Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.03.2008, Qupperneq 39

Article | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 03 2008 | B15
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Since 1982 Iceland’s very own garage band music
competition, Battle of the Bands (Icel. Músiktil-
raunir), has taken place annually. The competition
has allowed young artists to gain more attention
in the Icelandic music scene than they otherwise
could have hoped for, as well as providing the top
three bands with studio hours, industry connec-
tions and priceless attention. Instead of only play-
ing small venues for their parents, teachers and
friends, young musicians found an opportunity to
play in front of music enthusiasts as well as to be
heard on the radio and sometimes gain national
fame. Many young musicians have competed dur-
ing the 25 years or so in which the competition
has been held. The once modest contest now ad-
mits about 50 bands every year and many others
have to be turned away.
The Beginning
The competition should not be confused with
The Global Battle of the Bands, or any other com-
petition by that name. The Icelandic version has
been running for almost fifteen years longer and
has produced a few very popular acts, at least in
Iceland.
Even in the first years of the competition
the media paid attention. The all-girls band Dúk-
kulísurnar (Eng. The Paper Dolls) won in ’83 and
got considerable radio play. In ’86 a band from
Húsavík, Greifarnir (Eng. The Counts), exploded
onto the Icelandic pop-music scene and enjoyed
wide popularity for a couple of years. At the height
of their fame the band received so much attention
that it became a small time mania. Teenagers cut
their hair to emulate their look and the trendset-
ting singer (his glasses also became a hit), Felix
Bergson, became a national celebrity – today he’s
a well known actor.
A couple of other borderline boy-bands fol-
lowed in the late ’80s but in the ’90s the music
scene changed and so did the bands that com-
peted. Around 1990 rock ’n’ roll picked up where
the new romantics had left off and the happy-go-
lucky pop bands found that they didn’t have many
voters among the crowd that once hailed them.
Instead, death metal bands like Infusoria (later
Sororicide) dominated the contest until finally the
more intellectual alternative rock took over. Many
of the winners in the ’90s became very popular
in Iceland. 1992’s winners, Kolrassa Krókríðandi
(Eng. Bellatrix), performed abroad, as did Botn-
leðja (Eng. Silt) and Mínus – both winners in the
’90s. Maus (’94) became a very well known name
in Iceland as did Stjörnukisi and Yukatan.
New Sounds
In the year 2000 the hip-hop band 110 Rottweiler
hundar (Eng. 110 Rottweiler dogs) won the compe-
tition and started a powerful wave of homemade
hip-hop in Iceland. Árni Matthíasson, a music writ-
er at Morgunblaðið, has led the panel of judges in
the competition almost from the beginning and
has seen different fads come and go. He points
out that Battle of the Bands “serves as a glimpse
into the garage and therefore a window into the
future of the Icelandic music scene”. Rottweiler’s
success is a good example of how freshness can
move the scene because in the years that followed
their victory Icelandic hip-hop became very popu-
lar. Countless rappers and producers gained fame
and paved the way for a more innovative music
scene in later years. In the years 2001-02, dozens
of hip-hop albums came out in Iceland, which is
a lot for a small market. Rottweiler shrewdly used
Battle of the Bands to their benefit and their debut
album went platinum.
Grass Roots Competition
It’s important to remember that the competition
also serves as a breeding ground for young mu-
sicians. Members of well known bands such as
Sigur Rós and Quarashi started out in Battle of
the Bands and 2005’s winners, Jakobínarína, have
gained favourable reviews in the international mu-
sic press. The competition doesn’t only produce
musicians but also movers and shakers in the in-
dustry such as concert promoters, music writers
and editors as well as TV personalities.
The winning bands of the new millennium
are different from each other but still a valuable
part of the music scene – perhaps they represent
the diversity we now face as more music genres
co-exist than ten or 20 years ago. According to
Árni Matthíasson, the professionalism of the judg-
ing process has become higher over the years.
He adds that the competition is still an “impor-
tant step for new bands to gain experience and a
chance to step into the limelight”.
This year’s Músiktilraunir will take place in Austur-
bær, March 10-14, with the final night at the Reyk-
javík Art Museum, Hafnarhús, on March 15.
By Helga Þórey Jónsdóttir
When the Garage Doors Open
Shogun, winners of last year’s Battle of the Bands.
(Actually, this is not Shogun’s singer, as he missed
the event due to a previous engagement. This is
Celestine’s singer Axel who filled his shoes for the
show.) Photo by Billi.
The new romantics had
left off and the happy-go-
lucky pop bands found
that they didn’t have
many voters among the
crowd that once hailed
them. Instead, death met-
al bands dominated the
contest until finally the
more intellectual alterna-
tive rock took over.