Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.04.2005, Síða 32

FESTIVAL DONE RIGHT:
West Fjords Show the World
How It’s Done, Again
Aldre
i fór é
g suð
ur
(I nev
er we
nt sou
th)
March
26
th and 2
7th
2005.

Hjálmar is everyone’s favourite
Icelandic reggae band (well almost
everyone’s). They never got to
heat up because their set was only
three songs. The crowd wasn’t
pleased at all and they booed
and threw empty cans at the
announcer, Dóri Hermanns, when
he stopped the band just into their
fourth song.
When Trabant hit the stage the
audience were still angry over
Hjálmar some empty beer cans hit
the stage. Trabant didn’t let the
can throwing stop their boogie. I
was amazed by how well-dressed
they were compared to many
shows before. This evening, there
was almost no nudity (which felt
a bit strange). Trabant delivered
their own brand of filthy electro
pop, defining themselves as a
sleazy electro version of Lionel
Richie. They are indeed Iceland’s
finest booty-shakers.
At noon the musicians were
taken to supper at the wonderful
Vagn-sisters in Bolungavík
who entertained the exhausted
performers with some known
and lesser-known Icelandic folk
songs. This was followed by an
underwater concert by Mugison,
Múm and Kira Kira and fashion
show by Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir
and Laufey Elíasdóttir at the
swimming pool in Bolungavík.
The musicians were invited by
Papa Mug and daughters to a
dinner at the infamous Tjöruhúsið
(an old house by the harbour in
Ísafjörður). Guests we entertained
by performances by Gruff Rhys,
Paul Lydon, Markús Bjarnson of
Skátar, Alex McNeil of Kimono,
Þráinn of Hudson Wayne, Papa
Mug and Mugison and a lot of free
beer.
Benedik
t Reynis
son, AK
A Benn
i
Karate,
is a gui
tarist fo
r Skátar

