Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.07.2008, Qupperneq 21

REYKJAVÍK GRAPEVINE | ISSUE 09—2008 | 21
Slugs
THE GRAPEVINE: When and how did the band
form?
GEIRHARÐuR: The band formed in 2006 with
the intention of making Rockabilly music. That
went horribly wrong and out of it came this out-
rage that we have on the record. At first it was just
me and Sindri and Heisi, just a guitar, singing and
drums, and we composed maybe five songs or
something. Sindri tried playing the bass while he
sang, and then at our second or third concert he
did that, and Teitur saw that concert and thought
it was ridiculous that Sindri was stuck to the mic-
stand because he had been used to running all
over the place raising hell. He voiced that and
then it occurred to us that it was opportune that
Teitur play the bass, and it worked out pretty well.
THE GRAPEVINE: What about the name, where
does it come from?
GEIRHARÐuR: It comes originally from a movie
called Slugs, which is about man-eating slugs. We
decided that it was a good name when we dis-
covered that this word can have many alternate
meanings. We found that refreshing and then it
wasn’t until later that we realise that it works in
Icelandic too, then we started calling ourselves
Slugs [with an Icelandic accent].
TEITuR: It can mean a snail; it can mean a sledge-
hammer....
GEIRHARÐuR: It can also mean like a bullet,
and a shot glass maybe, but that may not be right.
TEITuR: And then just to be a sluggard, essen-
tially to loaf.
THE GRAPEVINE: Up to this point, how active
have you been as a band as far as playing and per-
forming? Have you been playing more in anticipa-
tion of the record?
TEITuR: We took a stretch in the spring where we
were playing maybe two or three times a week.
We’re going to play in the east and north between
July 10–20, at the festivals Eistnaflug and LungA,
among others.
THE GRAPEVINE: How has the reception been?
Where has it been particularly good?
TEITuR: The reception’s been respectable, gen-
erally. Especially at Bar 11, and Dillon. Not at Kaffi
Rót.
GEIRHARÐuR: No.
TEITuR: Kaffi Rót is a shit-place.
GEIRHARÐuR: Just completely, horrible atmo-
sphere there.
TEITuR: Kaffi Krókur was also a kind of inter-
esting place. That was more of like... we were for
show, that we were just some kind of freaks. Be-
cause everyone just sat in their seats and stared
at us.
GEIRHARÐuR: And looked at us with a kind of...
some with a look of wonder, many with a look of
disdain, and then there were a few people milling
about with some mixture of the two.
TEITuR: We started the concert by breaking
some tables, accidentally, and then spilling beer
all over, right into people’s faces. Then we played
and after we left the place burned down.
THE GRAPEVINE: Like, directly thereafter?
TEITuR: Well, like maybe a week later.
GEIRHARÐuR: That place had seen its most
beautiful flower.
TEITuR: So I think we held the last concert
there.
THE GRAPEVINE: Do you see yourselves as fill-
ing some void in the scene?
TEITuR: Yeah, there’s maybe a vacancy that forms
when bands try to follow some scene, and that’s
kind of what happens, when everyone chooses
some trend to follow, before they’ve really even
formed the band. There’s a void for freshness.
GEIRHARÐuR: Like if we had for example suc-
ceeded in making rockabilly music, we maybe
wouldn’t be standing out in any way, but there’s
still enough going on here, I don’t know if I can
elaborate on it in any way that I care to attempt
but... if it’s so that there is a need for bands that
are doing just whatever comes naturally out of
them, then we are filling some void, otherwise
we’re just...
TEITuR: Stagnant.
GEIRHARÐuR: Yes, treading water.
THE GRAPEVINE: What expectations do you
have for your success?
TEITuR: None.
THE GRAPEVINE: Are you just fooling around?
TEITuR: No, absolutely not. We’re completely
serious about what we’re doing, but we have no
expectations.
GEIRHARÐuR: Most of us have learned through
the years to try to minimise our expectations to-
wards people.
TEITuR: But we do actually have the expecta-
tion of receiving equal coverage to everyone else.
If a reviewer is unhappy with the record then we
would rather they give us zero stars than some two.
If they want to give us zero then they should give
us zero. We don’t want to get something like, “Hey,
you did a nice job here, good first try,” or “it will
be fun to see what these guys do in the future.” No,
I don’t want any of that, I just want to hear, “you
guys shat on yourselves, better luck next time, go
to hell” or something like that.
GEIRHARÐuR: It’s much better to be crapped on
than to hear that you’re doing good things. I think
it’s like that with most of the music that I find most
enjoyable, that people tend to have very divided
and strong opinions on the band. In my opinion
it’s a very good sign for a band if there are some
people who hate it, just as it’s a good sign if some-
one likes it.
THE GRAPEVINE: So you’re asking that you be
crapped on if you deserve it?
GEIRHARÐuR: If someone who listens to the
record thinks it deserves it, I hope they’ll let them-
selves be heard.
[Guðmundur Einar enters]
GuÐMuNDuR: What do you think about saying:
an old legend tells of Fjörulalli. I really wanted
to talk about Fjörulalli, I think it would be really
funny in English... “Old Icelandic folklore, some-
thing... talks about the Fjord Lalli.”
GEIRHARÐuR: Are you talking about folklore or
are you just making it up?
GuÐMuNDuR: You’ve never heard of the Fjord
Lalli?
GEIRHARÐuR: No.
GuÐMuNDuR: It’s some kind of man who walks
around the shore and has a cloven foot if I remem-
ber correctly.
TEITuR: Then we have to connect it to us. “He
was known for being a slug.”
GuÐMuNDuR: Or he was known for eating chil-
dren that slugged.
GEIRHARÐuR: Yes exactly, that’s what I want to
hear.
GuÐMuNDuR: [in scary voice] “and he ate chil-
dren that slugged”
TEITuR: And that is precisely what these men do,
that are living.
THE GRAPEVINE: Just so we have it clear, what
exactly do you do in the band Guðmundur?
TEITuR: He’s our new manager.
THE GRAPEVINE: Officially?
GEIRHARÐuR: No.
THE GRAPEVINE: As their new unofficial man-
ager/spokesman/enthusiast, what do you think
of Slugs, Guðmundur? Why are you interested in
working with them?
GuÐMuNDuR: What I think Slugs have, first and
foremost, is some kind of unharnessed energy
of the Icelandic forces of nature, that somehow
doesn’t manage to appear anywhere else in the
world as much as in long-haired new-age Vikings.
It’s something that the world needs to know, that
the Vikings of the modern day do not belong in
the stock exchange, they don’t belong in analysis
departments, but rather they belong in the bub-
bling, sweaty musical armpit, with a tattoo on
their shoulders.
GEIRHARÐuR: You mean basically that they be-
long in the shit.
GuÐMuNDuR: They belong in the shit.
TEITuR: They belong in the streets of Reykjavík.
GuÐMuNDuR: They belong amongst the mass-
es.
This summer marks the advent of two exciting releases from two of the
scene’s youngest and most promising rock bands. The sophomore release
from Mammút, whose 2006 debut corresponds to the founding of their com-
peers Slugs; the debut album from the latter is expected to be released by
the end of the month. The Grapevine sat down with Teitur and Geirharður
of Slugs, and members of Mammút, Alexandra, Ása, and Kata to discuss
the grunt of young rock in Reykjavík.
WHO
Slugs
MEMBERS
Heiðar Már Aðalsteinsson (Drums)
Sindri Eldon (Vocals)
Teitur Magnússon (Bass Guitar)
Geirharður Þorsteinsson (Guitar)
ACTIVE
Since 2006
DISCOGRAPHY
(debut pending, 2008)