WATER FIGHT The Keflavík Report Life in Egilsstaðir The Foreign Monkeys Jakobínarína Steal SxSW Complete Guide to Reykjavík
ISSUE 04 / 07APR - 05MAY 2006 ISSUE THREE: APRIL 7 – MAY 5 YEAR 4
Articles The Reykjavík Grapevine crew
06 The Unspeakable Brought to the Living Room The Reykjavík Grapevine Kompás, Iceland’s 60 Minutes, on exposing perverts and even hospital management Faxaskála, Faxaporti, Faxagötu 2 www.grapevine.is [email protected] The Fatter, the Funnier? 08 Published by: Fröken ehf.
14 No Blood for Oil! Now, Where Did We Park? Editor: 540-3602 / [email protected] Anti-war protests on March 18th Advertising: 540-3605 / 868-8187 / [email protected] Marketing: 540-3603 / 869-7796 / [email protected] Distribution: 540-3601 / 694-2538 / [email protected] Production: 540-3608 / 849-5611 / [email protected] eatures Listings: 540-3600 / 847-7335 / [email protected] F Subscription: 540-3601 / 694-2538 / [email protected]
16 Save the Water! Publisher: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / [email protected] Editor: Bart Cameron / [email protected] How the water debate allowed Iceland’s parliament to act, instead of taking action Marketing Director: Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / [email protected] Production Manager: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / 18 The Ghost Town on the Coast [email protected] Collateral damage from the base’s departure Staff Journalists: Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson / [email protected] Paul Fontaine-Nikolov / [email protected] Sveinn Birkir Björnsson / [email protected] Columnist: Þórdís Elva Þorvaldsdóttir Bachmann / ssentials [email protected] E Advertising Sales: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / [email protected] Helgi Þór Harðarson / [email protected] 12 Grapevine’s Government Guide Director of Photography: Guðmundur Freyr Vigfússon / [email protected] Photographer: Óskar Hallgrímsson / [email protected] 35 Purchases That Justify Existence Art Director: Gunnar Þorvaldsson / [email protected]
36 Dining, Eating and Grubbing Proofreader: Erika Wolfe Distribution: Jóhann Páll Hreinsson
Cover Photo by: Gúndi Music & Nightlife Make up / Hair / Styling : Sóley Ástudóttir Model : Hildigunnur Thanks to Leifur Rögnvaldsson and Laugardalslaug 22 Heady Days in Austin, Texas Deep thoughts from Jakobínarína on the festival that got record contracts from suits Printed by: Ísafoldarprentsmiðja ehf. # of ground copies: 30,101 31 An Evening of Listening and Restraint Live Music Review: José González We are always looking for articles. 33 Grapevine Album Reviews Send your submissions to : [email protected]
You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored.
Outside Reykjavík (No articles in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’.) 39 At the King’s Feet in Memphis Part 4 of 4 of Touring the American Egypt
42 Jobs, Yes. Women, No. Visiting the Icelandic Klondike
43 We Live to Be Radical Brooklyn Goes A-Type Welcome to Arnarstapi á Snæfellsnesi - the official home of chilly mornings. Population 37. SOUR GRAPES Complaints, criticism, suggestions, praise, money, anything at all: Contact [email protected] or send your mail to: The Reykjavík Grapevine, Faxagata 2, Faxaskála við Faxaport, 101 Reykjavík.
Sportacus How Dare You! My grandmother once told me it Many thanks for bringing up the I was reading you latest copy of was better to say nothing unless you subject of the LazyTown invasion. (G)rapevine issue and came across have nothing of substance to say. I I do realize that there are things out a very offensive comment. You said see beauty in the small talk which there that may have a more negative that Brain Police (A very bad band) fills your days. I’ve learned that the influence on my kids, but there are had a rhythm section that would weather talk , the token “áttu kaffi?” , few things as eminent and persuasive make RUSH jealous!!! I find that and the endless discussions of where for them as this LazyTown craze very offensive because Rush are gods the price per kilo on lamb is cheapest, these days. After each episode, I among men and shouldn’t be put keeps us connected. I once found have to spend hours on playing down in a sentence with a gay band like quite baffling the unwillingness to expectations about McDonalds ham- Brain Police. I should sue you, but discuss things of importance like burgers (ad running just before the we are not in America so I won’t emotions or feelings . Yet with time show), pink plastic shoes and vita- do anything. Except hate your lame I realized that life just is. Time passes mins with aspartame that no healthy magazine for many Aeons to come, like water over black stones, polished and well fed kid will benefit from. you aging hippie liberal douche. smooth by eons of small talk. And what’s with Stephanie’s dress? I am glad I am leaving before the Pass her a few Lato’s to buy a longer Sincerely: disgusting emptiness of consumer- one. Your hateful non-friend - Ape Shaw ism along with the nauseating smell Hanna of capitalism become rampant and Dear Ape, run over this land like blood. Like Hanna, I’m sorry for offending you. I was refer- a plague. It’s begun. You do see the Birkir’s piece in the last issue, Hey ring to the fat-ass Canadian Led Zep- signs. It is a hard thing to point your Sportacus, Leave My Kids Alone, pelin cover band Rush, not whatever finger at, but I would urge you to brought up some key issues of the Lazy- band inspired your devotion. As for my grind to a screeching halt the pro- Town discussion, issues that were echoed age and political leanings- I think you’re gression of your simple life to a life in the Icelandic-language media-- confusing me for another Bart. I’m the filled with meaningless objects, and ahem, without any citation or reference 29-year-old Democrat who would vote the glimmer of a better life of more to our own writer, specifically in a for Bill Clinton for a third term, if pos- money hanging over the mouths of lengthy column in Fréttablaðið. This sible, putting me in the moderate camp; hungry, tired, bitter people, with no is an excellent service the Grapevine I am not the aging hippie who did those hope. That is America. You don’t provides Fréttablaðið readers. dirty things to your mom at the Jerry want that. Pay attention to your own But let us return to LazyTown—yes, Brown campaign rally and put them politics. They are leading you like there are creepy aspects, and it is good on that More Reasons to Hate Bush a herd of sheep. Iceland is unique to mention them. I guess I really don’t website. Glad to have you as a reader. beauty. Save it. You don’t need big understand the argument fully… what Regarding lawsuits, the press is more buildings to be beautiful or power television show do you think should raise open to lawsuits in Iceland than they are for that matter. Money doesn’t make your children? in America, so sue away. You could be a nation happy. Be happy that your the next Bubbi. children enjoy a freedom which a Love Your Online child in America will never know. Be Reykjavík Grapevine Letter to the Editor satisfied that when you are sick you Thank you for a wonderful online Goodbye Iceland can go to the doctor. Be happy that publication! Really enjoy it. Will be I am returning to my home, America. you don’t have to become hard and visiting your neck of the woods for I will miss your serene atmosphere. cold to suffering around you. Selfish- several days come this weekend. The simplicity I encounter in your ness and greed are enough to corrupt Can’t wait to experience it. Your small towns. The smell of the ocean the innocent. Read this paper. It is articles are doing well to prepare us which greets me in the early morn- the one place you are getting non- for what may come. ing. I now understand the awe of slanted journalism. Turn your TV Esja. When my life is troubled I will off. Throw your Fréttablaðið out. Best regards to you and your staff on miss the comfort she brings me. The And start talking about what matters! a very professional effort to inform green hills and calming sound of B.R. Neal the people. water falling on rocks. This landscape Warmly, has forever changed me. It will be Dear B.R., Loredana :) the place my mind returns to when I Oh. Now that’s the kind of hippie talk need tranquillity. It took some time that Rush devotee Ape Shaw loathes. He We do our best, which is to say that Paul for my instant gratification personal- says aeon, you say eon. Nikolov, Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson and ity to accept the type of silent friend- Sveinn Birkir Björnsson get the news up ship you offered. I eventually learned Anyway, we get loads of these Goodbye, by noon, Icelandic time, each day, while that you show love by just being. Iceland, letters, and the authors of these I drink coffee and babble incoherently. Constant. Strong. Like the old stones letters don’t call us douche bags. They that dot the countryside like remind- often give extremely condescending I do believe that the Grapevine will ers of the past. I feel connected to and sanctimonious advice to the noble prepare you better for all aspects of Rey- something everlasting. My footprints savages of Iceland, and warn against kjavík than any other publication. on untouched land. The purity of becoming… whatever the authors are. your spirit. LULU EIGHTBALL EDITORIALS No Tears Over These Lost Jobs I have only been on one military base in my life, who lived in Keflavík, and who had a keen aware- you will wince and maybe even stop reading. and when I tell my war-protesting friends about ness of how many jobs were going to be lost. Personally, I got a bit angry to see that Hallgrímur that experience, I feel I have to give an aside. Vis- Trying to understand how I came into such a Helgason and Halla Gunnarsdóttir among others iting Keflavík’s NATO base, even when America conflict, I thumbed my way through the back is- were putting their reputations behind a meeting was at war, wasn’t a very militaristic experience. sues of the Grapevine, back to the bone of conten- that would show a film that was so propagan- As Paul Nikolov writes in this issue’s feature, tion I have always had with this paper: issue one. dist—a film that focused on beheadings, rape and the vibe in Keflavík is decidedly laid back. In fact, Issue one of the Grapevine presented a feature on the other horrible faces of war. A short speech that when I visited, two years ago, the base felt like a the base written by the first editor, an intelligent followed the film stated the following: look what community college. Most of the soldiers I talked and amusing novelist, journalist and musician Iceland has contributed to. to were open about having political views that named Valur Gunnarsson. Mr. Gunnarsson went The typical reaction to a film of beheadings were to the left of the current administration, and to the Keflavík NATO base, and described it as and brutality of war shots is to say “Are your it was the norm to hear people describe their stay the home of “Jackboots on Ice,” or, essentially, hands really so clean?” You can say any number of in Iceland according to how many college credits home to the modern day Nazis. things about Icelandic policy in the last thousand they could earn while here. Since I took over the Grapevine, I have years: there has been a tendency towards corrup- Bart Cameron, Editor The most amusing documentation of the apologised for the comment a number of times. tion, and those with power have tended to oppress surreal effect the base had on Icelandic life that Yes, I feel President Bush and his administration the masses, there have been hundreds of years of I have come across was the recent documentary have committed war crimes and their actions are starvation despite rich natural resources. But, for Bítlabærinn Keflavík. In the movie, we see how inexcusable. In fact, I feel the current war is the the last thousand years, Iceland did avoid doing Keflavík, which had exposure to soldiers and blackest mark on the difficult history of American any other nation any harm. soldiers’ record collections, brought rock music to international policy, an action that it will take Then, in 1941, Iceland started housing the Iceland. In a particularly amusing turn of the film, probably a century to attempt to rectify if and most powerful military in the world. And finally, a soldier explains how he also undertook to bring when the most powerful country in the world gets in 2003, the most powerful military in the world LSD to Iceland, but decided against it, having a leader with an IQ above room temperature, and coerced Iceland into signing on to an inexcusable seen how fearless the locals were with substances. a personality set to thoughtful, not rabid. war. One consistently gets the impression that the However, the soldiers I met at the Kefla- While I believe that the Keflavík base had a Keflavík NATO base was essentially the predeces- vík base have not been hateful people, nor have number of positive effects on Iceland, and while I sor to the Internet—the place the world came into I heard or read inflammatory, dehumanising believe the soldiers were, for the most part, good Iceland. On its departure, one is tempted to look rhetoric from American sources, outside of one people, they were soldiers. Iceland wasn’t forced to back wistfully. American television channel, Fox News, which is house the Keflavík Diplomacy Centre, or Keflavík In fact, coupled with the massive loss of jobs, watched by a tiny percentage of Americans and a International University, but an installation with and the immense new economic responsibilities seemingly larger percentage of aghast Europeans. the specific job of making war, something Iceland Iceland has to undertake in the base’s absence, I have always felt Mr. Gunnarsson’s comments has been opposed to for a thousand years. I have been silly enough to state, out loud, that were inexcusable. Until it came to putting out this In this light, extremist comments from locals allowing the base to leave is not a good thing for issue. and the refusal to shed a tear over the loss of long- Iceland. The March 18th protests are covered in detail time neighbours and employers might be more For a few days after I made such a comment, I in this paper, and you can read about the films that understandable. was called everything short of Imperialist Ameri- were screened, and get some idea of how many can Pig Dog… actually, I was called an Imperialist members of the intelligentsia spoke up against American Pig Dog. The only person who heard Icelandic involvement in Iraq. If you are like me, my viewpoint and took it easy on me was someone when you read about Ari Alexander’s short film,
The Phantom Menace Well, it’s official now: the event we predicted last lot of effort into this subject, organising talks with Suspend belief for a moment and assume that November (The Base Bows Out, on www.grape- officials from different NATO countries, writing the base’s departure did, in fact, catch the Icelan- vine.is) has finally happened. Not that we were the a letter to President Bush and speculating on the dic government by surprise. Why is so much effort first, of course. The signs had been there for a long cost of buying a helicopter. Many in the Icelandic being put into avoiding a scenario that’s not at all time, whether you’re talking about the downsizing government are putting together all kinds of dif- likely to happen (Iceland being attacked militarily) over the past 15 years, the base’s command switch ferent defence scenarios, with the Social Demo- while the scenario of a massive economic drought from Joint Force Command (in Virginia) to the crats forming a special committee, “Independent in Keflavík – which is entirely likely to happen European Defence Command (in Germany) in Foreign Policy,” with the purpose of carving out with the next few months – gets cursory atten- 1999, or the fact that the US told Iceland in 2003 new defence strategies. tion from the Icelandic government in the form that it was going to withdraw the aircraft. Which Meanwhile, the real danger of the base’s de- of a brief visit from the Prime Minister and some makes it pretty peculiar that Prime Minister parture is being all but ignored: the economic hit vague notions that people will simply commute to Halldór Ásgrímsson reacted to the announcement that Keflavík’s going to take. Reykjavík for work? of the base’s closing with any degree of surprise, as According to Statistics Iceland, the base em- It’s a shame the government won’t give the he did the day after the announcement was made. ploys around 640 Icelanders. Add to this outside men and women paying their salaries the same at- Paul F. Nikolov, Perhaps sensing how out of touch this would make contractors who do work on the base, and that tention they’re giving to staving off unrealistic and Journalist him seem, he said about a week later that he’d total reaches over a thousand. These people will be imagined threats. The real threat posed to Iceland expected the base to close. out of work within the next few weeks to months. by the base’s departure comes from within. Whether he expected it or not, the most Add to this the men and women of the US Navy bizarre reaction out of this series of events is the and Air Force who go to town and spend their emphasis being placed on what Iceland’s going to money, and the economic impact becomes that do for defence now. Ásgrímsson’s been putting a much greater.
Lunch special! From 11.00-14.00 The luck is with you
Soup of the day + 1/2 panini + koffee = 870 kr. Espresso bar open every day 08.00-00.00 - Lækjatorg (main square) The Unspeakable Brought to the Living Room Kompás, Iceland’s 60 Minutes, on exposing perverts and even hospital management
by gunnar hrafn jónsson photo by gúndi
When the news network NFS was founded late last year, it had a lot to prove. Replacing the newsrooms of both Stöð 2 and Bylgjan, it was to become the central hub for the gather- ing and dissemination of news in the non-print media belonging to the 365 corporation. Argu- ably the biggest impact the channel has had so far has been through its weekly news magazine Kompás. While not everyone can see NFS programming 24/7, to see Kompás or the daily news you only need a TV and an antenna, and this has no doubt contributed to its success. A controversial program, Kompás’s content tends to be hotly debated over the nation’s water coolers the morning after it airs. In the wake of a particularly gripping report, in which the lack of an intensive care unit in a children’s hospital was exposed and criticised, the Grape- vine caught up with Jóhannes Kr. Kristjáns- son and Marteinn Þórsson to ask them about Kompás, the nation’s reactions and what it’s like to be an investigative journalist in a society with such a limited journalistic tradition.
/// Some of the things you delve into are of an extremely personal nature. Do people respond very differently to you when you con- tact them about issues that are highly charged with emotion? Jóhannes: Yes, this story about the hospital, for instance, is obviously an extremely sensitive issue for everyone involved. The couple we talked to, though, did a fantastic job in coming forward and managing to tell such an emotion- al story in as much detail as they did – twice, if you count the initial interview. And thankfully, we were there to cover an extremely sensitive we approach do not want to expose themselves ing the example shown in the program, some they really seemed to get through to people. issue. When he was pressed on some aspects of to public attention. teenagers also took it upon themselves to seek This story touched a lot of people around the his hospital’s operations, and didn’t give what out and violently attack men who look for sex country. we felt were satisfactory answers, we simply /// It hasn’t always been like this, has it? Is with young girls on the Internet.) had to keep on asking him. At some point he investigative journalism finally in vogue in Marteinn: No, I think we would do it the /// You mention the reactions. Are you just gave up on the whole interview, but we Iceland? same way. generally happy with the response you got persisted and got an answer out of him in the Jóhannes: Kompás is really the only program Jóhannes: We were very happy with the way following that program? The Baugur family end. Interestingly, Minister for Health and of its kind currently being shown on Icelandic we produced that show. We don’t support certainly seemed to step up to the plate after Social Security Siv Friðleifsdóttir has since television. For 46 minutes a week, we get a people going out and trying this for them- this became public knowledge. (Following claimed that we violated some kind of rule chance to delve much deeper into the issues selves, of course. the airing of the program in question, Jón or even law by not ceasing the interview and than most journalists. It’s hard to work as an Marteinn: Yeah, don’t try this at home. Ásgeir Jóhannesson and family pledged to pay turning off our equipment as soon as we were investigative journalist in Iceland, that’s for the 60 million krónur a year needed to run an asked to. Nobody here at NFS has any idea sure, but we have a chance to do so and thus /// Going back to the criticism, briefly, have intensive care unit in the children’s hospital what she’s talking about. It has always been we’re just trying to make the best out of the you ever been accused of skewing the facts to – for at least the next five years.) customary in our profession for the director situation. fit your story? Jóhannes: Well, we’re certainly happy about and camera operator to decide when and when Marteinn: I think these things have changed, Marteinn: We have been accused of dishon- how things turned out, aren’t we, Matti? not to film. as the society as a whole has changed very est editing. I remember reading a blog that Marteinn: Yes, of course, but apart from the Marteinn: People in positions of authority quickly over the past few years. People are claimed we had unfairly attacked the hospi- money it’s always good to see a much-needed have a duty to provide the people with answers. certainly more receptive to our kind of journal- tal director, the one who wanted to end the ism, open to more in-depth coverage. There interview, and that it was only our editing that has long been this tendency in Icelandic society made him look bad. The truth of the matter is, “There has long been this tendency in Icelandic soci- to want to sweep uncomfortable issues under and anyone can see this by looking at the tape, the carpet, even though everyone knew they is that it was all one, long shot. What you saw ety to want to sweep uncomfortable issues under the were there. For instance, you might have a on your TV screen is exactly what happened. weird uncle that you think hangs out with kids Jóhannes: We also got that after the pervert carpet, even though everyone knew they were there. a little bit too much, but no one wants to say story aired, accusations that we had somehow anything. twisted everything around in the editing room. For instance, you might have a weird uncle that you Marteinn: I mean, we had three cameras run- /// Along with the positive reactions you have ning each time, and the footage was all a bunch think hangs out with kids a little bit too much, but no gotten for your work, there must surely have of continuous takes! been quite a bit of negativity as well. Jóhannes: Well, that’s the last defence you one wants to say anything.” Marteinn Þórsson, of Kom- Marteinn: Yeah, the pervert episode comes to have left after the program airs and every- mind… thing is said and done: “They just edited it to pás news magazine. Jóhannes: Indeed, some people were simply make him/me seem like a perv.” Like I said, unhappy with the fact that we decided to sometimes Icelanders know very uncomfort- debate like this one get going. I think the If we, the taxpayers, are paying you wages to make a program on this topic, and particularly able things about each other, friends and family important thing is for these issues to get fol- manage our affairs, then you have to be ac- with the idea of using a fake girl to lure these even, but prefer not to rock the boat. They lowed up by other media, so the public gets to countable to the nation and its people. guys in. Then again, we also got a number don’t want to know about it. see many angles to the same story. It doesn’t of complaints about the fact that we blurred matter how much you strive to keep your re- /// The Icelandic media are unfortunately out the faces and identifying features of all /// Since we have been talking about old hab- porting neutral and objective, you always have famous for allowing politicians, and others, the individuals who showed up for a sexual its in Icelandic journalism, it seems apt to end a particular approach to the story that is in part to walk all over them and get around the most encounter with this underage girl. So it went in this with the traditional and highly patronis- subjective. basic questions with doublespeak, or simply both directions, really. On the whole, though, ing final question that closes practically every by the blacklisting of individual journal- most people seemed to be very happy with the interview in Iceland: “Any final words or /// Speaking of objectivity, when you asked ists or organisations. Has your hard-hitting program – and so were we. messages to our readers?” some uncomfortable questions of the director approach burned any bridges for you? Is the Marteinn: We’re always looking for tips on of the children’s hospital, he stood up, said pool of people willing to talk to you shrink- /// Would you have done anything differ- interesting topics. some less than complimentary things about ing? ently after the “pervert program” in which you Jóhannes: Yes, you would be surprised what an your methods and basically tried to end the Jóhannes: It seems to have done quite the lured men to meet an extremely underage girl impact one little idea can have once it starts to interview. Did you have any indication that opposite for us. Practically everyone is willing by posting an ad on the Internet, knowing snowball. So please, keep them coming. he was upset with you beforehand, or did to speak to us these days. So far, we haven’t how people reacted? (Despite the blurring something go awry during the interview gotten a single ‘no’ from a politician. When of their faces and license plates, some of the process itself? we’re covering more sensitive issues, then men from the program were in fact identified Jóhannes: He was fully aware of the fact that naturally some of the more private individuals by friends, family and co-workers. Follow- ÉG ÓR SUÐ I F U E R R
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Hljómsveit Hafdísar Bjarna Hermigervill www.skidavikan.is/festival. PRUMPISON Rúnar Þórisson Mr. Silla Benni Hemm Hemm Rass 701 Reykjavík!!! NineElevens Kristinn Níelsson Þröstur Jóhannesson Harmonikkufélag Vestfjarða KAN Jón Kr Ólafsson frá Bíldudal Borkó Drengjakór MÍ Hairdoctor SIGN POPP ÓLI ALENT K OF T LAC S WEAPON GOOD I’M BEING SIGGI BJÖRNSck Joe Jet Bla opinion The Fatter, the Funnier?
