Reykjavík Grapevine - 13.04.2007, Blaðsíða 16

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The fourth annual Aldrei fór ég suður festival
took place in Ísafjörður this Easter weekend,
having grown to a two-day affair. An
estimated 2000 attended, 37 acts played,
most of them didn’t suck and everyone had
a good time.
Let us not beat around any bush: Mugison
is a golden god, and he is a shining path. So
is his father, Muggi, and so, in fact, are all
of the magnificent people who have toiled
for the past months to make the Aldrei fór
ég suður music festival happen for the fourth
time since its inception in 2004.
The first band to take the stage at
Aldrei fór ég suður (AFS for short) this
Easter weekend was a local act, comprised
of members from Ísafjörður and the
neighbouring communities. A good crowd of
families, sailors, hipsters, headbangers and
old aunts had gathered to watch their goofy
take on PUNK RAWK, which they served up
with some well co-ordinated performance
gimmicks, beautifully setting the stage for
what was to come. If one band embodied
the spirit of AFS this year, it was probably
Kristina Logos, with their undeniable on-
stage charm, can-do spirit and chaotic
performance. When I approached them after
the show I was informed that this was their
second show ever, and that they were mostly
about “having fun”.
And that’s what so much of the festival
seems to be about, and the reason why
almost all of Iceland’s notable musicians
applied to perform there in some form
this year. Good clean fun, peppered with
an undeniable community spirit and some
excellent parties to boot. It is well publicised
that AFS is different from other music festivals
in the respect that there is no hierarchy, and
every performer gets the same treatment.
They all get the same fish stew when they
arrive, they all sleep in the same dorms and
everybody gets allotted the same 20 minutes
to impress the people of Ísafjörður and their
visitors. And this seems to be the festival’s
appeal for a lot of the attendees, as well as
the performers.
Morgunblaðið music scribe Atli Bollason
is also a member of Sprengjuhöllin, one
of the 37 acts that performed this year.
This was the first time he attended, and
he seems fairly happy with the experience,
while noting surprise at the festival’s hearty
family atmosphere, which he felt set it apart
from other such shindigs. “I was happy to
see how effortlessly the locals and their
visitors blended. There was a good vibe,
not a threateningly drunken one, just kids
and adults, visitors and locals having fun
together. The festival is very homely and cosy,
something that can probably be attributed to
Mugison and Muggi and is very much in their
style. We were served delicious meals, and
the party on Easter Sunday was a lot of fun.
People sometimes speak of Iceland Airwaves
as a celebration for Icelandic musicians. After
this weekend, I think the title rather belongs
to AFS. Airwaves is more about competition
and less about community.”
Mugison, who along with his father
Muggi fathered the festival, seems kind of
beat up when we converse that following
Tuesday. He says he thinks AFS was awesome,
as always, but adds that hosting nearly forty
acts is a bit of a steep mountain to climb.
“For my part, I thought it veered on being
too big compared to the previous festivals.
I missed the farm-smells, the country-style;
not being able to greet and get to know
everybody personally. But doing it this way
was of course a lot of fun in its own way,
although maybe too much work to lay on
those volunteering. We may have to re-think
the organisation, although doing it this way
and seeing just how plain big it can get was
a beautiful experience.”
Starting off as an excuse to invite
friends and colleagues to his hometown of
Ísafjörður (the first line-up was comprised
almost solely of local acts interspersed with
various friends of Mugison), AFS is now so
beset with requests to play that there was no
alternative to implementing an application
process. “ That’s one of the most fun things
for myself about how big it’s gotten, dozens
of acts applied and I got to sit down with
my computer and listen to all the demos they
sent me. It’s a priority to be able to sample
Iceland’s musical landscape that way,” says
Mugison. When asked of his favourite
performance this year, he says he could
name many. “For instance, I was struck by
how cool and workmanlike President Bongo
(of GusGus) was when forced to perform
behind a pile of rubbish, because Blonde
Redhead needed an extra long soundcheck.
He pulled it off beautifully and the smile on
his face remained even after they had started
soundchecking over his set, something that
would upset me to no end. A true sailor.”
The Blonde Redhead, the festivals
purported superstars, seemed to cause
the only disappointment of the weekend.
Reporter Jonas Moody, who has attended
AFS since the beginning, summed it up nicely
when asked. “Saturday was second only to
the first year. Friday was miserable. Blonde
Redhead put such a damper on the evening.
Such a bad way to leave the night.”
It seems that the famed NY indie
rockers didn’t know exactly what they were
bargaining for when they agreed on playing
AFS, or maybe the organisers, in all their
punkish spirit, didn’t realise the implications
of bringing over a big name band that’s
all used to soundchecking to perfection
for hours on end before uttering a note.
