Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.11.2017, Side 35

Who Won
Airwaves?
Late nights and bright lights at
Iceland’s finest music festival
Words: Grapevine Super Reviews Team Photo: Art Bicnick
Oh, Airwaves. So much fun, glam-
our and glitter. So much beer, mu-
sic, laughter and dancing under
flashing lights. So much whirlwind,
heat and flash. Every year, it feels
like it’s over too soon. Airwaves
2017, we barely knew thee. Here are
our writers’ highlights, with Hatari
getting the most love,
in the end. Read the
full festival reviews at
gpv.is/airwaves.
John Rogers -
Sólveig
Matthildur
Sólveig Matthildur
blew my mind. Her
melancholic gotht-
ronica emerged from
clouds of smoke and
arterial red lighting;
during the finale, she let rose petals
fall from her between fingers onto
the stage, holding her face and and
sinking to her knees, overwhelmed.
We were with her every step of the
way.
Jenna Mohammed - Hatari
Seeing Hatari was a cathartic ex-
perience. Their aesthetic alone
caught my attention. They were
weird, fascinating, and f un.
From the moment they walked
on stage—pushing people out of
the way to get there—they nev-
er broke character,
keeping serious and
straight faces the
entire time. These
guys are worth the
hype.
Charley Ward -
FM Belfast
Aside from the ob-
ligatory Hatari nod,
one of the highlights
of my weekend was
b oppi n g up a nd
down to shamelessly cheery pop
in the Art Museum while confetti
and streamers rained down upon
me from the ceiling. It was a pure
and joyful experience. Thanks for
the serotonin boost, FM Belfast!
Elías Þórsson - Hórmónar
I have to give a shout out to Tófa,
but I’m going with power punk girls
(and two boys) Hórmónar. Their Fri-
day show at Gaukurinn was off the
hook and I had a fucking blast. I got
in touch with my inner woman and
apparently she’s mad as hell. Riot.
Rex Beckett - ROHT
ROHT’s raucous minimal hardcore
is dynamic and melodious in its
guttural simplicity, with an onstage
connection that delivers a sharp and
devastating blow. Shouting their
disgust and fury with the world,
these songs are tight, fast and fun
to rage out to. As punk as it gets.
Greig Robertson - Hórmónar
Seeing Hatari sober made me re-
alise how good they were, because
afterwards I felt completely off my
nut. Also, being screamed at has
never felt better than it did from
Hórmónar—hopefully due to their
exhilarating stage presence, and
not a dip in my self-esteem.
Grayson Del Faro - Lido Pimienta
This year, Lido Pimienta won Air-
waves (and my heart). With ex-
quisite percussion, delicate vocals,
and a mention of empanadas, her
performance was warm, fresh, and
memorable. I don’t expect to see Lido
in Reykjavík again, but maybe some-
one can take her suggestion and sell
some damn empanadas here?
Alice Demurtas - Songhoy Blues
Walking out of the Songhoy Blues
concert, I wished more gigs were
like this. I got lost in the crowd be-
tween jaw-dropping guitar solos
and rhythmic afro beats, dancing,
clapping and shaking my head as if
bound by a mysterious spell. What
would I give to feel such passion
again!
Valur Grettisson - Hatari
Three bands caught my attention
this festival—all Icelandic. First
was the crazy robotic performance
of Halldór Eldjárn. Then the weird
Post Performance Blues band—
original, talented performers driv-
en more by theatre than music. And
finally, of course, Hatari—the dark
conscience of the soul.
Hannah Jane Cohen -
Mighty Bear
Even if I’d seen every band at Air-
waves, my favourite still would be
Mighty Bear. I’m a sucker for spec-
tacle and Mighty Bear served that
up with bizarre samples, ambient
soundscapes, screams, and a silver
mask to boot. They gave me exactly
what I wanted: a fully articulated
conceptual performance.
35 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 20 — 2017
“I got lost in
the crowd,
dancing, clap-
ping and shak-
ing my head
as if bound by
a mysterious
spell.”
Hatari: "Weird, fascinating, and fun."
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