 |
Nightlife |
 |
 Amsterdam
is one of the entertainment capitals of Europe, offering plenty of
nightlife activities; from bars with live music to stylish casinos,
from trendy nightspots to dynamic discos, from theatre productions
to eye-opening entertainment in the red-light district. The city can
be the venue for a romantic stroll with the lights of the bridges
and old houses reflected in the canals, or a night bar hopping from
buzzing bar to bar before partying until dawn in one of Europe's top
clubs. Or even a nefarious evening dipping into the dirty underbelly
of a city with few inhibitions.
Most of the cafes, restaurants, nightclubs and discotheques are located
around the Leidseplein and the Rembrandtplein
areas, and are still lively around the early hours of the morning.
Clubs
Over the last decade Amsterdam's reputation as a clubbing centre has
attracted a host of big name DJ's. Amsterdam's clubs usually open
around 10 pm and, by law must close promptly at 4 am during the week
and 5 am at the weekend. The best nights to go out tend to be Thursday
and Saturday. Expect to pay an admission charge, plus a tip to the
doorman (f2.5) and f1 to use the toilets. Drinks cost in the region
of f4.
The most popular club is Mazzo, Rozengracht
114, one of the oldest clubs in town, known for its trendy musical
policy and avant-garde video experiments, its dress code is quite
relaxed (but avoid wearing trainers). Escape
at Rembrandtplein 11, is the largest club in town with a capacity
of well over 2,000. Every Saturday night it is transformed into the
spectacular Chemistry, with performances
by famous DJ's like Dimitri and Marcello, and various international
guests.
All sorts of music, from hard rock to rap, R&B to world music
can be found at the small cozy venues of Melkweg,
Lijnbaansgracht 234A, mainly a live music venue, but on weekends it
hosts a variety of dance events, and Paradiso,
Weteringschans 6-8, both close to Leidseplein. The legendary Paradiso
has been pulling into partygoers for three decades, but the hippies
have now largely been replaced by Techno devotees.
Be aware that although the country is renowned for its liberal drug
policies, hard drugs are illegal. You're welcome to light up a joint
in any of the clubs listed in this section, but this is not late-'70s
New York: as the iT and Mazzo
will shamefacedly attest, the police enforce the no-hard-drugs rule
with an iron fist.
Live music
Jazz has always been popular in Amsterdam: many of the jazz great
artists have lived in the city, including Chet Baker, who died here.
Head for Bourbon Street Jazz and Blues Club,
Leidsekruisstraat 6-8, or the main jazz venue of Bimhuis,
Oude Schans 73-77, in the Old Centre, where the Dutch
Jazz Orchestra
plays on Wednesday and musicians from all over Europe perform on the
other days of the week. Paradiso and Melkweg
(see clubs) often have rock gigs and sets by alternative acts. |
|
|
|
