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Melkweg (Dutch for "
Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...
") is a popular
music venue A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Ty ...
and
cultural centre A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Asia * Cen ...
in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
,
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. It is located on
Lijnbaansgracht Lijnbaansgracht () is a partly filled-in canal in Amsterdam which bends beyond the boundary of the center, Amsterdam-Centrum. The canal runs parallel to the Singelgracht, between the Brouwersgracht and the Reguliersgracht. History The Lijnbaa ...
, near
Leidseplein Leidseplein (English: Leiden Square) is a square in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the Weteringschans neighborhood ( Centrum borough), immediately northeast of the Singelgracht. It is located on the crossroads of the Weteringschans, Ma ...
, a prime nightlife square of Amsterdam. It is housed in a former dairy and is divided into a number of spaces of varying sizes. Besides four halls for varying genres of music concerts, the venue houses a cinema, a restaurant and an exhibition space. Melkweg is run by a nonprofit organisation founded in 1970."Prince als verrassing in de Melkweg Amsterdam"
Nederlandse Omroep Stichting The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (; NOS ; English: Dutch Broadcasting Foundation) is one of the broadcasting organisations making up the Netherlands Public Broadcasting system. It has a special statutory obligation to make news and sports program ...
(in Dutch). 25 July 2011.


History

In the 19th century a
sugar refinery A sugar refinery is a refinery which processes raw sugar from cane or beets into white refined sugar. Many cane sugar mills produce raw sugar, which is sugar that still contains molasses, giving it more colour (and impurities) than the white ...
was established on Lijnbaansgracht. In 1920, the milk company OVVV bought the factory and used it until closing in 1969. The building was closed for a year, but reopened as a
cultural centre A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run. Asia * Cen ...
in 1970. It was only open for the summer; it featured a café, a restaurant and one hall for music and theatre. This was a success: Melkweg reopened in the summer of 1971 and 1972 before becoming a permanent venue since 1973. In the years that followed, Melkweg became one of the most important pop venues of Amsterdam and the Netherlands. A meeting place for
hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...
s in the 1970s and 1980s, the Melkweg embraced all music styles and has evolved into a multidisciplinary center for all music styles.


Popcultural references

Melkweg is referenced in the Cracker song "
Euro-Trash Girl "Euro-Trash Girl" is a single by Cracker, released in 1994. The song was originally released on the EP ''Tucson'', and then as an unlisted track (track 69) on the album ''Kerosene Hat''. "River Euphrates" and "Bad Vibes Everybody" were also bot ...
", the
Lagwagon Lagwagon is an American punk rock band originally from Goleta, California, just outside Santa Barbara. They formed in 1989, went on hiatus in 2000, and reunited several times over the years. Their name comes from the band's tour van, which can ...
song "
Infectious An infection is the invasion of tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmissible disease or communicable dise ...
" and in title of the
Half Man Half Biscuit Half Man Half Biscuit are an English rock band, formed in 1984 in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Known for their satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs, the band comprises lead singer and guitarist Nigel Blackwell, bassist and singer Neil Cr ...
song " Prag Vec at the Melkweg". The title of The Church's song "
Under the Milky Way "Under the Milky Way" is a single by Australian alternative rock band The Church (band), The Church, released on 15 February 1988, and appears on their fifth studio album ''Starfish (album), Starfish''. The song was written by bass guitarist a ...
" is also a reference to the Melkweg.
Heather Nova Heather Nova (born Heather Allison Frith, July 6, 1968) is a Bermuda, Bermudian singer-songwriter and poet. , she has released eleven full-length albums, six EPs and twelve singles. Biography Heather Nova was born Heather Allison Frith on Berm ...
's 1995 EP "Live from the Milky Way" was recorded here, as was
Spacemen 3 Spacemen 3 were an English neo-psychedelia space rock band, formed in 1982 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Peter Kember and Jason Pierce, known respectively under their pseudonyms Sonic Boom and J Spaceman. Their music is known for its brand of " ...
's album ''
Performance A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...
''.
Frank Black and the Catholics Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies (band), Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Bl ...
recorded their live album ''Live at Melkweg'' there on 24 March 2001.


Halls

The venue has six halls: * The Max, which is the largest concert hall of the venue. It has hosted internationally known acts, including
Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...
and
Arctic Monkeys Arctic Monkeys are an English rock band formed in Sheffield in 2002. The group consists of Alex Turner (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jamie Cook (guitar, keyboards), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Matt Helders (drums, back ...
, but is also used for parties, meetings and film projections. It has a capacity of 1,500 people and opened in late 1995. It was completely renovated in 2007. * The Old Hall (Oude Zaal), the oldest concert hall of the venue, also the only one until the opening of "The Max" in 1995. It hosts concerts of lesser-known acts, and bands such as U2 or
Nirvana ( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
played their first Dutch concerts here.
Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...
played an unscheduled show here on 16 October 1981 using borrowed instruments. It has a capacity of 700 people. * The Rabo Hall (Rabozaal), which is in a separate building, and mostly hosts film projections or theater plays. It has a capacity of 1,400 people. * The Theater Hall (Theaterzaal), a small hall used for smaller artists and theatre plays. It has a capacity of between 90 and 130 people. * The Cinema, a private film projection hall with a capacity of 90 people. * The Exhibition space (Expo), used for art exhibitions.


References


External links

* *
Viberate profile
{{Coord, 52, 21, 53, N, 4, 52, 53, E, display=title Music venues in the Netherlands Concert halls in Amsterdam