So
Iceland Airwaves '09
is officially over. As always, it went off with a bang, as can be seen
from the comprehensive coverage of the event by local and international
media. Esteemed local magazine
The Reykjavík Grapevine
put impressive effort into covering the event this year, managing to
review almost every single show - all but two, as it turns out. The
foreign press were there in abundance too, generally having fun and
writing about the overwhelming amounts of music and talent that Iceland
has to offer. You can find some of the most prominent reviews from the
event - local and international - below.
And let's not forget the crowds too. As Grapevine editor (and IMX staff member) Haukur S Magnússon said in his reflective
final piece on the festival:
"Another thing that impressed me greatly, what I’ve come to hold as one
of the principal reasons Airwaves often surpasses similar festivals of
its calibre (and that’s not empty boasting – I’ve been around) is the
amount of work the audience is willing to put into it. A band might
only have four officially released tracks to their name (like Drums)
and they still get to perform to a crowded venue brimming with folks
that are singing along to their stuff. You had people queuing up for
experimental ambient-noise shows. Couples slow-dancing to obscure DJs
or even more obscure acoustic duos. Festivalgoers seem eager to embrace
and celebrate a lot of unheard music over the course of five days.
That’s dedication."
MTV
http://www.mtv.co.uk/artists/iceland-airwaves
Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/oct/22/top-10-music-festivals?page=3