Reykjavík Grapevine - 23.07.2004, Blaðsíða 22

Museums
ASÍ. Art Museum, Freyjugata 41, 511-5353
Árbæjarsafn Folk Museum, Kistuhylur 4, p: 557-1111
Ásmundarsafn, Sculpture museum, Sigtún, p: 553-2155
Culture House, Hverfisgata 15, p: 545-1400
Einar Jónsson, Sculpture museum, Einarsgata, p: 551-3797
Gerðarsafn, Kóparvogur Art Gallery, Hamraborg 4, p:551-3797
Hafnarborg Art Gallery, Srandgata 34 Hafnarfj, 555-0080
Hafnarhúsið, Reykjavík Art museum, Tryggvagata 17, p: 590-1200
Icelandic Institute of Natural History, Hlemmur 5, p:590-0500
Kjarvalsstaðir Art Museum, Flókagata, p: 517-1290
Museum of Medical History, Neströð 170, p: 561-1016
National Gallery of Iceland, Fríkirkjuvegur 7, p: 515-9600
Nordic House, Sturlugata 5, p: 551-7030
Reykjavík City Library, Tryggvagata 15, p: 563-1750
Reykjavík Elestrivity Museum, Rafstöðvarvegur, p: 567-9009
Reykjavík Museum of Photography, Tryggvagata 15, p: 563-1790
Reykjavík Zoo & Family Park, Engjavegur, p: 575-7800
Saga Museum, Perlan Öskjuhlíð, p: 511-1517
Sigurjón Ólafsson Sculpture Museum, Lauganestangi 70, p: 553-2906
Galleries
101 Gallery, Hverfisgata 18a
Gallery Kling og Bang, Laugavegi 23, p: 822-0402
Gallery Fold, Rauðarárstígur 14-16, p: 551-0400
Gallery Hnoss, Skólavörðustígur 16, p: 561-8485
Gallery i8, Klapparstígur 33, p: 551-3666
Gallery Meistari Jakob, Skólavörðustígur 5, p: 552-7161
Gallery Skuggi, Hverfistaga 39, p: 511-1139
Gallery Tukt, Pósthússtræti 3-5, p: 520-4600
Handverk og Hönnun, Aðalstræti 12, p: 551-7595
Safn, Laugavegur 37, p: 561-8777
The Icelandic Printmakers Association, Tryggvagata 17, p: 588-7576
Other
Hallgrímskirkja church, Skólavörðuholti, p: 510-1000
Klink og Bank, Brautarholt, p: 822-0402
Perlan, Öskjuhlíð
Kringlan shopping mall, Kringlan 8-12, p: 568-9200
Volcano show: Red rock cinema, Hellusund 6a, p: 845-9548
Salurinn Concert Hall, Hamraborg 6, p: 570-0400
Theaters
Light nights, Iðnó Theater, p: 551-9181
Restaurants
Apótekið, Austurstræti 16, p: 575-7900
3 Frakkar, Baldursgata 14, p: 552-3939
Hornið, Hafnarstræti 15, p: 551-3340
Jómfrúin, Lækjargata 4, p: 551-0100
Rossopomodoro, Laugavegur 40a, p: 561-0500
Tapas, Vesturgata 3b, p: 551-2344
Tjarnarbakkinn, Vonarstræti 2, p: 562-9700
Tveir Fiskar, Geirsgata 9, p: 511-3474
Við Tjörnina, Templarasund 3, p: 551-8666
Vox Nordica Hotel, Suðurlandsbraut 2, p: 444-5050
Cafés
Bleika Dúfan, Laugavegur 21, p: 517-1980
Café Árnes, by the harbour, p: 551-5101
Café Paris, Austurstræti 14, p: 551-1020
Café Roma, Laugavegi 118, p: 562-0020
Grái Kötturinn, Hverfisgata 16a, p: 551-1544
Kaffivagninn, Grandagarður 10, p: 551-5932
Mokka, Skólavörðustígur 3a, p: 552-1174
Ráðhúskaffi, City Hall, p: 563-2169
Segafredo by Lækjartorg, p:
Tíu Dropar, Laugavegur 27, p: 551-9380
Café, Bar and Bistro
Ari í Ögri, Ingólfsstræti 3, p: 551-9660
Bar 11, Laugavegur 11, p: 511-1180
Café 22, Laugavegur 22, p: 511-5522
Café List, Laugavegur 20a, p: 511-1420
Café Victor, Hafnarstræti 1-3, p: 561-9555