a column by þórdís elva þorvaldsdóttir bachmann
Huge Hollywood money-makers from anorexia, which happens to be like Big Momma’s House and The the deadliest of all mental illnesses. Nutty Professor, both so popular Imagine a picture of Ronald Reagan, that they had sequels, tell us that fat who suffered from Alzheimer’s, with comedy works. Big Momma’s enor- a random car in the background. Nám í LBHÍ – grunnur a› framtí› mous, jiggling bottom covered in Very few tabloids would sink as low cellulite is actually the main focus of as to print the caption “That’s not Umhverfisskipulag (landslagsarkitektúr) the trailer for Big Momma’s House yours, Ronald. Don’t you remem- Búvísindi/gar›yrkja 2. Eddie Murphy was considered so ber what your car looks like?” For Náttúru- og umhverfisfræ›i hilarious in a fat-suit, he was multi- some strange reason, some illnesses, plied in The Klumps (sequel to The however deadly they may be, are Skógfræ›i og landgræ›sla Nutty Professor) into many different considered safe joking material, characters who were grossly obese, while others aren’t. Kynntu flér námslei›ir vi› LBHÍ, vi› bjó›um grunn a› framtí›. “The fat lady in my script wasn’t written as www.lbhi.is a comedic role, but a complex, tragic role. Much to my surprise, the audience roared with laughter when the leading lady of my Landbúna›arháskóli Íslands play carried out the simplest of tasks…” Hvanneyri • 311 Borgarnes • s. 433 5000 • www.lbhi.is
excluding the granny who got to be I recently wrote and staged a play very old and horny instead in which the leading lady weighs Obviously, a lot of viewers find approximately 200 kilos because she fat people screamingly funny. In suffers from compulsive binge-eat- fact, Fat Actress, a sitcom riddled ing, which is classified as an eating with fat jokes broke the record on disorder. The fat lady in my script American cable TV channel Show- wasn’t written as a comedic role, time for most viewers on the open- but a complex, tragic role. Much ing episode of a show. The world to my surprise, the audience roared of cartoons is no different. Homer with laughter when the leading lady Simpson of The Simpsons and Peter of my play carried out the simplest Griffin of Family Guy are examples of tasks, such as walking, eating or of the funny fat guy, and even carrying on a conversation with her South Park has its token fat kid. In lover. Even in scenes that would spite of all this evidence suggest- have been dramatic and disturbing ing that the fatter the funnier, it is had they revolved around a thin still considered rude and uncivilised character, people laughed at the to make fun of people who have a fat lady. One critic even suggested large frame. On a personal basis, that the play’s message is that it’s
“I am still clueless as to why today’s audi- ence finds fat hilarious even under tragic circumstances…”
that is. It is quite all right to laugh at acceptable to make fun of fat people. fictional characters, but not real-life I am still clueless as to why today’s fat people. You don’t see pictures audience finds fat hilarious even Queen Latifah in the papers with under tragic circumstances, and how the caption “What a tub of lard!” anyone could think that I was send- That would be plain distasteful. ing out that message by writing this play. When it comes to being thin, the In my opinion, a sense of tables are turned. Being thin isn’t humour is one of the most impor- funny in showbiz. You don’t see tant things in life. We ought to be Skinny Momma’s House or The able to recognise the absurdities Chickenlegs at the movies. On a of being human, including poking personal basis, however, it’s okay to fun at our bodies. Although I don’t make fun of skinny people. Pa- find body-type jokes funny myself, parazzi pictures of waif-like actresses I understand their importance in regularly appear in tabloids, followed taking ourselves less seriously. After with a humorous caption like “Eat a all, very few people look like Calvin sandwich, Lindsay!” or “If she stands Klein models. It’s the hypocrisy re- sideways, Lara Flynn Boyle disap- garding what’s funny and what’s not pears!” These very same tabloids that gets me. Out of all the things also suggest regularly that both of that make us laughable, is simply the aforementioned actresses suffer being fat reason enough?
10
News in Brief
by paul f nikolov, gunnar hrafn jónsson and sveinn birkir björnsson photos by gúndi
Foreign Analysts on tions remain strong – providing a Iceland’s “Stocks Carnage” much needed safety buffer in the ‘Black Tuesday’, 4 April, was the event of a recession. single worst trading day the country has seen in 13 years, and cost the Morthens Wins Suit Against 365 Icelandic economy more than 85 Veteran musician and Idol judge billion krónur. According to reports Bubbi Morthens won a suit he by analysts from Landsbankinn, launched against tabloid magazine the ICEX-15’s one-day drop of Hér og nú last year that reported 4.65 percent hit financial firms the he’d begun smoking again. Former hardest, with KB Banki alone losing editor Garðar Örn Úlfarsson will nearly 27 billion krónur of its overall have to pay Morthens 1.2 million worth in the day’s trading. ISK, far less than the 20 million A dramatic downturn in ISK Morthens sought from the 365 Iceland’s stock markets, including a media group that owns Hér og nú. nearly five percent drop in its main The case revolved mostly index, has sparked fresh concerns around the use of the word “fal- over the country’s economy. The linn” (literally, “down, prostrate”) Financial Times, the International in the headline, which in Icelandic Herald Tribune and Bloomberg means to relapse, particularly after News all reported on the market being clean of alcohol or drugs. The dive and its possible implications ruling judgement said that the story for Iceland’s economic outlook, - which featured photos of Morthens with Bloomberg calling the event in his car - was a violation of his “Iceland’s stocks carnage.” privacy. The sudden depreciation of the ICEX-15 index – lead by the City Council: Left Gaining, Independ- banking sector – is believed to be ence Party Still Holds Majority largely due to the latest in a series of According to the latest results of an recent ratings downgrades by credit ongoing Gallup poll, support for agencies. Moody’s Investor Services both the Social Democrats and the this week warned of “increasing chal- Leftist-Green Party has increased in lenges” for Iceland’s banking giants. the past month. At the same time, The ICEX-15 index was praised support for the Independence Party by the aforementioned media outlets continues to decline, as it has since for having far outpaced other Euro- November, but still holds a clear pean markets in terms of growth and majority. increasing in value nearly fivefold Support for the Social Demo- councilman] Árni Þór Sigurðsson pay various legal costs, which he then offensive overall picture of Muslims,” since March 2003. However, last crats increased marginally in the and he will bump out the eighth man listed. None of the defendants were said Shahin. He added that while he Tuesday saw its worst performance past month, from 35 percent to for the Independence Party, thereby present, and in the mad rush to get didn’t have the time and resources to in 13 years when the index fell by 36 percent while support for the opening the possibility of a Social comments from the legal representa- check every single textbook on every nearly five percent on the day and Leftist-Green Party has gone from Democratic-Leftist-Green majority.” tives for the two sides, the press had topic, the only way to be certain that dipped the market into negative ter- 7 percent to 11 percent Meanwhile, to make do with rehearsed state- this was an aberration was to form ritory for the year in dollar terms. support for the Independence Party Defendants Cleared of All Remaining ments and a clear lack of willingness a committee to look at Icelandic According to the Financial is currently 47 percent down from 52 Charges in Baugur Trial, New Trial to comment on a verdict that had not textbooks. Times, the current crisis is closely percent last month. Looming yet been studied in detail. Amongst the notable errors in those tied to Iceland’s currency woes and If elections were held today, this The District Court of Reykjavík “I have not yet read the whole chapters were the false assertion that the large influx of foreign capital would mean that of the 15 seats in acquitted all six defendants last verdict, you will have to allow me to Shia Muslims believe all caliphs to into the economy. The so-called Reykjavík City Council, the Inde- month in the so-called Baugur trial. do that before I can comment much have been descended from Mu- “carry trade”, says the FT, consists of pendence Party would have eight, The defendants, which included further,” said an obviously disap- hammed, and the claim that there investors borrowing large amounts the Social Democrats would have six the Baugur son and father team of pointed Sigurður Tómas Magnús- are only 315 million Muslims in the of capital in countries where inter- and the Leftist-Greens would have Jóhannes Jónsson and Jón Ásgeir son, district attorney. He was then world, when in fact the true figure is est rates are low and then in turn one. Neither the Progressive Party Jóhannesson, were originally charged queried on a possible connection believed to be closer to 1.3 billion. investing in high-yield markets, nor the Liberal Party, who garnered with 40 counts of various economic between this case and plans to re-file such as Iceland’s. While promoting 3 percent and 2 percent respectively, crimes – 32 of which were thrown 32 previously dismissed charges. PM: The People Asked for Smelters quick growth, this has also lead to would earn a seat. out of court but might be re-filed at Magnússon said it was clear from Heated debate continued last month unprecedented corporate debt levels Svandís Svavarsdóttir, who holds a later date. a previous Supreme Court verdict in parliament between Social Demo- and soaring inflation. the first seat for the Leftist-Greens In a brief verdict, delivered in that no connection should be made cratic chairman Ingibjörg Sólrún On the positive side, all com- in the city elections, wrote on her a courtroom packed with journal- between the two. Gísladóttir and Prime Minister mentators and analysts have stressed website that the upswing in support ists and photographers, the judge On 4 April, Magnússon levied Halldór Ásgrímsson over the issue of the fact that the liquidity levels of for her party indicates that, “there simply declared the six acquitted and new charges of fraud and embezzle- the Icelandic economy. Iceland’s largest banks and corpora- is support for [Leftist-Green city announced the duty of the state to ment against Baugur CEO Jón Gísladóttir asked the Prime Ásgeir Jóhannesson, former assistant Minister what his response was to director Tryggvi Jónsson and Nor- economic reports from both Fitch dica Inc director Jón Gerald Sullen- and Standard & Poor’s, which she berger. The trial is due in Reykjavík said have given Iceland “the yellow District Court 27 April. card.” “There is too little information An Abundance of Serious Errors and too many expectations,” said Found in Icelandic Textbooks Gísladóttir, “because the government In a March article for Morgunblaðið, built them up with endless talk about Ingólfur Shahin pointed out a total factories and heavy industry.” of 34 errors in only eight pages of Ásgrímsson responded by saying text about Islam, which appear in that the government isn’t responsible textbooks widely used by second- for the great expectations that have ary schools in Iceland. Shahin did been placed on heavy industry, and not examine the other 664 pages of that the government didn’t hand the books for factual errors, but he over heavy industry on a silver platter quotes Dr. Jón Ormur Halldórs- but rather that the people pressured son, an expert in Islam and Middle the government for it. Eastern affairs, as saying the chapters “There are people in the north on Islam are “not fit to be used as trying to get it,” said Ásgrímsson. educational material.” “There are people in Reykjanes Ingólfur Shahin told the Grape- who are trying to get it. There is a vine that he was very cognisant of the company in Hafnarfjörður that wants need for keeping his report objec- to expand in size. This isn’t because tive. “There are things in there that the government is trying to convince aren’t exactly factual errors but do anybody of anything.” feed off stereotypes and give a very
12 Paul F. Nikolov gives us Grapevine’s Government Guide Grapevine’s Government Guide Who They Are and How They Vote And this issue’s question is . . . (and how you can watch it) What will you miss most about the NATO base? Leftist-Green Party: miss it, but my mother worked there, MP Magnús Þór Hafsteinsson “(Laughs for a while) Absolutely so I have some good memories of the Independence Party: nothing. I look forward to the op- place.” MP Guðrún Ögmundsdóttir. “They’ve been taking care of The Leftist-Green Party (Vinstrihreyfingin- portunity this gives us, and I’m Progressive Party: the security of our country for Grænt Framboð) happy we’re free at last from this “I won’t miss it at all. I believe the a long time now, so that will Guiding principles: Far-left, pro-environmental, anti-NATO, feminist. stain. I just hope they’ll take the departure of the base is a sign that be missed, not to mention the Party Chairperson: Steingrímur J. Sigfússon pollution they’ve made with them.” there’s security in our part of the services and the jobs they’ve pro- Number of seats: 5 MP Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir. world.” MP Kristinn Gunnarsson. vided.” MP Guðjón Hjörleifsson. Registered members: about 1,400 Social Democratic Party: Liberal Party: Ministers: none “(Laughs) Nothing. I’m not going to “Maybe the feeling of security.” Strange but true: The sole party that not only believes Iceland should see to its own defence, but should also split from NATO altogether. Website: www.vg.is E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 552-8872 Address: Pósthólf 175, 121 Reykjavík
The Social Democratic Party (Samfylkingin) Guiding principles: Left-centrist, social-democratic. Party Chairman: Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir Number of seats: 20 Registered members: about 20,000 Ministers: none Strange but true: Writing on the party’s homepage, MP Össur Skarphéðinsson said that the Leftist-Green Party “has been squealing like a stuck pig over how much other parties spend on [the city council election] campaign.” Website: www.samfylking.is E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 414-2200 Address: Hallveigarstígur 1 (2nd Floor), Box 160, 101 Reykjavík
The Progressive Party (Framsóknarflokkurinn) Guiding principles: Right-centrist; believes in fewer economic and environmental regulations while strengthening the social system. Party Chairman: Halldór Ásgrímsson Number of seats: 12 Registered members: about 10,000 Ministers: Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson, Minister of Social Affairs Jón Kristjánsson, Minister of Agriculture Guðni Ágústsson, Minister of Health Siv Friðleifsdóttir, Minister of Industry Valgerður Sverrisdóttir Strange but true: Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson initially expressed surprise on hearing that the US NATO base was to close, only to tell reporters a few days later that he long expected the base to close. Website: www.framsokn.is E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 540-4300 Address: Hverfisgata 33 (2nd Floor), 101 Reykjavík
The Liberal Party (Frjálslyndir) Guiding principles: Right-centrist, emphasising the rights of fishermen and increasing government transparency. Party Chairman: Guðjón Kristjánsson Number of seats: 3 Registered members: about 2,000 Ministers: none Strange but true: Despite their similarities to the Independence Party, former party chairman Sverrir Hermannsson, in an article on the party website, sets the tone for the party as a whole in saying that the invasion of Iraq was “illegal.” Website: www.frjalslyndir.is E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 552-2600 Address: Aðalstræti 9, 101 Reykjavík
The Independence Party Whales& (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn) Puffin Island Guiding principles: Right-wing, mouthpiece for privatisation in all areas of society. Take part in an adventure at sea with an unforgettable 3-hour Party Chairman: Geir H. Haarde trip into the world of whales and sea birds. Number of seats: 23 Located in Reykjavik's old harbour, only a 5 minute walk from Registered members: about 34,000 the city centre. Ministers: Minister of Fisheries Einar K. Guðfinnson, Minister of Justice Björn Bjarnason, Minister of Foreign Affairs Geir H. Haarde, Minister A spacious double-deck and a special viewing area on the of the Economy Árni M. Mathiesen, President of Parliament Solveig third deck ensures a spectacular view into the deep blue sea. Pétursdóttir, Minister of the Environment Sigríður A. Þórðardóttir, Minister Puffin season 60170 •
of Communications Sturla Böðvarsson, Minister of Education Þórgerður fít • April May June July Aug Sept Oct Call us on Katrín Gunnarsdóttir. 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 9:00 or visit MIXA Strange but true: Party chairman Geir H. Haarde has indicated that Iceland 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 13:00 555 3565 www.elding.is could pay the US to keep the base open by covering operating costs. 17:00 17:00 17:00 Website: www.xd.is E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 515-1700 Address: Háaleitisbraut 1, 105 Reykjavík
Elding Whale Watching, Reykjavík harbour Tel: (+354) 555 3565, Fax: (+354) 554 7420 [email protected], www.elding.is SPECIAL OFFER RE 05 REYKJAVÍK GRAND EXCURSION APRIL Locations visited: Reykjavík city centre, the harbour, Hallgríms- kirkja church, The Pearl and the National Museum of Iceland.
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Guaranteed departures. ISK 3.100 RE 24 GULLFOSS-GEYSIR DIRECT ÍSLENSKA AUGLÝSINGASTOFAN/SIA.IS KYN 32098 03/2006 Locations visited: Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir hot spring area and the Geysir multimedia museum.
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For bookings or information: Telephone: (+354) 562 1011 • [email protected] • Our Sales offices • Hotels and guesthouses 14
No Blood for Oil! Now, Where Did We Park? Anti-war protests on March 18th
by gunnar hrafn jónsson photo by gúndi
The 18th of March is the anniversary of reverend Örn Bárður Jónsson were basically is really intense,” he said more than once and the famous “no blood for oil” slogan often Iceland’s declaration of support for the 2003 speaking points, while those emanating from more than twice about 1001 Nights. “Please associated with such events. A few confessed invasion of Iraq. This year, two Icelandic anti- the audience were for the most part completely leave if you are under 16 or feel you won’t be that they weren’t at all interested in going to war groups chose to stage events in protest of incomprehensible diatribes that went on for able to handle the graphic violence.” the outdoor rally anyway, and, at first, there that decision, and American foreign policy in longer than anyone cared to listen and often He wasn’t kidding. The short, Alexander- were fewer people at Ingólfstorg than at the general. First, there was a noon gathering at didn’t seem to contain any real questions. sson’s second about the Iraq war, is basically earlier event. Háskólabíó, consisting of a panel debate and “Seeing as how American military hege- just under seven minutes of what hell would be As time went on, though, passers-by got the showing of two short films by Ari Alexan- mony is destroying the world and our govern- like if George Romero directed the action and curious and the crowd sort of snowballed into dersson titled I Am an Arab and 1001 Nights. ment is directly responsible for being a lapdog Aphex Twin provided the musical score. a fairly impressive mass of spectators, perhaps Immediately following that gathering, there to war criminals, don’t you think I’m right in Apart from the lengthy close-up of a 800 or so, which was enough to come close to was an outdoor rally at Ingólfstorg. In both saying [insert opinionated conclusion]” – be- screaming man having his head sawn off with filling Ingólfstorg. Suddenly, a group of ‘an- cases, those assembled were an eclectic mix of ing the typical format. A regrettably painful a rusty machete, it was probably the dead archists’, of suspiciously low stature and high long-time leftists, young activists and students, chapter in what was an otherwise well-executed babies and brutal gang rapes that left the most pitch, showed up dressed in black and sporting and various bemused lookers-on. It was hard balaclavas. After shouting some slogans, the to gauge what the average age or social status young revolutionaries struggled to set fire to a might have been, but bohemians with woolly “After shouting some slogans, the young revolutionar- NATO flag, but apparently they had managed scarves and left-wing intellectuals in long coats to procure one made of asbestos and the lighter were certainly well-represented. ies struggled to set fire to a NATO flag, but apparently fluid they began to spray on it in desperation “Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib only made it melt away in a decidedly unspec- are words that have become black stains they had managed to procure one made of asbestos tacular fashion. on humanity’s conscience, like Dachau and There are both positive and negative Auschwitz.” – these were amongst the opening and the lighter fluid they began to spray on it in des- things to be said about the Icelandic peace words of a speech given by Ólafur Hannibals- movement’s overall performance on the 18th. son, respected lecturer and long-time protestor, peration only made it melt away in a decidedly unspec- The organisations and the people responsible at the start of the gathering at Háskólabío. did in fact do a commendable job. Jón Baldvin To be fair, he and the rest of the speakers tacular fashion.” and Steingrímur Hermannsson were the stars did not let this startling comparison set the of the evening, trading some memorable jabs tone for the events that would follow. After debate, but to their credit the panelists did not lasting impression. Þór Eldon’s musical score about politics and old times, but everyone who Hannibalsson had finished speaking, and the let the inanity of the questions stop them from catapulted the already stupefying material into rose to speak did so with dignity and convic- not-so-memorable film I Am an Arab had expounding, at length, on their own views. headfuck territory, something he was no doubt tion. On the negative side, the rally at Ingólf- been screened, it was time for the panel debate One odd aside came as Steingrímur aided in by the eerie low-quality look of the storg was predictable and no doubt boring to begin. Hermannsson was asked if he would vote for footage. A crying baby somewhere in the audi- for anyone who had been to such an event in The assembled panel of experts was fairly the Progressive Party, and by extension its ence completed the shocking experience, as it Iceland before. It’s not that the speeches were impressive, including former Prime Minister chairman Halldór Ásgrímsson, in the next coincided with the aforementioned montage of bad. Stefán Pálsson, for example, spoke with Steingrímur Hermannsson, former foreign elections. It had nothing to do with what was dead and mutilated children. his trademark passionate eloquence, and given minister Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson (who is being discussed, but in ducking the question the fact that news of the closure of the military Ólafur Hannibalsson’s brother, incidentally), Hermannsson managed to impart some subtle You Again base was still fresh, there was certainly more author Hallgrímur Helgason and several media criticism on the foreign policy of his successor Once the horror was over and a few quick than enough to talk about. It’s just that the figures including Halla Gunnarsdóttir from in the Progressive Party. words had been spoken, it was off to Ingólf- depressing weather didn’t help the atmosphere, Morgunblaðið. Apart from the general back storg to protest against American hegemony the familiarity of the faces didn’t serve to and forth, Ms. Gunnarsdóttir provided one Even Describing This Movie Is Intense in general, and the military base in Iceland in excite, and the raggedness of the banners only particularly strongly worded but interesting After the panel discussion finished, the audi- particular. Rather than marching together in underscored the fact that this was not the first quote: “You can’t report a murder in an objec- ence was treated to one last set of dire warnings the bleak weather, most of those assembled at or last time we would all be gathering in a vain tive way.” about the second film’s content, and a short Háskólabíó seemed to choose private trans- attempt at having our voices heard. The questions posed to the panel by the speech by the filmmaker himself. “This movie portation – something of an irony in light of
1
Save the Water! How the water debate allowed Iceland’s parliament to act, instead of taking action
You may have heard of the new water laws that clogged to view water as a human right, and the keyword in Not wanting to lose out in the battle of the sound parliament with filibustering and heated debate for days the international debate on water is ‘conservation’, not bites, Magnús Þór Hafsteinsson of the Liberals shot on end. According to the outraged opposition parties, ‘exploitation’,” said Jónasson. back with the astonishing revelation that he would this controversial new bill is fundamentally altering the To understand why the Minister of Industry is sooner give his life than allow the bill to pass, though relationship between the nation and one of its most such a deeply unpopular figure amongst the opposition, he specified no date or mode of action for this to take important birthrights and natural resources. It’s tanta- one has to take into account her frontline position in place. mount to treason, they say, to make our water a com- both economic and environmental issues. The Leftist- All the debate really needed to turn into pure modity to be bought and sold by God only knows who Greens, for example, oppose her plans for the privatisa- theatre at this point were stage directions, the props in the future. Which side is telling the truth depends tion of the country’s energy providers on both counts; already being present in the form of glasses of water entirely on how you vote, it seems. being socialists they are against privatisation and being and a couple of volumes of poetry. Yes, they actually The issue of who should control Iceland’s famously environmentalists they fear such a move could lead to read poetry, and one MP spoke so long he had to take pure and abundant water resources has smouldered further dam construction and subsequent environmental the first bathroom break in the history of the Icelandic away in the background of Icelandic politics for decades, damage. parliament. ready to flare up and burn anyone foolhardy enough to The Social Democrats have also frequently clashed The solution our parliamentarians finally found to touch it. The last time things truly came to a head, back with Valgerður Sverrisdóttir, though their focus may this deadlock was an interesting one, and in many ways in 1917, it took delicate manoeuvring through a six- be more on ideological than environmental grounds. it’s surprising that it didn’t get more media coverage at year political crisis to resolve the matter, a process that Recently, though, they have adopted the eco-friendly the time. The laws were in fact passed at the end, but culminated with the passing of the 1923 Water Laws. language of their fellow leftists. the catch is that they won’t take effect until right after Now the water controversy is back and bigger than ever. Sverrisdóttir has also not shied away from heated the next election. The opposition has made it abundant- Hydroelectric power has become one of the most highly exchanges with her critics in parliament. Accusations ly clear that they would under no circumstances allow charged political issues in the country, and is irreversibly of serious misconduct have flown in both directions this bill to be ratified and passed into law, were it up to tied to such diverse but important topics as job creation, in the past – the Minister has repeatedly accused the them. In fact they tried everything they could to stop it the environment, property rights and the rising fear opposition of quoting statements she never made and getting this far in the first place. If the opposition were Icelanders have of a handful of individuals being able to the Leftist-Greens in turn called her a liar. Ögmundur to get into government next year, the nation has more buy their country out from under them. Jónasson, for example, wrote a statement in which he or less been promised that the bill will be thrown out said: “I have presented evidence to parliament that and completely re-written. This adds a new dimension Industry’s Enemies makes it clear that the Minister’s accusations are based to the upcoming election brawl. In a time when vociferous political arguments rage over on lies. No minister or member of this parliament, or In effect, people will get the chance to take part in a aluminium smelters and the exploitation of natural anyone else for that matter, should be allowed to get referendum on the adoption of the new water laws, and resources, some opposition figures have found fault with away with making up lies about their political oppo- now have some time to reflect on the cold-hard facts the fact that this new bill would transfer a good deal of nents.” relating to them. Unfortunately, the level of obfuscation authority over the country’s water resources from the employed by both sides in this matter has rendered the Ministry of Agriculture to the Ministry of Industry. Stage is Set facts all but invisible under the thick tapestry of political How much of this was intentional and how much was a It was thus in a tense atmosphere that the opposition point scoring that now covers anything remotely con- result of shoddy workmanship on the part of those writ- confronted the government over proposed water laws, nected to it. ing the proposal, however, is still being debated. particularly the Minister of Industry. In response to the Still, any involvement by the Ministry of Industry is initial government proposals, the opposition requested The Water Debate—Water Doesn’t Even Enter the Picture enough to set off alarm bells for some of the most out- more time, and ultimately tried to delay the adoption In a vain attempt at making objective sense of the whole spoken critics of the government’s policy of increasing of the laws by filibustering the debate for days on end. mess, the Grapevine tried to canvas the opinion of sev- heavy industry in Iceland. This process has been spear- Speaker after speaker stood and repeated themselves ad eral MPs regarding the water laws. As always, and for headed by the Ministry of Industry and closely tied to nauseam, with the government’s representatives sneak- obvious reasons, the response from the opposition was the development of hydroelectric plants and aluminium ing in the odd proclamation of affected astonishment far easier to come by. The government generally views smelters. over the methodology being employed. Shocked. They this as a non-issue that was hijacked by the left for po- Ögmundur Jónasson of the Leftist-Greens told the were truly appalled and astonished. litical gain. They simply direct people to the text of the Grapevine that while there had been some initial confu- Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson of the Independence old and new laws – effectively challenging opponents to sion as to the extent of the restructuring of authority Party called the delay tactics “violence,” while Progres- prove the differences are anything other than formali- inherent in the bill, the very notion of putting the focus sive MP Birkir Jón Jónsson used the opportunity to ties. The opposition, though, seems more interested on economic exploitation of water was out of sync with compare the opposition to Soviet dictators. Apparently, in making its case through the media. Leftist-Green the rest of the world. one of the worst things about life under Stalin was the MP Kolbrún Halldórsdóttir told us the government’s “The tendency in recent years has been to come tedium of listening to his long speeches. handling of the laws was typical of its general approach 17
