At ATP Iceland this year, I had the pleasure to run into a certain journalist in Iceland.  I’m being honest in saying it’s a pleasure as he’s about as delightfully entertaining as it gets.  He gave me some pointers on my blog, most of which was that I need to be a bigger asshole, as I may come across as an ass kisser of sorts.   So, in honor of him,  I’m going to try this mean thing out… Let’s talk about Bob Cluness.

He’s an old crusty cantankerous Shetland Scot, who is slightly understandable by his second beer. By his sixth, it’s just spit and guttural noises, swear-to-god.  He stumbles about Iceland grumbling about this band and that band cursing their very existence, and in the event he likes a band, he grumbles about how they’re going to fuck it up.

His Tweets typically tend to be entertaining extensions of his fuckery, incoherent rant-fests of his own creation, or in his moments of seemingly glee, the passing along of other rants he admires.  He loves the word Fuck almost as much as he loves the band Coldplay. (which is a lot so I hear.)

Perhaps because of his impressive knowledge of music coupled with the fact that in person he’s a goddamned sweetheart is the only reason the Icelanders haven’t stuffed him in a barrel and dropped him into the sea.

My blog may seem a bit bubble gum and unicorn farts, but I’m not here to critique or tell a band what they could do to be better or differently,  I’m promoting what I like while trying to give us English reading folks some background information on bands that otherwise may not get a lot of non-Icelandic write ups.  It’s a personal blog, and I’ll be nice if I goddamned well and want to.  And no, I’ve never literally kissed the ass of an Icelander, (that I remember, too many years of visiting and too many vodkas.)

That being said, if my blog were more about reviewing all things coming out of Iceland, and not just blogging about what I dig, I actually would agree with him, which in itself is understandably quite aggravating, that and the fact that Bob is indeed a fucking smiling, beer giving, sweetheart.

I really do suggest you follow him on Twitter (@bobcluness), as he is a riot.  And you can read his rants, cursings, and entertaining reviews at Grapevine.

I figured he would punch me if I asked him my questions so I didn’t…. Now back to unicorn farts and bubble gum.