Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.10.2011, Síða 66

We specialize in trips
to the Blue Lagoon (3-hour stop)
on the way from or to the airport.
Cars for 4-8 passengers
To book in advance: tel:+354 588 5522
or on www.hreyfill.is
E-mail: tour@hreyfill.is
PINK
This month Hreyfill Taxi company
is supporting breast cancer awareness as
well as fund-raising breast cancer
screening by The Icelandic Cancer Society
14 Grapevine Fancy Airwaves Special
thE pR pERson
Hi my name is Kamilla Ingibergsdóttir
and I’m in charge of PR and market-
ing for Iceland Airwaves. It’s the first
year that I’ve been in charge, but I’ve
worked on the festival for several years
now. So far we’ve done an absolute ton
of work in the run up to the start. We’re
a small team running a large festival so
we’re under a fair amount of pressure.
It’s fun, but I seriously can’t understand
how I can get so many e-mails in a day!
In the first couple of days of the festi-
val, I’ll be heading up the media cen-
tre, meeting and greeting all the media
and industry people who will be coming
over. I’ll also be spending a lot of time
with the journalists, going with the on
press trips and meeting them at shows.
All this will carry on well into the night.
I am trying to organise myself so I will
be able to get some time to see some
shows. I’m really looking forward to
seeing Active Child. Also Young Magic
and Matthew Hemerlein, as well as all
the local acts.
I would say to festivalgoers to plan well
but don’t get too stuck on it, go to some
of the off-venue places, and wear good
shoes.
thE baRtEnDER
Hi my name is Ari Schröder and I’m a
bartender and owner of Café Amster-
dam. Through Airwaves I’ll be tending
to the bar and ensuring that everything
here goes according to plan. Right now
we’re making sure that we have enough
staff to prepare for long days. During
Airwaves we’ll be opening up the bar
at noon for soundchecks, then we’ll be
working all the way until the bar shuts
which will be at 4:30 am during the
weekend.
I’d say that we get more people during
Airwaves. Lots of foreign tourists and
locals that are not our usual regulars.
Last year, the place was packed most
nights from opening to closing. You’re
kept very busy, but the time passes very
fast. You barely notice it.
I am interested in seeing a few of the
foreign bands playing this year, but the
Sunday night here is going to be very
special. Q4U are playing and that’s
something I would like to see. They
were big when I was fifteen years old.
For first time festivalgoers, I would say
you have to plan your weekend well.
Most gigs during Airwaves will run on
schedule. Also if you’re seeing a big act,
be prepared to get to the venue early.
The queues for Robyn last year were
huge and you knew none of them were
going to get in.
thE sounD anD liGhts EnGinEER
Hi my name is Eiríkur Rosberg. I’m the
manager of [Airwaves venue] Gaukur á
stöng, but I also work for Extón, a sound
and light engineering company that
provides equipment for various venues.
This year for Airwaves, we’re supply-
ing equipment for Harpa, Faktorý, Iðnó
and Tjarnabíó. My main role is check-
ing the packing lists for what each
venue needs, then making sure that the
equipment gets delivered to the venues
and that they’re set up. This will be my
second Airwaves working for Exton, but
my fourth in total work as a bar tender.
Right now we’re making sure that all
our equipment from the amplifiers and
speakers, to cables and drum kits are
all working correctly. Nothing is worse
than a gig failing because an amp or
speaker has blown.
The main advantage to working dur-
ing Airwaves is that you get to meet a
lot of really interesting people. And not
only do you get paid for doing your job
you get to see loads of great bands. Of
course the hours are tiring, and there
are hardly any breaks. The longest you
get is probably good enough for a ciga-
rette.
There are a few artists that I would love
to see, but I’m going to be working so
much, both at Exton and Gaukurinn, I
probably won’t get much of a chance.
But in the past, I’d say that Lights On
The Highway and GusGus have been
the best acts I’ve seen perform.
The best advice I would give to festi-
valgoers is to be organised. The venue
managers will be tough on starting
times, so there will be very few delays.
thE DooRman
Hi my name is Kári Kjartansson, and I
supervise the bouncers at Gaukurinn,
Glaumbar and Prikið during Iceland
Airwaves. I have been doing this job for
two years.
Right now my preparation for the fes-
tival will really start on the October 3,
where we will be going over the sched-
ules and meeting with the venue man-
agers.
Actually this will be the first time I will
be working and experiencing Iceland
Airwaves. In the past I ran another com-
pany, which meant that I never had the
time to go. But it will be different from
our usual nights. The security will be
more like that of a rock concert instead
of a club night, and we will be dealing
with a lot more people coming and go-
ing from the venues, as well as more
non-Icelanders and tourists. But we’re
not expecting any major problems or
trouble compared to a normal Saturday
night.
I haven’t had a chance yet to see the
line up so I’m not sure who’s playing or
who I want to see, but I have doormen
who work for me who actually want to
work on Airwaves nights so they can
see the acts playing.
What advice I would give to festivalgo-
ers? Be polite, and have a lot of fun.
thE oFF-VEnuE oRGanisER
Hi, my name is Gylfi Blöndal. By day I
work for gogoyoko.com, the free mu-
sic streaming service and online music
store, but during Airwaves I’ll be curat-
ing the off-venue programme at Bar 11,
which conveniently is the bar located
in the same building as gogoyoko’s of-
fices.
In terms of preparation, we’re planning
the usual sound, light, backline and the
general logistics of hosting 25 bands
over four days with the proprietor at
Bar 11. We started planning over two
months ago so things are running quite
smoothly so far.
During Airwaves I’ll be getting up quite
early to meet people and preparing for
the shows of the day. I also have some
responsibility musically as I’m playing
with Mr. Silla and Borko, so my days will
be spent mostly juggling my tasks, re-
sulting in lack of sleep and weight loss.
I would say that the off schedule venues
are more laid back, fluid and, dare I say,
fun! Bands tend to prepare so much for
their official festival shows that when
they get to Bar 11, they just wing it and
surprise the crowd with a unique per-
formance.
The good thing about working during
Airwaves is that you meet all the people
who come here to enjoy the music. The
disadvantage is that with such a busy
schedule I don’t get to see half of the
shows on my wish-list, which includes
Suuns, Liturgy, Beach House, Zun Zun
Egui, John Grant, Dungen, Glasser, The
Twilight Sad and 22-Pistepirkko.
My Advice to festivalgoers? Drink plen-
ty of water.
behind us | by Bob Cluness
The Airwaves Engine That Quietly Toils For Thee...
Go to www.airwaves.grapevine.is for extensive + up to date festival coverage
Behind every great festival, there are those who
beaver away unnoticed to make sure your Air-
waves experience is unforgettable.
We all know that Iceland Airwaves is a really cool
festival with dozens of acts, playing in numerous
venues over five nights. Honestly, if you can’t enjoy
yourself during this event, then there is something
seriously wrong with you.
But amongst all the music, partying and fun
times, spare a moment to consider the legions of
people who will be working all hours of the day
and night through Airwaves, making sure that
everything runs smoothly and disaster-free. They
comprise the real engine that makes things hap-
pen, often mostly unnoticed by festivalgoers.
We went out to speak to some of the people who
will be working during the festival, to find out what
they do, whether they will get to see any acts, and
if their advice to festivalgoers.