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Simplon:
northern
pop temple
Even Dutch people who have never gone wild in Groningen know about the
liberal opening hours of the bars and clubs of the city. Forget about Amsterdam;
if you like your nights long and vibrant. Groningen is the place to be. You will
most definitely get a taste of what the city is all about during this edition of
EuroSonic Noorderslag. And be sure to pay Simplon a visit while you’re at it!
Simplon, right in the centre of town, has been making a name for itself in the Dutch
music scene for a good 30 years now. The building was first used as a rain jacket
factory (which should make up for a healthy business in this country), before it was
turned into a youth centre. After a major rebuilding, Simplon got the official status
of ‘Poppodium’ (Dutch for a subsidized stage for popular music), and that’s where
it really took off.
Simplon is there for everyone, that’s the essence of the stage. Whether you are
young or old, into pop, rock, techno, metal, hip-hop, urban, punk or house; Simplon
has a night for you. The building holds two rooms and the Simplon Café, and is
famous for its sound quality. The main room has place for 400 music lovers, while
the second room can hold 200. On Thursdays Simplon is all about talented local
musicians under the name of Perron Simplon. The best bands sometimes move on
to the Friday nights that feature established bands, both local and international, to
take care of the warm-up.
Saturdays evolve around progressive electronic music. Every technohead in the
country knows about the Technootjes nights, although dubstep is definitely gaining
popularity through the wonky Dub&Dwars parties. During EuroSonic Noorderslag,
Simplon is booming as always, and you haven’t seen Groningen nightlife if you
haven’t been to Simplon. Period.
Check out the program in the back to see what’s going on at Simplon during
EuroSonic Noorderslag.