BITS + BOBS – Tony Sandy (My Dad) & Bobby Harrison

Just uncovered some incredible VHS footage of my dad, Tony Sandy, and Bobby Harrison — original drummer of Procol Harum (who recorded A Whiter Shade of Pale) — being interviewed by Finnbogi Marinosson about Europe coming to Iceland in 1986.

At the time, Bobby was working alongside my dad through their company, Split Promotions.

They’re clearly having a great time — at one point my dad even shaves the presenter’s beard off on camera. He was also a hairdresser (trained personally by Vidal Sassoon at his King’s Road salon in the 1960s) — another story for another post.

This tape is full of interviews and backstage moments — including A-ha, Boy George, Bonnie Tyler, Meat Loaf, Nazareth, The Men They Couldn’t Hang, and The Dubliners (and more).

More to follow.

#bitsandbobs #familyarchive #icelandmusicscene #musicarchives #rockhistory #foundfootage

BITS + BOBS – Interview with Þráinn Árni Baldvinsson, Skálmöld

This short clip is taken from a longer conversation I recorded with @thrainnarnibaldvinsson , guitarist with the Icelandic Viking/folk metal band Skálmöld.

I came across some official promo photos of KISS playing in Iceland in 1988 via the Bruce Kulick Appreciation Facebook page. My dad was the band promoter who brought KISS to Iceland that year (alongside many other bands), and I commented on a post explaining my Bits + Bobs archive project.

Þráinn replied — and this conversation followed.

He attended the concert as a 12-year-old, and it was fascinating hearing that night recalled from a 12-year-old’s perspective — especially knowing the path he would later take in Iceland’s metal scene.

This 5-minute clip is a short teaser from a much longer recorded conversation.
More to come.

#bitsandbobs #icelandmusicscene #kiss1988 #rockhistory #metalhistory #musicarchive #oralhistory #culturalmemory #behindthescenes

BITS + BOBS – Sniglarnir

In the 1980s, my dad, Tony Sandy, was a band promoter in Iceland.

Sniglarnir (often called Sniglar) was a motorcycle club that sometimes worked as security for concerts at that time.

I was eight. My friend Rebekka and I were in our converted attic room when we heard the bikes arrive and watched the driveway fill up with motorcycles. Neighbours were watching from behind their net curtains.

We were laughing and said in Icelandic:
“Hvaða sniglar á hjólum eru að koma hingað núna?!”
(What snails on bikes are coming here now?)

This image is a context photo of Sniglarnir.

If anyone has photos of Sniglarnir from the 1980s, especially around gigs or venues, please DM me. I’m collecting material for a personal archive.

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Íslenska 🇮🇸

Á níunda áratugnum var pabbi minn, Tony Sandy, tónleikahaldari á Íslandi.

Sniglarnir (oft kallaðir Sniglar) eru mótorhjólaklúbbur sem sinnti stundum öryggisgæslu á tónleikum á þeim tíma.

Ég var átta ára. Ég og vinkona mín Rebekka vorum uppi á risi þegar við heyrðum mótorhjólin koma og sáum innkeyrsluna fyllast af hjólum. Nágrannar horfðu út um netgardínurnar.

Við hlógum og sögðum:
”Hvaða sniglar á hjólum eru að koma hingað núna?!“

Þessi mynd er samhengismynd af Sniglunum.

Ef þú átt myndir af Sniglunum frá níunda áratugnum, sérstaklega í tengslum við tónleika eða tónleikastaði, endilega sendu mér skilaboð. Ég er að safna efni í persónulegt safn.

#sniglarnir #sniglar #iceland1980s #reykjavik #musichistory #oralhistory #archive #bitsandbobs

BITS + BOBS – Kiss

KISS
Crazy Nights Tour 1987–88
30 August 1988, Reykjavík, Iceland

My first memory of meeting KISS was at the Hard Rock Cafe in Reykjavík. My cousin Gunnhildur was looking after me and took me to see my parents.

We found them sitting around a large table, with Gene Simmons in the middle. My dad introduced me to the band and Gene said hello — then stuck his tongue out. I was very shy, slightly shocked, and a bit in awe of how long his tongue was. Possibly a little disturbed. Mostly confused.

Now it feels funny — and I wish someone had captured that moment.

The images here are a mix of what I’ve found so far: the tour poster, ephemera, my dad Tony Sandy (who brought the band to Iceland), and official photos from the night shared via the Kiss Army Iceland Facebook group.

The photo of my dad is with another band — I think The Men They Couldn’t Hang — but I need to check that. It’s what I have to hand for now, until I properly rummage through the attic.

#bitsandbobs #kiss #crazynightstour #icelandmusicscene #rockhistory #familyarchive #musicarchives #backstagememories

BITS + BOBS – Tony Sandy (My Dad)

While my daughter was at a workshop this morning, I sat in Rough Hands in Stroud and got lost in one of Iceland’s digitised newspaper archives.

I was surprised to come across several clippings featuring my dad. I have most of these in the attic already, but it was still a nice surprise to find them online.

Next step is to track down archival TV footage. There’s one news reel I’d love to find — my dad stepping off a tour bus with a band (I think it was Whitesnake), wearing a suit, long leather jacket and Ray-Bans.

I remember my friends saying,
“Emilie, pabbi þinn var á sjónvarpinu!”

(“Your Dad’s on TV!”)

#bitsandbobs #familyarchive #personalarchive #icelandmusicscene #foundinarchives #memorywork #culturalhistory

BITS + BOBS – Tony Sandy (My Dad)

Someone messaged me after my first Bits + Bobs post asking if the guy in the photo was my dad — and said they really hoped it was, because I guess they thought he looked cool (because I do).

Very classic 1980s rock aesthetic. I don’t hate it. It also reminds me a bit of The Lost Boys, which I loved.

That message sent me looking for a photo of my dad, and I ended up in his obituary folder. Then I found this.

I actually did a little shout when I realised what he was working on and called out to my son, “look what I’ve found — Grandad!”

He was in the middle of playing Fortnite and barely looked up, so I told him to look again — this time above the computers, where my dad’s painting is proudly hanging.

#bitsandbobs #familyarchive #personalarchive #foundphotographs #memorywork #behindthescenes #intergenerational

BITS + BOBS – Joey Tempest of Europe

I didn’t want this photo. I was six and very shy.

My mum, Hafdís, bribed me with a My Little Pony stable and said I’d be thankful one day.

Backstage in Reykjavík, I sat in the green room doing a word search while Europe got ready to play to a packed arena. I think the venue may have been a converted horse stable — I need to check that.

My dad was the band promoter making it all happen.

Between 1986–1990 he brought bands to Iceland and somehow always found a way to make it work — alongside running his hair salon, Töff, on Laugavegur.

If only I’d had a camera back then.

This is the start of a new project: Bits + Bobs.

#bitsandbobs #icelandmusicscene #backstage #musicmemories #familyarchive #behindthescenes #rockhistory #personalarchive