to public debate. the seriousness of what was happening; that our water “It has been the government’s strategy in this matter was being put up for sale. We answered the call for “All politics for the as well as others to separate intrinsically linked issues action by filibustering the parliamentary debate, but we and deny parliament, and the nation as a whole, the did it in a fair, factual and rational way,” said Jónasson. right to see the big picture,” said Halldórsdóttir. According to Jónasson, and in fact quite a number past couple of de- She added that her party had only wanted to re-ex- of other vocal opponents of the proposed water bill, amine the water laws in conjunction with an anticipated the government simply isn’t keeping up with the times. cades, and indeed future debate surrounding two upcoming bills on water While the world around us is abuzz with concepts like purity standards and natural resource management. conservation and sustainability, they say, exploitation is “You can’t separate these three issues,” she said. the order of the day in Iceland. quite a bit longer, Also claiming to look at the bigger picture, Social Democrat Össur Skarphéðinsson told the Grapevine International Perspective that the new bill was simply about one aspect of what he They have a point about the international community. have been about called the central issue in Icelandic politics. “All politics From its 2002 declaration that water was a human right for the past couple of decades, and indeed quite a bit to the more recent establishment of a much-hyped the issue of private longer, have been about the issue of private versus pub- World Water Forum, the United Nations and related lic ownership of resources. As a socialist, I have fought NGOs have both adapted to and helped shape a new my whole life to protect the country’s valuable natural worldwide discourse on water as a vital resource. We’ve versus public own- resources from exploitation at the hands of privatised all heard futuristic speculation about water becoming industry,” said Skarphéðinsson. the new oil, or the ominous prediction that the next Asked what alternative approach his party would world war will be fought over access to water. What not ership of resources. have taken had they been in power, Skarphéðinsson everyone realises is the imminence and inevitability of added: “It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about water, the water crisis. As a socialist, I have geothermal heat, fish or anything else. The principle According to the United Nations, the availability of is the same, and our policies are consistent: the natural clean drinking water will decrease by at least 30 percent resources of Iceland should belong to everyone in the in the next two decades. In South America, attempts to fought my whole life country and all laws relating to the right of individuals privatise water in the face of rising demand and a falter- to exploit those resources should be temporary and have ing supply have already resulted in violence and wide- to protect the coun- a clearly defined sunset clause.” spread social unrest such as the Cochabamba protests Skarphéðinsson is far from being alone in his that shook Bolivia for the first four months of the year concerns. A conference and resolution entitled Water 2000. There, corrupt officials had effectively sold off the try’s valuable natu- for Everyone was endorsed by 14 different organisations country’s water rights to foreign investors for a pittance, and associations, including the National Church, the resulting in huge price increases for clean drinking water Icelandic Teacher’s Association, the Icelandic Human and a dramatic decline in living standards amongst the ral resources from Rights Office and major labour unions such as ASÍ, SÍB poor. and BSRB. No one is suggesting water prices in Iceland are exploitation at the Of course, the church is working the environmental about to rise to unreasonable levels, or that we as a angle at a time when few of its other policies are likely people wouldn’t be able to shoulder the burden of one to garner widespread support or positive attention. And more outrageous bill at the end of the month. But hands of privatized it’s not entirely surprising that a labour union such as worldwide, supplies are already running low while the BSRB would be opposed to the government on an issue global population booms. When there are already mil- like this, especially because their chairman, Ögmundur lions of people out there desperate enough for drink- industry.” Össur Jónasson, also happens to be an MP for the Leftist- ing water to risk life and limb in violent street protests Greens. against an authoritarian government and a powerful Skarphéðinsson. At the height of the controversy, some felt he and multinational corporation, it should probably make you the Leftist-Greens were leading the charge and forcing pause and think twice before permanently handing over the issue out into a public debate. Jónasson, though, the tap to the highest bidder. If you believe the govern- told the Grapevine he couldn’t take credit. “It was the ment, though, we already did that in 1923. nation that drove this issue forward. It was the people who wouldn’t let it slide. People woke up and realised by gunnar hrafn jónsson 18
“If, for example, a crazed motorcycle gang came here and ran amok, we need to have an organised force that can deal with that,” Leftist-Green Chairperson Steingrímur J. Sigfússon. 19
The Ghost Town on the Coast Collateral damage from the base’s departure
by paul f. nikolov photos by gúndi
On March 15th, the US State Depart- conflicts in the Middle East, however, the March 16th that increased staffing of both the with the illegal and immoral invasion of Iraq.” ment made an announcement that brought a location has lost a lot of its relevance, and with police and the Víkingasveit should be defence Looking towards other NATO countries decades-long chapter in Icelandic history to a military spending for the war in Iraq reach- enough for Iceland, adding, “Who is going seems to be precisely what the ruling coali- close and left its future even more uncertain: ing into the hundreds of billions of dollars, it to invade us? We’re not talking about being tion is driving at, with Ásgrímsson telling effective October 2006, the NATO base in began to appear an unnecessary expense. As defenceless. If, for example, a crazed motor- the Icelandic media on March 26th, “We’re a Keflavík will be reduced to little more than Deputy Chief of Mission for the US Embassy cycle gang came here and ran amok, we need European people and the decision of the US to a few “submarine talkers,” with US forces in Iceland Philip Kosnett told the Grape- to have an organised force that can deal with withdraw defence from Keflavík encourages withdrawing their four F-15s, their helicop- vine that by 2003 the US government came that. What we don’t need is an air force and a Iceland towards Europe and away from North ter squadron and the vast majority of their to the conclusion that, “airplanes weren’t an base full of soldiers.” America.” personnel. appropriate defence for Iceland. The Icelandic Others, such as former Foreign Minis- Response from the Icelandic government government disagreed. We analysed the situa- ter Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson, have taken a Despite these strong words, the Foreign was mixed. Prime Minister Halldór Ásgríms- tion and came to our own conclusions.” broader approach. Along with other members Minister has demonstrated a considerable son expressed surprise and disappointment Just last year, stronger indications that the of the Social Democratic Party, he formed amount of denial when it comes defence rela- (although he would later state that he expected base would soon close came out. In the sum- a committee called “Independent Foreign tions with the United States. After a meet- the close to happen), while chairman of the mer of 2005, the US government closed 11 Policy.” While none of their proposals have ing on 31 March between 26 representatives Leftist-Green Party – which never wanted the bases in Germany alone. In October, discus- been finalised, Hannibalsson told the Grape- of the US State Department, Department base in Iceland to begin with – Steingrímur of Defence and the Icelandic government, J. Sigfússon was decidedly jubilant. From the US reiterated what it had said from the all sides, proposals have come of different “We’re a European people and the decision of the US time the announcement was made about two scenarios for Iceland’s defence, whether it be weeks previous: the defence agreement will be increasing the staffing of Iceland’s SWAT to withdraw defence from Keflavík encourages Iceland honoured, but the base is going to be down- team, the Víkingasveit or appealing to other sized. Undeterred, Minister of Foreign Affairs NATO countries for assistance. towards Europe and away from North America,” Prime Geir H. Haarde told the press that, “We will But the way in which the base’s departure of course continue to have talks with other truly makes Iceland vulnerable is economically Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson. NATO countries, but I don’t consider it real- – over 700 Icelanders work on the base itself. istic that any other country take this [defence] Counting outside contractors, the number role besides the US.” Of course, this statement approaches 1,000 people in a region of the sions regarding the base had been downgraded vine that Iceland’s defence should be based, was made after he’d already exhausted talks country sorely lacking in job opportunities. from the US State Department to Assistant both at home and abroad, on “analysing our with Norway, France, Denmark, Germany Couple this with all the services the base cur- National Security Advisor Steve Hadley. This own capacity for ensuring civil security, which and Russia. Haarde even hinted that the rently provides for – services that the Icelandic transition is telling – the State Department, includes analysing our weaknesses and our Icelandic government would cover the base’s government is now going to have to pay for it- long a staunch ally of the NATO base in points of contact. But this also means coming costs if it meant keeping them here, telling self – and the economic burden becomes even Iceland, was handing the matter over to the into discussions with neighbouring countries reporters that the cost of Iceland’s defence greater. And the Icelanders with whom the budget-conscious Department of Defence. such as Denmark, Holland and Norway for “isn’t that much.” The US military currently Grapevine spoke aren’t particularly optimistic assistance with our national defence.” In ad- spends about 250 million USD (nearly 3.6 bil- that their elected officials have a real plan in Who Will Save Us From The Crazed dition, the committee hopes to chart a new lion ISK) per year on the base. At the time of place. Motorcycle Gangs? Europe. foreign policy for Iceland, seemingly indepen- this writing, the dismantling of base facilities Despite the fact that NATO Secretary dent of American influence. has already begun. Iceland joined NATO in 1949 with the General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer announced on “We have to look at our own national understanding that it would not have to de- March 20th that he was working to resolve interests,” he told the Grapevine. “And this One-Thousand More Commuters Should velop a military of its own. Built in 1951, the the dispute between the US and Iceland, no means supporting solutions based on inter- Ease the Oil Demand NATO base at Keflavík has provided for the one seems to be able to agree on what new national laws and treaties, forming closer ties While the future of Iceland’s defence remains defence of the country and was an important form Iceland’s defence should take. with Nordic countries as well as the rest of uncertain, the more immediate threat to outpost during the Cold War. Since the fall Leftist-Green Party chairman Stein- Europe and to stop being passengers going the country is that many of the nearly 1,000 of the Soviet Union and the rise of military grímur Sigfússon told the Grapevine on along with US foreign policy, such as we did >>> continues on next page 20
Icelanders whose livelihood depends on the the same time.” home early or serve elsewhere, the decision is “Personally, I was kind of happy,” he told base are currently wondering how they’ll be Birgir, the chef at the restaurant, was ultimately up to the chain of command. us. “Not necessarily that they’re closing the making a living this fall. worried that his staff might have to leave even “If I’m sent home early, that screws every- base, but I got a year left in the military, so In addition to jobs, one must also take into earlier than the fall. thing up for me,” he told us. “I was planning this is kind of an opportunity where they account the fact that the maintenance and fire “There’s a lot of military people who’ll be on paying off my debts and finishing school. might cut my orders short so I can be out of department of Leifur Eiríksson International leaving in May or June,” he told the Grape- I’m going to have a real hard time doing that the military, period. But it sucks for Iceland Airport are provided by the NATO base, and vine. “There’ll be something like 500 people if they send me home.” because a lot of the guys working on the base the fact that the 56th Rescue Squadron of the here then, and we can’t keep the club open We tried our hand at talking to two dif- are going to be out of jobs. I just hope that the US Navy assists the Icelandic Coast Guard for that few people. There’ll be a lot of people ferent Air Force servicemen, but their replies military helps them find jobs in Iceland.” with search and rescue operations. working here who’ll be leaving a lot earlier were almost identical to each other: “No one Mall wasn’t particularly worried about his While Ásgrímsson and Reykjanesbær than everybody else.” wants to hear my opinion.” Unfazed, Bar- own situation, either. Mayor Árni Sigfússon are currently negoti- Birgir’s own job prospects are unpredict- low got on his phone and called some of his “I don’t have any kids and I’m debt-free,” ating how to deal with the situation, Stein- able at best. friends to meet us at his room. he said. “Plus I’m a bit too liberal for the grímur Sigfússon remains optimistic. military lifestyle, so I’m hoping they’ll cut my “I think we will be able to provide jobs for orders short. They’re not going to pay for me these people,” he told the Grapevine. “Some “Some people have worked here for years and years, to fly somewhere else, take a job where I’m not will simply switch employers, some will retire working most of the time for eight months, and the labour market in the capital area is and have worked up in the pay scale. They’ll have to go and then check out.” growing. Some of them could either move “They might try to recruit me to re-en- here or commute to work here.” Reykjavík, it to Reykjavík and start from scratch,” Birgir, chef at the list,” added Garcia. “But they’re not going to should be noted, is about half an hour’s drive get very far with that.” from Keflavík. Keflavík base. “They can actually extend you for three The Grapevine went to the base two days more years than you’re signed up to do,” cor- after the closure announcement. Morale was rected Mall. “It’s called putting a stop-loss on not high. “Well, I have this one job that I could The barracks that Barlow shares with nine you. They do it if they feel as though you’d be “I heard that the base was going to close take in May,” he said. “Although I don’t know others are the size of an average block apart- useful somewhere else.” the day before yesterday, during lunch,” said if it’ll pay as much as this one, but that one’s ment building in Reykjavík, with enough to So the trick to get out of that is to appear Rakel, a single mother of three and a kitchen only until September, so then I have to go and room to house hundreds at a time. Just walk- as useless and incompetent as possible? worker for the Three Flags restaurant on the find another job.” ing into the building itself you get a Shining “I wish,” sighed Mall. “I’ve been trying that base. “I received no warning whatsoever. I was Birgir also had little faith in commuting vibe – this place is so deserted, your imagina- trick for a while. It’s hard to get kicked out of like, ‘Oh my God, am I going to be unem- to Reykjavík. tion wants to fill the vacuum. Shortly after we the military.” ployed? What’s happening?’ I’m still in a state “People are not going to have houses down showed up, Barlow’s friends arrived. The three were curious about the of shock.” here and drive to Reykjavík for a job that HM3 Clay Garcia, DN Jarret Meyers and economic and political situation in Iceland, Rakel doesn’t consider commuting to pays less than what you would make here,” he HM3 Pattison Mall are all enlisted men in asking questions about the level of unemploy- Reykjavík for work an option. told us. “Some people have worked here for the Navy, and have been in Iceland 7 months, ment, what the different political parties are “Who’s going to take care of my kids?” years and years, and have worked up in the 16 months and 11 months respectively. Like and how they feel about the base. Mostly, they she asked. “Plus, it’s very expensive having to pay scale. They’ll have to go to Reykjavík and their Icelandic co-workers, they were also expressed concern for the Icelanders they’ve drive to Reykjavík and back.” start from scratch. The guys in parliament in taken by surprise with the news of the base’s come to work with and know. Rakel believes the Icelandic government Reykjavík, they’re just sitting in Reykjavík and closing, if to a lesser degree. “I mean, it’s not just about the people who should instead invest in the area. don’t have a clue what’s going on down here. “I’d been hearing rumours every day for work on the base,” Mall pointed out. “You also “They’re always talking about building up They haven’t come down here.” a couple of weeks,” said Meyers. “But I just have to think about the people who go off base companies out in the country and everything,” thought someone else would take over, instead to spend money in town. Their going could she said. “They never did anything for this A Great Base for Finishing that Novel of us just packing up and leaving.” start kind of a depression, couldn’t it?” area here because they were always depending Petty Officer 2nd Class James Barlow gave “They only told us they’re shrinking the “I’m going to miss the Icelandic people I on the base. They’re going to have to work on the Grapevine a tour of the base. As we base not closing it. That’s the official word,” work with,” added Garcia. job development in this area, because I don’t walked and drove around the base, it was hard said Mall. “Who knows who they’re leaving “I know they got families to support,” see any other solution about it.” not to notice the ghost-town feel the place behind? We’re all single. And that’s the big added Mall. “I hope it doesn’t affect them too Michaela, who also works at the restau- already has. catch, because if they’re going to leave a couple much.” rant, took a similar train of thought. Barlow, like the vast majority of the people behind and save some money, it’s prob- “They’re all awesome people,” said Garcia. “For me, it’s going to be hard,” said Mi- men and women serving on the base, finds ably going to be us single people. America “It sucks that a few months from now they’re chaela, “because I have kids and I just bought himself in a sort of limbo – as his orders aren’t likes to have its hand in every cookie jar in the all going to be jobless.” my apartment last November. I’ve been think- scheduled to finish until February, he will world and that includes here. I don’t see them ing about moving to Reykjavík, and I’m going either have his time cut short early, or it’ll be completely shutting us down.” Gunnar Hrafn Jónsson contributed reporting to to go now. I don’t want to be going up there extended in another part of the world. While Garcia was upbeat about the news of the this article. when everyone else starts looking for work at one can request whether or not to be sent base’s closure. it’s free
Issue 04, 2006 8 Page Listings Section in Your Pocket
Aldrei Fór Ég Suður
The third annual Aldrei Fór Ég Suður music festival will commodations. But we really couldn’t back out of it, so we the Reykjavík scene, including the punk outfit Rass. return to the remote town of Ísafjörður, Saturday the went down on our knees to beg for money and support,” he “I am really looking forward to seeing them play Burt Með 15th of April. The festival’s name, which translates to ‘I told the Grapevine. “We’ve always intended for this to be a Kvótann (End the Quota) in Ísafjörður,” Mugison says, Never Went South’ is borrowed from a song title by Bubbi non-profit event. Everyone is giving their work, and there referring to the Icelandic fishing quota system, which has Morthens, a former migrant worker (however far he might is no entrance fee. We just try to make it fun and entertain been wildly unpopular in the West Fjords. be removed from those days), and refers to the increasing the audience and ourselves.” As of publication, the confirmed full line-up includes urbanisation of Icelandic society. Much in line with the festival’s ideals, special atten- the following: The Hafdís Bjarna Band, Hermigervill, A celebration of local talent and rural heritage, the tion is given to lesser-known local artists such as Jón Kr Mugison with Rassi Prump, Rúnar Þórisson, Baggalútur, festival is the brainchild of Ísafjörður’s own, and one of Ólafsson from Bíldudalur and the West Fjords Accordion Mr. Silla, Benni Hemm Hemm, Rass, 701, Reykjavík!, Iceland’s more celebrated artists, Mugison. He claims that Society. Mugison says he is especially excited to see the NineElevens, Kristinn Níelsson, Þröstur Jóhannesson, The the idea behind it was born one night when he and his performance by the Accordion Society. West Fjords Accordion Society, KAN, Jón Kr Ólafsson, father were drinking beer and talking about how cool it “They have gathered around 25 old geezers who play Borkó, Ísafjörður’s Secondary School Boys Choir, Hair- would be to put together a festival where the stars would the accordion from all over the West Fjords and they have doctor, Ghostigital and Jet Black Joe. take a back seat to local talent, and the real attraction been rehearsing an act especially for this event. They will would just be the company of the decent and down-to- be playing a bunch of Deep Purple songs with the main The Aldrei Fór Ég Suður festival is free, and takes place Satur- earth people of Ísafjörður. song being Sweet Child in Time.” day, April 15th in Ísafjörður. For more information, log on to “I started talking to people about it and everybody Now that’s entertainment. www.skidavikan.is/festival. was really open to the idea. Before we realised it, we had Other notable acts include the reunion of KAN, Her- recruited more than 20 bands, and we did not even have bert Guðmundsson’s (a cult figure in Icelandic music) first By Paul F. Nikolov a venue, much less the money to pay for flights and ac- band. The festival also features several representatives of MUSIC The AldreiFórÉgSuður SATuRDAY -15APRIL Grand Rokk I’m BeingGood,Skátar,Gjöll Hressingarskálinn DJ Johnnyfrommidnight Gaukur áStöng Jet BlackJoe FRIDAY -14APRIL Hellirinn Foreign Affairs Benni Crespo’sGang,TheMinistryof Gaukur áStöng plus guests I’m BeingGood,Skátar,Gjöll, THuRSDAY -13APRIL Sirkus Mammút Hellirinn DJ Göngutúr Benni HemmHemm,BobJustman, NASA show), GrétarGopening Deep Dish(Electronicmusicandlaser Hressingarskálinn DJ Johnnyfrommidnight Gaukur áStöng Blind Faith,BenniCrespo’sGang WEDNESDAY -12APRIL Gaukur áStöng Momentum, guests TuESDAY -11APRIL NASA Papar Hressingarskálinn Troubadour GottiandEisi,DJMaggi Café Amsterdam DJ Fúsi SATuRDAY -8APRIL Hressingarskálinn Troubadour GottiandEisi,DJMaggi Gaukur áStöng Jeff Who? ulpa, Jakobínarína,Dr.Spock, Weapons, Wulfgang,Ég,JanMayen, DJ Steinunn,HelgiValur,PéturBen, Café Amsterdam DJ Fúsi FRIDAY -7APRIL Siggi Björns Weapons I´m BeingGood Óli Popp Lack ofTalent Jet BlackJoe Sign Hairdoctor Drengjakór MÍ Borkó Jón KrÓlafssonfráBíldudal KAN Harmonikkufélag Vestfjarða Þröstur Jóhannesson Kristinn Níelsson NineElevens Reykjavík!!! 701 Rass Benni Hemm Mr. Silla Rúnar Þórisson Prumpison Hermigervill Hljómsveit HafdísarBjarna Music Festivalinísafjörður,featuring: [email protected] Compiled byPaulF.Nikolov. night out. weekends, althoughThursdayisasemi-official clubs don’tgetcrowdeduntilaftermidnighton For thosejustwantingtoparty,thepubsand on weekdaysandmuch,muchlaterweekends. 21:00, unlessotherwisestated.Pubscloseat01:00 Music andnightlifeeventsusuallystartaround SATuRDAY -22APRIL Hressingarskálinn Touch, DJMaggi FRIDAY -21APRIL Hressingarskálinn Hljómsveitinn Mát THuRSDAY -20APRIL Sirkus Wedding PresentNight NASA Roni Size Hressingarskálinn DJ Maggifrommidnight WEDNESDAY -19APRIL Frumleikhúsið, Keflavík plus guests I’m BeingGood,æla,Skátar, Grand Rokk Singapore Sling TuESDAY -18APRIL Gamlabókasafnið, Hafnarfjörður I’m BeingGood,Skátarplusguests MONDAY -17APRIL Hressingarskálinn DJ Maggifrommidnight SuNDAY -16APRIL Hressingarskálinn Touch, DJMaggi Gaukur áStöng Funks Troop mation, visit Hotel Nordica,11–14April.Formoreinfor- throughout theday. jam session,withentertainmenttocontinue native DeitraFarr.Thefirstdayincludesa Delta bluesartistFrutelandJacksonandChicago to somelocalbluesacts,thefestivalhasimported looks likeanexceptionallygoodone.Inaddition This festivalgetsbettereveryyear,andthisyear BLuES FESTIVAL THE REYKJAVíK Stúdentakjallarinn v/hringbraut - 511 09 05 - [email protected] 05 09 - 511 v/hringbraut Stúdentakjallarinn www.blues.is. túdenta kjall Café & Pineapple Bar & Pineapple Café Café Amsterdam Hviss Hressingarskálinn Mát, DJJohnny SATuRDAY -29APRIL NASA Petter (Sweden) Flís withBogomilFont 100% Dynamite(Britain) The RiteofSpringFestivalpresents: Hressingarskálinn Touch, DJJohnny Café Amsterdam DJ Master FRIDAY -28APRIL NASA Ife Tolentino(Brazil) Mezzoforte The RiteofSpringFestivalpresents: Grand Rokk Wedding Present,SingaporeSling Hressingarskálinn Menn Ársins Grand Rokk Indigo THuRSDAY -27APRIL Sirkus Bob Justman WEDNESDAY -26APRIL NASA Faeroese Night Hressingarskálinn Troubadour GottiandEisi,DJMaggi ar in Touch, DJMaggi FRIDAY -5MAY Hressingarskálinn Touch THuRSDAY -4MAY NASA Blue Truck Salsa Celtica(Britain) The RiteofSpringFestivalpresents: SuNDAY -30APRIL NASA Stórsveit NixNoltes KAL (Serbia) The RiteofSpringFestivalpresents: Tickets onsaleApril7thatMidi.is. And TheForeignMonkeys Benni Hemm Trabant skífum Andy Rourke(bassaleikariSmiths)þeytir Echo andtheBunnymen Elbow Badly DrawnBoy at Laugardalshöllinnfeaturing. Manchester Concert SATuRDAY -6MAY Hressingarskálinn n MANCHESTER This multi-band concert won’t begin until 6 May, but you’re going to want to buy your tickets when they start going on sale 7 April. Apart from featuring Badly Drawn Boy, Elbow, Echo and the Bunnymen, Trabant, Benni Hemm Hemm, Músíktilraunir win- ners The Foreign Monkeys and Smiths bassist Andy Rourke DJing, tickets are going for a laughable 2,600 – 3,700 ISK. You will not, I repeat, not find a better concert deal. Ever. Tickets go on sale 7 April at 10:00 at Skífan and BT stores around the country. Great. MUSIC Laugardalshöll, 6 May.
