Groningen - Most Civilised City In Europe?
It's a breeezy saturday morning in the park in Groningen, north Holland. I've taken a lazy stroll around the canal to see my international brethren go about there business and thanks to the wonder that is wireless broadband can sit in our portable green room and write a few words about the latest Stan gig.
Nooderzon describes itself as a theatre/crossover festival with a healthy mixture of free events, international work and booze spread over 10 days. It turns out for the last six years it's been run by someone i vaguely new when i lived in Brussels, Mark Yeoman - a whole other story but small world and all that.
The great thing about the rice is that the contract tends to span entire festivals so you get a genuine sense of belonging rather than jetting in for a night or three (quite emotionally and physically draining).
Thanks to the microcosm/macrocosm lilt of the show you really get under the skin of the place, find out strange information like how many people had their caravans set fire to in a small mid-dutch town over the last month (apparently there is an evil pyromaniac winebago terrorist on the loose).
But it's the general atmosphere of the place that is really impressive. It's always a bit more rosy during a festival in any town but you get the sense that people really know how to live here. The flat landscape means that the bike rules in the Netherlands but this place is hailed as the bike capital; The streets are tranquil and pedestrian; Even now during the university freshers week there's a respectful way to conduct yourself as you get trolleyed.
The festival itself is centred around the town park and remains public domain despite a lot of expensive kit knocking around. Theatre and performance takes top billing over the music despite a lot of rising stars like Gogol Bordello and The Pipettes on the bill. In fact they are almost ignored - the tiny main music stage fronts a small lake so there's no direct audience contact - just a lot of people drinking to the sides. Impressively there was once a move by the local mayor to make everyone drink out of plastic glasses and the entire town said no. Now everyone makes a concerted effort to clean up after themselves. Even the old guy who was splashing around in the water grooving out to The Guillemots last night turned round after the show and talked in very polite english to discuss the merits of respectful citizenship having previously looked like he'd slightly lost it!
I'm not trying to suggest that drinking beer out of glass instead of plastic is truly a sign of a civilised nation - or maybe i am, i'm not sure - I just wish our own country hadn't been so americanised, hadn't had the heart ripped out of so many cities, was ruled by the people rather than for the people.