From Iceland — NASA

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Jesus Christ. For the first time ever people are actually in time for a
show in Iceland. And there are even shitloads of people stacked in NASA
although it’s as insanely early as 19:30. The crowd didn’t come for
nothing, that’s for sure. Not with Fjallabræður, the big-ass
man’s choir doing their thing. They barely need the accompanying
strings, synthesizers, guitars and drums seeing as they are amazing
merely with their powerful voices. Fuck, man. These guys are sure to
have even the worst choir hater loving them. Fjallabræður really are
incomparable with anything else on the Icelandic music scene.
During a half hearted applause Sigríður Thorlacius og Heiðurspiltar
take the stage, the front lady being more known as the singer of
Hjaltalín, now doing her solo gig. And what does she need Hjaltalín
for, anyway?! Although admitting being somewhat ill, her voice is
impeccable. It’s unbelievably mesmerising and pets your heart and
massages your soul. Almost addictive even, and yours truly wouldn’t
mind being locked up in a room with this voice repeating itself over
and over. The whole show is like revisiting the early fifties.
Suddenly there is this full-blown brass band with at least five
saxophones creating sweet magic on stage. The crowd gathers closer and
closer until they just can’t come any closer. To the peoples delight Samúel J. Samúelsson and
his band keep blowing away. I must say, it’s pretty much close to
perfection what with both their orchestral and crowd pleasing skills.
Dancing shoes are totally necessary for this set.
Hafdís Huld enters in her red and white checkered dress. The
cuteness of it all evokes a feeling of a mouthful of sugarcubes you’re
crunching away on. What happened to that awesome GusGus singer? This
particular evening, the only thing that is left is a shell of a
has-been. The whole performance is plastic perfection, totally lacking
in honesty or general genuine-ness, leaving you nauseous. The room is
even quite empty, and this is supposed to be Airwaves, man… Work them
as she might in the UK or whatever market region she’s focusing on at
the moment; her happy, happy pop songs ain’t putting any smiles on this
particular crowd.
Next up is Alaska In Winter. Of course, the dude who spent half
a year in a cabin in the middle of nowhere Alaska is alone on stage
wearing one of those earflap animal skin caps. But hey, it seems like
he found something good out there with cool electro set. He gains a
huge plus for the artwork happening on-screen behind him, overall
enhancing the musical experience. Conclusion: isolation is good for you.
Last, but not least was Bodi Bill. Apparently, this means that
the energizer bunny just took over NASA. These guys’ fast, jerky moves
to the all too indefinable tunes just create somewhat of a headache
sending this reviewer onward out into the night of Reykjavík.