The Reykjavík National Theatre City Theatre of Iceland Virkjunin On the main stage: Known also as Das Werk, by award-win- Kalli á þakinu. ning playwright Elfriede Jelinek. Icelandic version of the “Karlson-on-the- Eldhús eftir máli roof” stories by Astrid Lindgren. By Icelandic short-story writer Vala Ronja Ræningjadóttir. Þórsdóttir. Icelandic version of “Ronia the Robber’s Pétur Gautur. Daughter,” also by Astrid Lindgren. Icelandic version of the Henrik Ibsen play. Woyzeck. Átta kónur. Georg Büchner’s play, with music from Farcical comedy by Robert Thomas. Nick Cave. Perfect Wedding. Icelandic version of the comedic play by Iðno Robin Hawdon. Ég er mín eigin kona Við erum öll Marlene Deitrich. Doug Wright’s play on German transves- Play examining work of the actress during tite Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf, performed World War 2, featuring contributions by Icelandic great Hilmar Snær Guðnason. from Slovenia, France and Belgium. Gestur – Siðasta Maltíðin. Comedic opera. Other stage: Alveg brilljant skilnaður. One-woman play from Icelandic actress Leikfélag Akureyrar and playwright Edda Björgvinsdóttir. Maríubjallan Belgíska Kongó. Icelandic version of the play Ladybird by Nominated for two “masks” (Icelandic Vassily Sigarev. theatre awards). Litla hryllingsbúðin Forðist Okkur. Icelandic version of Little Shop of Hor- Play based on the dark humour comics of rors. Hugleikur Dagsson. Glæpur gegn diskóinu. Gary Owen’s take on club life. The Icelandic Opera Hungur. La Cenerentola Grapevine columnist Þórdís Elva Þór- From the libretto by Giacomo Feretti. valdsdóttir Bachmann’s play on eating disorders. Naglinn. Dance Tragicomedy by legendary comedian Jón Spring Exhibition of the Icelandic Gnarr. Dance Academy. Sönglist. For two nights only, 11 and 12 April. Student production featuring singing used Reykjavík National Theatre in different styles. Thursday Foreplay Dance Theatre. Every Thursday at 20:00, Hitt Húsið hosts free gigs featuring local talent. Apart Combining elements of theatre and dance. from being a great all-ages place for “the kids” that’s been going strong for nearly Broadway Reykjavík National Theatre ten years, a lot of today’s big-name bands such as Mínus got their start there. See Nina og Gerry tomorrow’s stars today, for nothing. You can’t beat that. THEATre Cabaret performance in Icelandic. Visit www.id.is for more information. Hitt Húsið, at the corner of Austurstræti and Bankastræti, Thursdays, 20:00. CAFÉ 1 8 Tíu Dropar 15 Café Victor 22 Pravda 25 Ölstofan 28 Kaffibrennslan Café Roma oaj]d]kk Laugavegur 27 Hafnarstræti 1-3 Austurstræti 22 Vegamótastígur Pósthusstræti 9 f]logjc Laugavegur 118 A very nice “grandma” style café. Subter- Spelled with a C rather than with the more Pravda is one of the larger clubs/bars in There are no tricks to this one. You know Kaffibrennslan manages to be just a nice, ranean, as all traditional coffee shops traditional K in order to be more cosmo- downtown Reykjavík. It’s divided between what you want and you know what you’ll “normal” place to go to, and a place to be Roma, at the far end of the main street should be. This place makes you feel politan. This ploy seems to be working, as two floors and also separately into the get when you enter this simple, straight- seen at, surprisingly enough both at the Laugavegur, is a deli-type coffee house, warm, both with its atmosphere and the the bar has become a hangout for foreign- Pravda Bar and the Pravda Club. The forward pub. We are talking about drink- same time. A wide variety of beverages, and one of the best take-away places in generosity of the coffee refills. ers. The Viking ship sitting on top of the club section of Pravda is ideal for dancing, ing beer. Known as the hangout for the both bistro menu and a terrace outside the town. It almost feels unnatural that all building might also add to the appeal. The while the bar section is somewhat more intellectual circles of Reykjavík. bar when the weather allows it. The iced the tempting cookies, cakes and other crowd is very mixed, both in origin and quiet and chilled out, with occasional live coffee beverage is a delight. sweet things that are calling your name on age, and so is the music. jazz and sometimes reggae. the shelves are actually quite reasonably priced.
2 Ráðhúskaffi 9 Kaffitár 16 Vegamót 23 Café Cultura 26 Thorvaldsen 29 Glaumbar City Hall Bankastræti 8 Vegamótastígur 4 Hverfisgata 18 Austurstræti 8 Tryggvagata 20 Ráðhúskaffi inside the Reykjavík City Expanded and improved, this is the down- Vegamót (crossroads) has an appealing The recently expanded Cultura is located Posh as the fifth circle of hell. DJs on One of the few proper sports bars in Reyk- Hall is a comfortable choice for the view town store for one of the country’s finest lunch menu, they serve brunch during the in the same building with the Intercultural Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Arrive javík, so you can go and watch whatever over Tjörnin, especially recommended on coffee importers. While anything here is weekends, and the kitchen is open until Centre. A good value menu, friendly before 12 if you want to avoid the queue. game happens to be on the TV screens. the so-called window weather days – the good, the speciality coffee drinks are truly 22 daily. After that the beat goes on, and service and settings that allow you to ei- Civilian attire is looked down upon. Do The establishment is basically based days that are beautiful, as long as you stay remarkable: our favourite, the Azteca, an you can check the end results in photos ther sit down and carry on discussions, or not expect to get in wearing hiking boots. around the bar, so you won’t have to go a indoors. Also art exhibitions, 80m2s of espresso drink with lime and Tabasco. published the day after on their website dance the night away – tango on Wednes- long way for a drink. Open until five, and miniature Iceland and municipal politics, www.vegamot.is. If you like Oliver, try days starting with free lessons from 20 to has a reputation for late night partying. all conveniently under the same roof. Vegamót and vice versa. 21:00.
3 Grái Kötturinn 10 Segafredo 17 B5 Hverfisgata 16a By Lækjartorg Bankastræti 5 GROUND ZERO Grái Kötturinn (The grey cat) is a cosy With McDonalds long departed from B5 is a newly opened bistro with a Scandi- place, and that’s why it’s a shame that it’s the centre of Reykjavík, we got Italian navian focus on the menu. Don’t be fooled SPOTthis quite often closed when we knock on their chain Segafredo, which isn’t a bad trade- by the impressive collection of design Hafnarstræti 44 door and peer through the window later off. The staff are expert baristi, and, even classics that you see in the window when 33 in the evening. Don’t follow our example though Iceland is proud of its coffee, no- passing by – it’s neither cold nor overly and go during the daylight, it’s especially body quite tops the Segafredo latte. expensive, but rather a cozy place with Austurstræti 46 42 popular during the morning hours. friendly service. 39 10 26 6 21 22 28 18 49 Bankastræti17 43 Ingólfsstræti BARS 'N' BISTROS 11 3 4 Kaffi Hljómalind 11 18 Rósenberg 30 23 Laugavegur 21 Sólon Lækjargata 2 Lækjargata 9 Hverfisgata A peaceful café with perfect windows for Bankastræti 7a Perhaps the closest thing to a jazz club 47 24 20 Laugavegur19 people-watching and a lot of daylight. Sólon is a nightclub on Friday and Sat- in town, with old instruments lining the Hljómalind is run by a non-profit organi- urday nights, but it seems to have more walls. People go there for conversation 5 14 sation and it only serves organic & fair lives than one, since in the day it’s a cof- and listening to music rather than danc- trade products. ing. The place tends to have jazz or blues- Skólavörðustígur13 feehouse and in the evening (weeknights) 16 8 they have a decent menu as well, and an type music, and is developing a bluegrass The chairs are Captain Kirk comfortable, hours for 500 ISK; or you could try out 12 scene. the computers are set up with monster gaming, assuming you’re bored with that 25 art exhibition on the walls to finish the 48 package with an artsy touch. headphones and there’s a relaxation lounge crack addiction. for break time. This all makes for a great Klapparstígur place to do power emailing, especially during Ground Zero, Vallarstræti 4, 101 Reykjavík. the daytime weekday specials offering two Tel.: 562-7776.
5 Mokka 12 Oliver 19 Grand Rokk 38 Skólavörðustígur 3a Laugavegur 20a Smiðjustígur 6 32 Kaffi Mokka is the oldest café in Reykja- Oliver is one of the biggest hits in town As the Viking style garden and logo ac- vík, dating back to the 1950s. It’s the place at the moment. Good news for the early curately signal, this is no place for the 31 with dark, smoky atmosphere and great birds: they open at 8 in the morning with weak— yes, chess bars are that tough. numbers of loyal customers. Their waffles an extensive brunch menu, staying chic all Even if the downstairs atmosphere can 37 29 are best in town. Seriously. day long, until late - always crowded, with feel a bit ominous at times, it’s one of the 27 an everlasting queue outside especially best venues for live music in town. Chess, 15 towards weekend nights. Their Mediter- beer and rock’n’roll. 45 Austurstræti ranean menu, served in huge portions, is guaranteed to make you smile. Bankastræ Ingólfsstræti ti Hverfisgata 40 SkólavörðustígurLaugav 2 36 Lækjargata egur 41
6 Ömmukaffi 13 Kaffibarinn 20 Bar 11 35 Austurstræti Bergstaðastræti 1 Laugavegur 11 43 4 Tjarnargata 34 A coffee house where you can find all Kaffibarinn is Cool Hip Reykjavík. Blur’s The rock bar on Laugavegur is one of the Þingholtsstræti kinds of people - all ages, all nationalities, Damon Albarn owns a share of the bar, late-night party venues in town. You’ll feel 7 with very friendly, down-to-earth feel to probably figuring it was cheaper than the floor jumping every Friday and Sat- Bergstaðastræti it. Affordable prices on coffee, cakes and buying drinks all the time. This place has urday, and it’s neither you nor an earth- Frakkastígur the lunch menu. Try their speciality, the managed to serve as a 101 living room quake. Live concerts and a nice foosball Óðinsgata (South) African latte. for quite a while already, with DJs often table upstairs. 1 playing on the weeknights, with volumes rising towards the weekend. Friday and Saturday nights serve as the weekly peaks of claustrophobia. Barónsstígur
7 Babalú 14 Sirkus 21 Hressingarskálinn 24 Prikið 27 Gaukur á Stöng 30 Litli Ljóti Andarunginn Skólavörðustígur 22a Klapparstígur 30 Austurstræti 20 Bankastræti 12 Tryggvagata 22 Lækjargata 6b The youngest coffee house in Reykjavík “Welcome to the Jungle/ We got fun and The celebrated site of one of the more Used to be the oldest continuously run- Iceland’s oldest bar is now in its early They have a fish buffet for 2,500ISK is also the homiest. Almost like a living games,” quote the bard. Elements of this famous coffeehouses in Iceland, this bar/ ning traditional coffeehouse on the street, twenties. During the day it’s a pool pub every evening, with the magic words room away from home, Babalú keeps it odd and alternative cultural institution coffeehouse/ restaurant brings a European but, after a change of clientele, they now and on weekday evenings there are live “eat-as-much-as-you-can” floating in the simple, quiet and cozy with coffee and the also include an upstairs that looks and flair to the city. That is until about 11, cater to a younger crowd. A diner during rock concerts by a mix of mainstream and air. They also have an Icelandic media occasional crêpe. smells like a bus, a garden, a flea market when things get to rockin’, and you can see the day and a nightclub on weekends, underground bands. On weekends there person working there every now and then, and a queue on weekend nights that looks the true character of Reykjavík. you can also borrow games there, such as is usually a lot of action with cover bands so watch out for a curly haired, friendly never-ending. backgammon or chess. playing everything from Britney to the gentleman called Egill. Beatles... RESTAURANTS Kaffibrennslan 31 34 Argentína 37 Tapas 44 Bæjarins Bestu Pósthusstræti 9 Krua Thai Barónsstígur 11a Vesturgata 3b Tryggvagata Kaffibrennslan manages to be just a nice, Tryggvagata 14 Argentina is something in the direction of For those with a bit of money and time on Their menu is simple: It consists of Coke “normal” place to go to, and a place to be South American-steakhouse-goes-fine- their hands, the evening is well spent at and hotdog. And nothing else. Ask for It’s easy when you know what you’re do- seen at, surprisingly enough both at the dining-in-Reykjavík. It was the first res- Tapas, where you can while away the eve- one with everything, and you’ll get a dog ing: good food for a reasonable price. To same time. A wide variety of beverages, taurant around to offer steaks by weight, ning having course after course of wonder- in a bun with ketchup, mustard, remou- make it easier for the rest of us, they have both bistro menu and a terrace outside the and it focuses on the beef – but they know ful miniature dishes served. If you don’t lade (don’t ask), fried and raw onion. The their menu outside with images in colour bar when the weather allows it. The iced their whale, sheep and reindeer as well. feel like getting up right away afterwards, standard Icelandic hotdog, only somehow and numbers. Just say the number and eat coffee beverage is a delight. there’s also a lounge. it tastes better. the food.
Glaumbar 32 Tveir Fiskar 35 Vín og Skel 38 Sægreifinn 45 Hlölla Bátar Tryggvagata 20 Geirsgata 9 Laugavegur 55 Geirsgata By Ingólfstorg One of the few proper sports bars in Reyk- Seafood restaurant, although they also do If you like fresh seafood and are in the A place to go for the local touch, even if The first sub sandwich shop in Iceland, javík, so you can go and watch whatever land-based animals. At lunchtime you can mood for something a little different, this usually a place recommended with this opened in 1986, Hlölla Bátar has a large game happens to be on the TV screens. have a three-course meal for 2,300, which cosy but ambitious new restaurant just argument instantly loses the exotic. Still, selection of subs filled and named with The establishment is basically based isn’t too bad, all things considered. The might fit the bill. Shellfish, salmon, squid, I’d try this one. Sægreifinn (Sea baron) is creativity and imagination. Brave souls around the bar, so you won’t have to go a chef has been awarded the Medal of the lobster and other creatures of the deep a combination of a fish store and a... well, might want to try the Gúmmí-Bátur (rub- long way for a drink. Open until five, and Order of the White Rose by the President predominate the menu here. There is no not exactly a restaurant but a place that ber boat), or go local and choose Sýslu- has a reputation for late night partying. of Finland. smoking in the restaurant, but if you want serves prepared food, located in a harbour mannabátur (sheriff sub) with lamb filling. to have a go at sitting outside there are warehouse. Smell of fish, view over the fleece blankets provided. harbour, old man that looks exactly like an Icelandic fisherman should. What’s not to love?
