Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.06.2008, Side 18

18 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 07 2008 | Reviews
CONCERTCONCERTCONCERT
Everybody makes mistakes and I guess that really applies to every-
one, even the Icelandic music-moguls of Jón Jónsson. But what was
it that made this concert so gut-wrenchingly, heart-turningly, face-
smashingly horrible? The DJ’s were good, the venue looked alright
so, what went wrong? I’ve narrowed my conclusion down to a mix-
ture of two things:
1. Way too many heinous substances. Techno and mind alter-
ing chemicals go together like peas and carrots but this gig took that
cocktail to the extreme. From the guy sitting at the table next to you
screaming: “Why are you calling me on this phone?! Don’t you know
we’re being monitored?!,” to the angry young men threatening each
other at the bar, to the three people on the dance floor with pupils
the size of saucers strengthening the eternal stereotype that white
people can’t dance.
2. Bad timing. The incredible surge of interest in all electronic
and dance music following the “Nu-Rave” explosion in early-mid
2007 has temporarily receded. Techno has had too much coverage
and now all but the most hardcore of fans are drifting away in a
search for the next big thing. Hardcore Techno is moving back to
the underground which in turn meant that the large Tunglið dance
floor never quite filled up the way it should have.
These two points really go hand in hand, seeing as how the
less popular the parties, the more noticeable the drugs, which in
turn makes the parties less popular until after a few months when
people have forgotten how uncomfortable being surrounded by
pill-poppers is. Conclusion: Although Mike himself was very good at
what he did, all he did was give this straight out of Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas scene a good soundtrack.
Reviewed by Oddur Sturluson
Youngsters Muck were already in full swing by the time I arrived at
the tiny room on the second level of Bar 11, which somebody had
sadly mistaken as a suitable venue for a live rock show. Although
I only caught two songs from their set, Muck impressed me with a
youthful take on metal-core with a bit of atmospheric Isis and gener-
ous distortion thrown in for good measure. Promising stuff and I’ll
be sure to make a point of seeing them play a full set in the near
future. They also had the nights biggest following obviously. About
half the audience left the room when they finished.
There was none of the usual wait-30-minutes-while-the-guitar-
player-tunes-his-delicate-instrument-and-the-drummer-realignes-
the-kit intermission between sets. Gordon Riots plugged in and off
they went. By now an established act in Icelandic metal, the band
used the occasion to try out some new material, most of it heavy
as… a four-letter word not fit for print…and a little less up the beat-
en–core path they have hitherto trodden. They played a short set,
but seemed hellbent on destruction.
This was my virgin experience with the night’s headliners,
Dormah, and I must confess, as deflowerings come, this one was a
violation. This fistful of veteran rockers is fronted by the ex-Changer
frontman Egill, who is the voice to beat in this business. Despite
some line-up changes in recent months, Dormah’s sludge metal
sounds brutal, but still oddly melodic, while manifesting the all the
evil sounds of slow doom metal. Filling in on bass guitar was Þórir
of My Summer as a Salvation Soldier and Gavin Portland. He was
right at home with this bunch, so here‹s hoping he makes this a
permanent post.
Reviewed by Sveinn Birkir Björnsson
Dormah Mike Monday
Photo by GASPhoto by SBB
Where: Tunglið When: May 30, 2008Where: Bar 11 When: May 30, 2008
A week prior to the concert I received the Super Mama Djombo CD
Ar Puro, and as soon as the notes hit my ear drums I was hooked.
The positive vibe, the beautiful vocals and instruments and the way
the album seems to transport you to someplace warm and vibrant
– preferably somewhere with palm trees. Super Mama Djombo is
much more than just feel good music however. The beautiful Cre-
ole lyrics are mostly about the hardships and political strife that
have plagued their homeland of Guinea-Bissau. This is the music
of people who have seen how ugly the world can get and know that
although problems are inevitable, moping and complaining won’t
help but rather give people something to be happy about.
The second I walked through the door at Nasa I knew I was in
for a treat. Other than the obvious fact that the band started on time,
which is practically unheard of in Reykjavík, they are one of those
rare bands that sound even better live than on their records. The
energy and way they riled the crowd was breathtaking and I doubt
if I’ve been as swept up by any band in a long time. I was slightly
disappointed by what I felt was the lack of young people (not that
there’s anything wrong with being middle-aged), because the audi-
ence seemed rather more subdued than a band like this deserves.
Although somewhat closed and rigid at first, the Icelandic crowd
soon melted and swayed, danced and sang along incoherently.
All in all I would have to say that this might be the best per-
formance I’ve seen since DJ Mehdi blessed us with his presence a
year ago. So my advice is, pour yourself some rum, smoke a cigar,
wear a fedora, put Super Mama Djombo on and let them take you
away from the cold and isolation of the north to the tropical para-
dise which is Ar Puro.
Reviewed by Oddur Sturluson
Super Mama Djombo
Photo by Björn Árnason
Where: NASA When: May 31, 2008
Akureyri
Vík
Egilsstaðir
Selfoss
Hveragerði
Hafnarfjörður
Neskaupstaður
Grundarfjörður
Stykkishólmur
Súðavík
Ísafjörður
Akranes
Njarðvík
Sandgerði
Hreðavatnsskáli
Reykjavík
You save at the pink stationsAkureyri, Egilsstaðir, Selfoss,
Hveragerði, Reykjavík,
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and Hreðavatnsskáli have
more than just stunning
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people in common!
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O s u s h i L æ k j a r g a t a 2 a Og B o r g a r t ú n 2 9 I S í m i : 5 6 1 0 5 6 2