Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.06.2003, Side 17

- the reykjavik grapevine -16 may 15 - may 29, 2003 - the reykjavik grapevine - 17may 15 - may 29, 2003
LISTINGS
MORE MUSIC,
LESS FISH
An old fish factory in Rey-
kjavík gets a second chance
as a music development
centre

Icelandic music and Icelandic musi-
cians have made quite an impres-
sion in the rest of the world over
the past few years. Björk or “our
Björk” is a star, bands like Sigurrós
have done some interesting things,
getting good reviews, selling quite a
few records, and both are filling con-
cert halls across Europe and Ameri-
ca. Not bad for a small country they
say! Still, Iceland’s government has
shown little interest in supporting
musicians and spend most of their
art related budget on building more
museums, which few attend anyway.
This policy of neglect means that re-
ally interesting artists, at least to the
rest of the world, are literally left out
in the cold Many do not even have a
place to rehearse, moving between
garages and sometimes barns,
loosing their expensive equipment
to enemies like damp, and I am
sorry to say, burglaries.
Its is a sad picture I´m drawing here,
but an accurate one according to
many musicians, including Daniel
Pollock, a 45-year-old American,
who has been involved in the Ice-
landic music business for over 20
years. Danny , along with his older
brother Mike, is responsible for
bringing punk rock to Iceland in the
late 70’s.
“I came here with my brother in 78
from Chicago to work, and to form a
band, I especially had become influ-
enced by punk, and at the time punk
hardly existed in Iceland”
The brothers formed a band with
three other Icelanders and took
stands as lead and rhythm guitar
players. This new band, Utangards-
menn (the Outsiders) became the
most popular band in Iceland in
the early eighties. Their debut LP
became the record of the year in
Iceland in 1980. Although a popular
band, they had the same problem as
everyone else, trying to find a place
to rehearse.
“In those days we had a lot of
trouble finding ourselves a place
to rehearse, and most the time we
had no place at all” Even as their
success grew, this remained a
problem.
The Pollock brothers along with the
rest of the band were responsible
for bringing the Icelandic punk wave
out of the garage and into the public
domain. Their efforts influenced the
likes of Björk among many others.
“We’d play in one of the big hotels in
Reykjavík, every Tuesday, bringing
sometimes up to 4 other bands to
play with us.” “At that time, bands
went through hell to be able to
play together, and hardly ever had
a chance to play life in front of an
audience.” Danny says.
Danny Pollock left Iceland for the
States in the mid eighties, and con-
tinued his own music career there.
He returned in 98,
“When I came back there had been
no progress, things were the same
for musicians as they were when I
left.” “Personally, I needed a place
of my own to rehearse, and I didn’t
want it to be a filthy garage, but like
I said, finding a place wasn’t easy, it
was closer to being impossible”.
I’m glad to report a semi successful
conclusion to this sorry tale. Danny
did end up finding a place, an aban-
doned fish factory by Reykjavik’s
harbor.
“Finding a big place, way too big
for just me, gave me an idea. In the
states, there are so-called music
centers, big buildings with one pur-
pose, to house bands. Bands share
rooms for rehearsal, often equip-
ment too, and the music center
offers the bands some free studio
time also, not to mention safety for
their amps, instruments and stuff.
What these music centers are also
known for is very cheap rent and
a lot of time to practice. No angry
neighbors either so you’re not going
to get kicked out for playing too
loud”.
This is an innovative project and new
to Iceland as no one has had the
balls to try anything of this caliber
before, and surprise surprise, the
government with its usual blinkered
attitude will not lift a finger to help.
“Music centers, like the one I’m
opening, should be supported by
the government like any other form
of leisure or sports, I hope they
open their eyes soon”, says Danny.
The Center has already opened, but
some parts of it are not yet ready,
e.g. a second studio and a concert
hall. It will house 30 bands, already
an inadequate number, as there are
many bands waiting to get in. The
good news is that concerts will be
held and bands that have never be-
fore gotten a chance to play in pub-
lic will now get their fifteen minutes
of fame. Danny hopes the Music
center will be a boost for music in
Iceland. “Once again I am bringing
very creative Icelandic bands out of
their garages and shit holes and into
the light of day”.

