NorthSide Festival, Aarhus, Denmark

The fourth annual Northside Festival kicked off on June 13th 2014, to a sold out crowd of 35,000 on a wonderfully sunny weekend in Aarhus City, Denmark. After squeezing through the lengthy lines, guests found art installations, spacious eating areas and food that goes above and beyond your typical festival fare. Main sponsor Tuborg offered a choice of their regular or organic beer, while bathrooms borderlined on luxurious as real toilets were available as opposed to the usual portaloos.

Kicking off the festival on Friday were London's Bombay Bicycle Club and Reptile Youth, an up and coming electro/indie band Copenhagen, followed by Oh Land with their stylish and beautiful singer Nanna Øland. James Vincent McMorrow then wowed audiences with a mixture of songs from Post Tropical and Early In The Morning. Considering that the majority of attendees were Danish, his popularity has become evident outside of his home borders. Lana Del Ray and The National were among the artists who closed the Friday night.

Saturday brought more beautiful weather and Brian Jonestown Massacre played an amazing set to set the tone for attendees, even with singer Anton Newcombe arguing with his guitarist for most of the second half of the set, possibly being the most Rock and Roll moment of the festival so far. Baby In vain, a Danish all-girl rock trio, rocked on stage, exuding a sound and presence similar to early Sonic Youth. Mø got the crowd pumped, even partaking in a little crowd surfing. Jurassic 5 where undoubtedly the highlight of Saturday. The Los Angeles crew were amazed by the crowd support, performing until time constraints forced them to leave. Nordic acts such as Turbowekeend, Nina Persson, Mew, Robyn and Röyksopp and Nabiha kept the vibe flowing as the festival eased into the night.

Sunday started with Flogging Molly and their American take on Ireland's Celtic mysticism. White Lies & Rudimental rocked and The Pixies banged out one hit after another. The weekend highlight had to be Arcade Fire, showcasing a magical performance with sounds that made this writer fell as though she was in the Bahamas. Dublin fans, make it your business to see them in Marlay Park this summer. You won’t be disappointed. Ending the weekend where California’s rockers QOTSTA, with a stone cold sober Josh Homme rocking the stage firing up the audience to the chagrin of security.

NorthSide permeated a laid back vibe, with great music filled with beautiful people and surroundings. It might be more suited for music lovers who prefer not to camp and rough it at the bigger festivals. It may take two flights to get there from Dublin but for NorthSide it will all be worth it!