Last night I attended the "Stopp - Gætum Garðsins" benefit concert in aid of the Icelandic Nature Protection Society. Following plans from the government to continue to build hydropower stations to power aluminium smelters that would essentially destroy vast areas of the Icelandic countryside, the concert aimed to raise the money to declare the Central Highlands a protected area. Olafur Arnalds wrote an emotive message on facebook this morning here which is worth a read. It is really heartbreaking to think that these plans could actually go ahead.
This was the flyer and lineup for the concert, and it was organised by Björk and Darren Aronofsky. I had never seen either Björk or Patti Smith live before so it was a very overwhelming and emotional experience. Björk opened the concert with Joga accompanied by a choir, string orchestra and the Joga video playing behind them which was just beautiful. Patti sang Because the Night, Pissing in a River and Power to the People. She told a very heartwarming story about the first time she visited Iceland when she was 22 and how she thought it was the most beautiful and holy place on earth. She then said that she had spoken to Lou Reed about how magnificent the country was a couple of months before he died and he had told of how the people of Reykjavik had gathered in the square and sang this song to him when he had visited Iceland himself. She dedicated the song to Lou and to the 22 year old girl who had been so in awe of the Iceland's wondrous untouched nature... and began singing Perfect Day.
This was the flyer and lineup for the concert, and it was organised by Björk and Darren Aronofsky. I had never seen either Björk or Patti Smith live before so it was a very overwhelming and emotional experience. Björk opened the concert with Joga accompanied by a choir, string orchestra and the Joga video playing behind them which was just beautiful. Patti sang Because the Night, Pissing in a River and Power to the People. She told a very heartwarming story about the first time she visited Iceland when she was 22 and how she thought it was the most beautiful and holy place on earth. She then said that she had spoken to Lou Reed about how magnificent the country was a couple of months before he died and he had told of how the people of Reykjavik had gathered in the square and sang this song to him when he had visited Iceland himself. She dedicated the song to Lou and to the 22 year old girl who had been so in awe of the Iceland's wondrous untouched nature... and began singing Perfect Day.
