The Calm After The Storm
Patrick, I had forgotten that I loved you.
Friday Night Taken By The Collar
It's safe to say that despite it’s ever-thriving music scene, Reykjavík doesn't exactly have a rapid thoroughfare of touring acts. In fact, if you want to hear live music in one
The Lights, The Fists: Faktorý Main pt. I
Faktorý will always be Grand Rokk to me, and not because I'm particularly nostalgic for the good ol' days of 2004, but rather because despite the rebranding, Faktorý still has th
Hypnosis And High Times: Deutsche Bar Pt. II
At Deutsche bar on Friday, the late gigs offered the kind stylistic pileup I've come to expect from an Airwaves lineup.
Getting Through Those Winter Blues: Deutsche Bar Pt. I
After a day of almighty winds trying to sweep every person, vehicle and road sign off into the sea, a night of good, solid, rousing music is what we need […]
A Tapestry Of Odd Ends. A Mosaic Of Unlikely Line-Up Mates. A Night Of Yawns And Yeahs
When looking at the line-up I could have sworn someone with a split personality put it together. One is sweet, the other bitter. One is light, the other dark. One is odd, the other
Exitmusic, Ólafur Arnalds Bewitch Airwavers At Norðurljós
Before I hear Monotown for the first time tonight, someone describes them to me as sounding “like an ABBA B-side”. While that’s not an entirely accurate summary,
Ending On A High
Harpa's interiors are as grandiose as its beautiful façade would suggest. A small, bridged entrance gives way to high ceilings, epic stairwells and huge music halls but it still s
They Played With Murder In Their Eyes, And Darkness In Their Souls
If a band like SVARTIDAUÐI had been booked to play at Airwaves a few years ago, they would likely have played to only a few people, with curious onlookers holding […]
Chilly Winds Don’t Blow
“Holy fucking Christ,” I said without hearing myself say it, the words sucked right out of my mouth. It was not just the wind—violent, subarctic, merciless—that assailed me
“Good Work, Gang!”
This evening Lára Rúnars gives the sense of a pop star ‘dressed down’ with a loose fitting dress and brandishing a bottle of beer. It feels good to have a […]
Inside-Out
I like to think about what Iceland Airwaves means for Iceland. The first IA marked a turning point for Icelandic festivals Festivals up to that point had largely been concerned [&h
Rangling And Raving at Faktorý Upstairs
At times throughout last night at the Faktorý upstairs stage, it felt less so a case of how amazing the artist was, but more which period of Aphex Twin’s career the artist most
A GRAB-BAG OF GUITAR-ROCK
Hello, Airwaves. Having arrived at the festival a day late thanks to a certain big storm on America’s East Coast, I was treated to an evening of mostly homegrown talent at Amster
Something Old, Something New: From Country To The Cutting Edge
Ladies and gentleman, come on in. We have quite a spectacle here at Kaldalon this evening. On drums, we have the polar opposite of Keith Moon! This man hits the drums like no other
Doldrums Steal The Show: Iðnó, Night Two
They sing about crack cocaine, coke, being broke and drinking whiskey without an air of satire or wit, any insightful experiences that may inform these songs lost in irritatingly t
Harpa’s Metal Night: Considerable Damage To Structures
For your review-reading accompaniment: field audio recording of the wind storm currently unleashing holy hell on this wee island nation. From the darkened gates of waning gloom, we
Beats, Rhymes And Life: Faktorý Downstairs
I don’t do drugs (often), but if I did I would do them while listening to artists like Thizone. Oops, I’ve fallen down a K-hole and I can’t get up! […]
Ups And Downs At Gamli Gaukurinn
There may be gale force winds trying to blow festivalgoers towards the sea tonight, but there's not a lot that the weather can do to dampen spirits. The sky's clear, the northern l
Moments Strung Together On A Thread Of Other Moments
It’s Wednesday night and it’s all beginning. The wind is blowing like it doesn’t blow anywhere else and I am almost pushed from my bike on the way down to [&helli
Come Get Yr Fill: Deutsche Bar, Night One
Myrra Rós makes the kind of music that makes you want to close your eyes. Not because the band is terrible looking (they’re all cute!), but because it’s the sort of […