��������������� ����������������������������� ������������������ ����������������������������������������� �������������������������������� ������������������������������������������� ����������������������������� ����������������������������������������� ��������������� ������������ 2 The Reykjavík Grapevine Hafnarstræti 15, 2nd floor www.grapevine.is [email protected] ISSUE 8: JUNE 24 - JULY 7, 2005 Published by: Bazar Publishing ehf. Editor: 540-3602 / [email protected] rticles Advertising: 540-3605 / 616-7731 / [email protected] A Marketing: 540-3603 / 869-7796 / [email protected] Distribution: Interview with Sigríður Dögg Auðunsdóttir 540-3601 / 694-2538 / [email protected] 06 Production: 540-3608 / 849-5611 / [email protected] 12 Grapevine’s Government Guide. Listings: 552-3600 / 847-9290 / [email protected] Who They Are and How They Vote Subscription: 540-3601 / 694-2538 / [email protected] 14 Interview with Jello Biafra Publisher: Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / [email protected] Editor: Bart Cameron / [email protected] 16 Benign Carelessness Marketing Director: Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / An interview with Director Dagur Kári [email protected] Production Manager: Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / Features [email protected] Art Direction: Jóhannes Kjartansson / [email protected] (Iceland) Mired in Tradition 18 Hörður Kristbjörnsson / [email protected] (Global) Iceland’s Courts and Sexual Assault Law Staff Journalist: Paul Fontaine-Nikolov / [email protected] 20 Iron Maiden Editorial Intern: Sari Peltonen / [email protected] The spandex-clad knights of British metal! Advertising Sales: Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / [email protected] Helgi Þór Harðarson / [email protected] 24 Screaming Viking, Ignoring the Volcano Photographs: Hörður Sveinsson / [email protected] Problems with Iceland’s economy aren’t superficial. Guðmundur Freyr Vigfússon / [email protected] Frímann Kjerúlf / [email protected] Essentials Proofreader: Erika Wolfe Distribution: Jóhann Páll Hreinsson 28 City Guide 30 Shopping Guide Cover Photo by: Gúndi and Grapevine Purchases That Justify Existence On Cover: Hilmar Þór Hafsteinsson & Anna Clausen Hair & Makeup: Sóley Ástudóttir Foreigner’s Guide to Buying Fish 31 Stylists: Anna Clausen & Sóley Ástudóttir with Lína Móey & Berglind Rögnvaldsdóttir 32 Restaurant reviews Thanks to: Eggert Feldskeri, Kron, Ásgeir Þormóðsson, Kjartan Jóh, Loftur, Sigurður, Jónína & Þjóðmenningarhús 33 Bezt í Heimi Printed by: Ísafoldarprentsmiðja ehf. The best restaurants in the world. # of copies: 30,101 Arts & Culture 34 Grapevine Book Reviews Nei! sagði litla skrímslið (No! said the little monster) 35 The Grapevine Presents A Spoken Word Creation 36 “Gullpensillinn” (“The Gold Brush”) Turpentine Gallery 38 Grapevine Has Bad Taste Concert Reviews 40 Album Reviews: 80’s Bands 42 Live Concert Reviews: 17 June Concerts and The New Breed at Keflavík 44 Batman Begins Superhero Actors, Supervillain Script. 45 Dark Horse Boy Meets Girl Raises the Stakes in Icelandic Cinema 46 Hotel Review Radisson with Local History Outside Reykjavík 40-53 Driving the Ring Road, Jökulsárlón, Hótel Skaftafell, Grapevine on Tour: Cooking and Travelling Thailand 54 Lodgings: The Salvation Army Guesthouse JÓNSSON & LE’MACKS • jl.is Reykjavík: Kringlan - Bankastræti 5 - Lækjargata 4 - Faxafen 12 Garðabær: Miðhraun 11 - Akureyri: Glerárgata 32 - Also available in selected shops around Iceland. GET A 10% DISCOUNT OF EVERYTHING IN OUR STORES BY PRESENTING THIS COUPON Keeping Iceland warm since 1926 LETTERS Complaints, criticism, suggestions, praise, money, anything at all: Contact [email protected] or send your mail to: The Reykjavík Grapevine, Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík. Hi Bart, From: Kara Hnjukar [mailto: observing Icelanders in regards to I was in Iceland until yesterday [email protected]] people of color and immigrants. doing my journo-ing bit looking at Others would describe my a new product made by an Icelandic “It should be noted that the fascination as freakish obsession company and picked up an issue term “professional protestor” since I am a black woman from of the Grapevine in my hotel, (atvinnumótmælandur) has been Alabama. Most people in Alabama the Bjork. I like the look of the frequently used to describe those suffer from severely localized Grapevine, long may it succeed and practicing civil disobedience in mentalities. When I was moving prosper. Iceland. The term is inaccurate, to London years ago, countless Something else that caught my as there is no such thing as a southerners asked me what language attention was the Icelandic girl in “professional protestor.” they spoke “over there.” But, I the rather beat-up, soft-top Suzuki Of course professional protestors digress. Vitara jeep, which had broken down exist. Throughout history, imperial right in the middle of Laugavegur forces on both right and left have I visited Iceland in April through on