Venues in Iceland - #11

Gaukurinn

Gaukur á Stöng or, as it is commonly referred to: Gaukurinn, is a pub and live venue at Blöndalshús on Tryggvagata in downtown Reykjavík. The building housing it has had a variety of configurations, from the website I gather thatit is evidently now upstairs (where the short-lived Sódóma was) and Húrra occupies the main floor, where Gaukurinn used to be. It is positively ancient in Reykjavik bar terms; it has been open since 1983 (before beer was legalized in Iceland!) and is notable for its diverse crowds and is welcoming of all types people (except assholes!)

Gaukurinn holds a special place in my heart: My very first musical experience in Iceland took place there in March of 2000, when an anonymous cover band played Highway to Hell. In 2004 I saw the jazz/fusion band Mezzoforte (which was definitely a step up from AC/DC) and had many good times there at various Iceland Airwaves shows as well. Most nights there are DJs  but be sure to check out the schedule for live music at both Gaukurinn and Húrra if you are ever in Reykjavík.

Crowd, 2006:

Ditka, 2006:

Hellvar, 2006:

Gruska Babuska, 2018:

Mondays in Iceland - #76

Reykjavík Nights—as captured in these images from ten years ago:


Grand Rokk, 18 October, 2006

Grand Rokk (later named Faktorý) was a great bar in downtown Reykjavík. I saw many great acts there, it had a special atmosphere: in the second floor performance venue, in the main floor dive-bar, as well as in the outdoor seating. I sorely missed it on my last trip—is has been torn down to make way for another tourist hotel.


Gaukurínn, 19 October, 2006

Gaukur Á Stöng, the formal name of Gaukurínn, is the place I saw my first music in Iceland. I stopped in mid-week in March of 2000 and saw a cover band playing AC-DC. In 2004 I saw the formidable Mezzoforte, a fusion band that featured the amazing Gulli Briem playing to a crowd of sophisticates. When I took the above picture, I was crammed in like a sardine to see some Airwaves bands, it was actually dangerous.

The last two images feature Trost, a German Punk Diva, at about 2 A.M. in the basement of the National Theatre. She was cavorting on top of 4 inch heels while consuming about 2 litres of beer. Although smoking was still allowed in the venues then, she didn’t need a cigarette to be “lit-up”. She held the audiences attention, if only to see if she could remain standing. Everyone was spellbound:

Leikhúskjallarinn, 21 October, 2006

Leikhúskjallarinn, 21 October, 2006