Reykjavík Grapevine - 22.05.2015, Page 2

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 1 — 2011
We have not one but two tracks of the issue
this time around—one from Muck and the
other from Pink Street Boys, the bands gracing
our cover. These bands often attract the same
crowd, yet play completely different music, as
is demonstrated by these two tracks.
Muck's "Blind and Bent" has the intensity of
a full-blown panic attack, suffocating you with
its relentlessly tight instrumentals and gut-
tural vocals. Meanwhile, "Goodkid" from Pink
Street Boys has a super upbeat vibe reminis-
cent of beach rock—its gleefully reckless mix
of (purposefully) muddled vocals and clanky
instrumentals make you want to dance fero-
ciously, or alternatively to break something, all
the while not giving a single fuck.
Go to grapevine.is to download both,
they're absolutely kick-ass.
2 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 6 — 2015
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
www.froken.is
Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association
www.saf.is
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies.
Editor In Chief:
Haukur S Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
Editor:
Anna Andersen / anna@grapevine.is
Journalist & Travel editor:
John Rogers / john@grapevine.is
Journalist & Listings editor
Gabríel Benjamin / gabriel@grapevine.is
Food Editor:
Ragnar Egilsson / ragnar@grapevine.is
Editorial:
+354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
Advertising:
+354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is
+354 40 3610
Publisher:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / hilmar@grapevine.is
+354 540 3601 / publisher@grapevine.is
Contributing Writers:
Bob Cluness
Halla Þorlaug Óskarsdóttir
Hildur María Friðriksdóttir
Kári Tulinius
Magnús Sveinn Helgason
Paul Fontaine
Ragnar Egilsson
RX Beckett
York Underwood
Editorial Interns:
Anna Manning / anna.manning@grapevine.is
Hannah Jane Cohen / hannah@grapevine.is
Ragna Ólöf Guðmundsdóttir / ragna@grapevine.is
Art Director:
Hörður Kristbjörnsson / hordur@dodlur.is
Layout:
Hrefna Sigurðardóttir
Photographers:
Art Bicnick
Baldur Kristjánsson
Hörður Sveinsson
Alisa Kalyanova
Sales Director:
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Helgi Þór Harðarson / helgi@grapevine.is
Óskar Freyr Pétursson / oskar@grapevine.is
Distribution manager:
distribution@grapevine.is
Proofreader:
Mark Asch
releases:
listings@grapevine.is
Submissions inquiries:
editor@grapevine.is
Subscription inquiries:
+354 540 3605 / subscribe@grapevine.is
General inquiries:
grapevine@grapevine.is
Founders:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson,
Hörður Kristbjörnsson,
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson,
Oddur Óskar Kjartansson,
Valur Gunnarsson
The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken
ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly
from May til October. Nothing in this magazine may be repro-
duced in whole or in part without the written permission of
the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around
Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes,
Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key locations along road #1, and all
major tourist attractions and tourist information centres in the
country.
You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles
in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions
expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’).
On the cover: Muck (Ási
Þórðarson, Indriði Arnar Ingólfsson,
Karl Torsten Ställborn, Loftur
Einarsson.)
Pink Street Boys(Alfreð
Óskarsson, Axel Björsson, Einar
Björn Þórarinsson, Jónbjörn
Birgisson, Víðir Alexander Jónsson)
Photographer: Hörður Sveinsson
hordursveinsson.com
Make-up: Ástrós Erla
Benediktsdóttir
Play The Rehab Card
The most-read stories across multiple Icelandic
news sites this week are about a Progressive Party
MP projectile vomiting all over other passengers on
a WOW Air flight. This led to multiple accounts, re-
tracted stories, and, at the very least, the appearance
of lying. Even if the MP didn’t have a drinking prob-
lem, it might have been a better strategy to check
into rehab than to feed the media frenzy.
Reading the first DV story about the incident,
in which the MP denied being drunk and claimed
to have had a stomach bug, my initial thought was,
‘wow, that’s really gross and terrible for everyone
involved, and isn’t it in bad taste for the media to be
reporting on this?’
The plot quickly thickened though. In story af-
ter story, people came out with conflicting versions
of what happened. One of the unlucky passengers
claimed that he was visibly drunk and that he could
barely stand when she saw him going through pass-
port control in the United States. Then, an Indepen-
dence Party MP who was also on the plane claimed
that none of it happened at all. He later retracted
that statement and declared that he would never talk
to DV again. After that, the chair of the Progressive
Party parliamentary group said that the MP was
actually quite ill and is now on sick leave. Shortly
thereafter, however, the captain of the Pirate Party
claimed that he had been at work the day before and
looked just fine.
At this point, it’s pretty difficult to deny that
people are lying. It seems the MP and his colleagues
are desperately trying to save face, spinning all kinds
of conflicting stories. Unfortunately, in that first DV
story, when the MP was asked if he struggled with a
drinking problem, he replied, somewhat defensively:
“No, what? I have never heard that before. I’m the
last member of parliament to have an alcohol prob-
lem.” That was the golden opportunity to make the
story go away.
Admitting to having a drinking problem and
deciding to seek treatment for alcohol and drug ad-
diction doesn’t carry a stigma here like it does else-
where in the world. In fact, more than 10% of males
over the age of 15 have gone to rehab, and Iceland’s
Centre for Addiction Medicine, SÁÁ, which runs the
nation’s drug and alcohol rehab, says its practices
have touched every family in Iceland through the
years.
A case in point: also on the list of most-read sto-
ries on Icelandic news sites this week is one about
the editor of Kastljós, a highly rated newsmagazine
TV show (Iceland’s version of 60 Minutes), announc-
ing that he would be checking into rehab for his al-
cohol addiction. The editor’s announcement, which
was made via a Facebook post, has garnered thou-
sands of likes and heaps of supportive comments.
You could argue that the editor didn’t vomit all
over a bunch of other people like the MP did, but the
Icelandic public have been known to forgive other
vile acts. Earlier this year, one of our former minis-
ters misappropriated hundreds of thousands of ISK
and still seemed to gain public sympathy when he
owned up to his problems and checked into rehab.
The facts are simple:
1. The MP boarded a plane and puked over fellow
passengers.
2. People on the plane are claiming he was drunk.
Instead of everyone rallying behind him with sup-
port, he’s been ostracised. There’s a hashtag and a
litany of internet memes. People love a villain and
people love a redemption story. He chose villain.
Anna’s editorial
TRACKS OF
THE ISSUE
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Pink Street Boys
"Blind and Bent" from 'Your Joyous Future'
"Goodkid" from 'Hits #1'
Download the FREE tracks at www.grapevine.is
Muck
&
Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir