Gushing Praise for Sigur Ros

Monday night saw me at my second Sigur Ros gig, and hopefully not my last. As friends will testify from the last time, I cannot overstate the depth of their talent.

They were amazing. Geniuses. (Or genii if you prefer). They're proper musicians - in between songs, or sometimes during songs, they wander round and start playing a different instrument. The singer/guitarrist would go and play keys, the drummer would play glockenspiel (I don't know exactly what one is but I'm sure they had one), the keyboarder would pick up a piccolo...... The first encore ended with a piano solo from the drummer. Half the time Jonsi, the lead man, was playing his guitar with a violin bow, and for one song the bassist played his bass with a drumstick. Like I say, proper musicians.

On top of this, their ability to capture emotion in words and music is one that would be the envy of many of their peers, and that wouldn't even occur to today's manufactured bands. Filled with melancholy, majestic, crafted crescendos, and everything in between, theirs is a sound that can transport you to another place.

Their abundant talent and creativity is also evident in their videos - from the hauntingly beautiful come-follow-me of Glosoli, to the wonderfully mischievous pensioners of Hoppipolla, to the deeply poignant Viorar vel til loftarasa, which is said to depict the struggle of being gay in the church.

I'm torn between wanting to tell everyone I meet how great they are, and enjoying being part of a well kept secret. So please promise not to tell anyone.