A good day for Hoppipola

Sigur Ros at Brixton Academy. It was an audiovisual experience rather than just a regular gig. They began playing with a giant mosquito net in front of them and to the sides, which had images projected onto it creating multiple dimensions. After two songs the nets dropped and the band appeared. One song had an abstract video which reminded me of a Doctor Who episode with kids in gas masks with hoover pipes coming from their faces. Gas masks creep me out.

There were a lot of people on stage, violinists and trumpeters behind the band and Jonsi plays his electric guitar with a bow. I have to admit I've spent more time listening to his solo album than their albums as a group, it is a bit more accessible. They played their breakthrough hit, Hoppipola, which I think has to be the most joyful song I've ever heard.

It's unusual for me to listen to music without discernable lyrics. The lyrics are an important part of the music to me. But with Sigur Ros the voice is another instrument creating hauntingly beautiful sounds. Hoppipola is supposed to be about the child like joy of jumping in puddles. The visuals behind them showed a child in wellies jumping in puddles. It was a rather appropriate image as it rained all day long and when we got outside half the road was flooded which we had to try to jump over.