Icelandic rock veteran and former Idol judge Bubbi Morthens gave a free
concert yesterday morning in front of the Central Bank, accompanied by
one of his previous backing bands, Egó. Braving cold temperatures on a windy seaside hilltop, 100 protestors were at hand already when the impromptu concert began.
Morthens, whose solo work has often dealt with the subjects of working class lives in Iceland, has been increasingly vocal during the financial crisis, and not just musically – he has lately taken to writing opinion pieces detailing problems and solutions with regards to the Icelandic economy.
Protests in front of the Central Bank have been continuing daily since Central Bank chairman Davíð Oddsson refused to tender his resignation at the behest of Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir. The number of protestors has been growing, banging pots and pans and blasting train horns, in much the same way that protests in front of parliament were conducted during the winter and previous fall.