Fræbbblarnir are:
- Arnór Snorrason, gÃtar
- Guðmundur Þór Gunnarsson, trommur
- Helgi Briem, bassi
- Iðunn Magnúsdóttir, söngur
- RÃkharður Friðriksson, gÃtar
- Valgarður Guðjónsson, söngur, gÃtar
Fr?bbblarnir were formed in Iceland 1978 and released a number of records until they quit early 1983. A punk / pop band
in the happy-go-lucky “sector” of the punk era playing short, melodic songs fast and raw. Inspired by the
Ramones, Clash, Stranglers, Jam, Sex Pistols, Damned, Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, Stiff Little Fingers, Undertones,
Buzzcocks, Crass, Elvis Costello, Ian Dury and many, many more of the early punk / "new wave" scene as well as 60's bands
like the Kinks, Troggs, etc... The album “Viltu nammi v?na?” is already a classic.
It’s members continued playing on and off under various names until a compilation album was released by Smekkleysa
(“Bad Taste”) in 1996 when the original name was reinstated.
Fr?bbblarnir's members on various releases were:
- on "False Death" - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, ?orsteinn, R?khar?ur, Dagn?
- on "Viltu nammi v?na?" - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Stein??r, Tryggvi
- on "Bj?r?" - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Stein??r, Tryggvi, Arn?r
- on "Northern Lights Playhouse" - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Stein??r, Tryggvi, Arn?r
- on "Popp??ttar..." - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Stein??r, Tryggvi, Kristinn
- on "Okkar ? milli" - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Stein??r, Tryggvi, Kristinn
- on "Warkweld..." - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Stein??r, Tryggvi
- on "D?samleg..." - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Ellert, Tryggvi, Arn?r, I?unn, Brynja, Krist?n
- on "Life's A Gas" - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Arn?r, Helgi, I?unn, Brynja and Krist?n
- on "Stuff" - Valgar?ur, Stef?n, Arn?r, Helgi, I?unn, Brynja and Krist?n
- on "In a nutshell" - Valgar?ur, Gu?mundur, Arn?r, Helgi, I?unn, R?khar?ur and ?orsteinn
Memories
TV family program
March 1979
Went for a recording for a Saturday Night TV show. Friends - and their friends - invited at a Thursday morning. Perhaps
not the usual hour to go to concerts. Went all right. Einar Orn stood in the corner with his back turned to the rest,
banging his head to the wall the whole time.
A Letter From Helgi
February 1979
So we quit. Already recorded for TV. And nothing ahead. Then a reader's letter in a newspaper said we were pretty great.
Written by someone named Helgi Briem. And pretty well written as a matter of fact.
We didn't need another excuse. There is someone who thinks we are all right. Better keep on going. An obligation in fact.
Helgi joined the band in 2001.
The Geniuses
In the spring of 1979 I was working at RALA. Just heard Never Mind the Bollocks here's the Sex Pistols for the
first time. It resulted in me wearing a dog collar en safety pin to work, as well as pink sneakers so everyone noticed
the punk from the north. Back home I met a few searching souls, Steinthor who later joined Fraebbblarnir, Asgeir Jonsson
later a lead singer of Bara flokkurinn. We were all revved up and waiting for the right chance.
We heard of a few punk bands from the south, the latest one called Fraebbblarnir, but we didn't know if it would turn out
to be a short joke as the others or the foundation it later turned out to be. We had really no connections in Reykjavik
but a strangely enough a guy called Arnor Snorrason was also working at RALA for the summer.
One morning I was told that Arnor was waiting to talk to the punk from the north. He had been working with Fraebbblarnir
but he and Rikki, who had played in Fraebbblarnir, were now planning their own venture. I like Arnor from the beginning
and his plans sounded exciting so I called Steinthor up north. A week later I met him and his equipment at the airport.
The Geniuses were formed with Arni Isberg on drums. We played a lot with Fraebbblarnir in the winter 1979-1980 and this
marked the rise of a new wave of music which turned out to be greater than anyone could anticipate.
Later both Arnor and Steinthor joined Fraebbblarnir while me and Rikki formed new bands, Rikki "The Slaves", and I joined
Oskar Thoris to form the "Neurotic Section". Arnor was actually our first guitarist while he also played with
Fraebbblarnir while they recorded the great "Beer". Then Fraebbblarnir were an institution, an empire deserving all the
praise they have been given.
