Ah, Cologne. What a lovely German city. While Cologne is not the prettiest city on the surface, as much of it was bombed to the ground in the war, there's a certain relaxed feel and openness that makes it one of Germany's best.  First off, it boasts one of the more impressive churches in all of Europe with its Dom, a centrally located gem that for some reason was not bombed by the Allies, and its boardwalks along the Rhine and cafes are lovely. Plus, the weather cooperated. It was hot and sunny, so instead of taking stifling cabs between the hotel and conference centre, we rented a bike.  Doing it in German was a challenge, but it was well worth it. What a nice city.

Cologne POP is a five day festival and conference, held at the Staadpark in the massive Koeln Messe, which is a gargantuan conference centre across the river from the city centre. It's not the prettiest location to be honest, but it's functional. There's a host of conference rooms with panels and workshops and in room 2, a new initiative called Europareise, which is a meet and greet for European festivals, so to speak. We had both Mutek and Pop Montreal present at a speed networking, alongside festivals as far reaching as India and Estonia. Canadian Blast was in good hands.

The festival was spread out, probably too much so, in clubs across the city. Each night hosted half a dozen gigs, all of which were forced to compete against football. As a result, clubs were half empty for the most part, as punters opted to stay in beer gardens and watching television, regardless of Germany playing or not. Our first night in Cologne saw us join a massive public viewing of Germany vs. Ghana, which was shown on a big screen outside a Mexican restaurant. Thankfully Germany won, and as a result the city erupted in celebration. There must have been as many vuvuzelas in Cologne as there were in South Africa, or at least it sounded like it. It was difficult to sleep that night, trust us.

The gigs began the following evening, on Thursday, with nights hosted by Norway, Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg and a host of magazines, labels and club nights. The highlight was Norway's answer to our beloved Broken Social Scene, a nine-piece behemoth called Pony the Pirate. With the big pop band aesthetic firmly in grips, the band wielded gorgeous, harmonic songs at the Stadtgarten, the same venue to host Canadian Blast the next night. This band could do very well at home, so watch this space.

After a series of workshops, meet and greets and BBQs, Friday evening saw the inaugural Canadian Blast at Cologne POP. This time, it was a Toronto based affair, with Diamond Rings, Woodhands and Bonjay on stage, showcasing some of the best leftfield electro Canada has to offer. With the rooms full of delegates, Diamond Rings emerged as camp as ever, dressed in gold spandex and a Vince Carter jersey, coupled with spiked hair and lots of eyeliner. The resulting set, seeing him play keys, dance and guitar, showcased what could be one of the best albums to come later this year. The highlight was 'Wait and See', a song NME is currently championing. He's now in the UK and set to play Canadian Blast's festival on June 30th. Don't miss it. Woodhands came next, tired from two weeks of travelling around Europe but excited to end their jaunt in style. Part electro, part rock and very tongue-and-cheek, Paul Banwatt and Dan Werb turned the Stadtgarten into a rave of sorts, through an army of keyboard and drum wizardry. Banwatt even rapped as they covered 'It's Tricky', which the crowd lapped up. There's still a smile on our faces from their set. To finish, Alanna Stewart and Ian Swain emerged, a duo that call themselves Bonjay. With Swain on the turntables and Stewart singing, what came about was a gorgeous hybrid of soul, electro, dance and R&B, highlighted by Stewart's voice and stage presence. She's a star in the making, and the room filled up considerably for their set. Handpicked by the head of the festival to perform, Bonjay showcased a style all their own, and one that will have a bright future in Europe.

All in all, Cologne POP was a success. The festival is more indie and electro than simple pop, but has shown us a unique and effective model to showcase our best and brightest in West Germany. On to planning next year then.