In any case, band and festival didn’t mesh
well. At an event where there were usually
around five minutes between acts, Blonde
Redhead stood on stage for well up to an
hour before playing, in front of a drunken
and excited mass of people, moving around
amplifiers and reconfiguring drum kits. They
got booed for making people wait (which
was unfortunate and uncalled for), and they
in turn exited stage after playing only three
songs when they finally did manage to start,
claiming that they couldn’t deal with such
bad sound conditions. When you manage
to think of them as delicate artistes instead
of a plain ol’ rock and roll band, you sort of
understand where they were coming from.
Anna Hildur Hildibrandsdóttir is managing
director of the Icelandic Music Export agency,
and is a veteran in both promoting Icelandic
music and attending various international
festivals. She attended AFS accompanied by
ten visiting journalists, who she says were all
dazzled by the festival’s communal spirit and
beautiful surroundings. “Some of them were
even saying, ‘Why don’t they do this sort of
thing in Wales?’,” says Hildibrandsdóttir. “I
think the festival will fare well in the future.
Festivals like this one, which offer up an
experience apart from the standard Reading/
Glastonbury fare. This is something you won’t
find anywhere else; it offers an invigorating
spirit, a small town atmosphere and some
beautiful surroundings. It may well end up
growing too big for what Ísafjörður has to
offer in terms of accommodation. It has a
special sort of attraction and is a unique in
many, many ways.”
What about all those bands who played,
you ask? This reporter saw a good chunk
of them, and nearly all of them managed
to impress with their enthusiasm about
performing, their joy of being in a strange
place (or a very familiar one) and giving your
all in exchange for accommodation, new
experiences, some parties, some fish stew
and a whole lotta love. This is true whether
you’re speaking of the grinding fury of Mínus
and Ham, the playful electro of FM Belfast
or indefinable, yet awesome, local acts such
as Skriðurnar, Lúðrasveit Tónlistarskólans
(the local music school’s brass orchestra) or
The Geiri Talent Show. Hell, even the Blonde
Redhead tunes were pretty great (all three
of them). Aldrei fór ég suður was indeed a
celebration of all the good things Icelandic
music has to offer, and it represented them
well.
Text by Haukur Magnússon Photo by Leó Stefánsson
Services
Useful Numbers
Emergency number: 112
Police: 569 9000
Medical help: 1770
Dental emergency: 575 0505
AA: 551 2010
Information: 118
Telegrams: 146
Tax Free Refund
Iceland Refund,
Aðalstræti 2, Tel: 564 6400
www.icelandrefund.com
Laundry Service
HI Hostel, Sundlaugarvegur 34,
Tel: 553 8110, www.hostel.is
Úðafoss, Vitastígur 13,
Tel: 551 2301, www.udafoss.is
Post Office
Post offices are located around the
city as well as in the countryside.
The downtown post office is at
Pósthússtræti 3-5. For a full list and
info on opening hours visit www.
posturinn.is.
Stamps are also sold in bookstores,
gas stations, some grocery stores and
tourist shops.
Embassies and Consulates
in Iceland
United States, Laufásvegur 21,
Tel: 562 9100
United Kingdom, Laufásvegur 31,
Tel: 550 5100
Russia, Garðastræti 33,
Tel: 551 5156
China, Víðimelur 29,
Tel: 552 6751
For a full list visit Ministry for Foreign
Affairs: www.mfa.is/diplomatic-mis-
sions/icelandic-missions/
Internet Access
Most coffeehouses have wireless
Internet access.
Computers with Internet connections
are available at:
Ráðhúskaffi City Hall, Tjarnargata 11
BSÍ Bus Terminal,
Vatnsmýrarvegur 10
Ground Zero, Vallarstræti 10
The Reykjavík City Library,
Tryggvagata 15
The National and University Li-
brary, Arngrímsgata 3
Tourist Information Centre,
Aðalstræti 2
Icelandic Travel Market: Bankastræti 2
Opening hours
Bars and clubs: According to regula-
tions bars may be open until 01:00 on
weekdays and 05:30 on weekends.
Shops: Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-16, Sun
closed. The shopping centres Kringlan
and Smáralind as well as most super-
markets and tourist shops have longer
opening hours.
Swimming pools: weekdays
06:30-22:30, weekends 08:00-20:30
although some may be open an hour
longer.
The State owned ÁTVR liquor
stores: Mon-Thu 11-18, Fri 11-19, Sat
11-18.
Banks in the centre are open Mon-Fri
09-16.
