Meat Loaf, Iceland, 1987

Concert: 10 October 1987
Venue: Reiðhöllin, Reykjavík
Promoters: Tony Sandy & Bobby Harrison (Split Promotions)
Status: Ongoing research

This photograph shows my dad, Tony Sandy, with Bobby Harrison and Meat Loaf during Meat Loaf's visit to Iceland.

At the time, it was simply one of many photographs taken while promoting the concert. It now forms part of the growing Bits + Bobs archive, documenting the people, places, and stories behind Iceland's live music scene during the 1980s.

I also have a separate photograph of my mum with Meat Loaf, which I believe my dad took as a personal snapshot. This image, however, appears to be an official press photograph.

I'd love to identify the photographer and ensure they receive the credit they deserve.

If you attended the concert, worked behind the scenes, or have photographs, tickets, programmes, press cuttings or other memorabilia, I'd love to hear from you.

Archival television footage shown courtesy of a family VHS recording. Original broadcast copyright remains with the broadcaster.

#bitsandbobsarchive #splitpromotionsarchive

Welcome to Bits + Bobs

Bits + Bobs is an archive-led storytelling project that uncovers overlooked stories through photographs, VHS recordings, documents, interviews and personal memories.

What begins as a fragment, a photograph, a VHS tape, a ticket stub or a conversation, often leads to a much larger story. By bringing together family archives with newly discovered material and oral history interviews, the project seeks to preserve these stories before they are lost.

The archive will develop into a series of creative outputs, including documentary films, exhibitions, publications and digital resources.

Story One: Split Promotions

The first story explores Tony Sandy and Bobby Harrison, whose company, Split Promotions, helped bring international artists to Iceland during the 1980s. Through archive research and oral history interviews, the project documents not only the performers, but also the promoters, support bands, journalists, photographers, venue staff and audiences who shaped this remarkable period in Iceland's live music history.

Story Two: The Hairdresser

The second story looks back to Tony Sandy's earlier years in Swinging London, where he trained under Vidal Sassoon and worked with musicians and cultural icons including The Beatles, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Twiggy and many others.

Bits + Bobs is an evolving archive. As new material is uncovered, new stories emerge.