Of Monsters & Men (below, right), the winners of this year’s battle of the bands competition.
They played in the lovely bookshop, Bókabúð Máls og Menningar, and had drawn a decent crowd. I really enjoyed their tunes which sound really different (better) than the MP3s I had managed to download pre-Airwaves. I was really impressed; I hope they will be playing again next year. Next, I quickly popped across Laugavegur to Hemmi Og Valdi (such a lovely hangout) to see Eliza Newman play a few songs. My only complaint was that the store was so full I couldn’t get to the coffee bar, but Eliza’s gorgeous acoustic, and mostly new, tunes combined with the atmosphere and coziness to make it the perfect place to be on a windy, wet afternoon.
Which is why I left to head to a couple of outdoor gigs down the road at the Nikita skate shop, or in their back garden to be more accurate. I arrived in good time to see British band Yunioshi (above) who I had made internet friends (!) with but had yet totally failed to see (sorry). Firstly, this venue was pretty cool. There was a wooden shack-like stage in the grassy back yard of the shop. The stage was covered but the audience were mostly huddled under a tarpaulin suspended between two tall trees, one of which had a bicycle on top of it. A few small children were running around, clambering up the muddy slopes at the rear of the yard and generally being entertaining. The atmosphere was fun. Yunioshi were as good as I thought they would be from the E.P. I had heard. Keyboards, sometimes guitar, good vocals, great bets and a fun stage presence combined to make this a lot of fun. This is certainly a band to keep an eye on back in the UK. Just occasionally their sound reminded me of an old band very dear to my heart, Collapsed Lung. The mighty fine Yunioshi were followed by, yep you guessed it – another set from Reykjavik! (below) Possibly the first time I’ve seen them outdoors? What can I say – I loved them again. If I love them in the pouring rain of a chilly Icelandic back yard, I’m always going to love them. They didn’t play my new favourite “Cats” this time but there will be another chance (oh yes). Haukur and Boas both ended up in the audience and in the mud as we could all have predicted. The whole crowd were involved by the end, except for those small children who – for the first time – sat motionless, staring at the stage. I can’t explain that.
At that Reykajvik! gig, they were missing one guitarist, who was sound-checking with his other, new band, Lazy Blood (below) for their show opening the night at Factorý – so that is where I started. Factorý had about 20 people in it when they came on stage, a massive shame as this was a full-on assault on the senses. This duo were giving it everything vocally over a wall of electronic sound, they were visibly shattered a few songs in, emotionally drained. There were veins popping out all over the place and some audience members didn’t quite know how to act as they writhed around the floor at their feet. I’m really glad I saw this, an unexpected, dizzying high. I then raced down to the Art Museum where I wanted to catch Danish electro dudes Spleen United who had been highly recommended. The venue was again running late so I actually arrived before they even took to the stage. That turned out to be a good thing; I enjoyed their set and the members of the remarkably large early evening crowd (already taking their positions for Robyn several hours later) were all feeling pretty much the same way judging by the nodding heads.
There followed a whistle-stop tour of venues before the next main event etched into my planning. I saw a bit of the wonderfully named, but underwhelming Just Another Snake Cult in Sódóma. Then I popped into Nasa where Factory Floor were playing a set that got mostly great reviews but just didn’t do it for me. Finally, off to Iðno where I saw the end of a set by Codes In The Clouds at the Erased Tapes night. I really did just see the last couple of minutes, which sounded good and judging by the ecstatic applause as they left the stage they had just done a fine job.
I was at Iðno to see Olafur Arnalds (photo above from Iceland Airwaves flickr) – the venue was actually less full than last year’s show in the same venue. This time the audience were seated on the floor which created a relaxed and hushed atmosphere (apart from when I knocked over that bottle, sorry) which was such a pleasant contrast from last year’s sweatbox. The show itself was wonderful. This is classical music for the new generation, it wasn’t stuffy or elitist but it was charming. Everyone on stage was relaxed and dressed down. A brief pause for technical issues was field by relaxed small talk and a happy birthday to a violinist. Plus, the music is gorgeous. Everyone in that room was transfixed by the sounds coming from Olafur’s machinery, four violins and one of Bloodgroup at the back making beats (I think I have that right). I apologetically don’t know the names of these songs – the only two I could name weren’t in this set but it doesn’t matter one bit. The whole thing was a beautiful experience, professional yet relaxed, classical yet completely modern and relevant to me. A complete triumph.
I left Iðno happy and headed to Nasa to await the triumphant return of Icelandic legends Apparat Organ Quartet (above). Before that I was fortunate to catch the last part of Mount Kimbie’s great sounding set. I had just kind of assumed their stuff wouldn’t work live but I was happy to be proved wrong. The crowd swelled afterwards though, and I’d bet that it was Icelander heavy and Nasa was full despite the rumours of a very full Art Museum and insanely long queue snaking around the harbour all trying to see Swedish pop uber-star Robyn. Apparat were greeted in the traditional way, hundreds of people making their logo with two hands above their heads, it made the venue look pretty. The set was fantastic – a mixture of old and new, with the new easily standing up to the standard of time-worn classics. Once again, an Iceland Airwaves set finished, the lights came up to reveal a sweaty, exhausted crowd. But the show must go on, out into the streets again.
This time the target was new venue, Tjarnarbío, for the last 2 acts of a Ghostigital curated evening. Firstly, I love this venue. And old cinema I believe, and of just the right size with a floor downstairs big enough for a few hundred and seats up above. Oh, and a quiet bar (at least when I needed it). I was here to see the mighty Ghostigital, headlining their own curated night. I was also here for the most intriguing event of the week – Icelandic band Sudden Weather Change (indie, guitars) performing a set made up only of Ghostigital covers. A very courageous undertaking indeed, not only taking on another band’s body of work but also a band so singular, as unusual as Ghostigital. I just did not know what to expect.
They were brilliant (above). I can’t imagine how many hours and days they dedicated to getting this show to state of excellence it was performed in. This was dedication and musicianship of the highest order mixed with Sudden Weather Change’s usual sense of fun and Ghostigital’s sense of humour. Their take on the classic “Not Clean” was absolutely superb and ridiculously enjoyable. I was close to Einar and Curver from Ghostigital in the crowd and I’m happy to report that they were smiling and nodding throughout. This idea worked wonderfully.
The real Ghostigital (above) followed this onto the stage of Tjarnarbío. They were as excellent as ever, Einar was the brilliantly engaging front man that he always is. Half story-teller, half madman, he rules his stage and has his audience engrosses and transfixed. This year the band was bigger, with most of The Sugarcubes on stage (plus the most famous one of all in the audience) and a good part of Reykjavik’s latest political rulers in attendance. The gig was utterly compelling – the most carried away with the music that I was at any of my 55 shows. The let down of the show ending was replaced by the entire venue demanding an encore, and Ghostigital obliged (I think this was genuinely unplanned) and the dancers amongst us (not me) got up on stage and joined in (below). Magic.
And that wasn't even the end. There was still time to hotfoot it (wrong word in Reykjavik) back to Nasa for another chance to see Retro Stefson (below). After seeing them play in the marquee outside of Hresso it was good to see them play their main show of the festival to a packed and sweaty Nasa. The set was similar to a couple of days ago, and that's totally not a complaint. Retro Stefson area good-time party band, with each performance they seem to grow in confidence and know how to work, and please, a crowd. They were wonderful in London a few months ago, but have improved further since then. With a good second album now out with great tracks like Kimba and Mama Angola to prove they have some staying power, the future looks bright indeed.
