Door: Andrew. Foto’s: Dennis

Ok so I may have partied a little too hard yesterday…possibly about the time that photo guru Dennis started getting me Birch flavoured schnapps-esque shots to chase down the pints of organic beer in KEX hostel while I fell deeply in love with a delightful young lady wearing a unicorn costume including tail and corset. Or maybe unicorns don’t wear corsets, I don’t really know as I’ve never met one. Anyway I’m totally knocked out, and when I finally wake up I get knocked out again as my wonderful travelmates took exception to something I may have said or done and have replaced the water in my water bottle with vodka. After belting back about half the contents I realize this and have to have that special internal discussion people have where they have to choose between blacking out and throwing up everywhere. Luckily I could choose an alternative option and I simply went back to bed.
Time passes and I get up again as Dennis is being a pain in the ass by noisily making coffee and annoying me by waking me up to ask if I want any. I mumble something and he goes away again but not before being all friendly and placing a steaming mug of the good stuff by my bed, where I can smell it but not actually reach it. He is not a very nice person really.



Continue reading →

Door: Andrew. Foto’s: Dennis

And so it came to be that I was hanging out in the Kaffibarinn. The bar-ladies took all the other tables away, but not mine. I get envious looks from the people around me even though I am not that special: I’m hiding in a corner, the corner of the tiny front room of the tiny Kaffibarinn with a beer and my writing stuff, even though the coffee is ridiculously awesome. Still, my table, man, it makes me cool. My table, it is ME.

A giant wearing an Eels sweatshirt shuffles by. An older rocker in sunglasses and a tweed jacket sips an espresso and nods to me like he knows me. Across the room from me some dude who looks a lot like Damien Rice is sound checking, And so it is with secrets: I give them away immediately: I do not see why I should keep them, and in this case Damien is Bedroom Community’s surprise guest to Airwaves off-venue. (He’s in Reykjavik recording a new album hint hint) People do not seem to know: some dudes standing by a wall don’t even know where they are, or who will be playing….a couple girls near me do know, and nothing on earth will move them from the places they’ve chosen for themselves. Soon he vanishes…after all it’s a secret shhhh! so I can chill for a little while longer. Me, my beer, and my table.


Continue reading →

Door: Andrew. Foto’s: Dennis, Reinier

As I was leaving our apartment I strike up a conversation with the lovely tattooed lady behind the front desk. The usual things really: how is Airwaves, how are you finding Iceland, are the queues for the venues very long? She has a master’s degree in Tourism and is very curious about the people staying in her business and how they’re finding the festival (mostly because she’s not going this year and is fairly envious of my press pass).



Continue reading →

Door: Andrew. Foto’s: Dennis

Yeah, ladies and gents, another day of lazying around and being yelled at by friends for not being in the queue at 1 pm for ISO/Ólafur Arnalds-tickets. I arrived in time in Kofinn to chill out with a beer before Seth Sharp got up from his table to go sing some jazz and soul-infused songs of his own and other artists. All by himself, with only equally soulful guitar massaging wonderboy Benjamin as his support. Seth croons the good word to the twenty or so people sitting around drinking beers and cups of coffee. He is a pretty good singer despite the fact that – from what I could judge – not being able to hear himself in the Kofinn PA. So I gained a lot of respect for Mr Sharp. This newfound respect grows even more when Seth croons a particularly terrifying Icelandic folk tale regarding a dead child, even turning this horror story into a soulful ballad. All while guitarist Benjamin picks mournfully at his strings. A really awesome way to ease myself into the day!



Continue reading →

Door: Andrew. Foto’s: Dennis en Reinier

So after going to bed much too late last night – and staying in bed equally late in the morning – I finished my write-up for Tuesday and dragged my lazy ass outside and down to the lovely C Is For Cookie to have breakfast. Ok, – technically – it was after three but hey, breakfast is breakfast!



Continue reading →

Door: Andrew. Foto’s: Dennis

Hey there and welcome to the first File Under-report ever in the beautiful language that is English! Yes, enjoy it lovely readers! I’m in Iceland and it is bloody cold. The Weather App is saying some pretty nasty things…but it’s all good. I love Iceland, but I freely admit I love it just a little bit more when it’s time for a certain special festival!



Continue reading →

Door: Andrew. Geen foto's van Dennis.

Yay, na 12 aaneengesloten uren slaap voel ik me in zoverre hersteld van mijn verkoudheid dat de overweging op te staan na enig denkwerk toch actief aangepakt wordt. Wel helaas net zo laat dat ik niets meer kan zien, bandjesgewijs, omdat in de verte Sigur Rós dreigt.
De ervaring leert nu eenmaal dat Airwaves (en Airwaves-aanhangsels zoals vorig jaar Björk, nu Sigur Rós) niet bepaald vergevingsgezind is als je niet op tijd aanwezig bent. De after-Airwaves-optredens waarvoor extra kaarten vereist zijn kijken evenmin naar een persbandje om iemands pols. Kortom, wij zijn ruim op tijd aan het eten in het bijzondere Hamborgarafabrikkan (er bestaat ook een documentaire van, érg IJslands, best de moeite) waar ze inderdaad…hamburgers serveren in alle soorten en maten, en tevens bijzonder lekkere koffie. Zoals bijna overal in IJsland trouwens. De koffiehemel, echt! Extra voordeel is dat het slechts een kwartier stevig doorstappen is naar het optreden, tenminste op Dennis tempo, en 25 minuten voor normale mensen, vanaf de Laugardalshöll.


Continue reading →