Live Report: Eurosonic Noorderslag 2024
While many of us are still suffering from post-Christmas cheese withdrawal and a vague sense of not knowing what day it is, the good folks at ESNS have been hard at work planning one of Europe’s longest-running music showcases and conferences. Taking place each January in the vibey Dutch city of Groningen, ESNS has become an essential annual starting pistol for Europe’s music industry. With its picturesque yet walkable streets and young student population, the historic city is ideal for hosting over 280 acts and 4000 visiting industry professionals. Awakening on London’s frosty canals, things only get colder for Clash, grabbing the Eurostar to the mainland to find Bruge to the Balkans also suffering freezing temperatures. It’s a strange journey, endless white rooftops and dense fog making the trip somewhat eerie.
—
—
Before long, though, we find ourselves in the Netherlands’ northern cultural hub, enjoying a few cocktails with Iceland’s movers and shakers. Suitably warmed, we’re off to catch Yoni Mayraz’s mix of jazz and 90s hip-hop. The London artist and band prove the perfect band to ease the crowd into the festivities, the outfit’s smooth keyboard work and saxophone blasts dripping with laid-back cool. Go check them in the capital. A brisk walk to pool bar All Around, and it is time for Czech band sinks, a blistering three-piece offering scuzzy riffs and moments of wiry post-punk excellence. Intriguing on record, the band shines live, acting as a perfect middle ground for old-school headbangers and lovers of modern indie.
In need of refreshment, Clash heads to De Drie Gezusters – The Three Sisters – a beautiful labyrinth of a building that morphs from art deco cafe to a dive bar, all depending on the room or door you decide to enter. Within its wood-paneled interiors, local radio station Penguin has organised its own showcase, ten stages crammed into every corner with 250 local acts strutting their stuff over three days. The scene is one of organized chaos, the adjoining buildings capturing the creativity and passion brewing within the city. Fighting the crowd at venue Vera, we just manage to catch one of the buzziest bands of the evening, HONESTY. The Leeds outfit’s mesh of garage, shoegaze, and ambient textures is a big winner with the crowd on this cold, cold night. Their debut full-length should prove interesting.
Day 2. With the best and brightest in the industry participating in a staggering number of keynotes and panels, we decided to attend a lunchtime talk on sustainability and the changing face of environmentalism in the music industry. Hosted by journalist Gary Smith and featuring speakers from A Greener Future, Music Declares Emergency, Impala, and Bye Bye Plastic, the talk focused on the frustrating lack of progress made since the Stockholm Declaration was signed 52 years ago while also emphasizing the use of hope and community when promoting green activism. It’s a fine fit for a festival that puts its money where its mouth is, ESNS making financial contributions on top of the ticket price, which is then directly invested in various initiatives to diminish the C02 emissions of the travel towards the event.
—
—
With food for thought firmly lodged in our craniums, Clash changes tempo and catches an intimate record store show by Brixton Windmill regulars Fat Dog. Not many bands could pull off a seven-minute song about slugs over rave beats and Middle Eastern synths, but boy, do these beautifully batshit boys do it with aplomb. Sticking with the uniqueness, we’re off to catch Iceland’s Vévaki, a folk band drawing from Nordic heathenism and animistic traditions. Using literal bones for percussion, the group evokes a hypnotic and primal sound that’s easy to get lost in. While a lot can be done with your usual four people + guitars, Vévaki’s captivating songs easily win the prize for the most memorable sound of the festival.
From pure heathens to a stunning Lutheran church to catch the avant-pop tones of Switzerland’s Monte Mai. Boasting similarities to The Knife and Metronomy, the three-piece’s groovy psychedelia has people literally dancing on the pews. Staying put, it’s back to Iceland but with a twist. LÓN is the latest project from Valdimar Guðmundsson (better known as the frontman of the rock and roll band Valdimar) and sees the musician go the folk and Americana route. The track’s intimate charm proves to be a huge winner with the crowd, with a line out the door of people desperate to get in, and those lucky that did, crying for an encore when his affecting set was over. Feeling things had gotten too warm and fuzzy, we finish the night watching Polish post-rockers Ciśnienie, who melted our faces off with their jazz -infused drone—ear-bleedingly fun and yet more proof that Poland’s underground scene is unparalleled.
—
—
Day 3. Despite all the coats and scarves on show, Groningen’s finest were happy to brave the open-air stage to dance to Bokoesam’s catchy reggaeton and dancehall numbers—a needed flash of summer vibes on a January day. Four-piece outfit Batbait also proves a draw, the band’s slacker rock tunes at first masking sophisticated build-ups and Sonic Youth styled guitar interplay—one for the flannel shirt-owning pedal-heads. Hiding away in the upstairs of The Grand Theatre, a charming former 1930s cinema, is Júlia Colom. The Mallorcan songwriter combines oral folk song traditions with modern musical production to enchanting effect. Accompanied by Spanish guitar and occasional drums, Colom has every member of the audience enthralled with her haunting voice.
Following was Netherland’s sister act, Sarah Julia. With a real Phoebe Bridgers core look about them, Clash was worried a cheap imitation might be coming our way. Our fears were misguided, though. The duo’s talented multi-instrumental band blowing us away. With their debut single only released three days prior, the group’s professionalism and heart-aching harmonies made for the best set we were lucky to catch over the festival. From songs about Scotland’s Cairngorms to a strangely tear-jerking cover of Wheatus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, the band deservedly gets a standing ovation when finished. Undoubtedly, they are ones to watch.
Come Saturday morning, and with a quick last-minute rummage in one of the city’s many bookshops, Clash jumps on a train for the 9-hour journey back home, ears ringing and mind racing with some of the most exciting newcomers of 2024. ESNS has once again got fans and industry alike charged for what’s to come. Voorwaarts!
—
—
Words: Sam Walker-Smart
Photography: Stefvan Oosterhout + Ben Houdijk
—
