Dove Ellis, DUG, Man/Woman/Chainsaw & GANS among the opening night highlights at Eurosonic

Queen Maxima of the Netherlands - as in real royalty, not a Dutch Josh Homme tribute band - is in the house as Dove Ellis kicks off Ireland's participation in this year's Eurosonic.

A nice regal touch seeing as the Dutch showcase festival is celebrating 40 years of giving young rock ‘n’ roll hopefuls a major career boost.

A Galwegian living in Manchester exile, Ellis (pictured above) is already a hot property thanks to his debut Blizzard album which did its best to get lost in the Christmas rush - the 23-year-old rarely does interviews and has an aversion to social media - but snuck on to many a 2025 Best Of list.

Performing tonight with a drummer and a guitarist who doubles up on clarinet, he has the packed room mesmerised the moment he launches into one of the reasons for those 5-star reviews, ‘Feathers, Cash’.

Full of longing and yearning - I'm half expecting his heart to break on stage in front of us - it makes sense of all the Thom Yorke and Tim/Jeff Buckley comparisons that have been coming Ellis' way.

Taking to the piano, he also exhibits a Rufus Wainwright-esque flamboyance on 'Heaven Has No Wings', an almost glam stomper which proves he can do the pop thing as well.

There's a further nod to his influences when Ellis treats us to a gorgeous, half-whispered cover of Gillian Welch's ‘April The 14’, which like all artists of substance he makes his own.

There's little in the way of between song banter, but when those songs say so much, you don't need it.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, DUG pepper their set with gonzo stories - some of which may even be true!

I'm particularly taken with ‘Have At It!', a tale of wild ketamine-fuelled excess which gives their American old time/Appalachian/folk/rock gumbo a contemporary edge.

Masters of working the room, Lorkin O’Reilly and Jonny Pickett manage to create a dancing circle in front of the stage which has complete strangers madly twirling each other around like they're on some of that ket.

There's a lived-in Steve Earle quality to the vocals, and a straying into ZZ Top territory when they get their southern boogie on.

Fair to say, Eurosonic really digs DUG.

The name may suggest that they're of the industrial grindcore persuasion, but London's Man/Woman/Chainsaw are actually a far more enticing proposition with trace elements of Stars, Belly, Giant Drag, Black Country, New Road and Lily Allen (no, really! ) to be found in the likes of 'What Lucy Found There' and 'Only Girl' - the studio versions of which were produced by Gilla Band's Daniel Fox who knows a good artsy band when he hears one.

Their none too secret weapon is violinist Clio Harwood who makes the songs swell, swoop and soar in thrilling fashion whilst busting out some equally impressive dance moves.

Even when things get more abrasive, there’s always a pop hook or some lush harmonies - vocal duties are shared by three of the band - to sweeten the deal.

I traditionally return from Eurosonic with a new favourite band - Man/Woman/Chainsaw could be them!

But wait, here come GANS… Having fawned over another take no prisoners Birmingham duo last year, Big Special, my senses are once again assaulted by Euan Woodman and Tom Rhodes who Pete Doherty has signed to his Strap Originals label.

My first reaction is “Oh no, more shouty blokes!” but thankfully the similarities to Sleaford Mods are fleeting. With New Order basslines, heavy metal riffing, nosebleeds techno beats, Beastie Boys bravado and funky James Brown horns all in their armoury, you’ve really no idea where the feckers are going to take you next.

“This is going to be the quietest set at Eurosonic,” says Yana Couto who then treats us to 40 minutes of ambient piano gorgeousness which, as she correctly asserts again, feels like being hugged by something warm.

‘Bridges’ and ‘Salt’, a Michael Nyman-esque suite of songs from the Polish artist's upcoming San Pedro album, are what I imagine being in the womb sounds like. I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to adopt the foetal position in public but I’ll be doing it when I get back to the hotel.

I am, of course, monastic but I strongly suspect her music would also be great to make love to.

As Queen Maxima will doubtless agree, musical nights really don't come any better...