Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.05.2016, Page 52

Offering fresh Icelandic cuisine in a
stylish and casual atmosphere in the heart
of down town Reykjavík.
isafoldre s t aurant . is
Þingholtsstræti 5 - tel: 595 8535
RESTAURANT
ÍSAFOLD
Fresh local food and cozy ambiance in the city center
Kitchen open from 11:30 - 22:00

Þingholtsstræti 5 - Tel: 595 8535 - www.isafoldrestaurant.is
OPEN 7-21
BREAKFAST,
LUNCH & DINNER
T EMPL AR A SUND 3 , 101 RE Y K JAV ÍK , T EL : 5711822, W W W.BERGSSON. IS
Art Street52
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 6 — 2016
“I gotta wait twenty-one more
minutes,” says Paddy Hanna,
checking the time on his phone.
The Belfast-born street percus-
sion artist has been temporarily
silenced, after setting up shop ear-
lier today on Austurstræti, across
from Hressó. As it turns out, his
spot was also in the line of fire
of a local businessman’s wrath.
“There’s a guy from these build-
ings who’s saying I was driving the
twenty people working on the floor
crazy,” Paddy continues. “He was
very quick to let me know he could
call the police.”
The man in question requested
Paddy stop until after five o’clock,
or he would alert the authorities.
Two passing traffic wardens saw
their interaction, and enquired
as to the nature of the discussion.
They assured Paddy he was well
within his rights to remain and
play, and the police couldn’t move
him on. Nevertheless, Paddy chose
to wait. “I don’t want to cause any
aggravation,” he laments, with a
shrug. “Some people just don’t
have any humour.”
Paddy’s made a living off his per-
cussion busking for the past three
years, traveling with his trade for
the past two. He’s seen fifteen dif-
ferent cities in two years. There’s
no real method to where he ends
up—sometimes a two-week stint
turns into a year-long residence,
as was the case in Berlin. “I’m
chancing my arm and hoping for
the best a lot of the time,” he says.
Gentleman drummer

A self-taught musician, Paddy first
played the bodhran, a traditional
Irish drum, as a young child. When
he decided to turn his passion into
a career, the decision was met
with kind-hearted laughter from
his mother. He’d been banging on
pots and pans with wooden spoons
since the age of three, so she was
less than baffled by his choice.
Paddy says he recognizes certain
individuals may not have the same
fondness for his music as others.
“If people come up to me with a bit
of decorum and manners, then no
problem,” he sighs. “But if some-
one comes up to me with an atti-
tude, I find it hard to be cordial.”
Which is why he, as well as his au-
dience and passersby, were taken
aback by the immediate threat of
police being summoned.
“You’re always going to find
someone who’s just not happy with
something in their lives,” Paddy
says, “and just wants to take it out
on someone. And I guess I’m an
easy target for that.”
But for the vast majority of time,
Paddy has been met only with pos-
itivity. And in a nation witnessing
an unprecedented tourist influx,
it’s nice to see a genuinely optimis-
tic visitor attempting to contrib-
ute his talent to the city’s street
life.
SHARE: gpv.is/drums
A day in the life of street
percussionist Paddy Hanna
Drumming Up A
Storm
Words KELLEY REES Photo ART BICNICK