39 Shalimar 46 Nonnabiti DOWNTOWN REYKJAVIK Austurstræti 4 Hafnarstræti 11 Prides itself on being the northernmost The owner is a miser who charges ad- Indian restaurant in the world. The daily ditionally for everything, but this is almost Hafnarstræti 44 special, comprised of two dishes on your certainlyDji^c>XZaVcY the best junk food in the Greater 33 plate, goes for roughly 1,000 ISK. But Reykjavík area. The subs are great, none we recommend the chicken tikka masala, of that Subway commitment to healthy Austurstræti 46 42 known to be highly addictive. living, and they probably contribute sig- 39 10 nificantly to the ever-increasing “size” of 26 the nation. They also serve burgers and 6 sandwiches, and have lunchtime offers. 21 22 28 18 49 Bankastræti17 43 Ingólfsstræti 11 3 30 23 40 Við tjörnina 47 Quiznos Lækjargata 9 Templarasund 3 Lækjargata Hverfisgata 47 24 20 One of the best-known fish restaurants A new branch of the American Quiznos Laugavegur19 in Iceland, it also kind of rocks. The cook has entered the thriving downtown sub 5 14 is Súkkat member and Megas sidekick market, and it’s you, our dear, hungry Gunni. Foodwise, they’re known for in- reader who gains from it. A good selection Skólavörðustígur13 novative fish dishes made from a variety of tasty subs, but also sandwiches, salads, 16 8 12 of rare fish and shellfish and related raw soup of the day. This is Quiznos first ->ÊV >À}Ê 25 materials. European restaurant, your response will 48 decide how many more will come East. Ãi>v`ÊÀiÃÌ>ÕÀ>ÌÊ Klapparstígur Ü V ÊvviÀÃÊÌ iÊLiÃÌÊ Êv`Ê>`ÊÜi° 41 FAST FOOD 48 38 32 First Vegetarian Aktu Taktu (Á næstu grösum) Skúlagata 15 Laugavegur 20b 31 The drive-in destination in 101 Reykjavík, Used to be called One Woman Restau- 37 29 Aktu Taktu is busy all day and all night. rant, as there was always the same woman 27 The burgers never disappoint, and the working there. Has new owners and a 15 caramel shakes are a local favourite. If larger staff, but the theme is still vegetar- 45 Austurstræti George Lucas ever makes his proposed ian, with one vegan and one wheat-free /i«>À>ÃÕ`ÊÎ]£ä£Ê,iÞ>Û Icelandic Graffiti, Aktu Taktu will have a dish always on offer. The only vegetarian /i\Êxx£ÊnÈÈÈ Bankastræ Ingólfsstræti central role. restaurant licensed to carry beer and wine. >\ÊÛ`ÌÀ>JÃiÌ°Ã ti Hverfisgata 40 SkólavörðustígurLaugav 2 36 Lækjargata egur 41
35 42 Pizza King 49 Kebabhúsið 43 4 Hafnarstræti 18 Lækjargata 2 Tjarnargata 34 Crystal Shop and Þingholtsstræti Yes, you can go here late at night and Apart from the multicultural experience 7 grab the best pizza in town, but it is also that comes with eating the Icelandic ver- Spiritual Gallery Bergstaðastræti home to the best lunch specials, and food sion of kebab, which comes with beef Frakkastígur so good you’d eat it sober, something you and lamb, or falafel, which comes with Crystal, Reiki and Spiritual healing. Óðinsgata can’t say for most food in Reykjavík. Plan marinara sauce and pickled cucumber, this Detox System foot spa 1 on a 15-minute wait during lunch, so it’s eatery has the best fish and chips in town treatment available also. best to call or stop at a local bookstore or and a menu that would satisfy the United Icelands largest minirals souvenir shop while your pizza is cooked. Nations. and crystals shop. Barónsstígur
Litli Ljóti Andarunginn 33 Hornið 36 Tjarnarbakkinn 43 Bernhöftsbakarí 50 Vitabar Lækjargata 6b Hafnarstræti 15 Vonarstræti 3 Bergstaðastræti 13 Bergþórugata 21 They have a fish buffet for 2,500ISK Means “the corner” and the place lives Above the Iðnó theatre, so it’s good place The oldest bakery in Reykjavík, founded Actually a bar, but best known for its every evening, with the magic words up to its name. This is actually the oldest to go before shows, or during if you prefer in 1834. If you are particular about your hamburgers. A burger with fries for 500 “eat-as-much-as-you-can” floating in the Italian restaurant in town, celebrating its a more quiet atmosphere. If you sit by the bread this is about the best place in central is one of the best meal deals in town, but air. They also have an Icelandic media 25th year, which says something about window you get nice view of the pond. Reykjavík to stock up on a variety of fresh- special mention must go to the Forget- person working there every now and then, the scene here before then. Excellent It’s not a bad place to try one of Iceland’s ly baked loaves – they also do a particularly Me-Not blue cheese and garlic extrava- Gjafir Jarðar. so watch out for a curly haired, friendly quality pizza, pasta and salads—all priced culinary specialities, the lamb steak, one of moist and juicy version of the ever popular ganza. Ingólfsstræti 2 gentleman called Egill. affordably. those rare traditional treats that does not vínarbrauð pastries. 101 Reykjavík come as a shock to the uninitiated. Tel: 517-2774 [email protected] www.gjafirjardar.is FILM tv & RADIO Eight Below 10:30 V forVendetta Sambíóin -Kringlan 17:00, 19:00 Ice Age2(inIcelandic) 15:50, 18:30 V forVendetta(VIP) 17:15, 20:00,22:45 V forVendetta 21:10 Wolf Creek(VIP) 15:50, 20:00,21:10,22:30 Wolf Creek 17:30, 20:00,22:30 Eight Below 17:30, 20:00,22:30 Basic Instinct2 Sambíóin –Álfabakki 20:00 Failure toLaunch(Premieres11April) 15:50 Bambi 2(inIcelandic) 15:50 Lassie 17:30, 20:00,10:30 Basic Instinct2 15:00, 17:30,20:00 strong fromSkagafjörðursince1992. Iceland’s countrymusicstation,stillgoing Kántríbær over thecountry. Christian broadcastingstation,availableall Lindin ting-edge releases. Iceland’s rockstation,oftenplayingcut XFM rock gearedtowardsurbanclubbingyouth. One ofthe“hnakkistöðvar,”playingpop- FM 957 Office pop,easylistening. Létt 96.7 Talk radiostation,inIcelandic. Talstöðin landic and foreign music from decades past. Iceland’s oldies station, featuring both Ice Útvarp Saga Light popmusic. Bylgjan news discussionprogrammes. tion, featuringavarietyofmusicaswell More progressivegovernmentradiosta Rás 2 traditional music. ing talkshows,radiosoapoperas,and Government radiostationoftenfeatur Rás 1 RADIO (91.9FM) (102.9FM) (98.9FM) (95.7FM) (90.9FM) (96.7FM) (100.7FM) (99.4FM) - - - - 20:30, Sirkus. Tuesdays, 21:00,withrerunsSundays, should befuntoseehowitdevelops. show stillseemstobefindingitsvoice,it often withfunnyresults.Althoughthe into territoryFamilyGuydoesn’ttouch, test theirlimits,theshowoftenveers the SuperFriends.Perhapstryingto CIA andtalkslikethenarratorfrom head ofthehouseholdwhoworksat and analcoholicalientoboot,a family offour,withatalkinggoldfish like thatshow,oncrack.It’syourtypical From themakersofFamilyGuy,it’s American Dad stars inthetitlerole.Whileeachepisode and KevinSmithleadingmanJasonLee make ituptoeveryone.Formerpro-skater of everythinghe’severdonewrong,and up hislifeandothersdecidestomakealist A manwhospenthisentirelifescrewing My NameIsEarl 18:00, Sirkus. Tuesdays, 23:00,withrerunsSaturdays, stars thatyou’repoor. humanity, tuneinandthankyourlucky the mostvapid,shallow,plasticexcusesfor ently, they’renot.Foralookatsomeof are realpeople,too.Guesswhat?Appar show peoplethateventhebeautiful California. Theintention,Ireckon,wasto tive highschoolteenslivinginsouthern fabulously wealthyandridiculouslyattrac This “reality”showfollowsthelivesof Truly theseventhsignofapocalypse. Laguna Beach and Saturday,1:05.SkjárEinn. Sundays, 21:15;withrerunsMonday,00:05 tionally ornot. administration, it’salwaysfunny,inten is usedtograndstandagainsttheBush genuinely likeable.Andwhendialogue McBeal, manyofthesecharactersare yery lawyersyou’lleversee.UnlikeAlly law firmwithsomeofthemostunlaw which, likeAllyMcBeal,takesplaceina Kelley’s fivemillionthtelevisionshow William ShatnergracethesetofDavid Esteemed thespiansJamesSpaderand Boston Legal TV Eight Below 20:00, 22:15 Basic Instinct2 Sambíóin –Akureyri 20:00, 22:30 Syriana 17:30 The World’sFastestIndian 17:20 The NewWorld 20:00, 22:00 The Matador 17:20, 20:00;22:45 V forVendetta 17:40, 20:00,22:20 Basic Instinct2 Háskólabíó 15:50 Bambi 2(inIcelandic) 14:00 Litli Kjúllin 17:50 Aeon Flux 15:50 Lassie 20:15, 22:30 The Matador - - - - Tuesdays, 18:30,RÚV. and funnycharacterturnthetables. that littlegirlsarewatchingthisconfident where forbackup,it’srefreshingtoknow in herinvisiblejetandmeethimsome ing SupermantellWonderWomantohop and assistants(ditto).Afteryearsofwatch around hervillains(almostalwaysmale) Kim springsintoaction,runningcircles schoolgirl, whendangerrearsitshead, to humourandtiming.Bydayanormal they beengiventhiskindofattention superheroes inthepast,butseldomhave Granted, there’vebeencartoonfemale Kim Possible a rowstartingat14:00,Stöð2. wait untilSundayandwatchfiveepisodesin watching anewshoweachweekdayat12:25, Grapevine recommendation:Insteadof Australians haveadorableaccents,too. ters arebelievable,middleclassfolk.And apart fromothersoapsisthatthecharac frequent divorce,butwhatsetsNeighbours volve carcrashes,fightswithcityhall,and the samestreet.Granted,theirlivesin upon thelivesofpeoplelivingmostlyon an accomplishmentforashowbuiltsimply the airfornearly20years,whichisquite tion. ThisAustralianshowhasbeenon More thanasoapopera–it’saninstitu Neighbours 21:00 andWednesdays,19:30,Sirkus. Wednesdays, 21:00;withrerunsSundays, vehicle forcomedy:redemption. genuinely funnyshowrunningonagreat in thespiritofMorkandMindy,thisisa usually endswithawarmandfuzzymorale Regnboginn 16:00 Nanny McPhee 16:00, 18:00,20:00,22:00 Laugarásbíó 18:00 Big Momma’sHouse2 18:00, 20:00,22:20 Date Movie 20:00, 22:00 Basic Instinct2 17:20, 20:00,22:45 The Producers 18:00, 20:0022:00 Date Movie Big Momma’sHouse2 20:00, 22:20 Trisan andIsolde 16:00, 18:00,20:00,22:00 Date Movie Sambíóin –Keflavík 18:00 Lassie 22:15 V forVendetta 17:45, 20:00 - - - - - Fridays, 20:00,SkjárEinn. in atanypointandstillbeentertained. teen dramasarelikethat–youcanjump tire schoolandsomeotherpeople.But became asingerandishatedbyheren mother withcancer,anothergirlwho a girlwithanestranged,drugaddict who savedhisevilfather’slifeinafire, idea what’sgoingonhere.There’saboy series, Icanhonestlytellyouhaveno Having startedtowatchthisshowmid- One TreeHill Silfur Egils. Sundays, 11:00,NFS out. engaging, anddefinitelyworthchecking life inothercountriesisreallylike.Always current mediadoesregardingwhatdaily behind theshowistogodeeperthan that country.Thehostesssaysheridea art andgeneralimpressionsoflivingin country, withguestswhotalkaboutlife, dóttir. Eachepisodefocusesonadifferent NFS, hostedbyjournalistHallaGunnars A relativelynewshowthat’sappearedon Þetta Fólk TV inIcelandic Sunday –Friday,RÚV,19:35 similar naturearunfortheirmoney. many ways,givescompetingshowsofa of-life piecesandmusicperformances.In also offeringroundtablediscussions,slice- some ofthetopstoriesday,while revamping. Oftengoesintomoredetailon recently duringanimageandcontent Kastljósið, butdroppedthedefinitearticle This newsprogramusedtobeknownas Kastljós Sundays, 12:00,Stöð2 some entertainingviewing. his mindfrequently,whichhelpsmakefor to beinginconsistentandpronechange any giventopic.Helgasonhimselfadmits have diametricallyopposedopinionson invites peopleontohisshowwhooften is amediacriticandpoliticalanalystwho One ofakindinIceland,EgillHelgason 20:00 Big Mamma’sHouse2 17:45, 22:00 Tristan andIsolde 18:00, 20:00,22:00 Date Movie Borgarbíó 16:00, 18:00 Yours MineandOurs 15:45, 17:50,22:10 Pink Panther 15:40, 17:45,20:00,22:15 Big Momma’sHouse2 20:00, 22:45 The Producers 16:00, 18:00,20:00,22:00 theatre andinLuxus) Date Movie(inthecommoner’s Smárabíó 17:20, 20:00,22:40 Rent 17:15, 20:00,22:45 Walk theLine times. updates onnew films andshowing Visit www.kvikmyndir.isforregularly - - Large box:490,- •Smallbox:390,- 990,- with choiceoftwo Salad &Soupmeal Build YourOwn soups andcoffee Large box:490,- •Smallbox:390,- soups andcoffee with choiceoftwo Salad &Soupmeal Build YourOwn 990,- ...or takeaway ...or takeaway For only For only ART Open Thursdays–Sundays14-18 (Above KlingogBang) Art academyexhibitionspace Gyllinhæð Dark andgloomyinstallation Magnús Árnason April 28th-May14th. Performances 1st,7th,8th Aprilbetween18-19 “fram ogtilbaka” Sigríður DóraJóhannsdóttir Grundarstígur 21 Gallerí Dvergur Helga Egilsdóttir 31.03 –23.04.2006 Free entrance Saturday andSunday13–17 Open Fridays12–17 Ingólfsstræti 8 Gallerí Anima Jeanine Cohen Gabríela Friðriksdóttir Icelandic LoveCorporation Margrét Blöndal Ólöf Nordal Karin Sander Hildur Bjarnadóttir Guðbjörg Einarsdóttir Sara Björnsdóttir Inga SvalaÞórsdóttir Roni Horn Downstairs; Finnbogi Pétursson Upstairs; 19.05.06-01.07.06 Tumi Magnússon 09.03. –29.04.2006 appointment. Open ThursdaystoSaturdays13–17andby Klapparstígur 33 I-8 gallerí Closed inApril Bananananas A retrospectiveexhibition The ManandMaterial Ásmundur Sveinsson 05.2005 -05.2006 Free entranceonMondays Octóber -Apríl13-16 Open: May-September10-16 Sigtún Steingrímur Eyfjörð April 21st-May9th Hverfisgata 18 101 Gallerí
Ásmundarsafn Reykjavík. CIA.is, orvisittheirofficeatHafnarstræti16,101 Icelandic Art.Formoreinformation,visitwww. Prepared fortheGrapevinebyCentre From mon.-fri. From mon.-fri.
Sun: 13:00-00:00 Fri-Sat: 10:00-03:00 Thu: 10:00-01:00 Mon-Wed: 10:00-00:00 Opening hours and gloriousdesserts from soupsandsaladstoentrees Choose fromourdeliciousmenu, the photographer. An exhibitionofseriesself-portraitsby John Coplans January 27th-April17th. An exhibitionofearlierworks Erro www.listsafnreykjavikur.is Free entranceonMondays. Open everyday,10–17. Tryggvagata 17 Hafnarhús Listasafn Reykjavíkur Retrospective Steingrímur Eyfjörð Retrospective Birgir Andrésson May 5ththroughJune25th. Gunnlaugur Blöndal Snorri Arinbjarnar 24th February–30thApril www.listasafn.is Free entrance. Fríkirkjuvegur 17 Listasafn Íslands Ásta Ólafsdóttir Anna Jóelsdóttir; April 8th-30th Mondays. Freeentrance. Open everyday13.00-17.00;closedon Freyjugata 41 Listasafn ASÍ Serge Comte April 8th-30th. Upstairs anddownstairs; www.this.is/klingandbang Free entrance. Open ThursdaystoSundaysbetween14–18. Laugavegur 23 Kling &Banggallerí Installations InmemoryofH.CAndersen Joseph Kosuth Ilia ogAmiliaKabakov 02.04. –05.06.2006 www.listasafnreykjavikur.is Free entranceonMondays Open everyday10–17 Flókagata Kjarvalsstaðir
spectacular oceanview Fine restaurantwith
www.aroma.is Phone: 5556996 220 Hafnarfjordur Fjardargotu 13-15 Cafe Aroma
Open Thursdays–Sundays14–18 Laugavegur 26(aboveKlingogBang) a glimpseinsidethemindofdevelopingartist. their ownwithfirstgrant,thisspacegivesus works ofyoungartistsuntilthey’vestruckouton emy. Whereasoftentimeswedon’tgettoseethe lery, isdevotedtoyoungartistsfromtheartacad space, locatedupstairsintheKlingogBanggal own voicecanbeaworkofartinitself.Thisnew Witnessing theprocessofanartistfindingtheir GYLLINHÆÐ of Photography Reykjavík Museum Hallgrímur Helgason Kristinn Már Guðrún Vera Arngunnur Ýr Gunnar Örn JBK Ransu Aron Reyr Kristín Gunlaugsdóttir Hildur ÁsgeirsdóttirJónsson Eyjólfur Einarsson Jón Laxdal Karólína Lárusdóttir Kristján Davíðsson Sigtryggur BjarniBaldvinsson Sigurður ÁrniSigurðsson Húbert NóiJóhannesson Georg GuðniHauksson Ásdís Spanó Open Tue–Fri1218,Sat1116 Ingólfsstræti 5 Turpentine Presentation ofyoungGermanartists 25.03.2006 –throughApril Kristján SteingrímurJónsson 25.03.2006 –throughApril Laugavegur 37 SAFN Rethinking NordicColonialisation Top floor March 24th-April17th. Icelandic, BritishandFinnishartists Cold Climates www.nylo.is Free entrance. Open Wed–Sun1317 Laugavegur 26 Living ArtMuseum West NordicDesign March 11th-April16th. Open 12–17;closedonMondays Sturlugata 5 Nordic House EXploding MEaning Guðjón Bjarnason. March 18th-April23rd.
