sigur rós would like to apologise to anyone disappointed not to see the band’s bestival performance live online last night. early in the day a decision had been made to delay broadcast till after the show to give the band a chance to review the footage ahead of webcast, since they were dismayed that their guaranteed “darkness” slot had been pushed into daylight by the expansive demands of the headliner. the band’s only uk show of the year, this would-be highlight of the 2012 calendar, would have to be conducted without proper lights or visuals. sadly then, a perfect storm of production issues and technical problems conspired to mean that the band went on to have a thoroughly miserable experience on stage too. and to spare everyone’s blushes a decision was made to draw a discrete veil over proceedings. sorry, but we can be so much better than what you missed. another time, for sure.
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Carlos
says:GRacias
Joakim
says:Bad. Very bad!
brenda
says:Why? :(
sergei
says:So sad…
Phil
says:Very disapointed, hope Sigur Ros are well…
john
says:Understood. We will await a better time for the webcast.
pat
says:thanks for the show even if you didn’t have a good time i did!!!
Thom Stone
says:Very sad to hear they had a bad time on stage. I would have missed the stream anyway being at band practice but hope they can get something similar set up in the future for us UK fans. perhaps a better night time performance :-) best of luck guys. we love you here in the UK!
Harry Bo
says:Understandable I guess. That said there are plenty of full band performances on Heima that are during daylight that are still awesome.
Thor Gunnarsson
says:Respect to Sigur Ros.
Gareth
says:Fortunately I was there in the crowd to see it. I could tell you weren’t enjoying it too much with the issues of the bass for the first couple of tunes. Thought you performed really well under the circumstances. Definitely the highlight of the festival for me. Hope it hasn’t put you off the idea of coming back again for another go some day. Thanks for playing for us. Hopefully I’ll see you again in Brixton in march to get the full visual show!
Dänu
says:Thanks for your statement – cordially, Dan.
alan
says:Sigur Ros, you were amazing despite the glitches. i was front row centre and found it amazing. bring on the tour in march
vicky
says:I really enjoyed the performance and yes it was spectacular once the sun set. But it was just as atmospheric during the day light due to the changeable weather conditions.( one minute light rain, next clear sky except low clouds passing quickly over the stage then followed by the fading light )
I was so glad I was there as I had been waiting for so long for you to play in the uk nothing would of spoilt it, thankyou xxx
Pablo
says:Puta, mala onda que Bestival fue como las hueás en aspectos técnicos..
Benjamin
says:It would have been imposible to fail us.. what a shame..
Kieran
says:Hey, I was there. You sounded great in my opinion. I could tell there was issues but technically none of those were obvious. I’m going to see you again on the UK tour and I’m sorry your only UK show this year wasn’t great but I for one still found it incredibly profound. So thank you.
@Lucanesque
says:I was lucky enough to be at the front for your set, and it was clear you weren’t having a great day with technology… But… It was, for me, truly spectacular, my festival highlight, and worth every single penny it took to get to Bestival. Takk fyrir – snilld }:o)
Sasha
says:Thanks for the statement, and being honest about it. I’m disappointed not to have been able to watch you play, but I will make sure to take the next opportunity to see you live and playing the way you wanted to.
chris
says:brave and honest – much like the music
NancyL
says:Could tell you weren’t having a good time, but you were the highlight of my festival experience nonetheless. You still brought me to tears twice. Maybe one day I’ll get the chance to see you play in Iceland and you will all be having a better time on stage. Much peace and love.
Scott
says:So …. because of divadom people waiting to see you miss out? This is a pretty piss por effort guys. At the very least stream away and then put up a statement afterwards. You have dedicated fans who stuck around for the last two years for you to get your act together so you at least had the decency to stream as promised …
Charlie
says:I was there, and could see how miserable you guys were. Despite all that, you still put on a good show, and the crowd were still loving it! Shame that you had to contend with Stevie Wonder’s “expansive demands” – to be fair to him though, he put on a hell of a show, and deserved every minute he got.