- Arni Daniel Juliusson -
Deddi photographs
Summer 1980
Deddi showed up at most of our concerts. Always taking pictures. Probably has most of the photos on our first album.
Ramones through a payphone
Summer 1985
“Valli!”. “Hello, is Valli there”. “Valli, I'm at a Ramones concert!”. (a few Ramones
songs through the phone) “Valli .. hi... this is Steinthor.. yes we are at Ramones concert in Copenhagen ...
fantastic... I haven't got any more coins”.
Gunnthor at The Club (a private report)
May 1979
I remember seeing Fraebbblarnir for the first time at The Club. A great experience. They were raw, rough and dirty
mouthed. After a few songs Valli told the disco freaks to applauds and threatened to play another song if they didn't. A
huge applaud broke out. Then Valli thundered: "Since you love us so much, we'll play a few more songs!". Everything went
completely mad. A girl tried to argue with Fraebbblarnir but was told to bite a certain part of her body. In those days
the boring old farts of music only said "thank you" between songs. After this I started going regularly to Kopavogur to
meet with the gods.
- Gunnthor Sigurdsson -
Fræbbblarnir and I
I have Fraebbblarnir to thank for how my life developed. Or, to blame. I wasn't interested in this punk at first. There
were some newspaper articles, pictures of punks in torn clothes. I was appalled and me and my friends agreed that
Mezzoforte were a far better band then those idiots in Fraebbblarnir.
In our school was John Hansen who spent endless energy introducing Fraebbblarnir to his fellow students. He was the black
sheep in his family who had just formed a religious group and the last I heard of him was in New Zealand. He started to
petition to get Fraebbblarnir for our next annual festival and brought their False Death EP to school to sell. He was
much stronger than I was and finally managed to force a copy on me.
All right perhaps, so I agreed to go to Kopavogsbio one evening with a few guys. There they were practising for a concert
to be played the day after. A few of us sat their and finally some guys in sweaters started playing. Pretty good,
Fraebbblarnir, I thought, up close. "These aren't Fraebbblarnir", John said, "this is the Geniuses". I was only 14 years
old.
Finally Fraebbblarnir showed up, all wearing doctors dress and insane to see. They thundered great punk over an empty
hall and I was finally liberated. Thanks!
Of course I formed a band the day after, Dordinglar, with 3 other boys. We tried for months in a garage and were finally
invited to play at a concert in Kopavogsbio with Fraebbblarnir. The concert was name "Healthy youth" after some reader's
letter in a newspaper. It was Saturday 12. April 1980 and it started at two o'clock in the afternoon, most of the
concerts at Kopavogsbio started at this ridiculous hour. I have never been as stressed as before this concert. I probably
went ten times to the bathroom and I was sure I was going to faint on stage. I felt no better at the sound check in the
morning, Valli was watching and I totally messed up the lyrics, "I'm a retard", the other two were instrumental.
The concert started with an artist Dato Triffler on stage claiming his own greatness. Einar Orn introduced us and somehow
we managed to go through our program. The next weekend a review said "They should spend more time on the phrases on which
they build there song writing" - I still don't understand it.
We were allowed to spend time back stage, the Outsiders were playing one of their first concerts. We didn't dare to speak
to dangerous characters like that but I remember giving Bubbi a bottle of coke on stage to light out a cigarette.
Fraebbblarnir treated us on the other hand like equals, said we had done fine.
A band called Kolossus came after us and then Bubbi and the Outsiders came on stage, they were great and the audience
loved them. I think Mike Pollock smashed a guitar and threw out to the audience. Then there was a break.
Some went for a smoke and some went home. Fraebbblarnir didn't give a damn if the hippies were going home and started
firing themselves up backstage. Valli poured a bottle of coke over his head and they screamed a lot, beating into the
air.
Of course they were great, played the songs through without stopping, a few songs were started again when Stebbi locked
his hi-hat arm and Valli shouted "IF you don't applaud after our next songs I am going to kill you!". The room went wild
for a minute and then Valli shouted: "Shut-the-fuck-up!".
Dordinglar quit and Tryggvi, Fraebbblarnir's blond guitarist asked me to form a punk band F-8 (group 8 from our working
school group). He sang. No problem being a support band for Fraebbblarnir from now on. F-8 survived the winter 1980-1981,
probably playing on all Fraebbblarnir's concert at the time, many times in Kopavogsbio.