Jón Trausti Sigurðarson
I N T E R V I E W
Austurvöllur outdoor
exhibition, The Earth
from Above.
May 31st.
- September 21st.
On a warm summer´s day (these may
be rare, but they do occur) you can sit
outside at Austurvöllur, strategically
placed between the Althingi building and
the liquor store, and sip beer. The beer
might be warm, since the store sadly
does not have a fridge, but the spot is
interesting. It was once used for grazing
cows, and travellers would pitch their tents
here, giving it a reputation as a place of
serious drinking. A hundred years ago it
was used for ice skating, and it is also
where Iceland’s last public flogging took
place in 1829. Jerome Napoleon’s (the
Emperors nephew) band played there in
1856, and every 17th of June a wreath of
flowers is placed at the feet of the statue
of Jón Sigurðsson, the national hero. This
summer, the area is host to on exhibition
of some 120 aerial photographs, taken
by French photographer Yann Arthus-
Bertrand. The exhibition shows us some
of the more noteworthy sights of Planet
Earth, as seen from above, some of them
man made, (a Shinto temple in Japan, a
nudist colony in France) and some of them
not (a glacier in Argentina, a reef in Austra-
lia). What the exhibition aims to achieve,
and does quite well, is to question mans
imprint upon nature, whether creation (the
Guggenheim museum in Barcelona, the
palace in Versailles), or destruction (An
abandoned town near Chernobyl, a tank
graveyard in Iraq). They emphasise the
variety and stunning scenery of our planet,
and our duty to maintain this. The pictures
are impressive, and achieve their goal by
criticising man’s destructive impulses with
visions of beauty. Some of them are sad,
such as the picture of the slums in Sao
Paulo, and others joyful, such as the Love
Parade in Berlin, but all make some sort of
point about man’s responsibility towards,
and impact upon, his environment. The
exhibition is large and it is free, and will
be there all summer, so it is ideal to look
at the various parts of it on different trips
to the city, if the weather remains good
enough for enjoying outdoor exhibitions. A
giant map of the world is also part of the
exhibition, so you can see where each of
the pictures where taken. Some 5 pictures
come from Iceland, the greatest amount
for any one country (per head, of course).
The text is in Icelandic, English and French.
The pictures, like their photographer, have
been touring the world, and the exhibition
has been seen by some 30 million people
worldwide.
of painter Jóhannes Kjarval.
Norræna húsið, Nordic House, The Big Nordic
Elephant Show. Children dressed up as elephants
especially welcome.
Hafnarhúsið, Reykjavik Art Museum, The earlier
works of popart painter Erro.
Reykjavik Museum of Photography, The Five
Elements. Photographs and etchings from french-
vietnamese artist Claire Xuan.
Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum, The works of
Iceland´s first modern sculptor, whose works are
partly based on Icelandic folklore.
Ásmundarsafn, Sculpture museum, The works
of popular sculptor Ásmundar Sveinsson, who
believed sculpture should be part of the urban
environment.
Kjarvalsstaðir Art Museum, The works of Örn
Þorsteinsson, who creates sculptures from stones
found in nature.
Sunday, June 15
Reðursafnið, Phallological Museum, A fine
penis and penis related selection from various
mammals. First human specimen still awaited.
Hafnarborg Art Gallery, Anniversary exhibition
from the museum collection.
Árbæjarsafn, Folk Museum, Artisans show their
skills and folk dances shown at 15.00.
Austurvöllur out door exhibition, Earth from
Above. Aerial Photographs by Yann Arthus-
Bertrand.
National and University Library, Exhibition of
Lárus Sigurbjörnsson, the founder of the city´s
documentation.
Gerðuberg, Cultural Center, Images of Iceland -
milestones in cartography
Nýlistasafnið, The Living Art Museum, Matthew
Barney´s Cremaster project. Photographic works,
sculptures and films.
Sólon, Photo exhibition
Gerðuberg, Cultural Center, Photographs of the
bridges of Highway 1, which encircles the whole
island.
Gerðarsafn, Kóparvogur Art Gallery,
Retospective of sculptor Gerdur Helgadottir´s work,
in honour of her 75th birthday.
Kjarvalsstaðir Art Museum, Russian
Photography from 1900 to today.
Kjarvalsstaðir Art Museum, Some of the works
of painter Jóhannes Kjarval.
Norræna húsið, Nordic House, The Big Nordic
Elephant Show. Children dressed up as elephants
especially welcome.
Hafnarhúsið, Reykjavik Art Museum, The earlier
works of popart painter Erro.
Reykjavik Museum of Photography, The Five
Elements. Photographs and etchings from french-
vietnamese artist Claire Xuan.
Skemmtihúsið Theatre, -18:00- The Saga of
Gudridur. A play about a Viking woman in America
performed in English.
Skemmtihúsið Theatre, -20.30- The Saga of
Gudridur. A play about a Viking woman in America
performed in English.
Einar Jónsson Sculpture Museum, The works of
Iceland´s first modern sculptor, whose works are
partly based on Icelandic folklore.
Ásmundarsafn, Sculpture museum, The works
of popular sculptor Ásmundar Sveinsson, who
believed sculpture should be part of the urban
environment.
Kjarvalsstaðir Art Museum, The works of Örn
Þorsteinsson, who creates sculptures from stones
found in nature.
Grand Rokk, Tonic. Live band
Monday, June 16
Reðursafnið, Phallological Museum, A fine
penis and penis related selection from various
mammals. First human specimen still awaited.
Hafnarborg Art Gallery, Anniversary exhibition
from the museum collection.
Salurinn, -20:00- Classical piano recital by Tómas
Guðni Eggertsson.
Café Victor, DJ Gunni.
Prikið, DJ Kári.
Austurvöllur out door exhibition, Earth from
Above. Aerial Photographs by Yann Arthus-
Bertrand.
National and University Library, Exhibition of
Lárus Sigurbjörnsson, the founder of the city´s
documentation.
Gaukur á Stöng, Hip hop, DJ Sasha..
Gerðuberg, Cultural Center, Images of Iceland -
milestones in cartography
Nýlistasafnið, The Living Art Museum, Matthew
Barney´s Cremaster project. Photographic works,
sculptures and films.
Gaukur á Stöng, NOFX, Brain Police and Innvortis.
Sólon, Photo exhibition
Gerðuberg, Cultural Center, Photographs of the
bridges of Highway 1, which encircles the whole
island.
Gerðarsafn, Kóparvogur Art Gallery, Retospective
of sculptor Gerdur Helgadottir´s work, in honour of
her 75th birthday.
Kjarvalsstaðir Art Museum, Some of the works
of painter Jóhannes Kjarval.
Leikhúskjallarinn, The acid jazz band Jagúar
Norræna húsið, Nordic House, The Big Nordic
Elephant Show. Children dressed up as elephants
especially welcome.
Reykjavik Museum of Photography, The Five
Elements. Photographs and etchings from french-