Iceland Airwaves 2022

10 November 2022 - Editorial

“We are here, we’re back. There were times when we weren’t sure we’d ever get to do this again” – words from the visibly enthused host at the Reykjavík Art Museum, addressing the welcome party for Iceland Airwaves 2022.

After a three-year break and the ongoing difficulties around touring (and selling tickets) it’s been a genuine pleasure to spend a few days in Reykjavík, witnessing the much-discussed (and sold-out) festival first hand.  Last week’s preview highlighted just some of the ones to watch for the 2022 edition, including rising popstar and talented producer Gugusar plus local DIY favourites Sucks To Be You, Nigel – both of which played to packed venues and eager new international fans. Describing themselves as “post hard rock math chaos”, Sucks To Be You, Nigel’s debut record Tína blóm is surprisingly upbeat – you can buy it here.

We spent the rest of Thursday night at the Reykjavík Art Museum where we caught Melbourne’s finest export of the past four decades, Amyl and The Sniffers. An increasingly, undeniably exciting live act, vocalist Amy Taylor is a total one-off. Grounded by a solid rhythm section, Taylor is peerless in her performance, all while being publicly, consistently inclusive.

If the on stage energy wasn’t enough, the band’s efforts behind the scenes are equally vital, though in an ideal world wouldn’t have to exist – and certainly wouldn’t fall to the artist. The queue for the women’s bathroom played host to genuinely vital inter-generational conversations around womxn’s safety at shows, thanks solely to the printed posters that A&TS provide to each venue they play: signposting help and advice around sexual harassment at shows. Outside of Iceland Airwaves for a second - this shouldn’t be on any band to solely enforce or advise on. There’s a limit to how much any artist can do for their fans when venues don’t stick to their own rules, ensure they’re hiring properly trained security, or have any sort of follow-up procedure in place for those who do report. This is an industry-wide issue that each side should care about, despite the complexity involved. (Obviously it’s not the answer to everything, but SafeGigsForWomen are doing good work in the U.K.)

Amyl and The Sniffers have more than enough substance on record to back up the hype, make sure you grab their last two albums via Rough Trade, catch up on their videos, and you can vote for them at the ARIAs too.

Daughters of Reykjavík were equally impressive, and one of our highlights of the entire week. From on-stage lactating through to timely political protest, they feel like a vital addition to any line-up.

Moving on to Friday, the Gamla Bio had a lengthy queue for ticketholders, with key acts BSI, the much-lauded FLOTT and Wisconsin’s Unusual Demont. Opening the showcase was the always-excellent Francis of Delirium, fronted by Luxembourg’s Jana Bahrich. We featured their debut EP back in 2020 via Compass, with Quit Fucking Around still receiving regular play. Now signed to Canvasback/Atlantic, you’d be wise to catch them on their current European dates.

The conference running alongside the live events was well attended, and hosted in the stunning Harpa venue. With pertinent panels on climate change and touring, modern management, and our own discussion around streaming and sourcing new routes for discovery, it felt like a genuinely helpful run of conversations, for those of us on stage as well as in the audience. You can find the full line up and all speakers at this link.

Come Saturday we were lucky enough to visit a couple of genuinely exciting studios, from beautiful vintage harpsichords at the old Sigur Ros place, through to the latest engineering technology back at Harpa. At Greenhouse Studios that same day we saw an intimate performance from post-classical composer and pianist Eydís Evensen – the perfect soundtrack for a weary Saturday afternoon. Evensen is a world-class talent – catch up on her compositions so far.

Ending their set at Gaukurinn, Skoffin brought a loyal local following, and despite the overall fun of their set, again chose to highlight some of the sadder political aspects: “It’s been a tough week for those that watch the news. It’s hard to speak out, but we stand with human rights…” ending their cover of I Fought The Law with “No borders! No nations! Stop deportations!”

We still can’t quite believe we’re back in Hackney. Reykjavík is a beautiful city, and seemingly full of artists who care deeply about their home, their community, and access for all who need it. We can’t wait to go back.

Tickets are on sale for 2023. 

Words: Ruth Kilpatrick