We awake (groggily) to hear that endearingly geeky indie-rock trio Young Knives had been amusingly attempting to start a feud with our boys Biffy Clyro from the stage at their own NASA headline show last night. "You might have tight white trousers but we have bigger tits" the Knives boast. Fair enough gents. Oh, and it turns out that Olafur Arnalds, whose tender, haunting melodies we reviewed last night, was formerly a member of metal monsters Celestine. Who'd have thought it?
Today's first live action comes with an instore set, being broadcast live on local radio, from a visibly hungover Vicky at the Skifan record store. The fact that onlookers stream towards the shop's tills clutching copies of their day old Pull Hard album after their short set is a testament to the energy, spirit and riffs displayed in the likes of Blizzard and My Black Lesbian Lover. In the crowd, the girls' mums must be proud.
Following an attempt to see For A Minor Reflection at the nearby 12 Tonar record store, which ends with us looking at the band members' backs through the window as the tiny shop is full to bursting point, we head for Hresso to watch the brilliant Gavin Portland. The hardcore quartet have been featured in Kerrang! before - their 2006 album iii: Views Of Distant Towns received a 4K review - and they exceed expectations tonight with a set that fuses the tense bristling fury of Converge with the thrilling politically charged dexterity and passion of Refused. If punk rock still means anything to you, check out their stunning new album 'IV: Hand In Hand With Traitors, Back To Back With Whores' when it emerges next month.
With illness meaning that the highly-regarded Atomstation are forced to cancel their Hresso show, we head off to the eternally boisterous Bar 11 to check out We Made God once more. The quartet's dense waves of sound sound even better in a tight space and it's another killer performance. Back at Hresso Agent Fresco blow us away for a second time. Seriously, this band is so impressive and the way the entire room sings along to their stunning Eyes Of A Cloud Catcher is a moment that'll live long in the memory of all here. It's left to a reinvigorated Vicky to close the show at Hresso with a punky short sharp shock set. We love these girls (and boy).
at 2am, we're off to Organ to see the smart, sussed and hugely entertaining Reykjavik! Their brand new album The Blood is a wired amalgam of Fugazi dynamics, art-rock twists and yelps and the kenetic energy of post-punk and in a packed club Reykjavik! are an absolute riot, with songs like Recepticon getting the whole room roaring along and frontman Boasi and guitarist Haukur spending as much time on top of/in the crowd as they do onstage. A brilliant end to a day of inspiring music.
Paul Brannigan
Just goes to show how badly they're struggl...