Fraebbblarnir's fan were mostly leather dressed punks from Hlemmur. They took the best seats swinging their moheads. They
gave us no trouble, we were playing punk, but when progressive bands like "Joi a hakanum" or "Fan Houtens Koko" were
playing, they went mad, showing their fists and screamed "Fræbbblarnir, Fræbbblarnir, Fræbbblarnir" during their program.
We went everywhere with Fraebbblarnir. Youth centres, a few towns around the country. I hardly remember those concerts
except that in Borgarbio Stebbi went to the toilet in the middle of the program and at Hella Fraebbblarnir could have had
groupies if they could have been bothered.
We were to young to be invited to party with Fraebbblarnir but Tryggvi enlightened us. A lot of weird stories were
started, Stebbi was supposed to have the greatest porn magazine collection in town, carefully locked in a drawer.
Tryggvi, who was a few years younger than the rest of the band, also reflected the way Fraebbblarnir were thinking. He
recited the lyrics on their first album and told us what they were about. FIA was about the musicians union, FIH, but
they didn't want a lawsuit so they changed the H to A. Youth memories was of course about president Vigdis and
Necrophilia about Pol Pot in Cambodia. By printing only the lyric to "Poems" Fraebbblarnir were giving poets the finger.
They always carried a grudge towards the poets, hippies, culture, leftwing crowd who controlled the culture and pop
press. I really believe Fraebbblarnir never had a favourable review in an Icelandic paper, even though ZigZag magazine
were positive on their first album.
Fraebbblarnir thought that the sound on their first album was ruined when the album was printed. Never happy with it.
Now, this greatest album of Iceland is finally on a CD with a correct and great sound. I cry from happiness. Long live
Fraebbblarnir!
- Gunnar Hjalmarsson -
Phoney punks
1980-1981
And then again, we were not "real" enough. One, half-brain-dead young poet came to a party. Was asked to use ashtray.
What an insult!
And I guess there was more. We didn't dress according to some punk dress code every day. Our lyrics didn't fit the
formula, although I still wonder what formula.
We weren't from a low enough class. At least not low enough for those snobs.
Never mind the music. Totally beside the point.
The singer can't hold a tune
1980-1982
"This singer is totally unable to hold a tune". "And absolutely no voice". "What they need is another singer". "It is the
singer who is ruining the band". "Are you guys perhaps looking for another singer?"
A few young and "not at all respected" poets were dreaming of becoming our singer. And more. But too much of a loser to
form their own band.
And then the critics...
1979-1982
By far the worst performance is by the singer. I haven't heard anything like this for a long, long time, disastrous is a
mild way of putting it - Þjóðviljinn 31. January - 1. February 1981, "Would You Like Some Candy Dear? No
thanks". Jón Viðar Sigurðsson.
I have tried several times to listen to it (the record), not experiencing excruciating pain but a horrible mental state
about the twice the time it takes to play the record, I don't know why, though. Vísir 30. April 1980, "White means
shit". Gunnar Salvarson.
The drummer was really incredible. As I sat and watched him and it dawned upon me that this was the last time they were
playing here on this tour I regretted not having been to all their concerts, if not for anything else than to enjoy a
digital drumming at a fantastic speed. ork, nr 2 1982, chr.
Their first LP has 13 new songs and five "oldies" in new versions. Worth checking for new versions of Rudy, Public Image
(slow with doo-wop vocals) and Then I kissed her. ZigZag mars 1981.
World fame with a Swedish girl
September 1980
Were in London, Went to the Marquee. A bit slow. Into the next pub. Chatting with a young Swedish girl. From Iceland? The
only thing she remembered about the country was a punk band she had read about in Aftonbladet.
We were almost proud.
Also met a Swedish guy, Yalle Nonsense. Send us a few albums. IQ55. Quite good but a little bit dark.
Listening outside the garage
Winter 1979
We heard a rumour that Fræbbblarnir were rehearsing in a certain garage in Kopavogur. We had to do something about that
and night after night we stayed behind the garage listening. Our heroes inside practising and we were more than happy to
hear bits every now and then. Our dream was to be invited inside to listen - a little far fetched since we ran into
hiding every time we saw someone. And to be invited inside, not just to listen, but to play. A free ride to the moon and
back was more likely. Then Ari called a few months later.
