Homecoming kings Sigur Ros take epic sounds back to their Heima
Words James Luxford
‘Homecoming gig’ is usually one of the more misleading phrases used in mainstream music, with promotional types hoping it will add gravitas to a murky arena with all the atmosphere of a damp paper bag. Sigur Ros, however, are a group who have continually shunned the spotlight thrust upon them by the media. This series of unusual gigs, and resulting film, epitomises that.
Touring their hearts out for two years, Heima chronicles the return of Iceland’s most melodic sons. Sigur Ros played 15 locations, none of which are what you would call usual (an abandoned fish factory, community halls), and all of which were free for anyone to attend. The pinnacle of the series was playing to 20,000 people (nearly 10% of the country’s population) in Reykjavík. Live performances of songs new and old are broken up between interviews with the band, explaining how their success has affected them and why they chose to take on what became an historic national event.
The film itself also serves as a spotlight on Iceland the country. How the old ways are eroding and how the rise of modern commercialism is a mixed blessing - the only way in which they can progress as a people, yet the biggest threat to destroy what is still a largely unspoilt, near-heavenly environment. The band also talk about growing up in such remote surroundings, and how what appears as an act of musical philanthropy is also therapeutic for four men who crave the wide open spaces of their ‘heima’ (‘homeland’).
Theatrically, avoiding the usual Spinal-Tap rock soap opera (see “Some Kind of Monster”) is too a double-edged sword - the film is visually breathtaking but struggles to fulfil its ambitions of balancing ‘concert film’ with ‘documentary’. Despite these niggles, the end result is a film that is impossible to dislike. Amid all the wristband-wearing commercial insincerity that goes with ‘free’ concerts, here is an act that actually follows through. It’s a gesture that celebrates music, the band and the people who got them there. An interesting 100(ish) minutes even for those who aren’t into the band, pure bliss for those who are.
