Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.06.2007, Síða 14

B6_RVK_GV_INFO_ISSUE 09_007_INTERVIEW/MUSIC
Inga Sólveig Friðjónsdóttir was scouting for a
nice spot for her new bar and concert venue
when she stumbled upon a hidden treasure in a
Hafnarstræti alley, next door to club Gaukurinn.
The building used to house the rather shabby
pub Rökkurbarinn and the slot machine parlour
Gullnáman, but all evidence of previous hou-
seguests have long vanished and the place has
been completely renovated and redecorated,
boasting a roomy floor with a bar, a DJ cage
and nice stage as well as a downstairs lounge
room. The name still remains a secret, but the
place can accommodate 300 people and is
equally suitable for cosy seated concerts as well
as more crowded and rowdy rock shows, and
could easily become a long-awaited centre for
local musicians and music lovers alike.
Scheduled to open its doors to a thirsty
audience in the middle of July, the bar will
undoubtedly come to be a true haven for
rockers and their followers, who have been
desperately lacking a proper venue that is
reasonably sized and focuses with an ambition
on the thriving music scene that Reykjavík has
become so renowned for. Curious travellers
who are eager to experience Icelandic culture
and to catch a glimpse of what is going on,
will now have a better chance of actually see-
ing a show of some sort, which will be a great
boost for the downtown area.
“The plan is to host live gigs at least four
times a weak but the place will be open daily
as a regular bar. We want to provide a good
venue for bands and musicians who are doing
something creative and original. When the bar
opens, they will have a reasonably sized place
that is much cooler than all the other venues
in the city and provides good facilities for the
bands and the audience, a high-grade sound
system and the bands will be able to charge
admittance,” Gylfi Blöndal, the organiser ex-
plains.
“What kind of music will we be focusing
on? I would just say Alternative music in the
widest sense of the term,” he adds.
A Musical Mix
It’s safe to say that local musicians as well as the
city’s music lovers are waiting with anticipation
for the place to open its doors, as the scene
has been suffering from a lack of good venues
for the past years. In fact, there is not a single
club in the city centre hosting concerts on such
a regular basis today. At the same time, the
music industry has been growing and many
new acts have been catching attention and
making a name for themselves locally as well
as internationally. It should therefore not be
too hard booking gigs numerous times a week
and mixing new bands with the up-and-coming
and more established ones, creating a great
vibe on weekdays and weekends. For the
concertgoers there is another bonus, at least
for those who need to wake up early next
morning and attend to their daily duties.
“We plan to have the concerts start at a
decent hour. There have been so many com-
plaints in the past about how late the concerts
tend to start. If people want to party after the
show, they can of course stay until the bar
closes,” Gylfi adds.
A bar focusing on the music scene is not
only a positive development for the city, but
can be a first step for bands who have perhaps
never played in public before.
“I would think that it is our responsibility to
care for young and inexperienced bands. That is
beneficial for everyone. If we give young bands
the opportunity to play, they will become more
experienced and hopefully play many great
gigs at our bar in the future. The music scene
is also continuously experiencing some renewal
and more and more bands are now touring
around the world and gaining experience. In
my view, the scene is also growing in size by
the minute and established bands are pop-
ping up in every corner. I am convinced that
a bar like this one can be profitable. Of course
there probably will be some badly attended
shows but the next night could be sold-out.
You have too look at the big picture to make
it work,” he adds.
Pop-Quiz and Rockumentaries
When asked whether they have a plan for
the summer or if they have booked some big
names to play at Organ in the next couple of
weeks, owner Inga explains that she has been
careful not to make too many long-term plans
until everything is in its place. “I don’t want
to do anything before I have all the permits I
need to open the place, and we can’t get the
permits before everything inside is completely
ready. All I know at the moment is that we will
be part of the Airwaves festival, but I definitely
want to book international acts at least once
a month” she says and Gylfi agrees, adding:
“Five years ago people were booking great
bands to play in Reykjavík on a regular basis,
bands that would never play Laugardalshöll
but were still worth all the expenses.”
They tell me that the venue will be much
more than a concert venue and a bar. It will
be a new meeting spot for all those interested
in music, featuring various happenings and
events. “Every Friday after work will be time
for pop-quiz. Everyone knows something about
music; many even think they know a lot, so
now it will be time to find out. We are also
planning on screening some interesting rocku-
mentaries and documentaries twice a month
and see if people are interested in watching
a film together and have a good time. We
might even organise lectures on music, as was
sometimes done at gallery Klink & Bank, and
was a really fun format. By organising events
of this kind, we will hopefully appeal to people
interested in music, no matter if they are cre-
ating their own or not,” Gylfi explains.
Bands and DJ’s interested in playing can contact
Gylfi Blöndal: gylfiblondal@gmail.com
A Long-Awaited Music Hang-Out
Text by Steinunn Jakobsdóttir Photo by Leó Stefánsson
“We want to provide a
good venue for bands and
musicians who are doing
something creative and
original.”
RVK_GV_INFO_ISSUE 09_007_MUSIC FESTIVAL_B7
www.bluelagoon.com
Energy for life through forces of nature
For the third time around, the annual rock festival
Eistnaflug will take over the town of Neskaupsstaður
on July 13 and 14, attracting a loyal crowd of hard-core
fans and rockers alike from all over the country. Due
to increasing popularity among local musicians and
their followers, the festival’s organiser saw no other
option than to expand the party and present a two-day
extravaganza, open to all ages.
Whereas last year’s 17 acts attracted a crowd of
300 people, there is no way to tell what the turn-out
this year will be. Featuring a mix of approximately
40 established and up-and-coming rock, punk, and
metal-bands, the line-up includes I Adapt, Changer,
Morðingjarnir, Celestine, Severed Crotch, Bootlegs,
Mammút, Sólstafir, Andrúm and Momentum. The
concerts will take place at Hotel Egilsbúð from noon
to midnight on Friday and Saturday, after which the
music fiesta reaches its peak with a rowdy party until
morning. Admission fee is 1,500 ISK for one day and
2,500 ISK for the two-day festival.
Neskaupsstaður is located in East Iceland, approxi-
mately 700 kilometres from Reykjavík, but as Eistnaflug
tends to draw plenty of party-animals from the capital,
special cheap bus trips have been organised for this
occasion. The rock-buses will leave from the BSÍ Bus
Terminal at 8:00 on Thursday morning and drive back
from Neskaupsstaður around noon on Sunday, July 15.
Price per ticket is 6,500 ISK.
Also worth mentioning is the camping site at Nes-
kaupsstaður, which will be reserved for those attending
the rock fest. Camping at the area is free for everyone
with a tent and will be based in a good distance from
the more quiet family folks and weary hikers.
For more info see: www.eistnaflug.is or myspace.com/
eistnaflug. To book bus trips contact the festival’s or-
ganizers at stebbimaggi@simnet.is
Rock Fest Eistnaflug
Text by Steinunn Jakobsdóttir Photo by Árdís Björk Jónsdóttir
Lárus & Lárus
You know what your
biggest problem is?
You are too indecisive
I am not sure
ALWAYS
NICE
No
You could be here!
Glacial hiking and ice climbing trips
on the breathtaking Sólheimajökull
glacier only 90 minutes from Reykjavík.
Guranteed departures every Saturday
and Monday at 8:30. Call to enqiuer
about other departures.
Call us on +354-562-7000, meet us at
Laugavegur 11 in the Cintamani Center
or ask for us at your hotel or nearest
tourist information center.
www.adventures.is | +354-562-7000