kaldaljós 2006 W H E G M Ó T T J V B R J B E O O U G E A I I R
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O R D N N O N N G I S N Ó S N s S S T O O T - N I N - R b Gerðarsafn Ceramic Artistsexhibits Líf íLeir.TheAssociationofIcelandic April 1st–24th Open 11–17everydaybutTuesdays. Strandgata 34 Hafnarborg Hafnarfjörður >>>Outside Rvk: 10,000 dayswithacamera Friðrik Örn Until 24May Tryggvagata 15,6thFloor Bersvæði /BodyPublic Spencer Tunick March 4thuntilApril19th. Free entranceonThursdays. Open from12-17.ClosedonMondays. Kaupvangsstræti 12 Listasafnið áAkureyri Open 13–18FridaysandSaturdays Kaupvangsstræti 12 Jónas ViðarGallery Kaupvangsstræti 10 Gallerí Box Brekkugata 36 Gallerí + Akureyri: Þór Vigfússon Rúrí Elina Brotherus Clearness March 18ththroughApril23rd. Hamraborg 4 Listasafn Kópavogs, Kópavogur;
L G Þ K H R K K S R K G F /PENING HOURS n MONnFRI n WEEKENDS REYKJAVIKIS q WWWPHOTOMUSEUMIS PHOTOMUSEUM 4RYGGVAGATA A I I Ó O A R A A R R J A y G N W Ö I I G A R T R N B U S S N R R I F /PENING !PRIL AT PM N R T T R I R V N B Í N N 3IGRÓ¡UR "ACHMANN Í I J H E A N Ð I E N O Á G S N K I 0LAY IS !RT O TH L U N N mO EKAÓ E 4EL q 2EYKJAVÓK q mOOR G R N S A F E A C R R : Ó G I I !PRI Ú N L G F E 4HE 3HO E
N G P L A G B S R L D . U n U W É S *UNE E K U I S H E R Ð T O Ð R I L E Ð R R Ð G U T R T Ú M N I A M A N U R I S B &RI¡RI K U F D S R U R E B &EBRUAR S N N S D Ó Ð R N U D O S D Ó S T D R Ó S N K ¾RN S S T Y I T S O n T N O S I T S R T N O
N I N O -AY I R R N N The Pond and Beyond Grapevine Picks for Museums and Galleries by Paul F. Nikolov
Austurvöllur
City Hall
Lækjargata Kling & Bang 101 Gallerí
Lau The Pon i8 Gallerí gav egu d r
Living Art Museum
Living Art Museum
Laugavegur 26
Rethinking Nordic Colonialisation Possibly the most comprehensive study of colonialism featured in Iceland in recent memory, this exhibition features works from artists from as far a field as Greenland, Trinidad and India. The works examine the role of colonialism in shaping societies, and how decades or even centuries after colonialism has passed, its influence can still resonate in modern
ART society. 24.03 – 17.04.2006 Turpentine
Ingólfsstræti 5
THURSDAY 27TH APRIL, 20:00 Mezzoforte Ife Tolentino (BRA)
FRIDAY 28TH APRIL, 20:00 Soul Jazz Records present: 100% Dynamite (UK) Flís & Bogomil Font Petter Winnberg (SE) Various artists Group exhibitions in Iceland usually include two or at the most three artists. SATURDAY 29TH APRIL, 20:00 This is generally good for both artist and viewer alike. But if you want to examine a fairly wide and high quality cross-section of modern Icelandic art, (SER) this current exhibition at Gallerí Turpentine is a great place to start. L Gallerí i8 Stórsveit Nix Noltes Klapparstígur 33 SUNDAY 30TH APRIL, 20:00 Salsa Celtica (UK) Blue Truck
BERGSTAÐASTRÆTI 13 - PHONE: 551 3083
Tumi Magnússon Minimalism is probably one of the most difficult and challenging approaches Oldest bakery in Iceland to take in art, and few people can pull it off well. The collection of prints by Tumi Magnússon currently being shown at Gallerí i8 succeeds in captur- ing the almost Zen-like beauty of everyday objects that normally don’t ever since 1834 register in our perceptions, and make us look at them differently. 09.03 – 29.04.2006
Kling & Bang Gallerí
Laugavegur 23
Serge Comte This French artist is hard to pin down. His works could be seen as frivolous, almost insultingly so, but the emotional impact they make is completely dif- ferent on closer examination. At once humourous, dream-like and sinister, Comte’s work is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, superficially light with a confron- tational motivation. 08.04 – 30.04.2006 30
Heady Days in Austin, Texas Deep thoughts from Jakobínarína on the festival that got record contracts from suits
by sindri eldon photo by sigurjón
The South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas is Gunnar: Yeah, probably... I didn’t go to school the day after we Gunnar: What? No, um, we stayed at some house with like 15 now the American music industry hotspot for signing the next got back because I stayed up all night watching 24 (popular TV people. media darling. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Shins, Clap Your show starring Kiefer Sutherland). Hands Say Yeah, any range of four-star pop have broken in at /// I thought there were only six of you. Did you get like a SxSW. This year, six Icelanders under 17 broke in with their /// Oh god. That’s awesome. brass section or something? second festival-stealing performance of the year. As reported by Gunnar: I just slept all day, but it was jet lag, I think. Gunnar: No, it was the guys from 12 Tónar (local record label Rolling Stone magazine, among many others, Jakobínarína had and store), Þórir (musician), Þórir’s wife and Þórir’s band. absolute star power. Sindri Eldon met with cold and confused /// Okay. So how was Texas? Or should we maybe wait until Gunnar Ragnarsson and Sigurður Möller Sívertsen of Jako- Siggi’s done on the phone? /// Wow. bínarína days after the festival and found out... very, very little. Gunnar: Uh... (Waits a moment, but Siggi doesn’t get off phone.) It was great. Yeah, it was awesome, really cool. (awkward silence) (Sigurður’s phone rings and he answers. Gunnar audibly rear- ranges about a pint of phlegm in his throat.) /// Really? It wasn’t weird or anything? /// So Texas wasn’t weird or anything? Gunnar: The food was incredibly disgusting, as in absolutely Gunnar: Um, well, Austin is kind of the arty, Democrat town /// That was impressive. What have you been doing lately? I horrifyingly bad. Other than that, everything went really well. – or no, wait, city – in Texas, so it didn’t really feel like we were heard from someone that you were suffering from exhaustion. We basically just spent a lot of time in the house and shopping actually in Texas. Everyone we met was constantly rambling on Is that just a crazy rumour? and stuff... and then we played and checked out some other about how terrible Bush is and stuff. I think Austin is consid- (Gunnar laughs.) Gunnar: Where did you hear that? bands. ered the weird town in Texas, but to us it was pretty normal – except for the food. I just can’t describe to you in words how /// Uh...I don’t remember. I just heard it from someone the /// Uh-huh. So you were like total rock stars, hanging out in insanely bad the food was. other day. So that’s bullshit? your hotel room? Or wait, did you even stay at a hotel? 31
whO José González where NASA
whEN established the subdued mood that would follow, of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart, which March 13th An Evening of Listening and Restraint despite the crowd’s enthusiasm. brought tears to the faint hearted in attendance. After 2006 Somewhat surprisingly, the audience immedi- a few minutes of enthusiastic clapping, González By Sveinn Birkir Björnsson | Photo by Skari ately reacted to the opening lines of Deadweight on returned to the stage for an encore, including covers Velveteen – a lesser-known track, having avoided the of Kylie Minogue’s Hand on Your Heart and an José González’s reputation may well have preceded fate of underscore to dramatic scenes on The OC or inspired rendition of Massive Attack’s Teardrop. him, given that he recently played a show at the bouncing balls on the streets of San Francisco in Sony During the show, listeners remained listeners, Iceland Airwaves festival, which has become an “I was commercials, which González’s more famous songs as there was hardly a sound to be heard from those there” sort of moment in Icelandic musical annals. have undergone. The instant recognition suggested gathered. The barmaid even found time to climb Before the night’s show started I caught snippets of that those in attendance were there to do more than up on top of the bar to take photos during her long conversations in which people described standing in satisfy their curiosity. They were obviously fans. breaks between the occasional beer sold. As specta- line for over three hours in order to see him play at From then on, González went through a set that tors quietly lined up to exit the building, the mood the Iceland Airwaves festival without getting in. was more or less comprised of songs from his debut was still uncommonly subdued. An evening with José After opening act Siggi Ármann dragged those effort, Veneer (2003). Some of the crowd’s favourites González will do that to you, leaving you with a vivid in attendance through an uneventful half-hour, José included Slow Moves, Lovestain, Crosses and a cover and lasting sensation of quiet restraint. González appeared on stage to a welcoming applause of Heartbeats by Swedish electro pop-duo The Knife. from the audience. His deadpan demeanour firmly The biggest ovation though was reserved for his cover The Acoustic Black Flag Disciple (from the land of Abba) Interview with José González
by sveinn birkir björnsson
/// Your first album (Veneer) was released in 2003; when can don’t know what it is. Swedes are good at English for one thing. and even though I was not a straightedge I did become a veg- we expect the next one? etarian. There was a period when I was very politically con- – I am working on it on and off. I have been so busy touring, /// What about your other band, Junip? Can you tell us a bit scious… But no, it is not actual for me, regrettably. and it takes me a long time to write so I haven’t really had the about that project? time for it. Maybe next fall, or next spring. – Yes, we are three in the band. We have only released one /// What about your studies? You were studying towards a EP [Black Refuge] although we’ve been playing together since PhD in biochemistry were you not? /// But your first album is being re-released now, right? 1998. We tend to do something together on and off, but it’s – Yes, I was a doctoral research student in biochemistry, doing – Yes, it first came out in Sweden on a small label and they have hard to find the time now. It is a kind of an eternal project research in DNA replication. I had been doing that for a year been looking for deals for me and everything takes such a long that never goes anywhere. Elias, the drummer, and I have been and a half before I released the album. Then I did not have the time. So it is first now that it is being released, or re-released friends since childhood. We have been playing together since time to do both, so… really, in the US via Mute Records. We will give that some we were 14 when we started a hardcore band together. Later we time, before the next one is released. I want the next one to be met Tobias, the organ player, and we started playing together /// So, did you give it up then? ready this summer, so it can be released either next fall or in the in 1998. – Yes, it was too difficult to do both, but I was okay with it be- springtime. cause I was not getting too good results in my research anyway. /// You mentioned hardcore; I intended to ask about your /// You are going to play the South by Southwest festival next beginning in a hardcore band. /// Were you happy with the reception last night? You re- week. What are your expectations from that? – Well, I always played bass in these bands. The first band ceived a very warm welcome and the audience was unusually – Well, it is an industry festival, and there are going to be a lot was Back Against the Wall, which was very much inspired by quiet and focused on listening to the music, instead of just of agents from the recording companies there, so I hope that Black Flag, the Misfits and the Dead Kennedys. Later Elias talking to each other like often happens. will lead to something. I will be playing six or seven shows there and I started a band called Renaissance, which was a little more – Yes I was very happy. It was wonderful. Maybe it was because in four days, so I will be busy. But I have heard it’s something hardcore. It was functional from maybe 1993-1998. it was a Monday night. But people are usually very quiet when you almost have to do, to play these festivals, in order to break I play. I once played in Manchester on a Saturday night, and into the US market. /// Do you still listen to hardcore music? everybody was drunk and very rowdy, but once I started playing, – Not so much. I still really like Sick of It All and a lot of other everybody sat quiet for an hour. /// Swedish music has had a lot of international success in stuff. Sometimes when I am in the car I will slip in some Sick the last few years. Do you have any thoughts on what it is that of It All, you know? Scratch The Surface. They are such a great /// Siggi Ármann opened your show last night. What did you makes Swedes so successful? live band as well. think of him? – I don’t know exactly. But ever since ABBA, a lot of artists – Siggi was unbelievable. Very simple but yet very delicate have come out of Sweden. I think Sweden is the third biggest /// What about hardcore ethics, is that something that is melodies. I think it’s cool to play such simple harmonies. exporter of music in the world. So there is this tradition of mak- actual for you? ing music in English that could function outside of Sweden. I – No, not anymore. But it was, for a few years. I did not drink 32
whO Laibach This was the high point for Laibach, the band that the Nazi salute throughout the show. Whether they Flight of the Valkyries once mocked not only Balkan communism but Father were taking the joke too far or didn’t get it altogether, Tito himself two decades ago by making a few minor they did little to dampen what proved to be an amazing By Paul F. Nikolov | Photo by Gúndi changes to an old Nazi Youth poster, submitting it to a performance. where Youth Day poster contest held on Tito’s birthday, and Laibach is well-known for doing thoroughly recon- NASA Without warning or introduction, two young women winning. structed cover versions – including the entirety of the marched onto the stage and took their positions behind Laibach might employ a great many of the aesthetic Beatle’s Let It Be album, with the exception of the title the two standing drums, dressed in semi-military garb. qualities of fascism in their costumes, stage shows, and song – and the first cover they performed on this occa- whEN Their faces frozen expressionless, and their movements composition styles, but even the most cursory glance at sion was Pink Floyd’s Dogs of War, which sounded as the activities of this band and NSK make it fairly clear entertaining as Floyd’s version was flaccid. And whereas March 22th robotically coordinated, they martially pounded out the rhythm behind Tanz Mit Laibach, a song made famous that this is high satire. most bands who’ve been continuously touring and 2006 a few years back by a hilarious Shockwave animation So high, in fact, that it seemed to pass over the recording for over 20 years are sloshing through winc- featuring dancing kittens dressed as Red Square guards. heads of many of the younger crowd, some of whom ingly pathetic performances, Laibach had a confident, Middle-aged bohemians and teenage punks alike stood showed up for the concert in vintage German army commanding stage presence. agape, completely enthralled by the Aryan war god- helmets, Soviet officer’s caps and brought with them desses, probably less out of lust than fear. more than a couple who felt compelled to give the band GRAPEVINE ALBUM REVIEWS
# WINNER
MAMMÚT - MAMMÚT Worth four beers.
The singular, sharp and stunningly explicit and con- ally apocalyptic album, which even comes with its own centrated voice of Katrína Mogensen drives Mammút’s distinct trajectory and structure. Its shortness almost debut so that at first, were it not for the patient, buzzing undermines all this, but the closing title track, a superior unpredictability of the bass, it could be mistaken for a solo and pure song with a plodding drum beat that lives up to project. But, upon further listening, this quirky, awkward its namesake (Mammút roughly translates as mammoth), little trinket is revealed for what it truly is: A tight, pow- is easily haunting enough to stay with you long after the erful album blessed with true emotional quality and depth CD stops playing. Its cryptic, mesmerising and strangely that belies the youth of its creators. resigned lyrics echoing dully as images of huge, brown- Only the annoyingly abstract lyrics and occasion- furred elephants ambling steadily through a blizzard fill ally juvenile guitar melodies (Þorkell, Gítarlagið) detract the mind. from what is otherwise a mournful, stylish and occasion- SE
GHOSTIGITAL - IN COD WE TRUST Worth four beers.
“How abstract can we get”....indeed. While a criminal danceable Not Clean veers as close to the mainstream as who confesses is no less guilty, it does make one more Ghostigital are likely to get without losing their edge. inclined to be easy on him. Saying that In Cod We Trust The entire album exudes tight, minimal professionalism is avant-garde would be an understatement bordering in every respect even as it recklessly indulges in hip-hop, on the comically ludicrous, but being good enough to electro, ambient, drum & bass and industrial playfulness, get away with it is where Ghostigital differ greatly from touching so many bases that it’s tempting to apply to it many of their peers. Tight, focused, racy and experi- the loathsome ‘crossover’ label. mental without being pretentious and difficult, it pumps Aside from its decidedly shallow and gimmicky through its 11 solid and individualised tracks with explo- preference of incomprehensible insanity over emotional sive and terrifying insanity, perhaps scariest in its bor- depth, it is, simply put, exactly what happens when music derline conformity. Dream Of Sleep’s bleating, blaring that should not be made is made the way it should be. samples are transformed into catchy hooks, and instantly SE
Helvítis Útlendingur
SILVER JEWS - AMERICAN WATER Worth five beers.
Wait long enough, and things come around. Once cause there isn’t an end point. My favourite lines are known only as Pavement’s side project, Silver Jews are from, maybe one should call it a stanza, in the opening now garnering media attention for Tanglewood Numbers song on American Water, Random Rules: and the first-ever tour for the band supporting the album. Tanglewood is a very good album, but some of the wind I asked a painter why the roads are colored black. is out of the sails, most notably in Stephen Malkmus’s He said, “Steve, it’s because people leave more derivative, rock-style guitar work. What Tangle- and no highway brings them back.” wood can do is draw you to American Water, one of the So if you don’t want me I promise not to linger, finest combinations of wit, drawl and guitar sprawl of the but before I go have to ask you dear about the tan line last 30 years. Likely you want an example of how good on your ring finger. the lyrics are: it’s hard to quote Dave Berman, though, BC
Guide to the rating system: In prison, you deal in cigarettes. In Iceland, you deal in beers. We don’t condone this, we just accept it as fact. One beer = 500 ISK at the seedy bars we frequent. That means a mainstream release costs up to 2,500 ISK... or $40. Yes, that much. That’s why we do the beer thing. Reviews by Bart Cameron and Sindri Eldon. 34
Stefán, with the deranged man pausing regularly to either yelp something completely inaudible into a microphone or do the night’s second movie impres- sion, the scene in American Psycho where Christian Bale poses in front of a mirror whilst having sex with two women he has paid or cajoled into bed with him. They were impressive, and although the music was fairly standard, it was at least energetic, and the sheer creepifying insanity of the lead man was enough to give me the hibbly-jibblies. Scary fun. The Foreign Monkeys clocked in next, however, and made all the energy of UMTb Stefán seem about as electrifying as a nylon blanket with their jaw-drop- ping power and stage presence. At first glance, it would seem as if the drummer was by far the best showman onboard, but upon closer inspection I discovered that every member of the band glowed with a livid, fiery passion that surpassed anything else I saw that night. And while it is debatable whether or not they were talented enough to win, there can be little doubt as to whether or not they were cool enough to win. It should surprise exactly no one that the most pretentious band of them all was the one whose members posed as Frenchmen. Le Poulet De Romance were little more than a very well-executed gimmick in triplicate human form, but damn, did they play well. Capable players as well as overbearingly theatrical per- formers, they were led by a decidedly deviant-looking young man by the name of Ingi Vífill as they pranced into three incredibly ridiculous tango-folk-rock songs whAT and left the audience hopelessly confused, but so enter- Músiktilraunir tained that it hardly mattered. The rest of the night was unambiguous, really. Modern Day Majesty were a disappointment. The capable modern rock songwriting and fair talent they where displayed the night they qualified for the final was Loftkastalinn gone, replaced by an uncertain, awkward performance and a new song so bad it cannot be put into words, while Sweet Sins blew mouth-watering bubble gum whEN melodies in our faces. Girl power-pop at its delicious Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. best, they were sadly overlooked by a restless crowd March 31st The Foreign Monkeys Will Definitely They trotted offstage glistening with nervous that had by now been seated far too long. 2006 Be the Next Arctic Monkeys perspiration to be replaced by Furstaskyttan, a band Also done in by the luck of the draw were the remarkable in more ways than one. First off, they unassuming trio of boys that constituted the brilliantly By Sindri Eldon | Photos by Billi looked and sounded very respectable, and came across named Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, an intelligent, as highly intellectual and intelligent. As bad as this dreamy act with pointed lyrics and an honest, affable The results are in, the facts are solid and the bands may sound, their music, a cheesy, conservative style goodness to them. They presented the best song of have been consigned to their fates. The Foreign of pop music that would not sound out of place as the the entire evening: The Death Of A Salesman, an Monkeys, a straightforward, zero-bullshit rock band theme song to a British children’s morning show, was atmospheric and beautiful song played with the kind of from the wayward shores of Vestmannaeyjar have been so irreverent and blatantly disregarding of modern earnest care that comes with truly loving what you do, declared the winners of this year’s Battle of the Bands, tastes, so incredibly uncool, that it somehow became and I am convinced that the Ministry Of Foreign Af- and are now poised to face the demons that come more punk than the most sneeringly antagonistic Sex fairs is a band that has no need to win Músíktilraunir attached to such an honour: jealousy, hype, artistic Pistols anthem. to make a name for themselves. stagnation and exposure to the steadily dropping aver- Compared to the music they made, We Made age IQ of the Icelandic media and their fickle disciples. God’s name was modest and unassuming. Stunningly In order to sign up to play at the Battle of the Bands, it But their fate has hardly been set in stone, nor clichéd emo riffs, no-holds-barred sound destruction would seem that you would have to have a very specific has their history been written in it. On the contrary, at the hands of the drummer and the guitarist and a attitude towards your own work. You can’t be so con- for there is very little to suggest that the result of singer who broke every rule in the book as far as mod- fident that you would consider the contest beneath you this contest is definitive. The Battle of the Bands, eration and constraint were concerned. Insanely pre- and unworthy of your skills, and you can’t be so meek or Músíktilraunir in its native tongue, is an ardu- tentious as they were, however, every tortured scream, that you think it impossible to impress people with ous process, a dissection of musical values that seems every pompous drum fill and every squealing noise solo your music, and this, I believe, is the key, the reason deliberately designed to test the patience and altru- in We Made God’s quarter-hour onstage was done why Músíktilraunir seems to produce only bands that ism of all involved. This year, 51 bands competed (or with the solemn self-indulgence of true professionals, are almost universally liked, or at least respected in participated, depending on how you look at it), and the and in retrospect they seemed to have all the makings some form. No one is voted the best of 51 bands with- ‘best’ one out of all these is picked out in two weeks, a of a successful Icelandic band. My deepest sympathies out being at least slightly humbled by the acts that they ridiculously short period of time. There is a good deal to them. ‘beat’, and the winning bands that eventually become of luck involved, obviously, and timing is, as always, of To say that We Made God and Antík played the successful are the ones wise enough to realise that in the essence. same genre of music would be stretching the very defi- the long run, winning doesn’t count for shit. Winning This could not be demonstrated more perfectly nition of rock. Antík plainly and honestly played the Músíktilraunir is an opportunity, and nothing more; an than by the process of elimination by which the final- simplest, most unabashedly cheesy and hook-driven opportunity to show that the judges and the audience ists are chosen: There are five nights of 10-11 bands pop-punk imaginable, and although the two bands weren’t wrong, that they believed in you for a reason, each, and on each night two to three bands are selected musically have much more in common than either of and it is this sense of justice that will continue to make for qualification, one by the crowd and one or two by them would be willing to admit, the tongue-in-cheek Músíktilraunir the best musical event in Iceland. the judges. The qualifiers then face one to two weeks daring of Antík’s first song was a very refreshing of the grueling pressure of knowing that in order to change from We Made God’s tour through the icy impress the panel of judges on the final night, they wastes of emo metal. must deliver a performance that must at least equal, if In fact, to fully grasp the sheer cheesiness of not outdo the one they were selected for. Antík’s music, you would have to imagine a ten-pound wad of limburger being consumed by rosy-cheeked Now That the Pressure’s On, Here’s a Reminder of lovers while they hold hands and watch the Hallmark What You Can’t Live Up To channel together. It brings me great joy that some- With such impossible pressure to bear in mind, it where in Iceland there are still musicians who exist confuses me greatly to consider why the winners of last solely for one to derive guilty pleasure from listening year’s BotB are made to play before the finals begin. to. Self-assured, relaxed and with absolutely nothing Tranzlokal were next up, delivering goose bump- to lose, Jakobínarína were intimidatingly explosive, inducing rawness with their impossibly simple school- blasting through 15 minutes of utter chaos before boy punk. The songs averaged about two minutes and leaving the stage just whole enough for Who Knew? two chords each, with the screamed word “Já!” reap- to nervously attempt to outdo a performance that had pearing frequently. They were flawless, energetic and already won the title they were there to claim; the irony superior, but their novelty was sadly lost on the crowd, is mind-blowing. who were by now itching to stretch and freshen up in The sextet conducted themselves well, however, the 15-minute pause that followed Tranzlokal’s set. but had discarded the affability that won them the The crowd returned to the sight of four young men crowd’s vote in the qualifiers in favour of concentrated - two keyboardists, a drummer and a bassist – standing professionalism. Although their irresistibly catchy alt- patiently on the stage waiting for something. Eventu- pop was flawlessly performed, their stage presence had ally, a fifth young man with a seriously deranged gleam all but evaporated, which also made it painfully obvious in his eye rode in straddling a child’s tricycle; together that without their unique charisma, their music aged they performed furiously straightforward dancehall about as well as Julian Glover in the final scene of electro under the name Ultra Mega Technobandið GRAPEVINE’S PURCHASES THAT JUSTIFY EXISTENCE BY sVeinn BiRkiR BJÖRnsson
Bovine Who needs protein supplements when you can buy colostrums? The protein-rich form of milk, Colostrums produced by the mammary glands in the first days after birth, is an original and inventive dinner suggestion. A tasty and healthy dairy product, reputed to have great curative powers. Kolaportið – 350 ISK per half-litre
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:m]^W^i^dchVgZdeZcYV^an [gdb&&Vbid*eb Orator, the Law Student Free Society at the University of Iceland offers free legal aid Legal Aid every Thursday night from 19:30-22:00. Call 551-1012 =kZg[^h\ViV&*"&%&GZn`_Vk`"IZa/ (*)*)*&)%% or visit www.islog.is. Although this is not actually a purchase per se, it is worth pointing out. Goes to show that you don’t always need to pay for good stuff (e.g. Icelandic design the Grapevine).