Susan Walters
says:I’m sorry to hear that things didn’t go well last night. I’m sure the crowd was not disappointed at all, though. I wish I could have seen the show but I understand your decision. I’m hoping that you may decide to create another live dvd from this current tour like “Inni.” Love you guys so much!!! ?
Katie
says:I was there yesterday and the whole croud were awestruck, you truly kicked it. Having said that, visuals and lighting in the dark would have taken the set to a whole new level and I’m sad it didn’t happen, and really really sad that fans who weren’t there won’t get to see the whole performance. It might not have been all you wanted it to be, but it remains my highlight of the festival.
holly
says:it was promised and 40 minutes before an already delayed broadcast was to be played, bestival let people know that the ‘live’ broadcast wouldn’t be happening.
after this, people were tweeting that it was amazing and thanking you for a great performance.
so all these real times coinciding, it seems the decision was made to not play the footage before you finished the set.
</3
you guys may not care because you are used to love and adoration but last night was an awful waste of time. and in very poor manners to have people believe a broadcast would be played then halfheartedly say it wouldn't be – and giving no reason/ignoring fans.
it doesn't matter if the sound was hazy or the visuals turning vomit green halfway. it would have added to the excitement of it all.
too lucky to think we could get a free concert weren't we ;)
Sarah
says:I admire how honest this is.. My daughter (3) was so sad to miss this when we found out you where ons tage and got tricked by Bestival Youtube stream… I am sorry yu had to deal with a crap sound Tech.. earlier in the stream we have noticed a lot of problems with sound… Whoever was the sound Tech they need to consider fireing and banning from working sound thank you for explaining to your fans. We do appreciatte that! And I admire that even with so many problems you continued your set. <3 from a mommy and daughter
BBMac
says:wait a minute, let me get this straight – Stevie Wonder’s people wanted him on as the sun went down?
does Stevie Wonder know when the sun sets or otherwise?
oh boy :)
Eve
says:I was at Bestival. i waited 10 hours at the barrier to ee you and was not disappointed!!! IT WAS AMAZING! the only downside was that due to standing there for 10 hours waiting for you my body gave out and during the last song i had to be pulled over the barrier, whilst unconscious, and taken into the emergency room… but i could still hear you. i loved every moment of it.. Eve x
Javi Rodrigo
says:You are the best band ever. See you guys on Friday in Madrid
Marcelo G Eid
says:I am so sorry the organization of this festival put you through this. I was excited to watch the concert one more time but I understand the need to not compromise your artistic sensibilities.
Hopefully you can do a new live streaming soon, maybe from Iceland, Maybe even during some awesome Aurora!!!
simon thornhill
says:Takk for being upfront about the broadcast not being up to the extremely high standards we have come to know and love. Sorry to hear that the slot simply didn’t work for the performers on stage Looking forward with great excitement to see your uk shows in 2013 I have seen you 7 times so far looking make that 10 by the end of the uk run of shows. Takk for always giving so much more than so many other bands who really wouldn’t have giving a shit about the quality of the footage hope you have a blast on the rest of the current tour
Take Care
Simon
Jonathan Sigsworth
says:Respect Sigur Ros, upmost respect
john l
says:Thank you for playing anyway…I was in audience and fulfilled an ambition in seeing you play live. It was a magical experience and despite technical problems. Shame Stevie Wonder was so demanding…please come back again but headliners next. I shed a tear during performance and was not alone…just as beautiful in daytime or night time – did you notice after a clody afternoon the cloud s broke when you were playing. With best wishes and respect John
Joe
says:I’m sorry you didn’t have a good experience, but for all of us in the crowd, it was absolutely breath-takingly perfect.
I’ve been a fan for years and this was the first time I’d seen you, and seriously, it was just so amazing.
Bestival is my favourite festival by far, and please do not feel put off by it because this is the first time I’ve seen a blip.
Thanks a lot. Your show has just secured my lifelong fanship.
