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Paradiso (Amsterdam)

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Paradiso is a music venue located in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Paradiso
Paradiso in 2008
Paradiso (Amsterdam) is located in Amsterdam
Paradiso (Amsterdam)
Location in Amsterdam
Former namesCosmisch Ontspanningscentrum Paradiso
General information
Statusmusic venue
AddressWeteringschans 6-8, Amsterdam
Country Netherlands
Coordinates52°21′44″N 4°53′02″E / 52.36222°N 4.88389°E / 52.36222; 4.88389
Year(s) built24 May 1879 – 2 May 1880
Opened30 March 1968
Other information
Seating capacity1,500 (main hall)
250 (upper floor stage)
Website
www.paradiso.nl

Built in 1880 as a church for the Vrije Gemeente (Free Congregation), it was converted into a music venue and a youth entertainment centre in 1968. Until the 1990s, it was the largest concert club in Amsterdam. It is often referred to as the "poptempel" ("pop temple").[1]

In 2014, Paradiso opened a smaller venue, Paradiso Noord, at the Tolhuistuin in Amsterdam-Noord.

Among the most famous acts to have played Paradiso include Adele, David Bowie, Eminem, Kanye West, Jorel, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Air (French band), Prince and The Rolling Stones.[2]

History

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The building which currently houses Paradiso was built from 24 May 1879 to 2 May 1880 by De Vrije Gemeente (English: The Free Congregation), a modern theologic religious group. The construction site was located next to a prison and a court. It served as a church, although the group did not wish to call it as such, and a meeting centre for the faith.[3][4]

In 1965, De Vrije Gemeente moved to the Buitenveldert neighbourhood and sold the building, which was originally to be repurposed into a hotel built by famous Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld.[3][5] This did not come to be and it was briefly used as a carpet store.[6] In October 1967, the building was squatted by hippie music fans, led by Willem de Ridder, Koos Zwart, Matthijs van Heijningen and Peter Bronkhorst, who wanted to turn it into a cultural venue.[7]

 
The church windows of the Paradiso

After attempted police crackdowns, city officials granted the group permission to convert the space into a club. On 30 March 1968, it officially opened as Cosmisch Ontspanningscentrum Paradiso (English: "Cosmic Relaxation Center Paradiso").[4][6] Roughly 1300 people attended the first show, which consisted of a Dutch folk rock band CCC Inc., a steel band from Suriname and a dance event for women.[6] The venue's sound originally suffered from echoing problems caused by the original design of the building, but renovations over the years have seen the sound much improved.[8]

Less than two months after its opening, the English rock band Pink Floyd played the venue on 23 May 1968, not long after announcing the departure of Syd Barrett.[9]

The 1970s were a grittier era for Amsterdam and Paradiso; a Rolling Stone report recalled how "dope, music and atmosphere were cheap and abundant" until August 1970.[10] Amsterdam allowed for the smoking of hashish and marijuana inside Paradiso, and in 1971, The New York Times reported that it had become a "night time mecca" for American youths traveling to Amsterdam.[11] Drug abuse led to an aggressive atmosphere and declining attendance numbers, but the venue saw a "golden age" with the rise of punk rock.[1] On 6 and 7 January 1977, the Sex Pistols became the first punk rock band to play Paradiso.[12] The latter show was Glen Matlock's final with the band.[13] During a 1979 gig, American singer Iggy Pop was beaten up on stage at Paradiso by a Hells Angels biker gang which had become venue regulars.[14]

 
Weteringschans [nl]

In 1974, hospitality entrepreneur Nicolaas Bouwes announced plans to construct a 49,000-square meter hotel complex on the Leidseplein, requiring the demolition of Paradiso. It was met with negative reception by the Amsterdam city council, who criticised it as an unimaginative "piece of Manhattan". Bouwes' proposals never went through.[15] On 16 September 1980, Paradiso was added to the Rijksmonumentenregister (English: National Monuments Registry), preserving it from ever facing demolition.[4]

Until the 1990s, Paradiso was the largest concert club in Amsterdam. Then, in 1995, nearby Melkweg opened a new hall, "the Max", which eventually expanded to 1,500 capacity in 2007. In 2001, the Heineken Music Hall opened, and then in 2013, the Ziggo Dome, which replaced Rotterdam Ahoy as the arena venue for which large bands would play in the Netherlands. The 2014 opening of TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht also added more competition.[16]

In 2000, Paradiso became one of the first venues to stream free, live and on-demand concerts through Fabchannel.com, an Amsterdam-based company which ultimately shut down in 2009.[17]

From 2003–04, Paradiso underwent renovations which added a second balcony floor, increasing capacity to 1,500. This was inspired by the Rolling Stones' 1995 concerts at Paradiso, which required a second makeshift balcony for the recording equipment.[18]

