Photos by: Burak Cingi

Finnish squiggle-tech supergroup Acid Symphony Orchestra sync synths for a mass TB-303 orgy

Cometh the hour, cometh the snow… The main benefit of events such as Eurosonic over your usual tents-and-fields festival is clear: a leather armchair by a toasty open fire in a hotel lounge is a far more convivial spot to catch a new band than a draughty canvas marquee. Today’s a day of surprise dancing and trip-hop among clothes rails, as we bid an emotional farewell to Groningen and its frankly disproportionate number of venues (something to do with late licenses being dependent on the provision of live music – canny). Afscheid, voor nu…

Highasakite, rank exhibitionists from Norway, make up in feathers what they lack in shirts

Finnish chamber-popers Rubik channel Arcade Fire in a room so busy the walls are bulging

Growling punks Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät adopt combat lighting to keep the crowd at bay

Despite their UK roots, Elephant sound so French you can almost hear the accents in their name

 This man is called -M-, and we’re told he’s actually quite shy…

A collapsing stage set doesn’t stop French disco trio Jupiter laughing their way into countless hearts

Electro droid Karin Park does her bit for inter-genre relations but can’t help mucking in as well

When the stage gets busy, Nelson Can singer Selina does what’s needed within the space available

Thankfully, there’s no shortage of transport options for the journey home…

Words by Charlie Ivens, photographs by Sebastien Dehesdin

The crazy continues in Groningen, as the city reacts to the news that 2013 European Border Breakers Awards winner Emeli Sandé has been nominated for three Brit Awards by, well, soldiering bravely on. Eurosonic performer Jake Bugg grabbed a nomination too, so no doubt tomorrow’s pictures will feature him quaffing champers from a stray winklepicker. Onwards, anyway.

Guerilla street performances are de rigueur this year as ever – you can barely move without running into an emoting indie-popper.

Local luminaries The Kyteman Orchestra break ground on the huge Air stage that appeared overnight in the town square.

The singer from cheerfully uncategorisable Finns Don Johnson Big Band pulls shapes like William Shatner on Family Guy.

Faroese doom metallers Hamfer∂ play an updated 17th-century dirge while dressed as the wedding band of your nightmares.

Before her voice gives out, Estonian uber-pop Smurf IIris showcases a wildly seesawing attitude to genre.

This picture doesn’t quite do justice to LCMDF‘s Byker Grove chic – or their gleefully demented dancing.

All the wristbands in the world couldn’t get us in to Chvrches till their finale, cast-iron future hit ‘The Mother We Share’

Words by Charlie Ivens, photographs by Sebastien Dehesdin

Auntie Ella keeps a kindly lookout over De Spieghel

The things we do for England (and Finland)… Yes, we’re in the charming but a little rainy Dutch city of Groningen for the 2013 Eurosonic festival, even though the powers that be did their best to keep us away by cancelling our train from Amsterdam. Still, there’s nothing like a travel crisis to keep you on your toes.

There’ll be a full review in the days following the end of the festival, but in the meanwhile, feast your eyes on a select crop of jealousy-inducing pictures from Day 1.

First, the European Border Breakers Awards (EBBAs), where we get to see previous winners Alphabeat…

…and tiny Katie Melua. And yes, this is the closest (thing) to Katie we have ever been.

2013 EBBA winners French Films fling their finest Twee-sus & Mary Chain shapes all over the shop

Icelandic twins Pascal Pinon charm several socks off, complete with unashamed Walkman backing track

Day 1, and already some festival-goers are finding it all a little too much…

…meanwhile, the streets are so full of cyclists it’s a regular gamble-with-our-lives to switch venues on foot

Bastille‘s first show quickly becomes a one-in, one-out affair, although we can’t quite discern why

There’s no fighting to the front for Finnish space-bluesmakers Death Hawks…

…no such issues for their Krautrock-pummelling compatriots Siinai, who mesmerise a bafflingly emptying space

Phantom twist Bon Iver’s ‘Skinny Love’ into doomy electro-flecked new shapes

If you haven’t eaten at least one deep-fried breadcrumb-covered item by midnight you turn into a cheeseburger

Words by Charlie Ivens, photographs by Sebastien Dehesdin

Photos by Howard Melnyczuk.

All photographs by Sebastien Dehesdin

All photographs by Sebastien Dehesdin

All photos by Sebastien Dehesdin