Heavy, LA-style rock is big news in Iceland at the moment – bands like Sign and Tommygun Preachers are doing great things at home and abroad which bodes well for the future of Icelandic guitar music. It could be more inventive but who cares when they have the songs and talent to turn your mood from rainy-day blues to California-sunshine happy.

LA-style rock in the middle of the old Sirkus car park, however, is something rarer than ‘big news’ which made Atomstation’s impromptu performance last week a bit special. Their stage was a tent bought from Bonus and crowd was mainly made up of confused tourists (“Gene, why are there hairy men playing loud music in a car park? I thought Iceland was meant to be peaceful…anyway, can you see the Northern Lights yet?” ) and lots of old Sirkus regulars. Atomstation were brilliant and their album, Exile Republic, is one of my favourites so far this year – if it doesn’t win some sort of IMA recognition then it’ll be a surprise.

Even the lead singer had a Tom Selleck ‘tache in honour of the legendary Sirkus Tom Selleck Moustache Competition, but he may have just had it anyway. Nice fuzz though.

They have three live dates in the next few weeks so go see them for yourself.