Wednesday at around noon. often bribed citizens to turn against Icelandair’s Midweek Getaway. I Now obviously, most British guys their own government. Surely you had an amazing trip. Yes, the natural would be far too reserved to ask for must have heard the term “fifth wonders and horseback riding were the phone number of a woman in columnist”? nice, but my best days were spent distress. Normally, I would have schlepping around Reykjavík’s thrown caution to the wind and Closer to home, you say that “all are coffeehouses. As much as I would asked, but I was on my way to catch welcome” to join the demonstration like to say that I no longer feel a bus to the airport to come home. outside the Ministry of Justice. You drawn to Icelandic history and So, through your letters pages, are presumably being paid a salary immigration issues, I cannot. I feel may I enquire as to the condition at the Grapevine so the Icelandic more compelled to study the strange of her battery now (well, I am an government could claim that you are way Icelanders insist bigotry doesn’t automotive journalist!) and whether, a “professional protestor”. happen in their country. For some should she read this, she might send reason, Icelanders seem to think that me either her phone number, or e- And let’s not forget that Susan de placing focus on preservation of their mail? I’ll be coming back to Iceland Muth, the author of that Guardian lineage and culture has nothing to do later this year and would be happy piece, is the wife of protestor Ólafur with bigotry. It’s the same mentality to bring a new set up ‘jump leads’ Páll Sigurðsson. Presumably she that fueled the Ku Klux Klan in the with me. was paid for the article, which the United States. Racism doesn’t have How many girls are there in Icelandic government and others to be a violent act or a yelled slur. Reykjavík that drive beat-up white claim to be highly inaccurate It is more offensive in those small Suzuki Vitaras? I’ll be happy to share – professional protesting by a every day acts. But, I am not writing that information with you in due journalist. And that’s nothing new. to flog Iceland because I live in the course! Incidentally, on another hypocrisy capital of the modern tack, why is it that Icelanders are so This kind gentleman confirms the world. blind to the treasures that are right definition of “professional protestor” not there in front of them? I’m talking with the fascist belief that if you have a I would like to know if there is any about 1930s ‘Art Deco’ buildings. view that doesn’t match the government way someone like myself could assist True, there are quite a few bad you are there to cause disorder. No, he with your paper on a volunteer level. examples, but Reykjavík has some advances it to a unique level: if you I currently live in Philadelphia and really excellent - if rather neglected report on someone who doesn’t fully have writing experience. I work as a - examples that with a little bit of agree with the government you are a copy editor at a financial firm. imagination could provide more than “professional protestor.” Excellent logic. a good enough reason to visit the April Dobbins city. If you, or the Icelandic tourist We are familiar with the term fifth office doesn’t believe me, look no column, a term coined by General We welcome submissions from around further than the equally hard to Mola in during the Spanish Civil the world, though we focus mainly on reach New Zealand city of Napier War, but that has since been used to local issues. We pay all writers as much for inspiration. scare populations about foreign-born as we can. I managed to (just) find enough populations, especially popular against time to start photographing the best Jews in Britain in the middle of the Regarding blatant racism, in this examples I could find and asked last century, as Jews would be loyal, issue we decided not to print any of the a number of local book dealers according to their accusers, to anarchists Iceland is a white motherland emails and antique dealers whether there and Bolsheviks. How curious to see the that we receive. For one thing, they was a society in Iceland for term thrown about in Iceland when have gotten more violent in tone and the preservation of what I think a group of locals want to protest big they are not adding to the stupid racist Icelanders call ‘funky’ 1930s-style business. discussion—so if you want to read buildings and objects. With massive about ignorant angry racists, read any degrees of redevelopment now taking The kindly gentleman also confuses of our back issues. place in the city centre, it would be a the Grapevine for any and all foreign great shame if this heritage was lost media. There he is correct. The foreign Another reason we aren’t running any now in my view. media is actually a large jellyfish-like of the angry racist letters is because Is there an opening here for a new creature living in a parallel universe whenever we try to respond to one of the pressure group? If so, count me in.