In September 2014, Paradiso opened a concert hall in Tolhuistuin, a cultural centre in Amsterdam-Noord, as Paradiso Noord.[19]

In 2022, Paradiso bought a dilapidated plot of land adjacent to the venue for €3.5 million, with plans to build a €30 million five-storey extension to the venue consisting of an exhibition space, new offices and services for artists in residence.[20][21]

In 2023, Paradiso reported a record number 727,000 attendees.[22]

Notable shows

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The Rolling Stones performed two acoustic shows at Paradiso on 26 and 27 May 1995 during the Voodoo Lounge Tour. The venue had to be renovated for the shows, including the addition of a second makeshift balcony to create room for the recording equipment. The location of the concert was a secret until two weeks prior. Meters away from the venue, those who could not get in watched the concert from a live stream on a giant screen at the Museumplein, with a total crowd reported from 50,000 to 80,000 people. Recorded tracks from these concerts were released on the Stones' Stripped album later that year.[23][24][25] Keith Richards said that the Paradiso concerts were the best live shows the Stones ever did.[26]

Prince performed two after shows at Paradiso in March 1995. Following his stadium performance at the Brabanthallen, he played later that night at Paradiso, where he had previously taken the stage in 1981. During his Paradiso show, he unexpectedly announced that he would also be returning the next night as well, which Paradiso administrators were unaware of until the morning after. The Dutch radio program 3voor12 ranked Prince's shows at number one for Paradiso's most legendary shows in its first 50 years.[2]

Live albums

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Multiple bands have released live albums that were recorded at Paradiso. These include The Soft Machine's Live at the Paradiso, 1969,[27] Bad Brains' The Youth Are Getting Restless,[28] Link Wray's Live at the Paradiso,[29] Phish's Amsterdam,[30] Beth Hart's Live at Paradiso,[31] Van der Graaf Generator's Live at the Paradiso,[32] Live's Live at the Paradiso – Amsterdam,[33] Cardiacs' Cardiacs Live[34] and Epica's Live at Paradiso.[35]

Nirvana's live album From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah featured performances of "School", "Been a Son", "Lithium" and "Blew" taken from the band's 25 November 1991 show at Paradiso, which was originally supposed to be held at the nearby Melkweg before ticket demand necessitated a venue size upgrade.[36][37] The first disc of Swans' 1998 live album Swans Are Dead contains several songs recorded live at Paradiso by Dutch public broadcaster VPRO, during the band's farewell tour in 1997.[38] Several songs from David Bowie's formerly subscription-only live album LiveAndWell.com were recorded during his 1997 performance at Paradiso.[39]

The acts

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Artists who played at the Paradiso include:

 
Poster on the side of the Paradiso

On 23 May 1968, Pink Floyd performed a concert at the club venue containing songs from The Piper at the Gates of Dawn and A Saucerful of Secrets. The recording of "Interstellar Overdrive" can be found on the compilation album Cre/ation: The Early Years 1967–1972.

The song "Paradiso" by The Chameleons, released in 1986, was named after the venue.

David Bowie played in Paradiso in 1987, 1989 and 1997. The 1989 Tin Machine concert was recorded there.

Phish performed at the venue three times in 1997, one date in February and a two-night stand in July. In 2015, all three concerts were released in their entireties on the 8-CD box set Amsterdam.[49]

Beth Hart's performance during the recording of the Live at Paradiso DVD on May 7, 2004, resurrected her music career in Europe after declining in the early 2000s, due to drug addiction and untreated mental illness in the United States.[50]

