An Evening with...Of Monsters and Men and Árný Margrét

This was a big one. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of Icelandic music. Sigur Rós opened that door decades ago, and I am still blown away by how many amazing artists come out of such a small country.

I first got into Of Monsters and Men about 13 years ago when My Head Is an Animal was released—an album that immediately brought them international success. I've been collecting their records ever since, culminating in the much-anticipated release of All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade, their first studio album in over six years.

A US tour followed, which was bittersweet for me, as Árný Margrét was confirmed as the support act, meaning she had to cancel her UK tour in order to join Of Monsters and Men. In the back of my mind, I hoped they would eventually tour Europe and bring Árný along too, which is exactly what happened when the tour was announced late last year.

So it was off to the O2 Academy Glasgow. After already buying a ticket, I reached out to both Of Monsters and Men and Árný Margrét for a photo pass, and both kindly agreed.

Árný Margrét opened the evening with a lovely set. I first discovered her around three years ago and haven't stopped listening to her since. Her music is captivating. As a big fan of acoustic folk, I find her fingerpicking style exquisite. I once asked her about her influences, and she mentioned Gregory Alan Isakov. Many of her songs feature little more than her guitar, but her voice is so delicate and controlled that you never feel anything is missing.

She made her debut with They Only Talk About the Weather in 2022, an incredible introduction that cemented her status as one of the most exciting new artists in Iceland. A few EPs and singles followed, including Intertwined, before her much-anticipated second album, I Miss You, I Do, was released last year.

Unfortunately, Árný told the crowd she was under the weather and struggling with her voice, but you would never have known. She made it through the set beautifully, playing songs from her latest album as well as older favourites such as “In Tall Buildings” and “Born in Spring”.

I was allowed to shoot the opening three songs from the pit. I had my pair of Canon 6D Mark IIs along with my 85mm f/1.8 and 70–200mm f/2.8 lenses. The lighting was pretty good, and with Árný alone on stage with her guitar, I moved around a little to capture a mixture of wide shots and close-ups before leaving the pit to enjoy the rest of the set.

After a short break, I was back in the pit waiting for Of Monsters and Men to take the stage. It was my first time seeing them live, so I was pretty excited—not just to watch the show, but to photograph it as well.

The band emerged to rapturous applause and, in near-total darkness, opened with “Television Love”. The lighting was definitely a challenge at the start. Nanna and Ragnar were barely lit, but there was some excellent backlighting on Brynjar and Arnar, so I concentrated on them initially.

The lighting improved during the second song, “Dream Team”, and I really got to work, positioning myself between Nanna and Ragnar with the 85mm while switching to the 70–200mm for shots of the rest of the band. The third song was “King and Lionheart”, and the lights dimmed again, so I moved around as much as possible to make the most of what was available before heading back to my seat—job done.

The rest of the show was everything I had hoped for. The band truly brought their A-game, delivering one brilliant song after another. The evening culminated with a track from their latest album, which seems to have become their live-show closer—and with good reason.

“Fruit Bat” is perfect for that moment. The first half of the song is enchanting, and just when you think it is coming to an end, the music begins to build again, evolving into a long instrumental outro that provided the perfect ending to a fantastic show.

Once again, I want to thank both Of Monsters and Men and Árný Margrét for providing me with a photo pass. I'll remember this one for a long time.

Takk!