Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.07.2011, Blaðsíða 31

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 9 — 2011
It’s a story that has passed into
Icelandic music legend. Of how
a young drummer named Ste-
fán ‘Stebbi’ Magnússon, having
moved to the Eastfjords village
of Neskaupstaður, invited several
of his musician friends to come
and play and have a party out of
sheer boredom. From this chaos,
the mighty Eistnaflug metal fes-
tival was created, becoming one
of Icelandic music’s best-kept
secrets. Now in its seventh year,
and promising to be bigger than
ever, we sat down with Stebbi and
fellow organiser Guðný Lára Tho-
rarensen to talk metal, tents and
dancing to Mammút ...
So how are the preparations going?
Guðný: It’s been pretty good. We’ve
been working on the festival for about
eleven months now. Last year’s festival
was really professional, so we’re try-
ing to continue that for this year. After
last year finished, we decided that we
wanted more foreign bands and have it
bigger and better.
Are you finding it easier to do as the
years go on?
Stebbi: It does get a bit easier as we’re
just better prepared, have more con-
nections and a better reputation in the
metal scene now, which is important
when you’re talking to foreign bands.
This year’s line up looks really di-
verse. Are you looking to open up
the festival beyond the core metal
audience?
G: We do try to do that. The heavy
metal guys that come, they want to
bring their friends and girlfriends and
we want to make sure they enjoy them-
selves too so that they’ll come again
next year. Plus, you can’t really listen to
death and black metal continuously for
three days.
S: It’s also rather funny seeing all the
metal fans dancing away to the likes of
Mammút!
G: But we’ve always tried to have a
diverse line up. People forget that the
likes of Agent Fresco and BOB actu-
ally played at Eistnaflug a couple of
years ago. And don’t forget Reykjavík!
and Me, The Slumbering Napoleon last
year. I think people’s minds are a bit
hazy and they tend to forget.
Now there are couple of acts on this
year’s line up that have raised a few
eyebrows, none more so that the
Alice In Chains tribute band. So the
question is, why??
G: Stebbi LOVES the Alice in Chains
band!
S: Yup it’s just me!
So what you’re saying is that it’s
your festival and you’ll have who-
ever the fuck you want on it?
S: That is EXACTLY what I’m saying
[laughs] 100%!
G: He always puts on some odd bands.
Whenever I turn away to do something,
I come back and these bands are writ-
ten down on the list! And he goes: “It’s
my festival!”
Another thing that’s raised eye-
brows, for different reasons, is
that the original Icelandic metaller
Eiríkur Hauksson is playing. How
did you swing that?
S: He’s my uncle!
A fair point...
S: Well many of the younger people,
they won’t have seen him perform what
he’ll be doing at Eistnaflug.
G: Stebbi’s even made a special band
for him.
But will he be performing his Euro-
vision Song Contest entry?
S: God, no no no. What he’ll be playing
is some of his stuff from his Drýsill days,
some tracks from his Norwegian group
Artch, and some classic stuff.
Nice one. So this year you’ve got
four foreign bands playing, more
than ever. Did having Napalm Death
perform last year make it easier to
get these guys to come and play?
G: That, and we got a great review of
the festival from Shane Embury [Na-
palm Death’s bass player], as well as
the festival appearing in magazines like
Terrorizer and Metal Hammer.
But also Icelandic bands are talking
about the festival to their friends in Eu-
rope. Secrets Of The Moon, for exam-
ple, are really good friends with Sólsta-
fir. And Secrets Of The Moon are also
good friends with Triptykon, and Stebbi
had already spoken to them about play-
ing.
S: Triptykon was a big one for us to get.
They’re such a good band.
G: It was also interesting that all four of
the bands kind of ‘fell into our lap’ so
to speak. We didn’t have to woo them
specifically. They wanted to come and
play here.
There’s been some talk for a while
that with the festival increasing in
size, it will be moved from Egilsbúð
to the sports hall nearby. What is
the situation with that?
S: We’re working on that, but we won’t
go there until we absolutely need to.
For example, if we book a very big for-
eign metal band.
G: But we will definitely not turn it into
a mainstream festival. Eistnaflug will al-
ways be a metal and rock festival.
So is this going to be the best Eist-
naflug yet then?
S: I can ASSURE you that with this
year’s festival, we’ve never put as much
work into this one that we have in previ-
ous years.
G: It’s going to be fantastic!
ALL YoU NEED To KNoW
What is it?
Iceland's biggest and wildest metal mu-
sic festival.
Where is it?
Neskaupstaður, East Iceland.
How to get there:
Car: Travel on Route 1, follow the road
signs. Plane: Flights are available to and
from Egilsstaðir (see www.airiceland.is).
Bus: Coaches from Egilsstaðir to Nes-
kaupstaður are available (www.austfjar-
daleid.is), but be aware that there is no
bus service on Sundays.
Who's Playing:
Agent Fresco, Celestine, Atrum, Benny
Crespo's Gang, Dr. Spock, HAM, Eiríkur
Hauksson, Skálmöld, Sólstafir, Innvortis,
Mammút, Manslaughter, Momentum,
Black Earth, Brain Police, Carpe Noctem,
Chao, Dánarbeð, Dimma, Elín Helena,
Gone Postal, Muck, Offerings, Plastic
Gods, SH Draumur, Saktmóðigur, Sign,
Trassar, Witches, Secrets Of The Moon
(GER), The Monolith Deathcult (NL),
Triptykon (SWI), Hamferð (FOR)
Attendees:
Approx 1500-1750
Website:
www.eistnaflug.is
“IT’S MY FESTIVAL AND
I’LL BooK WHo I WANT!”
The people behind metal-fest Eistnaf lug deny that the 2012 edition
will feature a Stone Temple Pilots cover band ...
STEBBI’S ToP TIPS FoR
SURVIVING EISTNAFLUG!
Check the weather: This is Iceland.
The climate in Neskaupstaður is different
from Reykjavík, and it’s been pretty cold
this year. Prepare for pretty changeable
weather.
Take your time to get there: One of
the great things about Eistnaflug is the
road trip, which can be up to 12 hours by
car. That can often be as much fun as the
festival itself. Make sure you buy beer in
Höfn as well!
Bring swimming trunks: The pool at
Neskaupstaður is a perfect hangover
cure. The sight of so many metalheads in
the hot tub is a fun one to behold.
Bring a tent that works!: You will be
thankful for this if it starts raining.
What happens in Eistnaflug stays in
Eistnaflug: Have a great time and take
part in fun, crazy shit. But please make
sure you’re careful, lest you have an an-
noyed partner waiting for you when you
get home!
Music | Eistnaflug