Kieran Webber
Director and Founder of CLUNK Magazine, CLUNK Events, and other CLUNK affiliate businesses. You’ll probably find me tucked away somewhere sending emails, listening to music, and creating content.
We headed to the land of ice and snow to relish in its natural beauty and live music for Iceland Airwaves 2023
As the nights began to close in and winter creped its head around the corner you’d think the natural place to visit would be somewhere that is renown for sun, sea, and surf. Yet we found ourselves boarding our Iceland Airwaves flight to a country that boasted snow tipped mountains, cold weather conditions, and frozen lakes. However, this winter excursion was to enjoy the musical delicacies that the city wide festival in Reykjavik (Iceland Airwaves) has to offer. Of course this trip had the added bonus of incredible scenery and near mystical surroundings.
After a few days exploring the city of Reykjavik it was time to indulge our musical taste buds and first up was Yard Act at the Art Museum. Located by the old harbour the Art Museum provided a space that was vast yet intimate. The sound in this great hall was immaculate with each performer sounding utterly fantastic not to mention the visual element created by the brilliant lightwork. All in all the Art Museum was the crown jewel of Iceland Airwaves.
As Yard Act stepped out the room exploded into loud applause and cheers and the likely lads from Leeds relished in the moment. The trench coat laden frontman James Smith put on a performance that was delightfully infectious and poignant. His witty lyricism chewing through the technical yet minimalist indie rock sound. This performance proved that they are worthy of every accolade they’ve achieved and are one of the best British musical exports in a long time.
After this we made our way across the road to the more grungy scenes of Gaukurinn, a small, dark, and somewhat dingy place that was perhaps best set up for a wild punk night, of which I am sure it has played host too. However, this time round we were seeing Brightons shining stars Lime Garden. They played to a bustling room of eager Icelanders eager to hear what all the hullabaloo was about.
The band came out and showed exactly why they’re one of the most talked about British bands at the moment. It was a set full of poetic, bouncy indie bops that are filled to the brim with a daringly infectious nonchalance. We bang on about this band a lot but I promise you after seeing them in a live setting you’ll understand why. They’re truly a fantastic band and in Iceland they proved they’re worthy of much larger stages. Hopefully we see that in the future.
Following this was yet another cross road adventure to the Art Museum to catch the American artist Blondshell, an artist that is fusing grunge, emo, indie, and pop into one sonic bundle. Her emotive songwriting fused with the brooding guitar and subtle percussion makes for a nostalgic listen, yet remains fresh to ears old and new. Theres some buzz building around the Blondshell and we will be watching closely as her Iceland Airwaves set left a great first impression.
Our next musical dish was served by the another British indie export Bombay Bicycle Club, a band that has been active for over a decade. During the peak indie moment in the UK they captured fans imaginations with their debut ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’ and found themselves up there with the likes of The Maccabees, Franz Ferdinand, and many more. Now, fast forward and they’re still turning heads and their latest album ‘My Big Day’ still slaps as hard as their debut.
Their live show speaks for itself and their performance at Iceland Airwaves was nothing short of spectacular. They played a varied set of old and new and of course played the classics such as ‘Eat, Sleep, Wake (Nothing But You)’, ‘Shuffle’, and ‘Lights Out, Words Gone’. Seeing this established band that soundtracked my younger days, in an incredible space such as the Arts Museum, Reykjavik was nothing short of wonderful. The venue provided the perfect space for their sound to soar, and soar it most certainly did.
Then as the weekend wound down as did our energy levels which led us to seek out a more chilled out experience. This led us to Gamla Bíó where experimental pianist Hauschka who created a fascinating soundscape with his experimental and unorthodox playing. Using what I think was loop pedals and electrical equipment within the piano he made a sound that was uneasy yet alluring, it was a beautiful juxtaposition. The music matched the old, regal theatre in a way that created a beautiful synergy, it was a real experience that ended up being a highlight of the festival, even if it was unplanned.
Continuing on with our relaxed experience we waited for the Canadian artist Andy Shauf, who played a solo acoustic set that was destined for a room of attentive fans. This was given to Andy bar one or two chatty punters hanging in the back who did face the ire of Andy who called them out directly during his set. After this the room fell silent and into Shauf’s soft, warm vocals. It was a cozy embrace from the artist and a great way to finish our Iceland Airwaves experience.
All in all Iceland Airwaves was an experience that I will remember for the rest of my days. It is an excellent showcase of not just the music, art and culture they have to offer (as well as internationally) but a great showcase of the country itself. All the staff were incredibly friendly, forthcoming and helpful. The venues were accommodating and had some amazing line-ups and the countries landscape was forever an inspiration and awe inspiring. Iceland Airwaves is a must for any music fan or industry head but be prepared to spend a tenner on a pint!
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