Gemma D. Alexander

ByGD

1860, Agent Fresco, Airwaves, Airwaves12, Asgeir Trausti, Blue Lagoon, Chill Party, Iceland, Iceland Airwaves, Lockerbie, Mr. Silla, Siinai, Stereo Hypnosis

Blue Lagoon Chill at Iceland Airwaves Saturday

Stamina began to be an issue on Saturday, and not just for the old farts like me. The occasional napper could always be found on the couches or in the hammock in the KEX lobby, but today they were dropping like flies. At one point, all of the couches were full.

I began to see the wisdom of hosting the Blue Lagoon Chill Party on Saturday afternoon, and as much of a challenge as it was to get up in time for the bus out there, I was really looking forward to treating my headbanger’s neck with a massage while floating in geothermal waters.

Dropping like flies

Iceland Airwaves is so Metal

Angist

Iceland Airwaves is rightly known as one of the premier indie music festivals in Europe (the world?). So I’m not sure how I managed to spend two days at such a kick-ass metal festival. But I did. Thursday and Friday of my festival consisted mostly of metal bands, with some very notable exceptions. Read More

ByGD

Airwaves, Airwaves12, Ghostigital, KEX, KEXP, Ojba Rasta, Solstafir

In Which the Wind Alters My Plans and Solstafir Changes My Life

Planning emergency repairs

On Friday of Airwaves, I spent some time writing in the morning, where I overheard others in the hostel reworking their plans because all of the tourist excursions had been cancelled due to heavy winds. I ventured out to the media center and find out whether the press tour to Sigur Rós’ recording studio and Halldor Laxness’ house had also been cancelled. The walk that took ten minutes when I picked up my wristband earlier in the week took nearly half an hour this morning. This was partly due to struggling against the wind, and partly due to blocks of Laugavegur being closed while emergency crews cleaned up damage from the pieces of metal roofing and siding that had blown off buildings along the high street. Read More

ByGD

Hurricane Sandy, Iceland, Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavik, storm, wind

I Want My Hat Back

Waves crashing over the sea wall onto the waterfront path.

The wind, oh the wind wind wind wind wind wind. Oh the roaring and boring of the wind deep in to my bones in to my soul. Oh the wind wind wind wind wind wind.

Edgar Allan Poe should have written about wind instead of bells. Actually, now that I think about it, it’s really strange that he didn’t. Maybe he did and I just can’t think of it because I haven’t slept in days. Whatever historical fact may be, it is certain that if Poe had lived in Reykjavík, he would have written about wind. Read More

ByGD

Airwaves, HAM, Iceland Airwaves, Of Monsters and Men, Skalmold, Solstafir, The Heavy Experience

Blown Away on Thursday Night at Iceland Airwaves

Image of Harpa from Wikipedia

After listening to far too many wonderful sets while staring at walls or other people’s backs, I determined to stake out a venue for the evening. I chose Harpa, the exquisite glass sculpture of a building on the waterfront that houses at least three different performance spaces, and hosted the greatest number of acts I wanted to catch on Thursday night.

And besides, it was physically difficult to walk outside in winds so fierce that (foreign) people were starting to whisper the word “hurricane” doubtfully to each other.

The view from KEX along the waterfront. Harpa is the black building.

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Blue Lagoon Chill at Iceland Airwaves Saturday