Reykjavík Grapevine - mar. 2021, Side 2

First 08: VOLCANOS! VOLCANOS!
06: F*ckin Fourth Wave?
06: Elton John, Iceland's
New Lazarus
12-13: Erró's Raw Power
18: Axel 'The Folk King'
Flóvent Speaks
23: eSports eThrives
By the time you
are reading this,
the volcano in the
Fagradalsf jal l’s
volcano system in
Reykjanes might
very well have
erupted. It will
most likely not be a dangerous erup-
tion and will potentially become one
of our new famous tourism hotspots:
A view that’s pleasant for the eye, but
life-threatening if you get too close.
Should that be the case, the eruption
could have very positive effects on the
economy, especially when the borders
open up again in May, as the govern-
ment has said will happen, but let’s see
how that goes. Unfortunately, COVID-
19 is still looming and our progress in
the fight toward eradicating it from
Iceland could disappear quickly if we
are not careful.
That said, if and when the eruption
goes off in the Reykjanes peninsula,
scientists say that we will be entering
a 200 to 400 year period of unrest there
and we will possibly—and very likely—
see more volcanoes in the area within
the next years and decades after. This
does not have to be a negative factor,
but it will affect our daily lives.
Icelanders have always had a
complicated relationship with their
home country. Somehow, regardless of
where or when, Iceland always looms
in the back of our minds. How should
we dress before we go out so we don’t
suffer from the coldness? How are the
roads? Are they passable? In a realistic
future, we might now have to check a
gas forecast following the weather fore-
cast. Do we have to keep our kids inside
today? Is a gas mask a smart invest-
ment? Will I look like a psychopath
with a gas mask? Will our kids look like
a northern European version of ‘Chil-
dren Of The Corn’?
It sounds like there’s a high price to
pay to live in such a beautiful country,
but for us, it’s not really. Don’t forget
that Icelanders are incredibly inven-
tive and creative when it comes to solv-
ing complicated situations. Icelanders
were never better than after the finan-
cial crash in 2008. Before that, our
small country was catapulted into the
20th century by WW2 and subsequently
built a good awwnd fair society based
on education, and above all else, peace.
Art is highly appreciated here and we
have incredibly talented artists in all
genres all over the world.
To summarise, Icelanders have a
deep and respectful relationship with
their country, nature, and heritage, and
this perhaps, above all else, reflects the
psyche of Icelanders in the best way.
In the past, we’ve used the difficul-
ties of our country to our advantage—
creating one of the most prosperous
and egalitarian societies in the world.
So regardless of what happens now,
Iceland will rebuild and find a new path
to success.
So enjoy the fires—when they finally
break out—and remember that the
same fire burns inside all Icelanders, as
well as those that love this harsh island
in the north.

Valur Grettisson
Editor-in-chief
The Fire Within Us
John Pearson is a Rey-
kjavík resident who
combines writing with
professional back-
grounds in music,
broadcasting, scuba
diving, engineering
and underwater
photography. He loves
puns, alliteration and
lists that have three
things in them.
Hannah Jane Cohen is
based out of Iceland
by way of New York.
She's known for her
love of Willa Ford,
David Foster Wallace,
and other such
"intellectuals." Her
visionary work is
known for expand-
ing the definitions of
emotion, introspec-
tion, and above all
else, taste. Hannah is
also the current Drag
King of Iceland, HANS.
Poll" is a hard-work-
ing journalist by day
and an enthusiastic
ball-catcher by
night. A four-year-old
dachshund mix with
an IQ of a five-year-
old human, Poll" has
been the o#cial
Chief Of Morale at
the Grapevine for
eight months and is
a regular contribu-
tor to the Grape-
vine Newscast on
YouTube. Woof.
Shruthi Basappa is
one of Iceland's most
knowledgeable food-
ies. She's covered
local restaurants for
years and has also
been involved in vari-
ous food competi-
tions in Iceland, such
as Food & Fun and
more. By day, she
works as an architect
at Sei Studio.
Catharine Fulton is a
writer and editor who
has been involved
with the Grapevine
for many years, from
being our online
news editor to sta$
journalist. She is
now our beloved
copywriter. Outside
of dealing with our
writers turning in
work late, she also
has two extremeley
cute kids.
Art Bicnick is an
international man
of mystery. He
moves like a shadow
through the subcul-
tures and soirees
of Reykjavík, never
still, o%en ghosting
the scene in a pu$
of blue smoke—the
exhaust fumes of the
elusive, well-travelled
Bicnick Mini.
Andie Sophia Fontaine
has lived in Iceland
since 1999 and has
been reporting since
2003. They were the
first foreign-born
member of the
Icelandic Parliament,
an experience they
recommend for
anyone who wants
to experience a
workplace where
colleagues work tire-
lessly to undermine
each other.
Owen Tyrie is a young
journo straight out of
Cheshire, England. Af-
ter studying journal-
ism for three years
in Leeds, he recently
moved to Reykjavík
in order to pursue his
dream of becom-
ing Icelandic. He’s a
film fanatic, gaming
enthusiast and most
of all, ginger. Oh, and
he loves tea.
Valur Grettisson is
an award-winning
journalist, author
and playwright. He
has been writing for
Icelandic media since
2005. He was also a
theatre critic and
one of the hosts of
the cultural program,
'Djöflaeyjan' at RÚV.
Valur is not to be
confused with the
dreadful football club
that bears the same
name.
31: Eating In A Bus...
28: Eating Fresh Falafel...
27: Anthony Hoang Duy
Nguyen Talks Style
COVER ART:
Photo by Art Bicnick
taken on location close
to Fagradalsfjall on
March 7th, 2021.
EDITORIAL
ARTISAN BAKERY
& COFFEE HOUSE
OPEN EVERYDAY 6.30 - 21.00
LAUGAVEGUR 36 · 101 REYKJAVIK