- Tryggvi Þór Tryggvason -
Falkinn, Northern Lights Playhouse
Summer 1981
One of many attempts to get us noticed abroad was done by Rough Trade. A compilation album that Falkinn did with them. We
had three songs. Still no calls from record companies.
Sterio
Summer 1981
One of the smartest thing we did in the Summer of 1981 was to pay a visit to Sterio, a shop run by Gardar and Biggi, and
get some equipment, PA system. They did a lot of concerts getting little pay. Even little things like not playing with
ruined cables made a world of difference.
Bloodstains in Hafnarfjordur
Summer 1981
One summer we used to practise under a mini supermarket in Hafnarfjordur. Great place to use after the store closed.
Steinthor even thought the bloodstains running down from their meat department made it extra charming.
Laugarvatn
February 1981
Went with F8 and the Nerve Asylum to play in Laugarvatn's High School. Arnor played with us, as well as the Nerve Asylum.
Tryggvi played with F8 and us. A relatively empty place but all the happier when they went back to their dorm. Probably
we were never better. Forty songs played in a few minutes, hardly any pause. Seven - eight songs connected to lose as
little time as possible.
False Death - Undertones
July 1980
A new Undertones album was released in the summer of 1980. Siggi, Helgi Briem's friend, thought he knew one of the songs.
Wasn't this the same bass line as Fraebbblarnir had used? Haddi's song, False Death. No doubt. Should we do something
about this? What? Was it possible that they could have heard our song? Marcus, who released the song in England, had been
trying to promote some of his bands at Sire, who released the Undertones album. Isn't this a little bit far fetched? We
decided to spare the English judicial system from listening to the songs. Anyway, it didn't feel right to pursue this. We
borrowed later from Mozart. Wolfgang probably would have taken a ballet spin in his grave had he heard "Rebellion of the
Dwarfs". We did have better conscience though.
A rose in a wrong buttonhole
March 1979
Marcus took care of designing the front page of the False Death single. We saw just before the record was release. Did
enjoy shooting the cover photo? Or, perhaps, afterwards?
The World Press
Spring 1980
Orn came to see us after a concert in Kopavogur with a Swedish journalist writing about Icelandic Youth. Took endless
photos in Mosfellssveit with a mountain view in the background. A whole page interview at the back of Aftonbladet's
weekend edition. Just about to become world famous.
Great poet
Autumn 1979
Once we were drinking with Steini and Audur. Oskar and Maddy were there as well. Steini was playing some live recordings
for Oskar and reciting the words to Daily Newspaper. Steini didn't really know it so he asked me to whisper it to Oskar.
Then he read it aloud for Oskar, shaking his head. I still remember the "what-an-awful-load-of-crap" look on his face.
Later the four of them became our Mozart-choir.
Stebbi drumming away
January 1982
A Norwegian fanzine: It is worthwhile to go see Fraebbblarnir, if not for anything else than to watch their drummer. Not
listen to. Watch. A unique drumming style.
The Clash at Reykjavik Arts Festival
June 1980
When it became clear that no "big" name band was coming to the Reykjavik Arts Festival - we talked to Einar Orn and asked
him if he could talk to Marcus and in turn get us in contact with PIL in order to get them here. Didn't turn out as we
hoped for, but Einar, full of energy, managed to contact Clash.
We wanted to be a support band. The Outsiders also wanted to support them. Great! Let both bands play. The Arts Festival
agreed. Then it dawned upon them that we were not as hip as they thought. No socially aware lyrics. Not little, well
behave commies like all aggressive pop bands were supposed to be. They decided to cut us out. Bastards. Clash coming to
play and the door slammed in our face. All because of some political culture snob. Or lack of it. I didn't even go to the
concert.
The Stranglers
May 1978
Just heard news that the Stranglers were coming. They were always a bit sideways in the punk scene. Wasn't sure I wanted
to go. A lot of great songs. But some long and boring as well. Then the "5 minutes" video was shown in a family
entertainment show. Were they really that good?
Decided to go to the concert. And what concert!! Non-stop pogoing / dancing / hopping around for a few hours.
Presidential Election
June 1980
The summer was captivated by the presidential election. Nice youth memories. Gunnthor made stickers. "Fraebbblarnir" and
"You stink". Distributed everywhere and anywhere. Tough glue. On the next sticker, "Fraebbblarnir for President"
V9 engine
August 1980
We used to go to a small shop in the west of Reykjavik between rehearsals. Once we were admiring a pretty girl behind the
counter. Then a guy on a V8 American car came to pick her up. We didn't have a chance of any of that. Sour grapes. "She's
probably just the ninth V".
