The first band I met up with at Aldrei fór ég suður was super adorable electronic duo, Yoda Remote. Emil and Bragi are still in their teens but they were recently signed to local label, TomTom records and have a defined sound that take others years to find. It was refreshing to see them amongst the mostly indie rock line-up.
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Aldrei fór ég suður (I Never Went South) Music Festival in Ísafjörður, Iceland is a loving ‘fuck you’ to Reykjavik in that these West Fjords (population 4000) has all the talent, activities, and shenanigans that any big city contains but with huge heart and sense of community. Here’s a great write-up about the festival by Inspired by Iceland:
Aldrei fór ég suður brings together local bands with the biggest names on the Icelandic music scene. Since its inception in 2004 the event has been run on a volunteer basis by Ísafjörður residents. Entrance to all events is free, and this year we are adding a LIVE ONLINE STREAM on www.inspiredbyiceland.com to give music fans the world over a chance to take part. Lonely Planet named Aldrei fór ég suður as one of the three most interesting happenings around the world in April in its Best of Travel 2011 round up.
If you ever plan to make your way to Iceland, I totally recommend a trip to Ísafjörður’s Aldrei fór ég suður Music Festival. You will no doubt be awestruck by the beauty of the fjords that surround your every move and the incredible warmth of its residents.
WELCOME DINNER DONE UP OLD SCHOOL
WELCOME DINNER WITH THE MAYOR
SMOKED MUSSELS
ME AND MY MTV CAMERA-BABES (WITH 66°NORTH HATS GIVEN TO US BY THE MAYOR)
WHEN IN THE WEST FJORDS, STRIKE A POSE
INSIDE THE VENUE
OUTSIDE THE VENUE
Big thanks to Michael from Icelandair and Kamilla from Iceland Music Export for making this trip happen. Looking forward to coming back to Iceland in October for Airwaves! x
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Prinspolo, the alter ego of Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson, may sound familiar. Yes, the name is inspired by the Polish chocolate bar, Prince Polo (which I love) and when I heard that Svavar's Prins is equally as food-obsessed as me, I knew I had to meet up with him. After watching the band perform at Aldrei, we made a mad dash to a friend's house for a surprise birthday performance... and of course, talked food and music afterwards.
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The one band that I was familiar with, prior to leaving for Iceland, on the Aldrei line-up was FM Belfast, whom I've loved for years. I dare you to listen to "Underwear" and not have it stuck in your head (in a good way) all day. Like most Icelandic acts, members of FM Belfast are also in many other bands (you may remember seeing Loa in the Prins Polo pictures). I had a blast chatting with FM Belfast, as you can see in the photos below:
Their high-energy performance at Aldrei was a definite highlight... and not just because everyone stripped down to their underwear.
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While looking through the line-up of acts at Aldrei, it's hard not to stop and listen to Lazyblood. With a background in dance and theatre production, Erna Ómarsdóttir and Valdimar Jóhannsson's combination of opera and death metal is incredibly captivating. I met up with the dynamic duo at Valdimar's mother's home in Ísafjörður (which also happens to be the same house that the President of Iceland was born in).
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On our final day at Aldrei in Ísafjörður, we had a huge Easter sunday dinner with all the bands who performed at the festival. I'm a huge sap so you know I totally melted at the heartwarming vibe. Before dinner, I chatted with one of the founders, fellow Icelandic musician, Mugison. The idea for Aldrei fór ég suður (I never went south) started over a pint of beer between Mugison and his father, who were both born in Ísafjörður. Their passion to show off Iceland's vibrant music scene paralleled with Ísafjörður’s offbeat location and relaxed atmosphere is a combination for festival-success.
TALKING TO MUGISON WITH HIS WIFE LOOKING OVER. VERY CUTE.
MUGISON'S DAD COOKING EASTER DINNER
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And who says I don't do sports? Well, this is probably why:
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I had such an amazing time in Copenhagen that there’s still a few more wicked places that I want to include in here should you ever venture over:
Vesterbrogade 40
1620 København
I know it seems a bit ridiculous that I would find my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Copenhagen of all places, but it’s true. Trust, LêLê’s will be one of the freshest, most richly flavourful Vietnamese meals you’ll have in your lifetime. I recommend the “Ca chien” which is Golden Dorado with tamarind, ginger & mint sauce served with banana blossom salad with fried shiitake mushroom & jasmine rice, and the “Pho bò” beef noodle soup - based on beef, vegetables and spices, and served with slices of beef, herbs and rice noodles.
Slagterboderne 1
1716 København
I went to Paté Paté for dinner before doing our night jaunt in the meatpacking district. I really dug the hearty menu of slow-cooked comfort food influenced by French, Moroccan and Spanish cuisine. My favourite item of the night was the chickpea chorizo soup.
Krystalgade 4
1172 København
I first discovered Time’s Up through their webshop where I previously ordered an oversized vintage Christian Dior shirt (same one I'm wearing in the Jolene pic below). When I finally visited the shop, I actually met the owner who’s super rad and told me that he’s opening a new location in New York very soon. Time’s Up has an impeccable selection of unique designs from around the world.
