photos by antony whitton

setlist

takk
glósóli
ný batterí
sæglópur
njósnavélin
gong
andvari
hoppípolla
með blóðnasir
sé lest
olsen olsen
svo hjótt
heysátan
popplagið


fan review
having recently seen mainstream success in the uk with their latest album takk… (meaning “thanks” in icelandic) reaching 16 in the album charts last year and their single hoppipolla receiving airplay on radio 1, sigur ros have enchanted their way into the british limelight.

one need only listen to be absolutely hypnotised by them. with sigur ros, to hear is to send you on a voyage over the skies of their native iceland and pluck at your heartstrings.

their sound is characterised by choir-boy falsetto and outstanding bow-abused guitar playing that at times can sound like sudden rushes of traffic soaring straight to the soul, along with room-shaking bass lines and sublime drumming with such inspired use of cymbals you’d swear you could melt.

but to describe is to grossly generalise their sound, so think it better to listen for yourself and form your own opinion. there are so many subtleties to pick out of their sound that it’s better to listen to them as a whole, with all-female string quartet amiina forever supporting and adding deeper dimensions to their wholly unique sound.

amiina opened the gig with such a surreal and creative collection of instruments that the audience couldn’t help but pay attention. with such use of a saw being played with a cello bow, wine glasses full of water along with the sight of amiina playing a group piece on bells you’d find at your leisure centre reception desk, it makes a person rethink what they feel about ‘conventional’ instruments and what they are.

sigur ros’ stage presence is much like their music – grandiose, with the opening and closing tracks played behind a curtain with a lightshow that would make radiohead’s light technician lower his head in shame. their performance was perfect, with each note sounding even crisper and more tearful than the last. all crescendos throughout made the room buzz with light, warmth, and invoking an almost tearful happiness in all spectators.

playing the majority of takk… including singles hoppipolla and saeglopur, along with several other songs scattered throughout their repertoire, the average fan would leave the gig spellbound. and as soon as they reappeared on stage for the encore it was self-explanatory that they were going to play their most revered and fearful song, track eight from 2002’s ( ). ending the gig after two hours of perfection with blistering walls of feedback, nobody could’ve asked for more. the crowd erupted in applause and screams, a reminder that in years to come they will remember that night as sacred. we can only hope they play sigur ros in heaven.
(antony whitton)