The Bullet Music Reviews
gigs, albums and film reviews, live pictures and interviews
Live review: EuroSonic Festival 2008 - NL
Thursday January 10
Every year my hometown Groningen is the music capital of Europe every the second weekend of January. If you’re an unknown visitor, wanting to hit the pub, you’ll be in for a surprise. The city is filled with trucks from radio and tv stations, tour busses and people. You can only access the pubs when you have a wristband, its colour indicating if your press, band, booking agent or a regular Joe who has paid for their ticket. Over 150 bands are playing in up to 30 locations in Groningen’s city centre. Bands that come from all over Europe, some already well known in their home country, most of them are promising, bursting with talent. And of course some of them are crap. This is EuroSonic, and we’re there.
Each year the focus is on a different country, meaning that that country provides the most bands. In 2008 the focus is on Sweden. EuroSonic always attracts a lot of international press, lots of radio and TV stations report live from the festival. People are being filmed and interviewed on every corner of the street. The festival sold out weeks ago and we’re in for crowded spaces and long queues.
The best thing about EuroSonic is that there are so many bands playing. But that’s it’s biggest disadvantage at the same time. What do you choose?! It’s a difficult one right from the start of the festival. Do we go for Alamo Race Track (the Netherlands) – who we’ve seen before, The Kissaway Trail (UK) or I’m From Barcelona? We go for the last one, based on the description in the program.
On stage are so many microphones that we wonder if this is really going to be only one band. There are balloons everywhere, big and small, and the person announcing the band says there will be 28 people on stage! I must admit that I didn’t count how many there were on there exactly, but it barely fit. Barcelona by Queen is blasting from the speakers, balloons are flying through the theatre. Bags full are being emptied out above us. I’m From Barcelona hails from Sweden, and no Spain, which is about as logical as everything else involving this band. There are people on stage that sing along every now and then, there’s three girls at the front wearing a geeky dress and shaking equally geeky instruments, singer Emanuel Lundgren looks like he’s been in a cave since the 70’s. It’s a mix between the Arcade Fire, The Kelly Family and the Polyphonic Spree. Later, confetti is blown from everywhere, while we all sing about building tree houses. Just when we’ve finished getting the bits of confetti out of our hair, it’s coming down again. What a blast! We hope to see this bunch at the festivals this summer!
After the amazing start of the festival we wonder if any other band will be able to top this experience this weekend. Lightspeed Champion doesn’t manage to do so. Dev Hynes, formerly of punkband Test Icicles, plays Vera tonight. His new project is the opposite of his former band. He is accompanied by a man on an acoustic guitar. Quiet songs, but boring. Hynes shouts, doesn’t sing, and that doesn’t suit the music. Next. We go check out the Mojo-stage and after some queuing, we arrive just in time for the British Ripchord, three young lads and a lady from Wolverhampton. They’re toured the UK supporting Kaiser Chiefs, The View and The Pigeon Detectives. Their music is catchy and fun. The audience is loving it.
Getting through the crowd is a struggle, but we manage to escape and walk to the other side of the square for the Finnish ladies of Stalingrad Cowgirls. Again the venue is packed, mostly with men who are here to watch the good looking young women on the stage. Their up tempo punkrock is blasting from the speakers. The bass drum is so loud that it almost feels like an earthquake every time it’s hit on. Our next location is again based on the description in the program. And it definitely sounds promising! Bloodgroup is from Iceland and made a lasting impression during the Icelandic Aiwaves festival. It’s the surprise of the evening for us. I’m From Barcelona was hilarious, but Bloodgroup is great musically. No guitars or other regular instruments, but a drum computer, keyboard and other equipment. The band produces a sound that you just have to dance to. Electro, indie and pop, according to their MySpace. Badass dance with an addictive rhythm. Singer Lilja has an amazing voice and the music is brilliant!
Friday January 11
Plan A is to check out Sarah Bettens, frontwoman of K’s Choice, a Belgian band that scored lots of hits during the 90’s. Currently she flies solo, and plays in one of the pubs. As expected, the queue is endless when we arrive an hour before showtime, there is no way we’re going to get in. Time for plan B; Von Herzen Brothers in Vera. These Finnish guys, not German as the name suggests, are recommended by Finnish TV and radio station YLE. Brothers Jonne, Kie and Mikko are joined by friends Juha and Mikko. Brother Mikko, who sings and plays guitar, spends a lot of time in India. His outfit and music is inspired by that country; it’s a little psychedelic. His voice is high and husky. Guitarist Kie is actually a better singer, which you can hear when they sing in different keys. It takes them a few songs to defrost and up the pace, they’re Finnish after all.
We’ve had enough halfway through the show and walk to one of the theatres to watch Swedish lady Miss Li. This brunette, whose real name is Linda Carlsson, looks adorable in her flowery dress. She is surrounded by men with trumpets, saxophones and similar instruments. Miss Li attracts an older crowd, that applauds enthusiastically. This is kinda nice, for a couple of songs. We take the same route back to Vera, where it’s time for the dark and doomy sounds of Cult Of Luna. These Swedish metalmen are touring internationally and have released several albums. Their doom-metal is slow, almost hypnotising. There’s not much singing in it. The tracks are long, and a little hard to digest. The present fans are enjoying themselves though.
The last band this evening is one we definitely don’t want to miss: The Futureheads. The British lads are playing one of the larger stages, which means we have to be there in time to get a good spot. We do just that and relax with a drink while we wait. The band is mostly known for their first album (The Futureheads) and singles Hounds of Love and Decent Days and Nights. Their show opens with this last track and they immediately set the right mood. They mix old and new songs and the crowd is thrilled. People are dancing in the front and during the last song a few create a moshpit!
Verdict: Unfortunately, EuroSonic ends for us after The Futureheads. This year we don’t have time to hang out till dawn. We’ll be there in 2009 though. Definitely!