Movie
June 1980
We were having problems writing songs. Desperately needed one more good songs. The Ramones came up. Ari was speechless
with shock. The Ramones was so simple and nothing to it, he said. Well, if it is so simple, why don't you write a song
like that. Sure enough. Ari wrote the basic to "Movie" (Bio). Pretty great stuff we thought. Ari didn't.
Just before our concert I composed a sick "snuff-movie" lyric. Gross stuff in the spirit of the Ramones and Alberto Y
Lost Trios Paranoias. Sweet pop song, with a compulsive lyric. Just as well we never print it.
Vidihvammur 27
1980-1981
We used to have parties at my home in Vidihvammur 27 in Kopavogur.
A few really good albums. But endless bands with one or two great songs. Sex Beatles, Members, Mekons, Motors, Rezillos,
Banned, Dickies, Dead Kennedys, Chelsea, Generation X, Nick Lowe, Blondie, Bad Manners, Eddie and the Hot-Rods, Sham 69,
Rich Kids, Vapours, Ruts, Television, Plasmatics, 999, Siuoxie and the Banshees, Piranhas, Splodgenessabounds, Magazine,
Squeeze, XTC, Damned, PIL, Judge Dread, Negatives, Tom Robinson, Buzzcocks. Probably forgetting some.
Some albums were worthwhile though. Ramones, Crass, Elvis Costello, Sex Pistols, Ian Dury, Alberto Y Lost Trios
Paranoias, Mikey Dread, Jam, Clash, Undertones, Stiff Little Fingers, Specials, Madness, Skids, Stranglers. Again,
probably forgetting.... Kinks always had a place.
I used to buy singles in London. Some were lost during the best parties. Everyone was a DJ. The rest down in the
basement, having a drink.
But, play any of the neo-hippie music at your own risk.
The First Record
1979-1980
Einar Orn took over from Oskar as projectionist for film society Fjalakotturinn when Oskar became manager. Einar knew
someone in Sheffield, England who was releasing records. Would he like to release our single? Yeah, sure, why not? We
hurried into studio. Songs by Haddi and Rikki. And our version of Summer Nights. Dagny sang the lead female voice. We
also recorded Seasons in the Sun but weren't that happy with the result. Anyway, we couldn't have two cover songs on an
EP. Rikki and I didn't agree that often on music. But this time we did, the guitar "solos" in False Death should be just
this chaotic.
We took care of releasing the record here. I believe that this is a collector's item in Sheffield now even though it
didn't hit the charts at the time.
Marcus, who released the record in Sheffield, did all right. Aardvark and Negatives got some attention. Then we heard of
him running away from the Exploited who thought he had cheated them.
Julius taking a crap on me
January 1980
We badly needed a place to rehearse at the beginning of 1980. A concert for Cambodia about to happen. Finally, we got to
do some rehearsing in Stebbi's bedroom. Ari just joined as a guitar player. We sat there 4 in a tiny room. Stebbi's
parrot Julius Rottenmeyer only had one hobby. Follow me around, shitting on my head. Well, we were young and ready to
make sacrifices for our music.
Photograph for a youth fanzine
Summer 1980
We did an interview with a youth fanzine, "Hello" probably. I don't recall what we said or what was printed. The
interviewer was full with an idea. "Hey, guys, show me your penises! E-he-he-he". "Hey, guys, how about showing your
penis! He, he, he". Well you were supposed to tolerate a lot if you wanted to get famous. But did you really have to
associate with an idiot like that???
The first Clash album
June 1977
I read about "punk" in the English music press, winter 1976-1977. Had heard a lot of rumours on how terrible it was. And
how the kids behaved! But reading interviews with some of the band turned out to be interesting - I found myself agreeing
with them most of the time.
And although collecting old Kinks album wasn't bad, I really wanted to hear something new and interesting. So I ordered
the first Clash album. Wow!!! Called my friends right away, I wanted to let everyone know. Awful, they told me! Awful?
Still, 25 years later I cannot understand. The first Clash LP!
Then Stebbi came from sea. Naturally, he was hooked right away.
Then there were Jam, Damned and Stranglers. And when the Ramones came with "Leave home" there was no turning back.