Oli
says:I was there and despite the issues it was still a magical experience. Thank you for coming to the island and being one of my festival highlights and i cannot wait for march now. Thank you, Oli
John
says:I was also there to see your performance, from just a couple of rows back, in the centre. It was a transcendental experience, even though it was clear there were some problems that the guitar tech was struggling to solve.
The sunset slot is always a key one for any festival and I thought you pulled it off very well. I would have liked you to headline, to be honest!
Worth the ticket on it’s own. Looking forward to March at Brixton!
chris
says:I was there……It was amazing and the transition from day to night was really effective…..sorry you guys had a bad one but the crowd loved it..
Jane
says:I too was looking forward to the live stream and was very disappointed that it didn’t materialise. Thank you for explaining why you didn’t want it broadcast, but perhaps you could have selected some parts, just so that those of us who waited and organised our evening to watch it could have had something to enjoy. I hope you can arrange some other concert footage for those of us who can’t make it to gigs but still love your music.
James
says:I was there at the front for you too. I could see the bass tech wasn’t really happening. It’s a shame the Bestival tech guys were pretty awful at sorting it out too. To be honest, much of Bestival felt very unprepared and unorganised.
Despite all this, you were without a doubt the highlight of my weekend. I saw you a few years ago at Alexandra Palace and that was breathaking, I wasn’t sure it could be lived up to but you managed it. The sign of a legendary band when they have tech issues but still put on an outstanding set.
To all those angry that the live stream isn’t up, I honestly can’t say I blame them. I’m sure when the time is right, they shall put one up, but this wasn’t the one. The tech guys running around trying to fix things would have spoilt the shots.
Fantastic performance though guys, well done.
Gentle Radical
says:It must have been really frustrating to have your intentions for the set compromised – but the atmosphere in the crowd was still electric and I was tingling throughout! You continue to be the most exciting live performers in the world. Hooray! (To any of the negative posters above: in my view Sigur Ros are artists, not a service, and they did not owe you the live stream – and yet they were still humble enough to explain and apologise. So quit yer yammerin!).
Brigitta
says:I hope, I can see you 2013 in Germany, Essen or Cologne
;-)
Please!!!!!!
Have a good time!
Jay
says:Thanks for a great show, front row center
that lucky git who managed to get his hands on jonsi’s violin bow seconds before me….
worth the price of the ticket alone
Dean Harding
says:I was there for the show, it was such a shame the set wasn’t in the dark and I could sense something was wrong but… you were still brilliant and completely made my weekend!!! thank you and see you in brixton!
Chris P
says:Disappointed, but I understand and love you x
Richie Jones
says:Total respect guys. I was there and could tell you were having a dog of a set. I still think you nailed it and bought the magic of your unique sound to another audience.
Hope to catch you again soon, much respect.
Alex
says:Sounded excellent from where I was in the crowd. A real shame that it wasn’t streamed.
Joe
says:As a lot of people have mentioned already. It was incredible. Second time I’ve seen you guys now and found it amazing. Everyone around me current fans and newcomers seemed to love it too. Sure, darkness would have been nice for the whole set but I really loved that you began in the light and played through the sunset and by the end were in darkness. Possibly even added something to it.
So, although you apologise for the set and I feel sad it wasn’t was you wanted. I still say thank you for being fantastic. Plus ‘m sure you made some new fans that day in some of the folk around me.
KEITH GOLDHANGER
says:WHAT !!!!!!!!!!!!! …I thought you were brilliant last night –really excellent –
holly
says:to those who were there and had a transcendental experience going on to comment for all the people yabbering away, grow a heart.
holly
says:… if sigur ros pulled out 40 minutes before the show and said they already played down the road somewhere, I’m sure you’d be crushed too. money has nothing to do with it.
james
says:It was still the best 90 minutes of my life <3
df
says:This kind of thing infuriates me. Really, Sigur Ros, you played badly because your time slot was moved up and you couldn’t have a light show? Who the hell cares? If the quality of your live MUSICAL performance is in any way dependent upon it being dark enough so you can have some expensive lights blinking on and off, you’re doing it wrong.
rod
says:df, really? Have you never seen a Sigur Ros performance? Have you not seen Heima? Can you not read? There were technical problems along with the time slot issue. Are you whining because you didn’t get something that was going to be free anyway?
