This is the celebrated journal of Mr. Simon Collison A.K.A Colly

Say hello, Airwaves goodbye

25th October 2004

So, Gus Gus on stage at 3.30am. Taxi back to Hafnarfjordur at 4.15am. Taxi to Keflavik airport at 5.50am - still drunk. It’s fair to say I am extremelly knackered right now. Iceland Airwaves is over for another year, and I’m back in drab, untidy, polluted England - and I need some sleep. Still, my fingers are working, so here’s the final installment…

The final night of Airwaves was typically rousing, despite the freezing cold. We managed to catch bands at two venues - Hafnarhus and NASA. At the former, we caught damn fine English/Icelandic band The Honeymoon, who impressed us with blissy melodies and beautiful vocals (Especially Thorunn singing Summer’s Gone). Managed to have a chat with Englishman Wayne from the band, who seemed like a nice chap. Reckon I’m gonna have to get the album.

Leaves got a bit of criticism in the UK for sounding too English. So what? They sound great. Bravely last night, they ignored their top debut album, and played entirely new stuff, showing they’ve matured into a much more experimental, dare I say progressive bunch capable of speeding stuff up, slowing it down, and really engaging a crowd with unheard material. I’ve no idea what the new album will be called, or when it’s out, but I’ll be sure to recommend it on the strength of this gig.

Right, obviously we didn’t want to stick around to see headliners Keane, cuz they’re rubbish, overblown scamps who don’t use guitars, and are a little bit like Foreigner. The buggers followed us home on our flight too, Scruffy, disinterested bunch, I tell you. Don’t buy their records. Anyway, we headed off to big club NASA to catch a wealth of Icelandic talent, including the frail but slightly electro strains of Mugison, who was great (bought his album), plus The Bravery (actually from New York, and very shit), Unsound (meandering sub-Fourtet digital sampling and stuff), my old mates Quarashi (who absolutely rocked), Trabant (weird Queen-like rock posturing and nonsensical naked entertainment), and finally…finally…oh, c’mon…oh, they’re on…Gus Gus.

I’m way too tired to go into any more detail now - I’m starting to see stars. I think tomorrow I’ll do a full overview and write much, much more about why Iceland is so great, and why it’s important, and muse on the fact that England isn’t any good by comparison. Yes, that’ll be a good topic…

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