Amsterdamse gotiek

Amsterdam has a solid scene. The biggest event in NL is GothAM twice a year in the Paradiso, a former church (natuurlijk!), and the first one, in 2001, drew 1200 goths--some from as far away as England and France--and a few dozen Tommy Hilfiger types. Sadly no drained corpses of the latter were found outside the next morning.

Pretty much all the variants--fetish, cyber/industrial, fairies, Victorian, Batcave--are represented. German, Belgian and Limburgse DJs regularly spin at the Amsterdam events. Inrichting (Institution) was the longest-running club night, from 1988 to 2001. It started in the Graansilo, a huge squatted grain elevator on the western docks that was later given to condo developers. It moved to the Kalenderpanden, a squatted warehouse that was opposite the zoo and suffered the same fate as the Silo. It ended nobly, in the Filmakademie, also a squat, which was closed for a long time for fire safety, and that was it. A newish event is Gothoord, a great party in a church in Ruigoord, a semi-abandoned village between Amsterdam and Haarlem. Good DJs in a perfect location. The first Gothoord was a success, in the middle of frozen January. I went to one or two after that but haven't been lately. The #80 bus rides from Marnixstraat directly to the village, every half-hour to midnight. Hired vans run to Centraal Station every hour from 1am. 22:00-06:00; euro 10,- There's a cable/online radio station, KinkFM, streaming online) that has a goth/industrial show on Sunday nights from 9 to midnight local time, and also Het Programma, in the same timeslot on Radio Patapoe.

As of summer 2004, Amsterdam gothic events are sparse. Check the Kagan Calendar for news:

• Medusa--ON INDEFINITE HIATUS--was last on the Lijnbaansgracht. Selection depends on the DJ, but it's usually current and crunchy by turns. 21:00-04:00 (no entry after 02:30); euro 10,-
• The Cave of SatyR - Very occasional. Their Harlemmerstraat 118 basement location and the excellent (Little AND Captain) Nemo-esque cafe/restaurant Du Lac (after the artist). Watch their webpage; euro 4,-
• Crna Ruza - ZAANDAM - PROBABLY DEFUNCT--De Fabriek, Sybrandstraat. Was the first Saturday of the month. Pick up flyers at aforementioned events or at the Gothic/Metal side of Boudisque on Haringpakkerssteeg. At a large warehouse with two dancefloors--one playing crunchy industrial--and an upstairs chillout room. 11pm-7am. euro 4,50.
• Cyberia - UTRECHT - Ekko, on the Bemuurde Weerd. Leave the station, left at the long quay, walk about 10 minutes until you come to the locks. Cross the first bridge after that. Pretty good mix and they display the song on a monitor in case you're too shy to ask the DJ. 22:00-04:00; euro 5,-
• Legendz - Kinkerstraat 42, Tram #17 from Centraal Station to 1e C. Huygensstraat and double back a block. Look for the red Heineken sign outside. Friendly goth bar, with a rotating crew of local DJs. Free. This is a great place just to hang out and find out what's on in town, though it's not strictly in the center. They usually have a party the night before Medusa or afterparties for industrial bands in town. To 1am weeknights, 3am weekends (unless the stadsdeel Oud-Zuid has its way).

• Demask - Zeedijk 64 (+31 20 6205603) - a great fetish shop between the red light district and Centraal Station.
• Absolute Danny - also fetish, on Oudezijds Achterburgwal, I think, in the Red Light District.
• Various stalls on the Waterlooplein - Astrid on the southwest side of the Stopera has a good selection and a largish stall on the northwest side has club clothes and occasionally gothic stuff.