That autumn we got the "Pretty Vacant" / "No Fun" single. "Pretty Vacant" wasn't too hot - but we were spellbound by "No
Fun".
Sunday Morning Nightmare
August 1978
Went with Stebbi to London, as well as Haddi and Hakon. Showed up ready on a Sunday afternoon, straight to our hotel,
turned on the radio. Jimmy Pursey doing an interview. Then "Sunday Morning Nightmare". Then "If The Kids Are United". We
didn't need any further notice that mass was about to start!
Malcolm Maclaren
August 1978
In London, we went to see Malcolm Maclaren at Seditionaries on Kings Road. Just started talking when a very angry, young,
muscular man with a bat showed up and interrupted. Asked Malcolm to step outside so he could beat him up without doing
any damages to the store. As far as we could tell, he was mad at Malcolm for splitting the Sex Pistols. But perhaps we
had problems understanding an angry Londoner with our formal school education in English. A Malaysian girl, living in
London, who came with us, was getting pretty frightened when we agreed to leave. When we were leaving, Malcolm was still
trying to talk himself out of being beaten up. And doing pretty well as far as we could tell.
Would You Like Some Candy, Dear? (Viltu nammi vaena?)
June 1980
Bolungarvik, a town in the far west. Lived in an old house with a few girls, who were working there as well as I was. One
of the girls told me that once, when she was young and waiting at a bus stop with her friend, a man with both hands in
cast had asked her friend to reach for his wallet in his pocket. She went into his pocket, just to find that his "wallet"
was warm, with three sections and full of other currency than money.
"Would You Like Some Candy, Dear?"
Guitarists
1979-1982
The summer 1979 after recording False Death Rikki decided to quit. Well, all right. Decided to give Sigurgrimur a chance.
Looked fine, but we were in a desperate hurry to play so we got Ari to play. Young and promising.
But, of course, he had to break his arm after a few months. Then his friend, Tryggvi joined.
Then Ari quit, And Arnor joined. And quit. Kiddi arrived. Mikki Pollock played for a while. Wrote a few songs, "Sticking
Dolly". "Clockwork Orange".
Steini quits
February 1980
Families also affected us. Steini and Audur had their first daughter, Lilja. Steini could not spend more time in the
band. We decided to tempt Steinthor from the Geniuses as we heard they were about to quit, anyway.
Summer 1980
Summer 1980
We spent the summer of 1980 on concerts, recording our first LP, partying, Bankrobber with the Clash. Specials and
Madness. Ramones of course. And Crass. Bloody revolution. Great song. Drank cheap red wine or Rum at Stebbi's place, my
place, with Steini and Audur or Bjarni and Asgerdur. Then went downtown, sometimes joining the arts festival's club where
the snobs were listening to jazz.
We irritated most of them. And they irritated us. Then to Hotel Borg.
Stebbi refuses to play in "Rock In Reykjavik"
January 1982
We were just about to go to Norway. Filming of "Rock In Reykjavik" was about to be finished and if we wanted to be
included we needed to rush things. We played one Friday night at Hotel Borg. Everything set. Except for some of the
guests who couldn't stand the noise. Stebbi, on the other hand, couldn't stand the "not-noise" and refused to play.
Maggi, Outsider's drummer, stepped in. Knew most of the songs and caught the others on the run.
Still. This wasn't Fraebbblarnir. So we decided to try again. This time, just before leaving for Norway. We played at a
youth centre on a Sunday afternoon. Our driver fell asleep at home with all our equipment. So we only had a few minutes
to set up and start playing. Maybe we should have passed the opportunity and stayed out of the film. An awful image of
the band...
PIL - "di dumm di dumm dumm"
June 1980
"The Geniuses" played Public Image, pretty close to the original version. A great song - probably one of the best songs
released by the time. Maybe we should try. But it isn't worth much to play a plain cover. Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias
did Anarchy In The UK ultra silly and yet bloody great - old time backup vocals, slowly. There's an idea...
Arnor confesses to the ultimate sin
New Years Eve 1980 / 1981
Arnor just came back from Norway. Not really excited about Fraebbblarnir. He'd had a proper music education anyway.
Steini did as well. Arnor always had a weak spot for educated music with socially important lyrics. Even Jazz!?!?! Then,
late 1980, our first album, "Viltu nammi vaena?" (Would You Like Some Candy, Dear?), was released. After third degree
interrogation at Steini's place, Arnor admitted that he was quite impressed with the album. He might even want to join
us. An easy decision for us.
