Holland Rocks!

With a set-up not unlike the In The City event, Eurosonic is already proving a top draw event. The city's young, student population were out in force and the fact that most of the venues are within a five-minute walk of each other meansthat getting around to see the bands you want is easier than it first appears.
BellX1 and The Frames were the Irish contingent this year and both bands produced storming sets in the city's Grand Theatre. Kells three-piece Turn were also popping up in the city's various venues and hostelries, as they and BellX1 set off on a tour of the EU Accession States, with the first gig in Prague on Saturday, January 10th.
The Bellies set was mainly derived from their brilliant second album, Music In Mouth, and included a spine-tingling "Eve, The Apple Of My Eye" and a white noise overload for "White Water Song".
The Frames previewed no fewer than four new songs, including a beautiful 'Locusts', which frontman Glen Hansard dedicated to the late Mic Christopher. There were a few old favourites as well, including a breakneck "God Bless Mom" and a spellbinding "Star Star", as well as a cracking cover of The Pixies'"Where Is My Mind".
Afterwards, the Irish contingent could be spotted in a variety of local hostelries where they celebrated by allegedly trying to drink Groningen dry...
Other highlights of the first night included Dutch veterans The Nits and Glaswegian quartet, Franz Ferdinand. The hugely anticipated British Sea Power proved something of an anticlimax for many when it was revealed that one band member didn't make it to Groningen in time, turning what should have been a noisy guitar-fest into a short acoustic set.
Roll on tonight, with Simple Kid, I Am Kloot and Icelandic next-big-things Minus all on the bill.