Drauma- Draumalandið – Self-help Book for a Frightened landið Nation. Writer Andri Snær Magnason takes a close and critical look at the discourse behind the most discussed issue in Iceland’s contem- porary history: the heavy industrialisation of Iceland. An important read. Sadly, so far it is only available in Icelandic. Penninn Eymundsson – 2,990 ISK
If you want variety in domes- Páska- tic Icelandic beer, you have two chances, Christmas and bjór Easter. Christmas beer is nutty and spicy, Easter beer is light and more re- freshing; enough to make you want to get out the grill. Laugavegur 70 www.hsh.efh.is 36 Between ISK 1000 Between ISK 2500 $ Under ISK 1000 $ $ and ISK 2500 $ $ $ and ISK 4000 $ $ $ $ Over ISK 4000 DINING, EATING & GRUBBING Paul F. Nikolov on Reykjavík Dining Photos by Héðinn
The dining room of Grillið is enormous, Grillið with tall windows on three sides providing more 8th floor Radisson SAS Hotel on Hagatorg of the stunning view seen from the lounge, and Tel.: 525-9960 classic place settings that reminded me of a hotel dining room from the 1940s. Miles Davis played at an unobtrusive, atmospheric volume. $ $ $ $ From the moment the first of three starters was brought to us – fresh scallops in a cold orange Fine dining costs money. Typically, it costs a and chilli soup – one thing became immediately lot of money. Occasionally, though, you’ll find apparent about Grillið: the service. The servers a place that’s not only worth dropping a size- move quickly, quietly and leave enough time able portion of your salary for; they meet you between courses for the memory of the previous halfway and don’t demand that much of you one to linger while not leaving you wondering if financially after all. Grillið, located on the 8th you’ve been forgotten. floor of the Radisson SAS hotel on Hagatorg, The second starter, grilled langoustines is not only such a restaurant – it also provided with cauliflower sauce and nut foam, was what, for me, was the most perfect dining extraordinary. The freshness and natural flavour experience of my life. of the meal made it clear that the chef had an Guests are first seated in a lounge – leather emphasis on classical French cuisine. This was couches and chairs arranged near a large confirmed when we were brought the grilled window overlooking a spectacular view of turbot with olive purée and aubergine in a Reykjavík’s southern shore – where they are of- passion fruit sauce. Again, the pacing between fered aperitifs. I went with a Rémy Martin. The these courses was impeccable. hostess, noticing that my wife is very pregnant, We arrived at last at the main event – in – we decided it wouldn’t hurt to at least try it. ingredients, Kristinsson said he considered this offered to “make up” a non-alcoholic cocktail this case, tenderloin of beef and veal with half In the end, it was all we could do to keep from a special point of pride for the restaurant. for her. The result – a mixture of banana, pine- a lobster tail, potatoes and Madeira glaze. licking the plates. I had to have a word with the “Everything is either produced as close by apple, lime juice and cream – proved far better The sheer brilliance and spectrum of flavour chef. as possible,” he said, “or flown in fresh, twice than it sounds. in this course is off the charts. Suffice it to say Bjarni Gunnar Kristinsson, the chef de a week.” (Insider’s tip: book a reservation for a We were given our menus with our cock- we chewed each bite slowly, our faces in goofy cuisine, received his certification at Grillið, but Wednesday evening – that’s when the veggies tails. Prices range between the high end, with ecstasy. told us that he travels “constantly” to France, from France arrive.) the Gourmet Game Menu (five courses for At this point we were both stuffed beyond New York and the UK to keep up with the After a meal at Grillið, it’s hard to take the 7,900 ISK) to a fish entrée (3,600 ISK). Always hope, but when the desserts were brought to ever-changing trends in fine cuisine. elevator back down to your slightly less glamor- up for a surprise, we decided instead to go for the table – a chocolate cylinder over a choco- “You have to,” he said, as if it were a given ous life, but with the prices as they are, repeat the Discovery Menu – five courses for 6,900 late-covered strawberry with melted chocolate that a chef should fly overseas several times a visits are a realistic and well-deserved possibil- ISK, where you only discover what you’re going poured over top of it at the table, alongside a ly- year just to visit other kitchens. ity. to eat when it’s brought to your table. chee sorbet, as well as a milk chocolate mousse When asked about the freshness of the
any sombreros and guitars nailed to the walls. Red Chili To start out, we thought it best to go with Pósthússtræti 13 the starter sampler: deep-fried shrimp, chicken Tel.: 562-7830 wings and potato skins served with bleu cheese and ranch dressing. This is a great choice for couples and for those seeking an introduc- $ $ $ tion to some staples of American bar food, and it is usually safe – bad chicken wings can Mention the term “American food” and the be smothered in ranch dressing in a pinch. first thing that normally springs to mind is Fortunately, though, we found the quality of the holy trinity of hamburgers, hot dogs and these staples above par – rather than burying pizza. While certainly classic examples, they’re everything under a thick, oily layer of fried bat- not the only ones. American food, like many ter, the Red Chili approach is clearly to class up aspects of American culture, sometimes bor- the old favourites. Although the bleu cheese dip rows from abroad to create something modified didn’t have as strong a flavour as I remembered and/or new, and sometimes invents something (which might be due to a faulty memory or outright. And for a good example of American some adjustments in the kitchen to better suit food done right, Red Chili is an excellent place the Icelandic palate), it served as a good entry familiar with the dish. As these are the ribs cut your run-of-the-mill barbeque sauce – the to start. for the main event. closest to the pig’s spine, on the top of its back, recipe had been tweaked a bit, successfully. There’s already one Red Chili on Lau- Ever the health conscious one, my wife the meat is generally lean but also greatly un- The meat from the ribs practically fell from the gavegur 176 (where the restaurant Old West went with the barbequed chicken breast, baked der-exercised, and thus tender. However, due to bone, as it should. I couldn’t help but sample used to be), but we visited the new location at potato with sour cream and salad (as well as an the low fat content (for pork, anyway), it’s easy some of the baked potato with sour cream, and Pósthússtræti 13. For those who remember the additional plate of “steak cut” – very large – fries to overcook them to the consistency of leather. wasn’t disappointed. spacious environs of Póstbarinn, you won’t be ordered later). But from the moment I opened Once again, Red Chili improved on the For those looking for reasonably priced disappointed – the changes made to the interior the menu there was only one thing I had in American standard. The ribs were served American food, classed up a bit and served in are few. However, the changes that were made mind: baby back ribs. Those who’ve visited with steak-cut fries and a little bowl of extra a relaxed, open space, you can’t do better in give the place a subtle Southwest feel, without Ruby Tuesday’s or TGI Friday’s are probably barbeque sauce, as per tradition, but this wasn’t Iceland than Red Chili. A seafood feast a delicious secret in the center of town
Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar No cocktail sauce, and no mad cow
r e s t a u r a n t by bart cameron photo by gúndi Laugarvegi 55b www.vinogskel.is Q: What do you get in your burger to make it worth $10? those influences on their head. Hence the Sugarcubes A: Well, I’ll tell you what you don’t get: MAD COW!!!!! were able to cite American and British punk, while American and British audiences couldn’t hear any such That’s right, it used to sound fucking crazy to pay $10 for influence, and hence a local chain, American Style, can a hamburger. But with seven cases of mad cow reported serve tasty local concoctions to be eaten with knife and among American cows in February of 2006 alone, that fork, which bear almost no resemblance to any hamburg- $10 burger is starting to look a whole lot more sane. er served on American soil. Yeah, local products and farming factor into even the The burger that tastes most like the American ideal most inane and universal of foods – the hamburger. If – a good non-frozen, hand-shaped patty of beef, slightly you’re lucky enough to live in a country where your cows rare, with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, must’d, ketchup aren’t fed meat, then you get to eat beef without suffer- – is on display at Hamborgarabúllan. You can ask for ing degenerative diseases. This is something that The it less rare, and you can ask for it to be healthier, but Economist might want to think about the next time they neither is going to happen. The burgers are what they say come up with something as obnoxious as the Big Mac they are: beefy and good. Index, one of the many ethnocentric measures they have If you like beef, you’ll like this burger. There may be to analyse world economies… and a measure Iceland, a moment when you think, sitting among the patrons at with the most expensive Big Mac in the world, has failed the always-crowded, celebrated burger stand, that it is badly. just average, nothing that special has been done to the But enough about deadly meat. Let’s talk burgers. meat, there is no fancy-ass seasoning. Burgers and fast food are an Icelandic obsession. It will be months later that the perfection of the Likely, you have come across this already – that Bill Tommiburger will hit you. You will realise that, on your Clinton visited Iceland and ate fish was not noted locally; visit to Iceland, you ate that one ideal American burger, that he sampled the local hot dog is an immense point and that to eat another like it you will either have to wait of pride. The burger is just as much an obsession: the for a new set of environmental policies in the US of A, or Grapevine has received more queries from Icelanders to you will have to hop a plane back to Iceland. judge the best local burger than we have to judge the best local poet – ten times as many. As best we can figure, fast Hamborgarabúlla Tómasar, Geirsgata 1, 101 Reykjavík, food is simply respected as an art form. Tel.: 511-1888 The goal with fast food, as with fast music, is to take Also at Reykjavíkurvegur 62 in Hafnarfjörður, and on American and European influences, and then drop Miðvangur 13 in Egilsstaðir 38 t.A.T.u. The Greatest and Most Awesome Band in the World
(NOTE: While no amount of column space could possibly sure a win for t.A.T.u. – not that they needed the help! – which contain all the most pertinent updates about t.A.T.u. – the is a testament to just how devoted t.A.T.u. fans are. greatest band in the world – I’ve tried my best to highlight some of the more pressing news.) It looks like the girls might be extending their greatness and awesomeness into other genres as well. Yulia wrote in After t.A.T.u. – the greatest band in the world – split with her online diary that she’s pulling together ideas for a movie their former manager Ivan Shapovalov and their “teen les- script. In her own words: “Yes, I started to write a script for bian” image in 2004, and singer Yulia Volkova gave birth to the movie I want to shoot. I don’t know how to write scripts her daughter Viktoria later on in the same year, many felt this at all, I have so many thoughts, how to organise them?... I was the end for the duo. Not so! Last October, they released want to write everything at once. The movie is going to be their second album, Dangerous and Moving (Lyudi Invalidy about young people, about life, about dangerous, extreme t.A.T.u. Fun Fact #347: [Invalid People] in Russian), featuring the musical assistance moments… But it will not be just about guys and gangs, like They’re Better than Birgitta – Europe Said So! of Dave Stewart, Richard Carpenter and Sting. Svolochi or Brigada [Russian movies about young people]. A At the 2003 Eurovision Song Contest, t.A.T.u. performed different kind. I have an idea about the opening scene: a girl the song Ne ver ne boisya, and finished in third place. How has it been faring so far? opens her eyes and realises that she’s alive.” I got chills! Iceland was also there, with Birgitta Haukdal performing Open Your Heart. She finished in ninth. Ninth! Ha ha ha! Eat that, suckers! Dangerous and Moving peaked on the Billboard 500 at #131, As a testament to t.A.T.u.’s greatness and universalness, hip- but the band is still maintaining a strong following in Poland, hop act Flipsyde have sampled the aforementioned Gomensai where listeners of the wildly popular Polish radio station for their single Happy Birthday, a song about a man who Eska rated them #2 out of a possible 100 “hot acts” of 2005 deeply regrets the “murder” of his unborn child. Anti-choice – despite having only released Dangerous and Moving in the propaganda from the hip-hop world? Possibly. A song vastly last two months of that year. Also, the latest single, Friend or improved because there’s a bit of t.A.T.u. in it? Definitely! Foe, is still in the Top 30 for world rankings of singles, while the first single, All About Us, remains in the Top 20 for the The last time this paper reported on t.A.T.u., we told you same list. All About Us’ ranking may have something to do where you could download their material for free on their with the video, which – true to form – has sparked a great official site. As the page we referred to has been updated and deal of controversy. MTV refused to air it without substantial no longer features music downloads, I’m sure a number of you scene cuts, due to violent content, and the uncensored version have been frustrated and disappointed. Fret no more! You has been circulating the Internet in heavy rotation. So Yulia can download nearly their entire back catalogue at http://eng. gets beaten nearly to death and ends up shooting her attacker tatysite.net/music and videos can be found at http://eng. in the face at point-blank range before kicking his headless tatysite.net/video. Documentaries and interviews can still be t.A.T.u. Quote #512: corpse – is that really any worse than anything Will Smith has found at http://tatu.ru/kino.html, which may entail having “All those political games… Here the Russian album is made us suffer through? some knowledge in Russian, but learning a few words in a called “Invalid People”, you know why? Because we are sur- new language is hardly too much to ask in order to get more rounded by many monsters: traitors, envious persons, those In other news, the girls have a global tour coming up, and won on the greatest band in the world, t.A.T.u.! who can not love, feel pity, and are not capable of kind feel- an Italian TRL award last month for Best Group, an award ings. We live in such a world, and everybody is involved in that is voted for online. Prior to this writing, fans on the mes- Stay tuned for more updates! this. But nobody tries to change anything.” – Lena Katina, sage board of t.A.T.u.’s official website were giving each other speaking on the war in Iraq. instructions on how to vote anonymously multiple times to en- By Paul F. Nikolov
FRIDAY APRIL 28TH.
Rite of Spring is Iceland’s new music festival. There you’ll find cutting edge folk, jazz, funk and world music. www.riteofspring.is 27th-30th april at NASA, Austurvöllur, 101 Reykjavik
Tickets can be bought in the Skifan record shops (Laugavegur 26, Kringlan and Smáralind) and online at www.midi.is
Ticket price for each concert: 2.900 kr (plus 225 kr handling fee) Ticket for the whole festival: 5.900 kr (plus 400 kr handling fee) 39
PART 4 OF Touring the American Egypt 4 At the Kings’ Feet in Memphis
By Bart Cameron | Photos by Gúndi In Tupelo, Mississippi, for $14, you can enter Elvis Aaron Presley’s birthplace and get a personal guided tour from a kindly old lady... a very kindly, very old lady... who really doesn’t care much about Elvis. My old lady is called Eleanor, and she is sore and cold from sitting in the famously primitive shotgun shack that Elvis had to suffer for his first 13 years, a space so rough that all his later excesses – overindulgence in food, women, living spaces and prescription drugs – were attributed to this very shack. Eleanor, rubbing her elbow and stomping her feet, tells me that she thinks Elvis might have been born near the iron- ing board. “People are so impressed by the ironing board. It reminds them of his surfing movie, Blue Hawaii.” I step over and look at it. Everything in the cabin is five feet from everything else. The whole of the cabin is three rooms, kept tidy but still miserable enough. The outside walls are the only things that are original anymore; even the ironing board I’ve been asked to admire is a replacement ironing board. Tupelo is the single worst museum I have ever seen – even for a birthplace museum, it is pretty bad. A matronly guide, Eleanor tells me that I look tired and thin, likely because I have yet to agree that the ironing board is indeed like a surfboard. I say I’ve been travelling in Mississippi; I’m just arriving from Oxford and Clarksdale. “Clarksdale?” she says, seemingly warming up. Yes, the home of Ike Turner, Muddy Waters and Son House, Clarksdale. I realise that the old woman has been play- ing possum – she’s a music junkie. Why else would one sit all day in a clap-trap cabin talking about Elvis “I’ve always wanted to go to Clarksdale and see Morgan Freeman. He’s such a lovely actor. He was so wonderful in that film Driving Miss Daisy.” I come to the conclusion that I did not enter Elvis’s birth- place with the proper reverence and have therefore ruined the dialogue. I decide to stick around in the cabin, talking with Eleanor, until someone else comes in, so I can see their rever- ence – so I can understand what you do when you’re near Elvis history. Eleanor talks for ten more minutes. I realise she’s starting to get creeped out. She tells me the full, virtuous history of Elvis buying back the home he grew up in and donating it to the city to be used as a museum in 1956 when he was 21 years old. She Which explains why we decide against going into Grace- He Sings, Too makes some tea in the microwave that is located in her little land, despite recommendations from a few extremely authentic It’s easy to hate Elvis, and I realise, as I purchase a handful of sitting station. We talk about Iceland. Finally, another person bluesmen in Clarksdale who said we just had to see Elvis’s plane postcards of fat, bloated, Las Vegas Elvis just before his death, enters. and cars. Instead, we drive straight to the Graceland Outlet that more merchandise seems set up for those who mock the “You going to the Rotary Christmas show tonight, Elea- Store, just across the street from Graceland, more crowded, if man than genuinely admire him. You don’t see heart-shaped nor?” the parking lot is any indication, and $28 cheaper. postcards of John Lennon after a rough night out – I own three It’s Eleanor’s relief, an equally amiable old woman. The manager of the Graceland Outlet understands why of Elvis after a rough night, then week, then year. we’re skipping Graceland: it’s because of the new management; In an act of penance, we drive to downtown Memphis and the people who do American Idol now run Graceland, and Elvis walk to Sun Studios. The greatest appeal of Sun Studios as an “The typical man or woman who fans are complaining. Elvis tourist attraction is that Sun is significant with or without “Sure. I love Elvis, but can’t stand corporate giants,” I tell the King. The first studio to record rock n roll, a single by Ike thinks he or she is Elvis and visits him. Turner called Rocket 88, Sun also put BB King on vinyl, along “Still, you should go. People just pay it. It’s Graceland.” with Carl Perkins – arguably the Beatles’ greatest influence. the Graceland Outlet buys the fol- I promise that I’ll go soon, but first ask for a tour of Elvis Johnny Cash was discovered by Sun, as was Jerry Lee Lewis. It merchandise, and a description of Elvis discount fans. is still a functioning studio, remarkably easy to book, if you’re lowing…” “There are just a lot of nice crazy people,” he tells me. “I interested, though there is one drawback – while you can record mean, one woman came in with a tattoo of Elvis on her back in the same booth as so many masters including, more recently, – her whole back. I thought that was a little much. And a lot of Beck and U2, you must also realise that Maroon 5 has recorded “I don’t know that I feel up to it. You’ll never guess where guys come in and tell me that they’re Elvis, but they’re nice.” three tracks there, possibly undoing any magic once in the this young man is from,” Eleanor says, trying to pleasantly brush I consider asking which psychology book rates a tattoo as room. me off. The new host, who has a more Southern name, Maggie more crazy than multiple personality disorder, but settle on just The Sun Studios tour, led by young local Memphis musi- Anne, sits down at her guide station, folds her hands and asks asking what discount item the typical man who thinks he’s Elvis cians who slip in references to their own music as much as pos- me to tell her all about where I’m from. I get the impression buys at an Elvis outlet store. sible, is the polar opposite to Tupelo. (Our guide’s band was El there won’t be any visitors any time soon. The typical man or woman who thinks he or she is Elvis Dorado and the Rachets, in the punk blues genre.) If you love and visits the Graceland Outlet buys the following: 1) Elvis music, you’ll love the tour. If you like shiny things and are easily No Wonder You’re Lonesome Tonight Gold Record 45, in frame, of Are You Lonesome Tonight? for bored, you’ll still enjoy the tour – it’s interactive; you get to do Without Elvis, we wouldn’t be here. As authentic as we’d like $49.95, 2) Elvis folding camping chair, 3) Elvis salt and pepper things like grab the microphone Elvis and Johnny Cash sang to be, the three of us cruising through blues country were only shakers for $9.95 and 4) Elvis throws, the Love Me Tender into, rub the piano Jerry Lee Lewis played on. In fact, you’re exposed to blues because of the charismatic white guy who series. But by far the most popular item is the Elvis Tour 2003 encouraged to touch things that seem like they’d be impossibly introduced blues and rock to the masses. Still, we openly loathe t-shirt, available in sizes M-XXXL, he tells me. valuable on eBay, if not in the real world, and make a fool of him and can’t stop making jokes about how bloated and stupid He points out the XXXL size when he explains the popularity, yourself. the King was before his heart stopped while he was on the but refuses to be too much more specific. He leaves to help a What do you learn? That when rock and country were find- toilet. We love what inspired him, we love what was inspired by customer with Elvis golf balls. ing their mass audiences, they were being created by a bunch him, but we just can’t get over Elvis himself. >>> continues on next page 40 of oddballs in a simple studio with one or two decent micro- phones. The average home computer has a couple thousand times the production capabilities of what went behind the better recordings of the 20th century. Our guide wound a dollar through the strings of a guitar to show how Johnny Cash created a simple percussion instru- ment that would get people dancing to Ring of Fire, and, a few seconds later, admitted that this was the point in the tour where things got crazy. Older women freak out when they see Elvis’s microphone, but recently, young men have been crying, somewhat hysterically, over the recently deceased Johnny Cash. I ask if he hadn’t thought of just saying, “I’ll give you something to cry about,” and threatening people at random. He smiles politely. “This is important to people. It’s moving to be here, where your favourite song, something you’ve grown to love, was first put down. It’s important to me, too,” our guide tells me. As much as Sun Studios is about bonding with the founders of rock and country, especially lesser-known names, Elvis Pre- sley stands out somewhat head-and-shoulders above the other geniuses. While you get the Horatio Alger story of Elvis coming in dirt broke to record his first single, you also get some myths debunked – Elvis famously claimed that he only recorded his first single to give his mother a birthday present, but the session was in July 1953, and his mother’s birthday was in April. Trivia is one thing, but the Sun tour also presents video of Elvis’s first television appearance – a flawless but aggressive blues-rock show number that stunned everyone on the tour. Once you see the show, you no longer think Elvis was a cracker with a good voice and full lips… you think Elvis was a cracker with a good voice and full lips who, at one point in his life, invented the rock performance, perfected it, showed the world how to do it, then moved on to invent and perfect cracker kitsch karate, which, to somebody somewhere in the world, was likely another act of genius. mendations, our quick spin through Midtown reveals somewhat mostly locals and a few wayward Europeans. The Other King’s Street generic music and style – a crowd of temps, computer program- We head for the Juke Joint, one of the older clubs on Beale The locals, including the many hipsters at Sun Studios, recom- mers and art students watching their friends perform is a good Street, to see harmonica guru Robert Doctor Feelgood Potts. mend we go out in Midtown Memphis, where indie music night out, but it doesn’t quite capture our imaginations. The Dr. Potts band tells you a lot about what goes on in Mem- dominates. The highest recommendations go to a woman play- So we head out to Beale Street. Before the hurricanes, Beale phis – the bassist is a young woman from Osaka, Japan, the ing a double bass and singing, wearing horn-rimmed glasses, to Street was the slightly less sinful little brother to the French keyboardist from Janesville, Wisconsin, the drummer from New a crowd full of mid-20s thin people drinking whiskey cocktails Quarter – today, it is likely the best place in the world to see a Orleans, and the guitarist from Nashville, while Potts himself and beer. Handed a copy of the Memphis Flyer, an excellent whole lot of top-tier blues at once. BB King’s club dominates is from Greenwood, Mississippi. Everybody but the bassist has weekly street paper, we are also told about rockabilly shows Beale Street, sitting atop the seven blocks of neon and blues and moved to Memphis because this is the only place you can play and a post-pop rock show. Beale Street, we are told, is only for jazz music like a castle. blues every night and make a good living. tourists. BB’s is packed, but the street and the other blues clubs are “Except on the down months,” the keyboardist tells me, Nice as it is to see young musicians get credit and recom- mostly empty – tourist season is March to October. Now it is after we’ve had a moment of Wisconsin bonding talk. “We live 41
to point out that the New Orleans flood has brought a lot of musicians into town, which makes it that much harder to make a living. Dr. Potts eventually gets back onstage, and while the music is still big band and polished, Memphis style, he begins to stomp and jump on the beat – his eyes half open, a beatific smile on his face, he seems in danger of falling off the stage. “Yup, that’s the juke joint style,” our photographer says, recalling our experience at a Clarksdale, Mississippi juke joint, then gets out of the way.
We begin the drive back South at dawn, taking a brief detour to cross the Mississippi and look over the enormous glass pyramid set against the river in order to remind the world of Memphis’s namesake. A few hours later, we stop at our tenth Waffle House, and drop the last of our money on deep-fried chicken sandwich con- coctions and bottomless coffee. In eight days, we have driven 2,000 miles, examined the wreckage of one of America’s worst natural disasters, interviewed scores of people, done significant body damage to our rental car by running over middle-of-the- highway potholes and been overwhelmed by the culture of the poorest state in the US. As we cover another 800 miles to get to the Orlando airport, we talk about the life of a cultural and tourism maga- zine – how much good it might do for an Icelandic publication to point out the diversity of a place on the opposite end of the hip spectrum. Hip, we feel, almost always goes hand-in-hand with income level. Just as rich kids are popular in John Hughes movies, rich cities and nations get the benefit of the doubt in the gossip of tourist and economic publications – first comes the money, then comes the hype. When we run a feature story on the South with New Or- leans, Mississippi and Memphis getting full coverage, we will have done ourselves proud, we say. on those tips, and you just have to convince people that, you Dr. Potts asks me if I understand the importance of Missis- know, even though there aren’t many people in the winter, we sippi, and I say I guess that I do, as I’ve just arrived from there. The next day, after a marathon of driving to get to the Orlando still need those tips.” He gives me the broadest of smiles, leaning back so that he airport, our ad man will inform us that he misread our contract Dr. Potts, the bandleader, is less worried about the tips. almost falls off his chair. – we never got full approval from our sponsors. We are sup- After posing a bit for our photographer, he points out that it is “You ain’t been in one of those juke joints down in Missis- posed to cover Orlando, not the South. only natural that a group of Icelandic journalists would travel sippi, have you?” thousands of miles to see him. “What you’re talking about, with “Sure, yeah.” A week later, I will pull the Mississippi feature altogether, opt- the blues, is miracle root music, the universal beginning.” “I’ll tell you, you’re talking about home. I’ll play you some ing instead to cover a local political concert that the internation- When I acknowledge the universality of blues, he moves on home-style music, then,” and he stands up. Instead of going al phenom Björk has gotten behind. It will be the most popular to explain the appeal of Robert Doctor Feelgood Potts. Mainly onstage, he turns to greet the rest of the crowd and sell CDs. feature the magazine has run. being that “if you go on Google, you’ll see hundreds of Dr. In a few minutes, the band heads back up, the keyboardist Feelgoods. But there’s only one Doctor Feelgood Potts.” stopping by one more time to remind me of the tip bucket, and
In-water spa treatments and massage Energize at BLUE LAGOON – Geothermal Spa A Day to Remember
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Restaurant
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BLUE LAGOON – Geothermal Spa is open daily year round.
