Tales of the Table · Tales of the Table
Silfurtunglið (1955–1975) – Lost Tables
Silfurtunglið ('The Silver Moon') opened in 1955 in the northern part of the upper floor of Austurbæjarbíó, run by Axel Magnússon and Sigurgeir Jónasson and named after Halldór Laxness's play of 1954. Open six nights a week for crowds of 150–200, it began with dance bands – José Riba's was the first
Silfurtunglið ('The Silver Moon') opened in 1955 in the northern part of the upper floor of Austurbæjarbíó, run by Axel Magnússon and Sigurgeir Jónasson and named after Halldór Laxness's play of 1954. Open six nights a week for crowds of 150–200, it began with dance bands – José Riba's was the first house band, followed by those of Aage Lorange, Karl Jónatansson, Magnús Randrup and Finnur Eydal. In the sixties it moved on to beat groups such as Fimm í fullu fjöri, Sóló, Pónik, Hljómar and Flowers, then hippie-era bands like Júdas, Mánar and Óðmenn, and later cover bands and discos. It got a liquor licence in 1960, and noise from the bar fuelled years of complaints from neighbours in Norðurmýri. In autumn 1975 the city council refused to renew the licence and the club closed in October 1975; Snorrabær opened in the same rooms in March 1976.
The Austurbæjarbíó building still stands
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