Bjarni's garage
February 1981
Arnor just started practising with us. In the garage at Bjarni's home. We had to push their old car out before each
session. And back in when we were finished. Quite a relief when Steini bought the old Saab. Then we had to practise in a
summerhouse in middle of Kopavogur - owned by Breidablik, the sports club. We later repaid their kindness with a soccer
song...
"No Friends" finished at last
April 1981
This time we were working in Hafnarfjordur. We were practicing late each night. "No Friends" was a great song. Still
something missing. Tried banging my head. "You're gonna get a little message" came at four o'clock in the morning. The
line made the song perfect.
Meeting Helgi at Odal
February 1979
Stebbi and I had an (almost) quiet night of drinking when he turned twenty. Found our way to Odal, which was not a strip
joint at the time. And we met a fan! Probably the only one. Your name please? Helgi Briem. Did you write a letter in a
newspaper earlier? The one that made us decide to carry on playing as a band? Yes, the same one. Joined the band 22 years
later as a bass player.
Stebbi at sea - Krissi jumps in as a substitute
August 1979
Decided to play at the CLUB. Sure, Stebbi was out at sea, but he would be back someday. Then Wednesday arrived and no
sign of him. The gig is on Thursday. Tomorrow! Who can play drums? We called Krissi, tried to make him play drums in a
few songs. Oh, he didn't know how to drum. Still, things weren't that bad. He'll play.
Called Stebbi the next day at sea to tell him we are supposed to play that night. "Are you out of your f.... mind?".
Well, they were on their way home but they had too long to go. The captain flatly refuses to let him off at
Vestmannaeyjar islands. Still the captain takes a nap and Stebbi is navigation. Turns a little bit off course. Sees
Vestmannaeyjar. Wakes the captain. Well, all right. Turns the boat to Vestmannaeyjar, boards a plane, then a cab to the
CLUB and arrived half way through the program.
Repeated in Kopavogsbio for an 8mm movie
November 1978
Oskar filmed the Ceremony of Darkness in our school, MK. Jakob and Eirikur came to us right after the show and wanted us
to play in a TV show they were doing on school activities. Well, we could as well keep going for a TV show. It would also
be nice to have a documentary on our first concert. You never know. Could have been better lighting though. Let's repeat
it next Wednesday with better lighting.
8mm movie
February 1979
Some of us made a short movie for the first festival for amateur films. Why not make a movie from our first concert as
well. We had all the equipment available! And more than two hours to spare. No problem, great stuff, and just made it in
time.
Perhaps our friends at the society did not expect this. "Socrates" and "Myrkranefnd" (our lyrics to "God Save The Queen"
and "EMI") loud as hell. Then silence. Then again, painfully loud. Again, silence.
Apparently, we forgot to check the films, one of the films we used didn't have a soundtrack. So the sound went on and off
the whole time. We didn't have time to check our product before entering.
Hrafn singing
April 1979
As manager of a schools film society, I wanted to send an Icelandic film by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson to a Finnish Film
Festival. I went with Hrafn to the ministry of education to fill out some forms and while we were waiting I started to
ask about stage effects, explaining that I was thinking about this band I was playing in.
Right, he had written a punk song, Agnus Dei. Named after a Norwegian hymn. He started beating the rhythm on anything he
could get his hands on. Then started to sing quite loud a brilliant lyric. He was acting out the lyric, screaming and
laughing.
No at the ministry one asked him to leave, not even be quiet. They must be used to him..
Later, we appeared as a band and individually in one of his best movies, "Inter Nos".
Steinthor writes Fools (Fifl)
June 1980
Gig in Kopavogsbio summer 1980. Twice with Outsiders and many young and promising bands, Exodus, F8. We still needed
lyrics as always. We got a few days to prepare. Steinthor was moving about, spent one night in the theatre. When we
showed up the day after Nosferatu was ready. Song and words.
Tonight
June 1980
We still needed a place to practice. Winter 1980-1981. I met with Steinthor at home on a Sunday evening to write songs
and lyrics. Somehow, we were going nowhere. Steinthor had an acoustic guitar and somehow nothing seemed to sound right.
We decided to play "Tonight" which Steinthor had played in his previous band and change the lyrics. Not "ride away
tonight" - "fuck you tonight" (same word in Icelandic). About the last moments of the disco scene, this is what most of
them are thinking though they don't dare to say it out loud. Let's make it offensive as well.