Simon
says:100% agree with you rod. Even so: James, it was still amazing, wasn’t it!
Absolutely the right decision not to stream it. I was at Bestival and so SO angry that they’d had them begin before dark. Completely undermined the chance for pure magic. Sigur Ros was the main reason I spent twelve hours travelling to the island. Please come back to a UK festival that will do you justice. Although I must say you were still incredible guys, and still gave me more joy and wonder in 90 minutes than I have experienced in many months. So takk anyway!
On behalf of the idiot organisers, I am sorry. We could have lost an hour of Stevie Wonder pushing his evangelical bible bullsh*t and had a transcendant festival experience instead.
News of the tour was the perfect antidote to returning home tired, smelly and a little bit sad though!
Randall
says:The show was freakin awesome. We left afterwards to beat the crowds. Was on a high the remainder of the night.
Emma
says:Having seen you guys numerous occasions before, let me say that although my first comment of “It would be awesome if they were playing later and it was dark” you guys really were beautiful…
Technical issues aside (can’t say I noticed more than one) our position at centre audience to the right was fab, you guys really sounded awesome…
I’m sorry you felt you didn’t have a good experience at Bestival… but if you read the forums elsewhere you will see that your set was still powerful and beautiful for so so many of us…
Big love, Emma xx
oliver webb
says:best 90 minutes of my life and i feel honoured to have been there. i have respect for you being so passionate about your overall performance that you considered this not up to standard, but even you not up to standard had me in tears. looking forward to the full experience in march. hope it doesn’t put you off us. much love x
Grace kingsbury
says:Was disappointed that the Slot wasn’t during the darkness but was still mind-blowing. The only reason I went to Bestival was to see Sigur Rós and I wasn’t disappointed but must say I would rather have seen them in concert. The set was gorgeous but the majority of people near me were watching to see Stevie wonder after so didn’t appreciate what was happening in front of them. I was in tears due to the beauty of the set and so were a few others around me. Big well done but condolences also. Xxx
PhilB2
says:Let’s make one thing clear..
EVERYBODY WHO WAS THERE LOVED IT!
…except for the band apparently.
oh well sorry to hear that.
Thanks for coming and blowing our minds anyway :)
PhilB2
says:ps. please please reconsider and allow us to see the video!
Ronan
says:I would firstly like to say, with all my heart; Thank you Sigur Rós. And thank you again. It saddens me to hear your experience playing Bestival was not a good one, I wish to let you know that my girlfriend and i were filled with such happiness and joy watching from the crowd. I am glad there are musicians in the world that care so passionately about their live performances that it makes them miserable to be unable to fulfil their vision. We could sense the tension and knew there must be some problems. We did however not care, for to us, it was beautiful and i will hold it with me for the rest of my life.
When we visited Norway earlier this year to witness the Northern Lights it was Sigur Rós we listened to almost exclusively. I had tears of joy watching you on Sunday night, it all blended together and is difficult to explain how powerful an affect it had. I look forward to being able to witness your show with the full force of your creative vision. I will not be missing out on your UK tour.
Love,
R&Y
shannon
says:I too went only for this, went twice actually as had left my ticket behind! And it was worth it… incredible feelings and sounds out of this world. Will for sure be first in line for tickets for your UK tour. Sorry about the issues, that Bestival organisers said they had tried to book you for years then to screw up is shameful and they should be thinking about what experience they are trying to promote.
I will be listening to you, I imagine, for my whole life.
Peace. Shannon.
Dean
says:I’m really sorry that the band did not enjoy the experience and I can understand why.
None the less, it was still the most wonderful musical experience of my life, and I’ve had a quite a few at 48.
I feel privileged and honored to have seen you and hope I can do so again next year.
