Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.07.2013, Page 36

36The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 9 — 2013
3 m/s - electricity generation begins 15 m/s 28 m/s 34 m/s - turbine shutdownOptimal conditions for electricity generation
Into the wind
Visitors are welcome to the interactive exhibition on renewable energy at
Búrfell hydropower station, a 90 minute drive from Reykjavik. North of the
station you will find Landsvirkjun’s first wind turbines, part of our research
into the possibilities of wind farming in Iceland. Guided tours of the wind
turbines every Saturday in July 1 - 5 pm.
Landsvirkjun is the National Power Company of Iceland.
Open daily, June-August, 10 am to 5 pm:
Búrfell Hydro Power Station
Interactive exhibition on renewable energy
Fljótsdalur Hydro Power Station
Végardur Visitor Centre
Krafla Geothermal Station
Visitor Centre
More info and route instructions at
www.landsvirkjun.com/visitus
The band was grinding away mid-way through their set. The song selection gave a nice overview
of the band’s long but not overly productive career. It was fantastic to hear “10 Rokkstig” from
the Dís soundtrack again. Although strictly speaking part of Jóhann Jóhannson’s solo oeuvre, it’s
such a perfect showcase for their mix of machine-like precision and heartbreaking synths.
Now, I will definitely catch some flak from my metal friends from saying this, but múm is one
of my favourite Icelandic bands. It’s just easy to forget when you haven’t seen them play for years.
They were coming fresh off a tour of Asia and were in fighting form (or as close as tender indi-
etronica can get to fighting form). Former front-woman Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir returned, and I
had forgotten how much I miss those twins with their wispy, whispering waif ways. It was a fuck-
ing magical set. Mesmerizing. Waves of nostalgia washing over me. The best set of the night—if
Thee Oh Sees hadn’t shown up.
A deal with the wrong deity
Nick Cave must have made a deal with the wrong deity, because God only knows how Mark E.
Smith of The Fall was able to stay upright the whole set while Cave took a tumble. The Fall were as
usual, Mark E. Smith—a roaring, drunken, toothless lion—and whatever group of patient session
musicians he was able to fool into the role of babysitter. The first two songs consisted of Mark
repeating the words “We are-eugh The Fall-eugh” in lieu of the lyrics he had lost along with his
mind. The band was able to jostle him back into gear by playing Strychnine by The Sonics, but it
was a brief respite from what must have been the most chaotic Fall gig I’ve seen yet (and that’s
saying something). Mark was present for about 60% of the set and conscious for 0% of it. While
present, he spent his energies twiddling with the amps and smashing his hand on the keyboard
while the band struggled to keep Uncle Dissonance Madfuck from gnawing their faces off.
The recently reformed Botnleðja were a rare treat for the Icelanders and a puzzling addition
for the foreigners. Essentially a pop-punk band with some grunge and indie elements—not quite
lowbrow enough to be Slayer and not quite highbrow enough to be Deerhoof. But for those of us
who grew up listening to them…we couldn’t have been happier. A tight, loud set of sing-along
punk that hadn’t aged a day since I saw them win the Icelandic Battle of the Bands in 1995. The
only point I saw people really dance during the Friday line-up—unless you count Tilda Swinton at
the Apparat gig. A flawless gig except for the circle-jerk in the last song, where a group of former
collaborators were brought on stage to sing as a men’s choir for one of their new songs. Aside
from feeling forced and sentimental, the new song sounded like some pub rock football chant and
left me slightly annoyed.
The band I had been waiting for
Now it was time for the band I had been waiting for, Thee Oh Sees. ATP organizer, Barry Hogan’s,
favourite live band currently active. I caught Thee Oh Sees playing at the Mercury Lounge in New
York in 2009, urged to go by my friend Luigi. Back then, I came in not expecting much based on
what I had streamed online and left with a pile of merch and a blown mind. For ATP Iceland, the
singer was wearing his usual nevernude shorts and Alex James’s hair, the bassist in classic old
school skinhead gear—both peeking at the crowd, chin-straddling their instruments. I don’t care
how good the Nick Cave set is supposed to have been—this was as good as it gets for me. Psyche-
delic garage rock in all its glory—twitchy, taut, weird, violent, raw and repetitive.
My group and I did a brief 15 minute jog over to the Officer’s Club to catch some DJs but found
out that that part of the schedule had been cancelled so we jogged right back to catch Ghostigital.
Ghostigital should be familiar territory to fans of The Fall. A non-stop stream-of-consciousness
rant delivered by a domineering “vocal artist” over looping noise and raw beats. The only real dif-
ference being that Ghostigital is coming out of the electronic end of the spectrum. A fun gig but
hardly exceptional by Ghostigital standards, and after ten solid hours of drunken nostalgia I was
about ready to cradle my cheeseburger like a sad indie wreck at the back of the bus. I did. And it
was glorious.
Oh Say Can Oh Sees
All Tomorrow’s Parties Iceland
Friday
by Ragnar Egilsson
The official festival bus left Reykjavík at five, which meant that we arrived there a good two hours after the official ATP programme had
started. Exiting the bus in front of the Atlantic Studios stage, I was drawn mid-way into the melancholic motorik of Apparat Organ Quartet.
Music
28 29 Asbrúformer NATO base at Keflavík
JUNE JUNE
www.atpfestival.com/events/atpiceland.php
CONCERTR E V I E W
Magnús Andersen
Bus transport to ATP festival was sponsored by Reykjavík Excursions, more info about them at www.re.is