Getting Around
Public transport
The only public transport system in
Reykjavík is the bus. Most busses run
every 20 minutes and price per fare is
250 ISK for adults and 75 ISK for chil-
dren. Complete route map at: www.
bus.is. Tel: 540 2700
Busses run from 07:00-24:00 on
weekdays and 10:00-24:00 on week-
ends
Rent a bike
Borgarhjól, Hverfisgata 50,
Tel: 551 5653, www.borgarhjol.net
HI Hostel, Sundlaugarvegur 34,
Tel: 553 8110, www.hostel.is
Tourist Information Centre,
Aðalstræti 2, Tel: 590 1550,
www.visitreykjavik.is
Taxi
Hreyfill-Bæjarleiðir,
Tel: 553 3500 or 588 5522
BSR, Tel: 561 0000
For disabled travellers
Reykjavík Group Travel Service,
Brunastaðir 3, Tel: 587 8030, www.
randburg.com/is/reykjavik_group_trav-
el_service/
A useful brochure, Accessible Reykja-
vík, can be found at tourist offices.
Car rentals
Átak Car Rental, Smiðjuvegur 1,
Tel: 554 6040
ALP, Dugguvogur 10, Tel: 562 6060
Avis, Knarravogi 2, Tel: 591 4000
Eurocar, Hjallahraun 9, Tel: 565 3800
A.G Car Rental, Tangarhöfði 8-12.
Tel: 587 5544
Atlas Car Rental, Dalshraun 9,
Tel: 565 3800
Berg Car Rental, Tangarhöfða 8,
Tel: 577 6050
Hertz, Flugvallavegur, Tel: 505 0600
Airlines
Air Iceland, Reykjavíkurflugvöllur,
Tel: 570 3030, www.flugfelag.is
Air Vestmannaeyjar, Tel: 481 3255,
www.eyjaflug.is
Bus Terminal
BSÍ, Vatnsmýrarvegur 10,
Tel: 562 1011, www.bsi.is
Samferda.net
A reasonable choice for the budget
traveller. You log on to the website
www.samferda.net, choose your
destination and hopefully find a travel
buddy to share the cost.
The Intercultural Centre
The Intercultural Centre throws oc-
casional cultural events and confer-
ences but its main purpose is to be an
information and counselling centre
and serve as an advocate for the rights
of immigrants in Iceland.
Hverfisgata 18, Tel: 530 9300
www.ahus.is
Icelandic Travel Market
Bankastræti 2, Tel: 510 5700,
www.kleif.is
Information on day tours, accommo-
dations, car rental and everything else
you need to know when travelling in
Iceland.
Iceland Visitor
Lækjargata 2, Tel: 511 2442,
www.icelandvisitor.com
A travel agency offering travelling
package trips and custom-made tours
as well as car rental, day tours and
accommodations for visitors.
Tourist Information Centre
Aðalstræti 2, Tel: 590 1550,
www.visitreykjavik.is
Offers information for tourists as well
as providing internet access, booking
service, a phone centre, money ex-
change service, tax refund and selling
the Reykjavík Tourist Card. The Reykja-
vík Tourist Card gives admission to city
busses, various museums, Reykjavík
swimming pools, The Family Park and
Reykjavík Zoo, The Culture House and
the National and University Library.
The Icelandic Tourist Board
Lækjargata 3, Tel: 535 5500,
www.visiticeland.com
All information needed before travel-
ling in Iceland.
Goethe Institute
Túngata 14, Tel: 561 5921,
www.goethe.de/island
A cultural institute that offers movie
screenings, lectures and German
language courses.
Nordic House
Sturlugata 5, Tel: 551 7030,
www.nordice.is
The Nordic cultural centre organises
various cultural events, conferences
and exhibitions.
All major tourist spots in Reykjavík also
offer brochures, maps and information
for travellers.
Useful Information
Where to learn Icelandic as a
foreign language
Icelandic on the Internet,
www.vefskoli.is
Mímir Continuing Education,
Skeifán 8, Tel: 580 1800, www.mimir.is
Námsflokkar Reykjavíkur,
Fríkirkjuvegur 1, Tel: 551 2992
Fjölmenning, Laugavegur 59,
Tel: 511 1319, www.fjolmenning.is
The Icelandic College of Engineer-
ing and Technology, Höfðabakki 9,
Tel: 577 1400, www.thi.is
Iðnskólinn í Reykjavík,
Skólavörðuholti, Tel: 552 6240,
www.ir.is
The University of Iceland – Depart-
ment of Continuing Education,
Dunhagi 7, Tel: 525 4924,
www.endurmenntun.is
Religious movements
The national church in Iceland is the
Evangelical Lutheran Church. Masses
are generally held on Sundays at 11:00
in churches all around the capital.
Service in English is at Hallgrímskirkja
every last Saturday each month, start-
ing at 14:00. The Roman Catholic
Church also has masses in English and
Polish.