Steinthor
September 1980
At studio Hljodriti, Saturday afternoon, recording FIH. Somehow, everything kept going wrong. Too fast. Too slow. Guitar
string cut. Terrible drum sound. Let's try it again. And again. And once more. Steinthor's bass kept ticking. Twenty
takes. Not a single failure. Perhaps he was getting a pretty great bass player.
Drinking red wine to "Youth Memories"
September 1980
Steinthor wrote Aeskuminning ("Youth memories") sometime during our time in Kopavog's theatre. I had problems singing the
chorus line. We spent a Friday evening with Siggi Bjola, ever so patient. Steini tried to teach me using the piano. Let's
drink some homemade red wine to relax. Somehow, no matter how much I drank, I was further and further away from getting
it. Very, very late, Steinthor tried. And perfect. Let's used it.
A trip to Norway - attacked because of the Ramones
January 1982
A gig at OsloRokkeKlubb. Lot of "HardCore" punks. Liked us pretty well, naturally. Then I dedicated one song to the
Ramones, "Live is for living".
They simply went mad. Started marching and sending us "HeilHitlers". We had no idea what was going on.
After the concert, we tried to talk to them. The Ramones had been playing recently in Oslo, and had made some remarks
about being friends with the police. We could talk their rage down but a young girl, famous for being on a front page of
some magazine as an example of a justifiably angry young woman, kept stirring things up again.
Some of us got away all right but they were swinging chains and clubs, and started to attack us. Finally Steinthor got
really pissed and shouted out in his best Icelandic rage and his northern accent "Then come on you bloody losers" which
had the reverse effect. They ran away scared shitless, and most of us got back safe. Arne, a Norwegian drummer friend,
was limping the next day.
Half a haircut - half a shave
January 1982
My hair was getting way to long. Sigrun and Linda decided to cut the hair from half of my head. Looked pretty good in
OsloRokkeKlubb. Got strange looks on the train back home the next day.
My friend Kjartan has shaved the other half of his face. The night before we had decided to play a joke on his friend
Egil. We had been drinking all night and when morning was about to break we wanted him to believe that a pretty young
lady had found her way into his bed. I wasn't suitable as a pretty young lady. Kjartan not really either, as he had an
enormous beard at the time. Why not shave it? Well, he had been growing it for some time. But we only need to shave half
of it; you can keep the other half. He will only see one side of your face! Which we did. But the day after, the other
half was gone.
Guitars stolen
January 1982
Norway. Oslo RokkeKlubb. Club 7. Hard Rock Café. On our way to our first world tour. All guitars and equipment locked up
in Club 7. At sound check the day after, we couldn't find the guitars. What idiot has been moving them around? It took a
long time to dawn upon us. A simply to believe it. Someone had simply nicked them.
After panicking for a while, we borrowed one and bought another guitar. Playing at Club 7 in the evening was not
particularly interesting. After a few beers though we got into gear and the second part was one of the best shows we had
played.
Gunnar Smari
July 1980
"Will somebody please get these guys out of the house!" Gunnar Smari in the kitchen in studio Hljodriti had had enough of
those idiots. We were recording our first album in 1980. He couldn't believe how stupid and unprofessional we were. And
rightly so. He didn't quite get away from us, but Siggi Bjola finished most of it.
Later we worked together without problems.
EMI
September 1980
I guess we would have become world famous if we'd had any idea where to turn. We went to London with half-baked
recordings in September 1980. We simply went and started knocking on the doors of any record company we could find and
asked them to listen. But I guess this wasn't how the music business worked...
The only company that gave us a chance was EMI. The small companies slammed their door in our face. At EMI, they told us
to improve our song writing. I believe they misunderstood when we tried to tell them about cover songs, he probably
thought that we were doing straight. I still want to call them and set things straight.
Splodgenessabounds
September 1980
Splodgenessabounds. A band named after the "the great splodge in the sky". Said they would like to play in Iceland.
Pretty well known for "Two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, please". Saw them at the Music Machine with Captain
Sensible playing guitar and a dog playing drums. On pint number five, they filled the house with smoke. I was lost and
ended up on stage. They gave me a microphone and I started to sing "Summer Knights". I have no idea what song they were
playing. Bought a Bootleg cassette of the gig few days later. I still can't believe why they skipped the last part of the
concert.
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