Step 23: More than just the Reykjavík Marathon
The 30th Reykjavík Marathon isn't the only thing taking place in the city on 24 August 2013. Every year, the marathon only marks the beginning of Reykjavík Culture Night, a one-day festival with concerts, performances and fireworks, usually attended by about 100,000 people.
Among the events taking place will be performances and exhibitions by the city's Creative Summer Groups, an art project for young people funded by the city of Reykjavík. For step 23 of Reykjavík Runs Us we asked one of these groups, Slagverk, to go to Öskjuhlíð and do their thing.
So, what is Slagverk and who are you guys?
Slagverk consists of the two of us, drummer Ægir Sindri Bjarnasson and art student Fritz Hendrik IV. Our idea was to make pieces combining both visual art and percussion. As a part of the Creative Summer Groups project we work from 9 to 5, five days a week for 8 weeks, preparing and performing our performance pieces.
We met when we were both in primary school attending punk rock and metal shows in downtown Reykjavík. In 2008 we formed Logn, a Blackmetal/Hardcore band which is still active to this day. We have stayed friends since then and we have been playing and organising shows together for the past five years.
What do you do when you're not drumming all over the place?
Watch movies, listen to music, read books, hang out.
What was the idea behind the Reykjavík Runs Us video you did in Öskjuhlíð?
Fritz wanted to dance and Öskjuhlíð had not been used on the Reykjavík Runs map so of course we dressed up as yellow wood demons and held a drum rave party up in this thang.
Have you ever run in the Reykjavík Marathon?
No, neither of us has run the marathon. Maybe next year!
If you've finished your run by three in the afternoon on 24 August you can catch Slagverk doing a drum circle at Hitt Húsið in Pósthússtræti, as a part of Reykjavík Culture Night.
Reykjavík Runs Us, Step 23: Slagverk in Öskjuhlíð