"I was 13 when I saw KISS. Looking back, that was probably the moment my trajectory was set."
Split Promotions: Building the Foundations of Iceland's Live Music Industry, 1987-1990
At 13, Franz Gunnarsson found himself underneath the stage at a KISS concert in Reykjavík. Two years later, he watched Whitesnake and threw a broccoli onto the stage for guitarist Steve Vai, who smiled, picked it up, and played his guitar with it.
In this conversation, guitarist, producer, and music promoter Franz Gunnarsson reflects on the concerts that inspired a lifelong involvement in music, and on the people who made them possible. He discusses how Tony Sandy and Bobby Harrison, through Split Promotions, helped bring major international artists to Iceland during a pivotal period in the country's cultural development.
Part personal reflection, part music history, the interview explores the ambition, risks and behind-the-scenes work required to stage world-class concerts in Iceland, and the lasting impact those events had on the country's live music scene.