Robert Plant and the Mighty Rearrangers played in Laugardalsholl, Reykjavik.  I decided to go half an hour before the concert started and I certainly didn’t regret that!  Robert was in fantastic form, delivering new music with lots of indian influence, as well as doing new versions of a few old Led Zeppelin tunes.  It was an honour to get the opportunity to see this man on stage.  He’s such a legend in my eyes

4 stars for pure entertainment and loads of good playing and singing!

Reykjavik Jazz Festival.  Van Morrison.  I got my sister to go with me and she doesn’t even remember the concert!!!  I just think she wasn’t into it but I thoroughly enjoyed good old Van Morrison.  His voice, so special, was perfect the whole concert and it was brilliant seeing him rock on in “Gloria”.  He did a very special version of “Have I told you lately” which was awesome but I think a lot of people there didn’t even recognise the song until the end.

4 stars for jazzy brilliance.

Metallica came to Iceland and wanted to be utterly cool and shut down the air conditioning in the arena where the concert was held.  Well, that pretty much killed the concert for me.  I think there were about 15.000 people crammed into the arena (no seating) and it just got much much much too hot.  The band was great and I loved James’ grunting “yeah”s.  But I got way too hot and never since or before have I almost fainted at a concert.  And I wasn’t even in the mosh pit!!!  My hubby carried me out before the end so I missed the whole reason to go to this concert: listening to “One” live.  So.  Yeah, I missed it.  All because of the stupid air conditioning.  I don’t know if I’d like to see them again, perhaps if there was a better arrangement in *room* for the people actually there and the air conditioning being on full blast the whole time

2 stars for YEAHs

Finally, after all these years, my dream of seeing the 5 original members of Duran Duran together on stage, came true.  Tickets booked months in advance and only found out way too late that there were VIP packages available!!!  Anyway.  Was way back and up in the tier but I had my binoculars and I LOVED IT from beginning to the end.  The darkness, the heartbeat, them coming out on stage one by one.  Just thinking about it makes me shiver.  I don’t think I’ve ever sung so loudly or screamed so high before or after.  The awesome experience of getting a LOT of my old favourites played live was simply perfect.  This concert was made for me.  I have no doubt about it.  “Tiger Tiger”, “New Religion”, “The Chauffeur” and “New Moon on Monday” made this *my* concert.  The rest was good but those 4 songs were what made it the best.

My first thought after the concert was something like: “Darn, now I have to find a new dream to live for!”

A gazillion stars for getting together again!

Elton John played a weird little concert on a cold June evening in 2000.  It was an outdoors concert and it was *just* Elton John.  No band, just Elton and his piano.  It wasn’t crowded so I managed a good look right up by the stage and enjoyed his playing and singing.  It was short though and just plain weird.  There was hardly a real stage… just a big box with his piano in it, and he was driven up to the back of the box (and back again after the concert) in a big black limo.  Weird, but nice to have seen him play.

2 stars.  Good songs but not much more.

Robbie Williams came to Iceland before he got hugely famous all over the world.  He was fun, sang well and the tiny little crowd that actually appreciated him was well received.  But.  Someone threw a plastic bottle on to stage after just over an hour and Mr. Williams stormed off.

Fun but short.

3 stars for being cute.

Sting.  Sting.  Sting.  Sting.

 I adore the man.  Getting him to play in Iceland was probably one of the best things anyone has done for me yet!  What a beautiful concert.  Lovely music, mostly from Mercury Falling, but also a lot of his biggest hits.  Brilliant, brilliant moment when he so softly sang one of my favourites, “Fragile”.  If you haven’t heard it, pick it up right now and listen closely.  It’s pure beauty.

5 stars for sensitivity and creativity.

I probably have forgotten about some concert or other along the way, but let me tell you that when I saw David Bowie in Reykjavik on June 20th, 1996, that was certainly one of my dreams coming true!  David Bowie had been one of my biggest idols since I was about 12.  He played a lot of not-so-known songs but in between there were diamonds from his past.  Highlight of the evening was noticing his pin heeled shoes and “Under pressure”, sung with his female bass player!

5 stars for being David Bowie!

I don’t remember the date and I can’t even remember if it was 1989 or 1990, but in a small theatre in Reykjavik I saw the Smithereens play one evening.  As my friends had no idea who the Smithereens were, I just went alone.  And certainly didn’t regret it!!  They were the most raw band I’d ever seen play, no synthizisers, just a couple of guitars, a bass and drums.  Friggin’ fantastic, that’s what they were!!!  Rock’n'roll in a very good way   “In a lonely place” would have been perfect had they had Miss Susanne Vega with them on the tour, but having the singer sing it alone only made it more powerful a song.  More lonely than with the female voice.

Loved it!  Would love to see them again if they’re still going (I think they are).

4 stars for rockin’

Although the “concert history” list on their website doesn’t mention it, A-ha played two concerts in Iceland in 1988.  Oh my.  What an utter delight for a concert starved teenager.  They were so great, all the songs were played and sung immaculately and Morten, Pål and Magne were simply great on stage.  I was up front at both concerts, the first time I’d done that, and I had a blast!  Truly a dream come true to see them and not too boring to see them twice in two days.

A-ha is still one of my all-time favourites.  I’d *LOVE* to see them again.

5 stars and another 5 stars.  Brilliant!