Flaesketorvet 94
1711 København
So Jolene used to be an old slaughterhouse and is located in (surprise!) the meatpacking district. We hit Jolene on our last night in Copenhagen and I was really won over by the intimate and non-pretentious atmosphere. Expect a tiny hot and sweaty dance floor, but at the same time, a very chill vibe.
With Vanessa Larkey, our camera gal
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| Driving through West Lake |
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| Afsaneh and I at the Fader Fort by FIAT (donning (re)collect) |
To shut down our last Copenhagen night in style, we met up with our new pals in Giana Factory. We started in Loui's apartment where Lisbet and Sofie were already getting the festivities started by making strawberry daiquiris from scratch. Fancy.
After knocking back a couple of Giana Factory daiquiris, the girls started jamming and played me their single, "Rainbow Girl."
The first stop of our nightlife guide was a party thrown at a swimming pool where Glasvegas was djing. The two bands are old friends and James from Glasvegas actually contributed a remix of "Rainbow Girl" for Giana Factory's upcoming remix album.
After catching up with the Glasvegas boys, we headed to Simons where the girls were djing the after-party to the swimming pool party. Are you following me here? Yeah? Okay.
We were joined at Simons by Mette from Asteroids Galaxy Tour, and with the addition of cava service and amazing tunes, good times were had.
Also a massive bonus here in Copenhagen? You can drink on the streets.
This was the absolute perfect way to end my week in Copenhagen. Thanks to all the bands who welcomed us into their homes and treated us like family, and to Bruce Sinclair & the Danish Trade Commission for making this trip possible.
Jeg elsker dig xx
In Aarhus, I was greeted by David from Veto who took on the challenge of showing me around town for the day. Aarhus is about a 3 hour road trip from Copenhagen and the second you arrive, you'll be hit by a really cool intimate vibe.
We started by walking through the centre towards the Latin Quarter, where David's cousin owns and runs a super rad ping pong bar called Shen Mao. This space used to be an old bank and they just exploded parts of it and used the shattered walls as part of the design. Sections that were blown out provide seating and convenient spots to hold your drinks.
My ping pong skills in Aarhus proved slightly better than my iceskating in Copenhagen, thankfully.
After some cider and a game of ping pong, we popped by a great record shop called BadstueRock, and then Summerbird for some decadent Danish hot chocolate. The Latin Quater is lined with amazing one-of-kind boutiques and I really dug how each building has a unique look and stands apart from each other. If you're into taking a mini-break but still want to indulge in great shopping, drinking, and eating, definitely, try to make your way out to Aarhus when you're in Denmark.
So, here's the thing about me. Other than running and jumping really fast, I have zero athletic ability. So, when I was asked to iceskate with Oh No Ono in Frederiksberg, I could already envision the catastrophe. I ended up ditching the helmet and thought holding onto the rails for dearlife would look cooler. It actually ended up being really fun and the guys were such good sports, even if I did end up being an embarassment to all Canadians.
To heal my bruised ego, I went to Andersen's Bakery to do what I do best... eat. Andersen's hot dogs are unlike any hotdog you've ever had. The bun is crusty on the outside and soft in the inside and the toppings consist of fresh pickles, ketchup and a special sauce that's like a combination of tartar sauce and mustard. So damn good.
ArtRebels is an incredible collective that combines every element of art that you could think of. Each summer, they also throw a super rad music festival in the city called TrailerPark. I met up with Creative Director, Mette Ohlendorff, at their old office space which now houses hipster bar Bakken in the Kodbyen (meatpacking) district.
Unlike the meatpacking district in New York, this area still operates as one during the day. By night, there's a fantastic restaurant called Fiskebar and a series of hole-in-the-wall bars that get super hot n sweaty on the dance floor- all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Jolene's was a fav.
After chatting with Mette, I met up with The Asteroids Galaxy Tour's Mette at Ørstedsparken. She was a burst of energy the second we shook hands and we instantly bonded over our love of red lipstick (nerd alert: we were both wearing our stand-by, MAC's Lady Danger).
Mette taught me all the swear words in Danish that I'd need to know to get by while in Copenhagen (they are also the only Danish words I remember how to say) and she also updated me on their new EP which is coming out in the next month.
After a walk in the park, we headed to the studio where she performed "Golden Age" with her band. If you haven't seen The Asteroids Galaxy Tour live, you're missing out. This girl can SING.
To close off the night, we visited Studio R where Figurines performed an acoustic version of "New Colours," off their forthcoming self-titled album which comes out in April. The guys took us around the space which is one of the cosiest and beautiful studios I have ever visited. For real. You could actually live there. As the Danes say, it's totally "hygge."
After shooting two acoustic performances back-to-back, we more than deserved a meal at MadKlubben. I recommend the fish cakes and the lamb. These two dishes will blow you away.