Celtic Cross, Hverfisgata 26, p: 511-3240
De Palace, Hafnarstræti 18, p: 551-6780
Dillon, Laugavegur 20, 511-2400
Dubliner, Hafnarstræti 4, 511-3233
Glaumbar, Tryggvagata 20, p: 552-6868
Grand Rokk, Smiðjustígur 6, p: 551-5522
Hressingarskálinn, Austurstræti 20, p: 561-2240
Hverfisbar, Hverfisgata 20, p: 511-6700
Jón Forseti, Aðalstræti 10, p: 551-0962
Kaffi Kúltur, Hverfisgötu 18, p: 530-9314
Kaffibarinn, Bergstaðastræti 1, p: 551-1588
Kaffibrennslan, Pósthússtræti 9, p: 561-3600
Nelly’s, Þingholtsstræti 2, p: 551-2477
Prikið, Bankastræti 12, p: 551-3366
Sirkus, Klapparstígur 30
Sólon, Bankastræti 7a, p: 562-3232
Thorvaldsen bar, Austurstræti 8, p: 511-1413
Vegamót, Vegamótastígur 4, p: 511-3040
Clubs
Gaukur á Stöng, Tryggvagata 22, p: 551-1556
Kapital, Hafnarstræti 17, p: 511-7007
Leikhúskjallarinn, Hverfisgata 19, p: 551-6010
Mojito, Austurstræti 16, p: 575-7905
Nasa, by Austurvöllur, p: 511-1313
Pravda, Austurstræti 22, p: 552-9222
Fastfood
Bæjarins bestu, Tryggvagata, p: 894-4515
Bernhöftsbakarí, Bergstaðastæti 13, p: 551-3083
Eldsmiðjan, Bragagata 38a, p: 562-3838
First Vegetarian (Á næstu grösum), Laugavegur 20b, p: 552-8410
Nonnabiti, Hafnarstræti 11, p: 551-2312
Pizza 67, Tryggvagata 26, p: 561-9900
Pizza Pronto, Vallarstræti 4, p: 517-5445
Reykjavík Bagel Company, Laugavegur 81, p: 511-4500
Vitabar, Bergþórugata 21, p: 551-7200
ADDRESS BOOK
...continued from pg. 19
The room is stripped down. On
the walls, one poster of a centerfold
with an unusually well-groomed
pubic region, one poster for Bonnie
“Prince” Billie, two for Slowblow,
and a picture of a bemused Ringo
Star with a pipe in his mouth.
Otherwise, the band’s practice room
contains only amps, all left on, and
two drum sets.
No glasses or cans or bottles or
wrappers.
“I read about us in the Grapevine,”
Henrik tells me.
“Yeah, I wrote that. Do you remem-
ber talking to me? You almost threw
up on me.”
Henrik raises his hollow-body Epi-
phone and shows me the pick guard
and controls.
“You see this. All this blood. That’s
from that night.”
It’s a surprising amount of blood.
With the broken glass and other
drunken antics, I hadn’t been paying
attention to Henrik’s fingers the last
time he played.
A pounding monotonous drum
beat comes through the ceiling.
Somebody is doing track recording
upstairs. Just drums, all day.
“Anything else about the Skunks?”
“We have no musical ambition
whatsoever in the Skunks… It’s just
an event. Not that I wanted people
throwing beer bottles at my face.
But it felt honest.”
The band files in. Toggi, or “Tank”
as he tells me, the bassist; Helgi,
on guitar; Einar, on guitar; Bjarni,
or Bjarni Bummer, on drums,
and Siggy, who plays maracas and
tambourine. When they see me
interviewing Henrik, they laugh
among themselves. In front of them,
I say that I’m confused by the Sling
website: it says Henrik writes all the
songs. Isn’t it more of a collabora-
tive effort?, I ask.