and hos
ts a rad
io show
Sunday

evening
s on XF
M (ww
w.xfm.i
s
or 91.9
FM). H
e also te
nds sho
p
at Smek
kleysa.
We hav
e theref
ore
checked
his com
ments o
n his bo
ss,
Einar Ö
rn or G
hostigit
al—all
agreed w
ith Ben
ni that
Ghostig
ital
indeed
put on a
great sh
ow.
by Be
nedik
t Reyn
isson
Aldrei fór ég suður (I never went
south) is a music festival founded by
Mugison and Papa Mug during an
evening of beer drinking and talking
about how cool it would be have a
huge music festival on the edge of the
inhabitable world. They had an idea
to invite their friends and musicians
to come and play a festival that they
say is the best one in the whole world.
The Grapevine asked Iceland’s best
radio DJ, Benedikt Reynisson, to
cover the event.
To start with, at Aldrei fór ég suður
lesser-known bands get the treatment
that they deserve, everyone there
felt like a true star. The hospitality
was enormous. Artists, musicians
and guests were truly humbled by
the habitants of Ísafjörður and
Bolungarvík during the last Easter
weekend.
Írafár proved once and again why
they are Iceland’s most popular
pop band (in Iceland that is). The
band played hits like “Ég sjálf”
and “Fáum aldrei nóg” and they
delivered them in …the way only
they can do it. The crowd loved
them.
Húsið á sléttunni was the first
local act to perform at the festival.
Students of good ole 70’s hard rock
and heavy metal bands, every song
they played had an Iron Maiden,
AC/DC, Thin Lizzy and
ZZ Top part in it.
Hraun is a band from Reykjavík
who normally play cover songs at
various bars and pubs in the capital.
This time around they played
originals and their influences lean
toward bands like Travis or Simon
& Garfunkel. Not quite my cup of
coffee.
Hudson Wayne performed with a
new line-up. Guitarist Hákon has
left the band to play with Singapore
Sling. Kjartan (drums) and Dóri
(bass) from Kimono joined the band
for this show. The band has slowed
down a lot from the last time I saw
them (maybe they were playing their
slow set this night). They were even
slower than Low on some points
(and that is surely slow).
Lack of Talent is a local quartet
that sounds like a clean and young
version of bands like Fudge Tunnel
or Nirvana with a dash of The Jesus
Lizard herky jerky song structures.
These boys also throw in a bit of
Dillinger Escape Plan into the mix
with some good results.
Tristian were supposed play but
they had to cancel on a short notice.
Tristian’s singer and guitarist Pétur
Benediktsson (a friend of Mugison
who co-wrote Murr Murr from
“Mugimama is this Monkeymusic?”)
performed instead with a back-up
band consisting of members of
bands like Jeff Who? And Ensími.
The program consisted of Pétur’s
solo material and it sounds like a
cross between American alt- and
commercial country acts like
Jayhawks, Will Oldham and Chris
Isaac.
Ghostigital probably delivered their
best show ever and were by far the
best act of the festival. The band is
led by former Sugarcube Einar Örn
Benediktsson and one of Iceland’s
hottest recording engineer Birgir
Örn Thoroddsen (a.k.a. Curver).
Other members are Hrafnkell Flóki
(Einar’s twelve year old son), guitar-
players Elís Pétursson (a.k.a. the new
Elvis) who also plays with Jeff Who?
and Alex McNeil of Kimono and the
turntablist wonderboy Gísli Galdur
(a.k.a. DJ Magic). Ghostigital
premiered seven brand new songs
and one could say that the new
material is ten times crazier than
their older stuff and a lot catchier.
They blew everyone away.
Reykjavík! is a band that fans of
...Trail of Dead, Rocket From The
Crypt and Hot Snakes should check
out. Their show was intense and
wild as ever, probably more intense
than ever before. No wonder they
got picked by Drowned In Sound
and the famous English radio
DJ John Kennedy to play at The
Marquee in London last February.
Mugison appeared onstage with the
local bluegrass band Unaðsdalur for
an enjoyable if eccentric set. Never
have I seen Mugison perform with
a full band before. The band was a
bit rusty, or really rusty version of
Crazy Horse. The set was maybe at
some points a bit too loose. I guess
tight isn’t Mugison’s style anyway.
Pétur Benediktsson appeared
onstage to play guitar on Murr Murr
(Mugison’s hit).
Gruff Rhys is the frontman of the
Welsh psychedelic poppers, The
Super Furry Animals. His set
consisted of songs from his new
solo album “Yr Atal Genhedlaeth”
which is sung in Welsh. His solo
stuff is less psychedelic the average
Super Furry Animals material and
maybe a bit more sing-a-long, even
though you don’t understand a word
he sings.
Nine Elevens most definitely put on
the wildest and the sweatiest show
of the festival. They’re not the most
original band around but they kick
some serious ass. Bands like Fu
Manchu, Mudhoney and Motörhead
come to mind (especially when their
huge bassplayer gets in front of the
microphone). The band played few
songs as a four piece and then were
joined… of course… by a string
band.
Borko is a bearded guy with glasses
and a really likeable papa-bearish
appearance. He plays slow tempo
and organic electronica. With him
were Örvar from Múm on guitar
and Doddi from Trabant on drums.
His set was, like to many of the
bands who played late, FAR TOO
SHORT.
Kimono have proven themselves one
of Iceland’s best experimental rock
bands, live and on record. Their
songwriting skills get better and
better by every song they fork out.
Unfortunately, they didn’t get to
deliver their best during their set.
They’re a band that likes to jam and
improvise during their live shows
and their set was ended by promoters
when they were just about to get hot.
What a shame. Ír fár
Húsið
á slét
tunni
raun
H dso
n Way
ne
L ck o
f Talen
t
Tri tia
n
Gh st
igital
Reykj
avík!
Mugis
on
Gr ff
Rhys
Nine E
leven
s
rko
Ki on
o
j lma
r
Traba
nt
Here’s my play by play.
Edinborgarhúsið:
Saturday, March 26th
Bolungarvík:
Sunday 27th at noon
Tjöruhúsið