FOREX_grapevine_MAR06.indd 1 2006-03-31 14:20:10 42
Outside Reykjavík Egilsstaðir
Jobs, Yes. Women, No. Visiting the Icelandic Klondike
by sveinn birkir björnsson photos by skari
In the past three years, the town of Egilsstaðir in the last few years. According to statistics women in the region are foreign. women. “We really need women here. We has witnessed an unprecedented upswing from the National Registry, the population in The underlying truth is that despite all the have been reduced to sharing them,” a younger following the building of the Kárahnjúkar Eastern Iceland grew by over ten percent in work, despite whatever future prospects a large local says jokingly, although his words carry a dam, and the Fjarðarál aluminium smelter 2005 alone, with the biggest increase coming aluminium company like Alcoa may offer in hint of frustration. in Reyðarfjörður. Due to its central location, in Egilsstaðir and the neighbouring areas. The terms of work, people are still leaving Eastern Egilsstaðir is the urban planner’s smack in the middle of Eastern Iceland, the grand-scale building projects that are underway Iceland. The increase in population over the nightmare. It is spread out over a vast area, town has always been a service centre for have created an atmosphere of gold rush, where last few years has been created exclusively by a creating long distances between service the neighbouring towns. It is home to the people flock to Eastern Iceland to get theirs, temporary influx of foreign migrant workers, areas and residential areas, making it almost district’s secondary school, the regional airport, while it lasts. brought to Iceland to finish a temporary impossible for people to buy a carton of milk the district court as well as many official Contractors, builders and other industrial project. without the aid of a car. In part, this is an old institutions and large companies that serve workers are especially in demand. I ran into an There is nothing that suggests this will problem, created years ago. The residents are the whole region from Egilsstaðir. Now it has old acquaintance, a house builder, and he told change once the projects are complete. Heavy victims of the town’s past. The centre, or more become a service centre for the development of accurately, the commercial district, is located heavy industry. on the edge of town, by the side of the national The results of this upswing were evident “We really need women here. We have been reduced to highway. The residential areas and the schools when I drove through the town on a sunny are located on the other end, and continue to morning in February. Although I lived in sharing them,” a younger local says jokingly, although grow in the opposite direction, away from the Egilsstaðir for more than half my life, this was service area. only my second visit back in over five years, his words carry a hint of frustration. The presence of the migrant workers is and I could hardly recognise it as the same very evident in Egilsstaðir. The town has town in which I grew up. Everywhere I looked, become a multicultural society. This is perhaps I saw new developments. What once used to be “I found one Canadian and two Slovakians discussing nowhere as apparent as in the local swimming a quagmire is now a new residential area. What their national teams’ prospects in ice hockey.” pool, where instructions are mounted on the once was thought to be way out of town is now walls in several European languages, plus well within its limits. Chinese. In the hot tub, I found one Canadian Egilsstaðir has traditionally always been a me that he is “ridiculously” busy with work. “It industry is hardly likely to entice young and two Slovakians discussing their national town where people stay for a short period of is work, work, work, at least for the next four people, who have left the region to pursue teams’ prospects in ice hockey at the Winter time. Every year an unusually high number years,” he said. I asked if he was at all worried education, to return to Eastern Iceland. A local Olympics. Portuguese, Chinese and Polish of people moves out of the town, while about what happens after that, once the big construction engineer told me that despite all colleagues joined in. This is a cross section of new people move in. One reason for this projects are over, and balance is restored. “I the available work now and in the foreseeable the current population. development is likely the local job market. have no time for worries, my friend, all I do is future, finding engineers to come and work Meanwhile the PR people of Alcoa, the The town’s bloodline is the service industry, work,” he answered. in Egilsstaðir is nearly impossible. “We are parent company of Fjarðarál, are trying to which does not create many high-wage job Another local told me he usually gets a overloaded with work as it is. But we can’t get create public awareness and a good image for opportunities. People tend to treat it as a phone call every other day, offering him work. any good men to come here,” he said. the company among the locals. A regional temporary stopover on their way to somewhere “If you speak Icelandic, and you are willing TV-guide publication featured a centrefold else. As a result of this, Egilsstaðir suffers from to work, you can ask for almost anything you No Women in the Hot Tubs, Let’s Talk Hockey ad, describing the production process from the a lack of identity. The close-knit community want in salary.” But, he added, you better have An even more curious population statistic is aluminium made in Reyðarfjörður to a finished feeling that is usually associated with small a place to stay. the ratio between the genders. In 2005, the product, in this case a Ferrari sports car in towns in the countryside is all but non-existent. Population statistics reveal a curious truth. increase among males in Eastern Iceland was made in Italy. Strangely, there is no mention of While the population in Eastern Iceland over 18 percent, while the female population aluminium’s other uses, namely in munitions “Work, work, work for the next four years” has grown, the number of Icelanders living increased by less than three percent. Nowhere and weapons production. Egilsstaðir, and the neighbouring area, is home there has actually decreased. Today, nearly 25 in Iceland is the gender ratio as one-sided. In to roughly 3,500 people. It has grown fast percent of all men, and over six percent of all 2005, there were 1,358 men for every 1,000 43 hGrapevinehonhtourh:hBrooklynggroomm Grapevine on tour : Brooklyn
We Live to Be Radical Brooklyn Goes A-Type
by bart cameron photos by gúndi
Four years ago, when I lived in Brooklyn, Wil- connect with Keanu Reeves’s leading man ide- Williamsburg now has a lot more of the expect if you only knew it from record stores liamsburg was losing its cool, which is to say ology and come off every bit as much as an ass “generous” types, people who don’t expect to and music videos. it was cool and everyone knew it. To indicate as he does. Somewhere along the production, be called geniuses, and who are in little danger “There really isn’t any rock coming out of how mass hip the neighbourhood was, it’s best as 250 people were laughing hysterically at an of being labelled as such. Because of the non- Brooklyn anymore. Ever since the Bravery, to refer to one incident: In 2001, a graffiti indie actor imitating Patrick Swayze and stat- geniuses, an independent play is making more people who liked music just had enough of artist from Williamsburg stole a friend’s photo ing, “We live to be radical,” more than a few of money than it ever would have were it playing retro-rock. All you see now is experimental jazz from a gallery opening as a joke, and escaped us in the crowd caught the double-edged irony. for artist-friends. The hip neighbourhood is or people looking for ultra-traditional, some- in a getaway car… along with his buddy, Ryan For this reason, Point Break LIVE! now a place where people can be artists and thing like The Two Man Gentlemen Band. McGinley, the photo editor of Vice and the wouldn’t have survived when Williamsburg was make a living… and then flee to be around a You hardly ever see a drum set anymore. Even youngest photographer to ever have a solo full of overly serious artists who were desperate cooler crowd, one that doesn’t open sentences the hip-hop is about retro drum machines.” show at the Whitney. When the New York for work. Daily, you had to acknowledge that with “dude”, or mention money as a primary Pressed to name any rock bands, he admits Times reported on it, the number of band art and independence were the highest possible critical judgement, nor openly display enthusi- there’s a retro-90s movement out of Montreal, members, magazines and graffiti crews boggled callings. Now that money has fully crept into asm. and he’s heard that the next Wolf Parade is in the mind. the neighbourhood and the artists have left, the space next to us. Other signs were things like a tiny blue the art can ease up on trying to be genuine and No Rock in Brooklyn We bring the management of Sweatshop paperback called The Hipster Handbook, start connecting, which is the scary part. “They advertise you can smoke whatever you into the discussion. He’s never done better describing, in hilarious detail, the tiny style Point Break LIVE! connects most strongly want. Don’t worry at all,” Josh Loar, the sound business – the studio is looking to buy another points that everyone in the neighbourhood was with the frat boys in the audience, people that guy from Galapagos, tells us, a spliff between floor, as so few people are allowed to make pushing on the world when they were doing the show’s co-creator, Jamie Hook, tells me his teeth and a Macintosh in his lap. noise in their newly upgraded buildings. indie film, indie music or commercials. are “complete dicks who ruin the experience.” Mr. Loar, a composer from Los Angeles, Some musicians are afraid to even store Even as the world was noticing Wil- They don’t. But this doesn’t stop Mr. Hook, isn’t so down on Williamsburg, Brooklyn – he their equipment at home. He waves at himself, liamsburg, locals realised the neighbourhood still dressed in drag from the show, from inter- makes a good living scoring independent films displaying jet black hair, piercings, tight pants was done for. Rent doubled and more, local rupting our interview to approach the group and local commercials, and his band, Electric a little too low. “If you look like I do, you can’t bars got on national television and then drew of severely inebriated men on dates and telling Light, has a number of clubs to play at. It’s rent anywhere. Nobody wants to rent to a clientele that wanted to be on national televi- them, “You guys are total assholes and you re- not California. There is no chance of getting musician. You know what I say when I have to sion. The Williamsburg cultural magazine the ally bothered us.” A hurt frat boy responds first a place to live and record in, but, with a few >>> continues on next page Brooklyn Rail, dedicated to the local galleries by showing money, then with various state- concessions – Loar and his wife and deep thought, didn’t have a member of ments of admiration, all starting with “Dude, live in a fourth-floor walk-up staff who lived in Williamsburg by the end of listen.” in which, with some frequency, THE BEST WAY TO GET 2003. It was enough to make a body move to It is not the kind of artist-to-receiver ex- dead rats appear – you can get by TO BROOKLYN: Jersey. perience Mr. Hook probably dreamed of when decently. For $60, he regularly he was putting on August Wilson to empty rents three hours in a large stu- ICELANDAIR FLIES DIRECT FLIGHTS Less Pacino, More Swayze theatres, but it is the kind of interaction that dio, outfitted with amps, drums, FROM KEFLAVÍK TO NEW YORK. Point Break LIVE!, a stage production of goes on in every other art form – hearing it in PA systems and a bathroom the 1991 Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze live theatre is, in a way, refreshing. with a shower but no lock, to do For more information, log on to blockbuster, is exactly the thing that the hipster On parting, Hook explains that pulling Pro Tools magic. On the night www.icelandair.is Williamsburg would have shunned. The play someone at random from the audience and we join him, a racket comes ICELANDAIR PROVIDED TICKETS AND A STIPEND is profoundly entertaining, well-acted (on our having them read Keanu Reeves’s dialogue is from all four rooms. FOR THIS TRAVEL PIECE. night, even by the guest actor, a volunteer not intended to mock. “Not everyone can be We tell Loar that we want pulled from the crowd to recite Keanu Reeves’s Al Pacino,” he says. “And not everybody needs to hear the next Yeah Yeah wooden lines) and it has a fundamental mes- to be. What this play demonstrates is that Yeahs. A classically trained sage: mainly, if you think you’ve grown up and Keanu Reeves is the most generous actor of his percussionist, he responds that gotten book smarts, realise that you still likely generation.” Brooklyn is not what you’d 44 talk to a landlord? I say, ‘I sell guitars to musi- cians.’ That’s the only way they’ll rent to you, if you tell them you take money from musicians. That’s my secret. Don’t ever print that,” he tells me.
Defending from Whom? “I love Brooklyn, but you just have to grow up and move on,” my former roommate, an adver- tising copywriter who moved from Brooklyn to the Lower East Side of Manhattan tells me. “You can only fight it for so long, but now Brooklyn costs as much as Manhattan, and people have the same kind of jobs, it just takes longer to get home.” Even a friend who broke through her writ- ing slump by publishing City Baby Brooklyn: The Ultimate Guide for Parents has men- tioned getting out. That they are moving out is nothing new: one-quarter of all Americans are descended from people who lived in Brook- lyn… and moved out. The amazing thing about people who move away from Brooklyn now is how bitter they are over what they’re losing by moving. Our guide for a good portion of our visit was Details magazine’s Senior Writer Bart Bla- sengame – a man every bit as hip as his name. Dodging the sell-out culture of Manhattan, and the overhyped areas like Williamsburg, he settled down in Greenpoint five years ago. A ruggedly handsome Polish neighbour- hood stocked with excellent used-clothing stores, camera shops, record shops and Thai restaurants, to say nothing of local bars run by displaced Southerners, to hear Blasengame tell it, Greenpoint was paradise a few months to the Laundromat, then buying used shirts ing to come into contact with genius, intel- with the slogan “Defend Brooklyn.” A gossip ago. By sheer coincidence, over brunch, the and records. That night we decide to check ligence or at least cool indifference. We get columnist is bitter to see such a shirt. producer of Point Break LIVE! walks into the the difference – if everybody is moving back fitted jeans, sport coats and exposure to the “Who are you defending Brooklyn from, restaurant, registering only casual surprise that to Manhattan, especially the Lower East Side, lines, “Excuse me, big guy, I’m gonna scoot by exactly?” the columnist asks, his own shirt we would be in this neighbourhood, and joins Manhattan must have gotten cooler, surely, you,” and “I wouldn’t kick her outta bed for unbuttoned to expose as much toned chest as in on the gentrification discussion and tells us by now, as New York Magazine suggested in eatin’ crackers.” possible. he’s happy to be away from Williamsburg, safe a cover story back in 2003, “Manhattan is the Bitter and drunk, we crash a party of New “From people like you!” Blasengame in the haven that is Greenpoint. new Brooklyn.” York journalists. Before we can explain to the shouts, launching into a lengthy tirade, heavy Blasengame splits from us: we walk the Following the best advice we can get, that hosts why we feel we should have restitution on the f-bomb. Brooklyn Bridge and check in on Williams- of New York gossip and night life columnists, for our crappy night out, our guide, Mr. Bla- Mercifully, the loudest man at the party burg galleries, he spends the ideal day going we charge through the Lower East Side, hop- sengame, is accosted for wearing a sweatshirt decides that he likes our photographer, and he
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game says, again, much louder than he needs to. “Because assholes who come into brunch restaurants and talk about their soap com- mercials in the hope to get some depressing sex, because these douche bags are moving in from the bridge and tunnels and taking over Brooklyn.” It all seems funny enough, but when we leave, Blasengame actually apologises for the saggy actor. “I’m sorry you had to hear that. This neighbourhood is usually so much nicer. I can’t believe it’s getting this bad.” He points out a string of ten-storey, slip- shod apartment buildings going up to accom- modate the newest wave of Brooklynites. The picturesque, working class Polish neighbour- hood with the Russian Orthodox cathedral is losing its charm. “This place will be as bad as Williamsburg soon,” he says. Our photographer, who takes a few sec- onds to frame a shot of the God Bless deli, and who started ignoring gentrification talk two days ago, shrugs and whispers to me, “I’d kill to live here.” I ask Mr. Blasengame if he and the many other Brooklynites who are complaining about the change aren’t overstating the problem – rich people throwing money around, even if they’re annoying actors, can’t rate that highly in things that ruin your quality of life. “When you know what’s being ruined, it matters,” he says. We go back to his apartment and read about Portland, Oregon, which, ac- cording to the Willamette Week, doesn’t suck yet. segues all feuding into a discussion of what our our visit, until said fear, combined with retro- agent,” I say, doing my best James Lipton. Mentioned in this article: photographer would like to drink, and how big cocktail-induced vertigo, forces us all from the The object of our loathing is a big-haired, Galapagos, www.galapagosartspace.com our photographer’s lens might be. building. high-domed, saggy, small-bodied, mid-thir- Vice Magazine, www.viceland.com We are eventually led to a secret bar in ties actor who has been lecturing two equally Brooklyn Rail, www.brooklynrail.org the Lower East Side called Milk and Honey Brunch without the Agent saggy and small-bodied, mid-thirties women Brooklyn Baby, www.brooklynbaby.com – a bar so hip that it has no sign, no line and “Oh my God am I a douche bag! I am going to about the way people misunderstand his acting Willamette Week, www.wweek.com you must get a secret phone number to gain tell an entire restaurant about my agent and my career, his craft and his various gifts – most Two Man Gentlemen Band, entrance. The sublime beauty of the staff and acting career!” Blasengame moans the next day sentences beginning with, “I was saying this to www.two-man-gentlemen-band.com patrons is enough to cool down Mr. Blasen- at a small café in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. my agent the other day.” Electric Lights, www.electriclightsmusic.com game. Sadly, I am unable to consider anything “It is not acting, it is crafting, the stage “This is why I wear that sweatshirt, that but the waitress’s enormous hair for the hour of and screen are craft and art, as I always tell my one I wore last night in Manhattan,” Blasen- 4
Seven Saunas and a La-Z-Boy WWW.GRAPEVINE.IS Spas are for men NEWS | PODCASTS | READ ALL BACKISSUES | LISTINGS
by sveinn birkir björnsson “You are going to a spa,” my editor said with jasmine. Its name was impossible to remember Grapevine Ad Index a sly smirk on his face, obviously enjoying the under the conditions of extreme relaxation, idea of sending a man for whom the word but I was told that the oil is most beneficial to Accomodation “bouncer” is included in any verbal description people who are under a lot of pressure. Grundarfjörður Youth Hostel 46 The Student Bar 22 – to a beauty parlour. “Apparently, men now Afterwards, I was treated to a facial scrub, Kaldbakskot Guesthouse 46 Við Tjörnina 25 go to spas,” he offered up as an excuse. “It’s the which removes the dead skin cells from the Urðarstekkur Guesthouse 46 Vín og Skel 37 new squash.” face, to reveal the new and fresh skin un- Well, I am happy to report that the joke is derneath. Then a moisturising cream, with Activities Museums and gallaries on him. a distinct smell of hemp, was applied to my Aldrei fór ég suður 7 Gallery i82 7 I entered Laugar Spa – Beauty and Mas- face. The smell was to cause me a significant Blue Lagoon 41 Listasafn Reykjavíkur 32 sage Clinic, and was greeted by my masseuse, amount of trouble later in the day, but com- Centre 4 Þjóðmenningarhús 35 Anna María. Once my shirt was off and I was pared to the moisturising and curative abilities City Centre Booking Service4 8 lying comfortably, face down, on the massage of hemp cream, it was probably a small price to Elding Whale Watching 12 Shopping bench, she started describing the therapy for pay. Ground Zero 29 66 North 3 me. Although massage and facial scrubs are an Hafsúlan Whale Watching 30 Carlsberg light4 0 “We try to focus on what we call holistic integral part of the operation, the experience Iceland Symphony Orchestra 8 Cintamani 11 treatments. We prefer to work the whole body, is not complete without a visit to the sauna. Reykjavík Excursions1 3 Englatár 25 or several different areas, instead of focusing Actually, calling it a sauna is a gross under- Gjafir Jarðar 25 on one specific area of the body. We combine statement. The Laugar Spa offers up a massive Cafes, Bars and Restaurants Húfur sem Hlæja 35 something like back, shoulders and face, or relaxation room containing seven different sau- 2 Fiskar 24 The Viking3 3 head and feet,” she explained as she began nas, each with a special theme based on aroma, A.Hansen2 1 working my lower back. “The most popular lighting and sound or differing temperatures. Aktu Taktu 28-29 Transportation treatments are the hot stone treatment, and the There are ice showers, cold tubs and cold- Bernhöftsbakarí 29 Berg4 4 chocolate treatment.” Chocolate? “Yes, we use water buckets to cool you off once the sauna Café Aroma 27 Budget 45 a special oil made from chocolate. Chocolate is becomes too effective. Food Taxi 15 Hertz 47 rich in antioxidants, it is very good for circula- Also available is the seawater Jacuzzi, Grillið 47 tion, and it smells good, too.” and the six-metre wide waterfall, which is set Hressó 37 Other services After about 20 minutes of a back rub, with against softly formed granite sculptures by O-Sushi 36 Forex 41 relaxing music playing at low volume from a artist Sigurður Guðmundsson. All this may Roma 5 Heimsfrelsi 48 speaker somewhere, I was drifting in and out sound nice, but what really blew me away were Segafredo 5 Landbúnaðarháskóli Íslands 8 of consciousness. I could distinctly feel the two rooms situated on the opposite ends of the Shalimar 37 & 25 Netbankinn9 stress and tension of daily life leaving my body: much larger sauna room. On one end, there is in that sense, a massage is more akin to exor- a special relaxation room filled with La-Z-Boy cism than any other bodily treatment. chairs and a fireplace. “More and more men come here to get a “This is where people can go to relax,” facial treatment,” Anna María told me when Anna María told me. “In here it is forbidden to the back massage was over. “It has become a talk. It is very popular to get massagers in here Classified popular gift from wives and girlfriends. The and give people a shoulder rub before entering golfer’s dream, which is a back and foot mas- the saunas.” On the opposite end is the restau- Urðarstekkur Guesthouse sage, is also very popular among men.” rant, where you can get warm meals and cold Cheap accommodation just by bus-terminal She gave me a sniff of two different bottles drinks. “People often come here to spend the at Mjódd of massage oils and explained to me that the whole day. Getting a massage, eating, going to Urðarstekkur 12 - 109 Reykjavík facial treatment was really an aromatherapy the sauna and taking a swim.” I daydreamed, tel: 557-4095 treatment as well as a massage. “We let people briefly, about being one of those people, then choose between different oils. Different smells fought the smile and nodded, saying I under- Grundarfjörður Youth Hostel have different effects on the body.” stood how that might be a pleasant experience. Do nothing, then rest. Or go hiking, swim- ming, horse-riding, whale wathcing, kayak- I am also told it takes about seven to eight Spending a whole day at the überspa. I then ing, golfing and more. minutes for the smell to start working, but tried to drag out my visit, in the interest of Central in Snæfellsnes. Open all year. you will immediately recognise the scent that journalism, for as long as possible. Tel: 562-6533/8956533 is most beneficial to your body at that time. When I eventually left Laugar Spa, I may [email protected] “People always make the right selection; you not have looked any less like a bouncer. But at automatically prefer the smell that gives your least I looked like a clean and relaxed bouncer. body what it needs the most,” she said as I se- lected an oil that smelled vaguely of wood and It’s the journey - not the destination ÍSLENSKA AUGLÝSINGASTOFAN/SIA.IS HER 29774 09/2005
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REYKJAVÍK´S YOUR FREE COPY ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER ISSUE FOUR: APR 7 - MAY 5
Stuffed with stuff
“There has long been this tendency in Icelan- dic society to want to sweep uncomfortable issues under the carpet, even though everyone knew they were there. For instance, you might have a weird uncle that you think hangs out with kids a little bit too much, but no one wants to say anything.” Marteinn Þórsson, of Kompás news magazine. Page 6.
“They’ve been taking care of the security of our country for a long time now, so that will be missed, not to mention the services and the jobs they’ve provided.” Independence Party MP Guðjón Hjör- leifsson on what he’ll miss about the Keflavík NATO base. Page 12.
“The movie is going to be about young people, about life, about danger- ous, extreme moments… But it will not be just about guys and gangs, like Svolochi or Brigada … I have an idea about the opening scene: a girl opens her eyes and real- ises that she’s alive.” Yulia Volkova of t.A.T.u. on the future of Russian cinema. Page 38.
“We really need women here. We have been re- duced to sharing them,” Young man from Egilsstaðir on the effects that importing large numbers of manual labourers have had on the dating scene in Northeastern Iceland. Page 42.