(Firstly, a big emotional thanks to everyone reading this – over 500 of you apparently in the last 24 hours, that's amazing. Thanks for putting with the ramblings, the spelling mistakes and the unprofessional photos. Cheers!)

The lateness of this post will tell you something of Friday night at Iceland Airwaves 2009. It was one of those that went long into the early hours of the next day and involved those funny Opal shots that taste as if they are a vodka/cough medicine cocktail. Which frankly is what they are, I can't think of many things more likely to kill germs. Delicious.

The off venue shows during the daytime were, as ever, an absolute delight. To recap briefly, I started at the hostel downtown to see the Danish former ballerina now known as Oh Land. I have ben completely charmed by her song "Frostbite" ever since I looked her up on Hype Machine and so she was one of the non-Icelanders I was determined to see. Her show was lo-fi, and low-key but delicate and beautiful. Off to Skifan to see Hafdis Huld again, she played the exact same set as the previous night in Nasa but that didn't matter too much as it was just as enjoyable again, including the second viewing of the pink flying V ukulele. She's also a tremendous saleswoman, she plugged her new album and next shows mercilessly and sold and signed quite a number after the show for her admirers. Well Done! There followed a little bit of running around to catch a few songs of Sykur (at kaffistofa), the Hudson Wayne (at 12 Tonar) and then, again in 12 tonar, for the brilliant Eberg who charmed the packed record shop with his one man show. Finally a quick jog to Skifan where I caught the last five minutes of hotly-tipped Canadians, Brasstronaut, who sounded nice!

So, huh, thinking back to the on venue stuff… the evening started at 8pm in the Art Museum with my first view of <3 Svanhvit (photos above, and left). It turns out it was my last look at them too, since this was their last ever show. That's a shame because this a humorous bunch with some good songs, and they brought the party to a fairly empty Art Museum. Firstly they called the audience further and further forward, then made us all stand on the left half, and then the right half – this must have bemused the latecomers. The show was full of youthful energy, as if the band UMTBS had gone from 4 to 8 people and then all learned different instruments. At the end they over-ran and were finally cut short by the organisers so they only managed to play the intro to what was to be their final performance together. A shame, I would have liked to see them again.

Once the over-priced (small) can of beer was drained it was off to set up camp in Sodoma for the entire evening. Thursday and Saturday are running around days, Friday's bill in Sodoma made movement unnecessary for once. For an hour or so it was pretty empty, I guess those who managed to get the limited Kings Of Convenience wristbands were all over at Frikirkjan settling in for their reward, and it seemed like most other festival goers were either in the Art Museum or in an enormous queue outside of it to see the inordinately trendy bands at Moshi Moshi night. Me, I was happy in the low ceilinged (?) rock dive over the road.

First Me, the Slumbering Napoleon and then Bob Justman played to a half empty room but both emerged successful due to their comfort at interacting with the audience, making friends as they went. Napoleon (can I abbreviate?) went about their normal, noisy, 70s rock-tinged with skill and had the audience's attention fixed on them throughout. Bob Justman had a few technical issues it seemed, not least the complete absence of his usual band, but won me over with charm and some above average singer-songwriter sounds.

Towards half past ten, the venue was suddenly rammed, a suitable reward for an excellent line-up. The always popular Dikta were next and after their somewhat lacklustre show the previous evening absolutely nailed it tonight. Every song in their set now seems familiar, and all the locals sure do know every word of the hits and belt them out. This was an absolute triumph of a show, and it is their songs that are still going around my head the best part of 24 hours (and a lot of music) later. Let Go, Breaking The Waves, Just Getting Started were all huge highlights.

Reykjavik! (photos, right) were up next, a change of pace, and for the most part it seemed a change of audience. At the front now were the kids who knew what was coming, who didn't mind the risk of a shoe in the head when Boas, inevitably, was being passed across above them. A few early technical issues were overcome with some traditional Icelandic singalongs or nursery rhymes (I'm guessing) and then for the foreigners, a rendition of Happy Birthday. The show was awesome, the atmosphere was electric. I spoke to them after the show and they felt it wasn't their best. I suspect they knew about some sort of technical flaws but these go totally unnoticed when the audience is pretty much there to shout, scream and party. There is nothing not to love about a Reykjavik! live show, they are irresistible as the force of their will to have a good time takes over everyone within touching distance. The photographers clearly know there are fun shots to be had, there were hundreds of them (OK, 10 or 12) waiting for that inevitable photo of one, two or even three (at one point) members of the band being in the audience. I must have seen this band something like 15 times now, and for me this was the best performance of all. Don't worry about the technical stuff guys, that's for the studio – play like that and everyone goes away grinning, and/or bleeding. Once again, I'll steal from the grapevine review (professionals!) who put it perfectly, "Few bands can make pretty much anybody and their bitter aunt crave being in the band and the audience at the same time for that matter. Reykjavik! accomplish this, like it is second nature. Their gig was like a carnival or a parade down a narrow street. It pulls you in, even if you are trying to hide from it"

After this I had to retire for some air to the 'roof terrace', in actual fact a smoking area – seriously I think this must be the most heavily polluted area in all of Iceland, no need for a fog machine. I was still catching my breath, and sinking cold goodness for much of the following set by American band Crystal Antlers but it slowly dawned upon me through conversations outside that this was another fabulous band. Similar in style to Reykjavik! they also put on a great show (and stayed on the stage at all times) of fuzzy punk rock that made me think of Iggy Pop at times, they're a band to keep an eye on.

Normally you wouldn't fancy the chances of a bunch of school kids following three such triumphant sets, but this was Sudden Weather Change (left). SWC have the confidence of a much more mature band, with one of the albums of the year already behind them they rose to the challenge of keeping the crowd up with ease. They often look like a bunch of kids playing at pretending to be rock stars, they have all the moves and throw the right shapes, but they actually deliver on the noise as well and they deserve all the credit for that. They had the boys in the front topless and throwing themselves around, and they had the girls leaning across the barriers to get closer. Like Reykjavik! they have an energy that you can't hide from.

Having said that, the end of their set coincided with my complete energy failure, I left the venue at the mercy of closers Aela and headed for sustenance. Exhausted.