Thank you so much :-)
Rob
says:I’m really sorry you feel the need to apologise for whatever went wrong in your show but believe me, it was the greatest moment of my life. I have no resentment or ill will towards any of the band (maybe Rob da Bank and Stevie Wonder).
It was an absolutely wonderful performance and I consider myself to be very lucky to have seen you live. I hope you’re not too upset with what happened as I’m sure the many thousands of people that saw you will agree that it was an outstanding, beautiful performance.
Jack Martin
says:Myself and the 10 group of people I was staying with all decided that the 90 mins of your set was the greatest thing we’d ever heard or seen. Throughout the set we were all visibily emotional and at the end of your set 2 of our group fell over they were so inspired. I returned home to find that Sigur were not happy with their performance but I can tell you now that until I see you again I don’t think I’ll ever experience anything so beautiful.
dicker and jue
says:A class performance by some of the best musicians playing at Bestival.So atmospheric,just what was needed for a Sunday night.This music is totally unique . pure magic
ag
says:I thought the whole performance was incredible, despite technical issues and it being daylight – I had no problem with these at all, the only issue I had was zoning the morons out that were not appreciating the music and talking around me instead. You were amazing, and I look forward to seeing you again! Xx
Alison Sky Simmance
says:I thought the whole experience was incredible and I would like to thank you all for putting up with all the issues you faced- despite all of these, you made my Bestival. I came only to see you and it was well worth the wait all weekend. Thank you for being such an inspirational group.
I cant wait to see you all again for a performance in your home country- Iceland- for my birthday this fall.
Þakka þér. Njóttu restina af ferðina þína.
Tom Barber
says:I have to say I could see there were some technical difficulties going on but I hadn’t realised it had upset the band so much, other than kicking the drums at the end and walking off, I’d just thought that was you guys being rock stars :) Despite the problems the music was still incredible, the first time a band had brought a tear to my eye, only to tuen round and see another guy crying. Just incredible music. Can’t wait to see you again. Tom
Andrew
says:It’s hard to put into words how utterly amazing this band are, nobody even comes close. I was there at Bestival and LOVED the show, at times I just broke down, the pure intensity and beauty was too much to handle. The show was in my top 5 gigs of all time- lights of no lights.
Whose idea was it to put them second on the bill to an idiot who is only concerned bringing religion and politics into their set. Shame on you Bestival.
Pete
says:I travelled down on the day with my 12 year old daughter just for your show, and was not disappointed. Sure it would have been great in darkness, but believe me guys, daylight and technical difficulties did nothing to detract from what was a stunning show, as always.
My daughter absolutely loved her first experience of the band ( we saw Jonsi at Birmingham two years ago to the day ) and now she can’t wait for the shows in March.
Takk and see you real soon x
Nitin
says:I was reduced to tears regardless.Also, please re-consider showing the video. Please
William
says:I am still absolutely blown away by what I witnessed on Sunday, and to hear it may not have been the whole thing intrigues me; but I cannot deny the sonic masterpiece that I was privileged to encounter on the weekend. Either way, thank you.
a stranger
says:rude is the only word i can think of when you mention Stevie Wonder as merely ‘the headliner’.when (and if) you ever manage to produce as much work as he has then we can have a word on it.
daniel
says:You guys were one of the main reasons I went to Bestival this year so was both disappointed and surprised to discover you were on at such an early time. This was the first time i’ve seen the band and considering their calibre was expecting them to be a headliner.
For such atmospheric music I can see the importance the visual effects must play in their set and was similarly disappointed by the lack of darkness as the set started. Still they didn’t dissapoint with their sound being that which transported me most all weekend to another world. Hadn’t appreciated the power of the crescendo’s within their music “Festival” was appropriately glorious and from an audience viewpoint the sound seemed perfectly mixed. The band might feel playing in daylight detracts from their performance but it threw up some lovely moments, gazing up as a patch of sky lit up gold from the sun finally emerging from the grey just as ‘Olsen Olsen’ neared its end felt like a truly special moment.
james
says:I can see both sides of the story here. The first comment I made when the band came on was ‘This band should definitely be on at night’, as they were at Benicassim a few years ago, which was a beautiful and inspiring performance.
