Crass – We Demand The Future Festival – Reykjavik, Iceland 20/09/83

KUKL – No tracklisting – debut gig

EGO – No tracklisting EGO – second half of set

ICARUS – some speeches then the band – No tracklisting

VONBRIDGI – No tracklisting

CRASS – Yes Sir I Will

CRASS – Banned From The Roxy / Shaved Women / So What

Festival arranged and performed in Reykjavik, Bjork’s first performance in front of a large audience with her band KUKL (search site for more KUKL material). KUKL released one 7″ single on the Icelandic Gramme Records, a label that also put out a very good Psychic TV double LP recorded live in Iceland. Obviously history tells us that Bjork and Einar’s KUKL was presented to a much wider audience when promoting the two LP’s on Crass Records mostly supporting Flux Of Pink Indians in the UK. Bjork and Einar disbanded KUKL in 1986 and formed the rather strange Sugarcubes, a band who Peel favoured and who released a remarkable LP on One Little Indian Records (Derek Birkett from Flux Of Pink Indians new label). Bjork of course is now a world wide known figure in alternative music.

Ego was a band fronted by Bubbi Morthens who was involved in the original Icelandic punk scene in 1977 with the band The Outsiders. Ego were slightly more pop friendly by the sound of this tape which is the only material I have heard by this band. They released several LP’s in Iceland, and Bubbi was described as Iceland’s version of Bruce Springsteen towards the mid 1980’s!

I am afraid I know nothing of Icarus (apart from one member being Bubbi Morthens brother) or Vonbridgi, perhaps someone, sometime, could enlighten me via the comments.

Crass performed a shorter set than normal for the time was tight, interestingly enough outside the gig it was still daylight when Crass came off stage late at night!

Martin Wilson drummer for Flux Of Pink Indians was drafted in at fairly short notice to see out the drumming duties for Crass at this performance in Iceland. Penny Rimbauld throughout August 1983 was suffering from a perforated ear drum so could not attend the event!

Decent enough sound on the tape of this gig. Other rare and interesting Crass uploads on this site if you search including interviews and some practise sessions.

Art from The Eklektik magazine vol 2

7 comments
  1. Cat Man
    Cat Man
    February 23, 2008 at 10:21 pm

    Wow, this is really good for their first performance. I just searched for your other KUKL entries and found their 1st 7″ & the live in Paris tape. I’ve been looking for those forever. Thanks!

  2. Ian
    Ian
    July 19, 2008 at 11:47 am

    thanks for re-posting the crass gig. excellent stuff.

  3. Graham Burnett
    Graham Burnett
    July 19, 2008 at 1:38 pm

    Just a correction – the artwork from the Elklectic was by either Andy Palmer or Freddie Stockton (T42), not Gee, cheers

  4. vidar
    vidar
    February 18, 2009 at 2:41 pm

    Vonbrigði has one 7″ (Skítseiði GRAMM 11) and the album Kakofonía (GRAMM 14) both 1983.

  5. AL Puppy
    AL Puppy
    June 19, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    “Crass sieze power in Reykjavik” – only taken 28 years since the We Demand the Future festival see
    http://ianbone.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/crass-seize-power-in-reykjavik/

    John Gnar the Mayor of Reykjavik describes himeslf as an anarcho-surrealist and gives his influences as Crass and Bakunin. The Best Party of which he is a member now control Reykjavik Council and have big public support and are self-declared anarchists.

  6. Trausti Juliusson
    Trausti Juliusson
    November 1, 2017 at 11:27 am

    Any chance of reposting IKARUS? Thanks a lot for this. Very much appreciated.

  7. Penguin
    Penguin • Post Author •
    November 29, 2017 at 7:42 pm

    That dead link has now been sorted out Trausti…

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