Europe Goes To Noorderslag

“Noorderslag seminar is developing from a national seminar for the music sector in the Netherlands to a true European platform,” creative director Peter Smidt said.

In a written welcome to the 1,550 delegates who will turn up in Groningen for the January 13-15 event, Smidt described Noorderslag as “a true platform for debating the position and possibilities for European music in Europe.”

Referring to the European Talent Exchange Programme (ETEP) – which found 32 acts a total of 84 shows across 34 European festivals in 2004 – he added, “We just don’t talk about it. We actually do something about it as well.”

This year, more than 178 acts will be competing for ETEP’s attention.

After the first night’s programme – which was run across 13 venues in the Dutch university city – Swedish acts The Concretes and Strip Music, Belgian rockers Triggerfinger, Irish songstress Bird, the U.K.’s The Go! Team and Denmark’s Diefenbach were among those who seemed to be creating the biggest buzz.