The other issue was that there was loud bass drum sounds emanating from the nearby dance tent that spoiled some of the quieter moments of the set, which is a problem when you are listening to a band so reliant on dynamic/volume contrasts such as Sigur Ros.
I noticed some technical issues at one stage, there was an uncomfortable delay and the band looked annoyed at the situation.
Despite this I wish to echo the previous sentiments from other Bestival attendees – despite the lack of darkness and the technical issues I found the show beautiful, inspiring and heartwrenching. I fought back tears through much of the show, and felt slightly better about my emotional turmoil when I noticed a very intoxicated man to my right openly weeping whilst trying to sing at the same pitch as Jonsi. Whenever anyone asks me for my highlight of Bestival 2012 I will always answer – Sigur Ros.
Thank you for delivering what the crowd thought was a great performance despite the various issues.
See you in Manchester 2013.
Jimmy
says:I was there in the crowd after waiting 8 years to see you perform live and despite the problems you seemed to be having I was stunned by how amazing you sounded. I wept like a baby. The only disappointment was the fact that I hadn’t managed to see you sooner but I plan to make up for that next year. Thank you.
Rob
says:I was there and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It might not have been what they wanted but them playing as the sun set was fantastic and it was one of the best live experiences I’ve had.
meg
says:one of the main reasons i went to bestival and without sounding cringe, was one of the most wonderful moments of my life. was a perfect show in my opinion. sun going down on a moody sky line, wrapped up in my special festival coat huddled with my boyfriend. truly incredible stuff guys. see you in 2013
Natasha
says:You where the only reason i went bestival and my absolute highlight. Can’t wait until you’re back. <3 <3 <3
sandy bain
says:i enjoyed every minuite of the gig it was awesome even with the technical gliches i loved it :)
Jonjo
says:I agree with every one here, was so very moving. Second time I’ve seen you and instantly got a ticket for march.
It makes me sad that you didn’t enjoy bestival, it was my 7th time there and i really do love it. Many of my musical highlights have been there, bjork last year, jonsi the year before, and sigur ros this year has joined them.
Annie
says:I was gutted because I couldn’t go to Bestival this year, the only reason was because I wanted to see Sigur Ros so this does make me feel a little better. Have just booked tickets to Brixton Academy next March so really can’t wait to see the show!and seeing it streamed from Bestival mught have spoiled the surprise. When I saw Sigur Ros at Latitude they were the best best performance ever experienced in my life. Let’s hope they come back to Latitude again where the organisers will understand how wonderful Sigur Ros really are. Having seen Jonsi’s magical tour I can see that the magic is continuing and getting even better.
Higher Ground
says:Not exactly a professional response your “statement”. I watched your performance not knowing anything about you whatsoever so was entirely open to what you had to offer. What struck me in contrast to just about every other act at Bestival was your total lack of interaction with the crowd other than to complain that you had some “technical difficulties” at one point. You could have even explained at the start that you would have preferred to have performed in the dark, but surely your music should be able to stand up on its own without other effects, and I must say that although not my cup of tea I felt it did. To blame it on one of the most iconic musicians and humanitarians of his generation is disrespectful to say the very least. When you have achieved a 10th of what Stevie Wonder has achieved both as a musician and human being then you will be in a position to “demand” what you want when you are the headline act at a festival. The vast majority of the crowd in front of you some 30,000 were waiting to see Stevie Wonder, they wouldn’t have been impressed to have had his peformance compromised for yours. I wish you well in the rest of your career, but perhaps you should reflect on your lack of respect for a true legend.
Kieran Morgan
says:Sigur Ros, although you had a miserable time on stage, we sure did not in the crowd. I bought a bestival ticket as soon as i heard the news you guys would be there and you didn’t let me down. I made sure i got to the front an so glad i did! I loved glosoli and popplagid. I’ve bought myself a ticket for the UK tour and would love it if you include Andvari into your set list :) thanks for an amazing experience!
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