Other religious movements in Reykja-
vík are for example:
The Muslim Association of Iceland,
Ármúli 38
Ásatrú Association, Grandagarði 8
Bahá’í, Álfabakka 12
The Church of Evangelism,
Hlíðasmári 9
The Icelandic Buddhist Movement,
Víghólastígur 21
Reykjavík Free Lutheran Church,
Fríkirkjuvegur 5
Pentecostal Assembly, Hátún 2
Roman Catholic Church,
Hávallagata 14
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
Day Saints, Ásabraut 2
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Sogavegur 71
Seventh-Day Adventists,
Suðurhlíð 36

Zen Buddhism in Iceland,
Reykjavíkurvegur 31
Independent Church,
Háteigsvegur 101
The Russian Orthodox Church in
Iceland, Sólvallagata 10
The Cross, Hlíðasmári 5-7
Trade Unions
The Icelandic Federation of Labour,
Sætún 1, Tel: 535 5600, www.asi.is
The Federation of State and Mu-
nicipal employees, Grettisgata 89,
Tel: 525 8300, www.bsrb.is
The Association of Academics, Bor-
gartún 6, Tel: 581 2090, www.bhm.is
Efling, Sætún 1, Tel: 510 7500,
www.efling.is
The Commercial Workers’ Union,
Kringlan 7, Tel: 510 1700, www.vr.is
Union of Public Servants, Grettis-
gata 89, Tel: 525 8340, www.sfr.is
Useful Websites
www.visitreykjavik.is (The official
tourist website of Reykjavík)
www.gayice.is (Information about
the gay scene in Iceland)
www.fjolmenningarsetur.is
(The Multicultural Centre)
www.hostel.is
(Hostel International in Iceland)
www.vinnumalastofnun.is
(Public employment services)
www.gulalinan.is (The yellow pages)
www.leigulistinn.is (Rent a flat)
www.simaskra.is
(Icelandic telephone directory)
Where to get Work and residence permit: The
Directorate of Immigration, Skógarhlíð
6, Tel: 510 5400, www.utl.is.
Insurance and benefits: The State
Social Security Institute, Laugavegur
114-116, Tel: 560 4400, www.tr.is
Icelandic citizenship: Unless you
come from a Nordic country, foreign
citizens have to have had an unre-
stricted residence permit in Iceland for
at least seven years in order to get an
Icelandic citizenship although some
exceptions exist to that general rule.
Applications are at the Ministry of
Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs,
Skuggasund, Tel: 545 9000,
www.domsmalaraduneyti.is
Unemployment benefits: Director-
ate of Labour, Public Employment
Service, Tryggvagata 17, Tel: 515 4800,
www.vinnumalastofnun.is
Icelandic social security number
(kennitala): National Register, Bor-
gartún 30, Tel: 560 9800,
www.hagstofa.is
Driver’s license: Those who have a
foreign license don’t need an Icelandic
one for the first six months. After that
time you have one month to apply for
an Icelandic driver’s license. Applica-
tions are at police stations.
Tax card: Tax office, Laugavegur 166,
Tel: 563 1100, www.rsk.is
Rent subsidies: Social Service Office,
Tryggvagata 17, Tel: 411 9000 www.
felagsthjonustan.is
Facts on Iceland
Iceland is a constitutional repub-
lic with slightly more than 300,000
inhabitants. Reykjavík has been the
country’s capital since 1786 and today
almost two-thirds of the population
live in the greater capital area.
The 17th of June 1944 Iceland
became an independent republic.
That day is the national holiday and is
celebrated all around the country.
Alþingi, the national parliament,
is the oldest assembly in the world,
established at Þingvellir in 930 but
restored in Reykjavík in 1844. The par-
liament is comprised of 63 members,
who are elected by popular vote every
four years. Icelandic citizens over 18
years of age have the legal right to
vote.
Parliamentary elections were last
held in 2003 with 33.7 percent of
votes going to the Independence
Party. The Social Democratic Alliance
got 31 percent, the Progressive Party
17.7 percent, the Leftist-Greens 8.8
percent and the Liberal Party 7.4 per-
cent. The Independence Party and the
Progressive Party formed a coalition
and together lead the government.
Iceland has 12 ministers with the
prime minister and head of govern-
ment being Geir H. Haarde, who is
also chairman of the Independence
Party. The President of Iceland is Ólafur
Ragnar Grímsson, who has been in
office since 1996. He is the Chief of
State although his duties are mostly
ceremonial.
Time Zone: GMT 0
Currency: Íslensk króna (ISK).
International Dialling Code: +354
Weather: Average temperature dur-
ing summer is around 10ºC and winter
0ºC. For information on weather in
Iceland visit www.vedur.is or Tel: 902
0600.
Cultural Centres and
Tourist Offices
23. February 2007 – 26. May 2007
DAMIEN PEYRET
swim and steam
JO DUCHENE
colours of the housescape
MADE IN ICELAND
A Celebration of All Things Good