Henrik: I write the music, we play
the songs. (No objections whatso-
ever from the band.)
(I begin to ask him about the layer-
ing on this new album, when an
electric guitar starts blaring. There
isn’t a complicated PA System in
the room, so one guitar amp can
drown out everything. Henrik and
I flee.)
Grapevine: You always practice that
loud?
Henrik: Only Helgi.
GV: You’ve talk about atmosphere
with this band. What atmosphere,
exactly, are you trying to create with
Singapore Sling?
Henrik: Dark and dirty.
GV: Like wallowing?
Henrik: Dark isn’t necessarily un-
happy. A lot of dark stuff can make
you feel… good, about being a piece
of shit. And that’s what rock n’ roll
is all about.
GV: I wonder about this album.
About all the layers. Do you worry
you’re over-producing?
Henrik: Not at all. Layering just
makes it more interesting… I mean,
when you play live, you can be more
raw, but we had to use whatever was
necessary to get the experience on
tape. I use whatever it takes.
(The conversation turns to an
extended discussion of guitars and
recording techniques. Pro tools and
4-track come up often. Einar ap-
parently has a very nice guitar. We
reenter the practice room, despite
the discomfort of Helgi’s guitar.)
GV: Do you always read a book
during practice?
Siggi: (Reading a Lawrence Block
crime novel.) I read, grab glasses,
throw out garbage and shake a bit.
GV: Oh, Siggi Shaker. I read about
you in the New York Post.
Siggi: (Laughing) Yeah, they gave
a paragraph to the band, and then a
whole paragraph on me. The secret
weapon. I’d like to see this woman.
(Siggy returns to reading his book.
Helgi plays riffs on the guitar.)
GV: (To Toggi and Helgi) Is there
anything you feel people assume
incorrectly about the Sling?
Toggi: That we’re actually nice
guys. That we’re healthy.
GV: People assume you’re healthy?
Toggi: That’s an assumption people
don’t often make.
GV: Well my Skunks review
wouldn’t help.
Toggi: No. ‘I need my drugs.’ Are
you sure your translator was reliable?

It all feels like a put on. Six lonely
people in a stark practice studio
with drums beating overhead.
They play a few songs from the new
album. Henrik had told me there
weren’t many surprises in recording,
that he got exactly the atmosphere
he wanted. But I am surprised at
how the new work explores “dark
and dirty.”
What might strike most listeners
are the echoes of surf rock in Helgi’s
guitar work. When combined with
the almost 50s style phrasing that
Henrik is now employing, the
Sling’s new music sounds like Brian
Wilson played a jam session with
Billy Corgan and Chris Isaac. Not
a horrible mix. If sad rock n’ roll
is nothing new, the texture of this
band’s new work is refreshing in the
way it combines music that always
should have been combined.
The band takes a break from
practice, and I finally get a chance
to talk with Bjarni Bummer, the
“one guy who nags all the time,” ac-
cording to Henrik. If the rest of the
band seems lost in a malaise, maybe
he can hit me with something genu-
inely depressed.
“I got that nickname a long time
ago,” Bjarni tells me. “I guess I may
not be laughing all the time.”
“So what are you sad about?”
“I’m not. I’ve got two beautiful kids
and my life is happy,” he says, deliv-
ering an unrehearsed smile.
Then some of the Bummer comes
out: “It’s really important to be
cool,” he says, laughing.
Singapore Sling’s album “Life is
Killing My Rock n Roll” will be
released this September. They are
currently touring in America. They
will play in Iceland in August, then
return to the US for a two month
tour.
H
.S
.
WE ARE ON A MISSION
FROM GOD
YOU WILL NEVER
DRINK ALONE
LIVE MUSIC
Sm
ið
ju
st
íg
6
.
p:
5
51
5
52
2
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Saturday July 24th
Bands Úlpa and Lokbrá
Wednesday July 28th
Bands Atómsstöðin, Hoffman,
Dáðadrengir and Amos
Friday July 30th
Patient Zero
Wednesday August 4th
Jazz from Hell
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