[kj] Q37 (October 1989) - Iceland revisited

[Antoni Adamiak]

As previously hinted, this was an interview with The Sugarcubes by Mat Snow.
One little passage reads (although I'd dispute that Bjork was in Theyr, KUKL
yes, but not Theyr)  :

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Purrkur Pillnikk was just one of the bands that blossomed in Iceland in
'81-'82, another being Theyr with Bjork and drummer Siggi Baldursson
(previously they were in Toppi Tikarras) : they benefited from the visit of
another cultural ambassador from the British rock scene, namely Jaz Coleman,
singer with vicious punk-goth types Killing Joke. He turned up with his
guitarist Geordie in March 1982, having mysteriously decamped from the band
just after a gig in Brighton, muttering darkly about the imminent apocalypse
and so forth. A keen student of the occult and commonly believed to be just
a few coupons short of a toaster, Coleman "followed the ley lines" to
Reykjavik, where he found in Theyr fellow spirits : among their projects, so
it was alleged, was the construction of a device which operated outside the
range of human hearing to establish "psychic links" with the audience. In
the event, the world did nor end, as had been widely predicted, and Jaz
slunk back to Britain to resume belabouring Killing Joke's audience for
several years to come.

"We actually worked with him a bit" reveals Siggi. "Nobody found him easy to
deal with".

"People were so angry with him they're still talking about it", adds Bjork.
"It's unbelievable how one man can upset so many people"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

That's our Jaz ! In fact the above is slightly factually incorrect. Yes,
apparently Jaz left the stage during the Brighton gig (the night after the
Hammersmith Palais gig, 23/02/82, filmed by French TV and only available as
a dodgy 7 song b/w video bootleg, footage of which made it into the Eighties
video - a load of old punks - "I'm in love with the coming race") and went
straight to Iceland. The rest of the band undertook engagements such as a
slot on Riverside (BBC2 TV show) then the debut "Top Of The Tops" appearance
(both with Big Paul singing) with a scarecrow and a spaceman standing behind
the keyboards. Therefore, it was March 1982 before Geordie joined up with
Jaz - it was probably a couple of weeks later.

Regards,

Antoni

* http://home.clara.net/antoni/ *