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Hoe werd Paradiso een poptempel?". NPO Kennis (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  2. ^ a b "De vijftig meest legendarische Paradiso-shows". 3voor12 (in Dutch). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b "De Vrije Gemeente: een voorgeschiedenis van Paradiso | Paradiso". www.paradiso.nl. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Barendregt), A. Pop Life (Erwin (30 March 2018). "Paradiso, the most beautiful concert venue turns 50". A Pop Life. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Vrije Gemeente Amsterdam – Centrum voor vrije religie en levensbeschouwing". Vrijegemeente.nl (in Dutch).
  6. ^ a b c Pascoe, Robin (30 August 2017). "Amsterdam's Paradiso: from flower power to punk and beyond". DutchNews.nl. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  7. ^ Frost, Adam (17 October 2016). "Paradiso looks to the future with SSL Live". LightSoundJournal.com. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Where We Live: The Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands". 16 July 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  9. ^ Hernandez, Alex (18 July 2017). "1968 Pink Floyd bootleg live from Paradiso Amsterdam is a must listen". Techaeris. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  10. ^ Alverson, Charles (15 October 1970). "The Kabouters Are Coming! The Kabouters Are Coming". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  11. ^ Weinraub, Bernard (2 July 1971). "Dutch Club Is a Mecca for U.S. Youths". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  12. ^ "50 jaar Paradiso: hoe punk het poppodium redde". 3voor12 (in Dutch). 6 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  13. ^ "God Save The Sex Pistols - Day By Day: 1977 Part One". Philjens.plus.com. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
  14. ^ "The secret double life of Darryl Mack". The West Australian. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  15. ^ Verlaan, Tim (8 November 2017). "How Amsterdam Resisted the Sellout of its City Centre". Failed Architecture. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  16. ^ "50 jaar Paradiso: Is de poptempel nog steeds onaantastbaar?". 3voor12 (in Dutch). 28 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  17. ^ "Online Concert Service Fabchannel To Close". Billboard. 10 March 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  18. ^ van Gijssel, Robert (22 March 2018). "Achter paradijsdeuren: hoe springt Paradiso om met de schaars beschikbare ruimte?". De Volkskrant. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  19. ^ Bockma, Harmen (18 September 2014). "Tolhuistuin wil Noord en grachtengordel verbinden". Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  20. ^ Pascoe, Robin (2 August 2022). "Amsterdam's Paradiso concert hall finally buys the derelict land next door". DutchNews.nl. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Legendary Amsterdam venue Paradiso buys land next to site as part of plans to secure its future". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  22. ^ "Amsterdamse poptempel Paradiso breekt 'broodnodig' bezoekersrecord in 2023".
  23. ^ Holland, uDiscover Music (28 July 2016). "Terugblik: The Rolling Stones tot op het bot in Paradiso". uDiscover Music Holland. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  24. ^ "The Rolling Stones-concert in Paradiso 'beste concert' ooit volgens Richards". NPO Radio 2 (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  25. ^ Holland, uDiscover Music (6 April 2016). "Nieuwe Rolling Stones release Totally Stripped bevat opnames Paradiso". uDiscover Music Holland. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  26. ^ "Keith Richards – The World's Most Elegantly Wasted Human Being". This Day In Music. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  27. ^ Soft Machine - Live at the Paradiso, 1969 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 5 February 2024
  28. ^ "Interview: Bad Brains Bassist Darryl Jenifer Looks Back on 'The Youth Are Getting Restless' Album". www.noecho.net. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  29. ^ "Link Wray – Live at The Paradiso – Rock Salted". 16 October 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  30. ^ Ayers, Mike (7 November 2017). "10 Essential Live Phish Shows". Billboard. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  31. ^ Kachejian, Brian (9 March 2022). "Top 10 Beth Hart Songs". ClassicRockHistory.com. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  32. ^ Van der Graaf Generator - Live at the Paradiso 14:04:07 Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved 5 February 2024
  33. ^ "Live: Live at the Paradiso Amsterdam, PopMatters". PopMatters. 19 January 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  34. ^ "Cardiacs Live at the 'Paradiso' CD -". cardiacs.org. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  35. ^ BraveWords. "EPICA Release Official Video For "Blank Infinity" Live At Paradiso". bravewords.com. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  36. ^ Peacock, Tim (1 October 2023). "'From The Muddy Banks Of The Wishkah': Nirvana's Ferocious Live Album". uDiscover Music. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  37. ^ "Live Nirvana | Concert Chronology | 1991 | November 25, 1991 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, NL". www.livenirvana.com. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  38. ^ "publieke kastraasie is een goed idee". www.derecensent.nl. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  39. ^ Moore, Sam (15 May 2020). "Listen to David Bowie's 'LiveAndWell.com' live album as it makes major streaming debut". NME. Retrieved 30 July 2024.
  40. ^ "Ally Pally Paradiso (Live)". Open.spotify.com. 16 June 1991. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  41. ^ "Live and Loud!". Liveandloudshows.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  42. ^ "Paradiso". Amsterdamsights.com. n.d. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  43. ^ "Live and Loud!". Liveandloudshows.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  44. ^ Gulennur Boz, Nirvana Live At Paradiso 11/25/91 (Full), archived from the original on 22 December 2021, retrieved 23 January 2019
  45. ^ SexPistolsArchives. "Sex Pistols - Satellite - Paradiso - Amsterdam, 5th January 1977". Archived from the original on 22 December 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2019 – via YouTube.
  46. ^ "Patti Smith Group Setlist at Paradiso Grote Zaal, Amsterdam". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  47. ^ "Live and Loud!". Liveandloudshows.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  48. ^ "Live and Loud!". Liveandloudshows.com. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  49. ^ "Phish To Release Amsterdam 1997 Box Set". Jambase.com. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  50. ^ Keefe, Jonathan (12 September 2015). "Review: Beth Hart, Live At Paradiso". Slantmagazine.com. Retrieved 7 August 2021.

Further reading

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  Media related to Paradiso (Amsterdam) at Wikimedia Commons

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