Paradiso: My Noise Asylum

I wrote this, oddly enough, for a social site at work. The request was to write about somewhere very important to me and I chose Paradiso, a music venue in Amsterdam, a converted church and a special place for me. Strangely enough, when I wrote this piece, I was doubting if I would ever go again even as I wrote about Paradiso being a constant in my life. Lots of stairs and walking problems caused these doubts. But then came my amazing lower leg support! After cancelling far too many concerts I was finally able to start going again. First up was The The, with my sister and a close friend. This month I have already been see Mogwai and The Libertines are to come. Strange that The Libertines are mentioned below as one of the concerts I missed… Hoping that will not happen again!

Perhaps I am being lazy in not writing a new piece but, well, why not! So here it is…. Paradiso…. Something of a constant for me…. My noise asylum. May also be good to take a look at a piece on why music means a lot to me as well. Gives a bit of perspective.

Please note that my employer is American and so the piece uses American English spelling. It is also normal to post a question at the end. Feel free to answer if you feel like it!

Name a place that means a lot to you:

It’s strange to enthuse about a building that, from the outside at least, is pretty unremarkable. It is what goes on inside it that makes it so special (for me, at least). A deconsecrated church that was also a hippy squat in the ’60s; the concert venue Paradiso is somewhere I have been dozens of times in the last twenty years. A constant in my life. And one that means a lot to me.

My first visit was back in 2002 to see Isaac Hayes, a little out of my usual line but still one of the great voices, much missed. I had a friend who was a DJ and had sampled a lot of his music, so he dragged me along. The music was great, but the atmosphere hooked me: great acoustics and a friendly, easy vibe. I became a regular through my late twenties and early thirties with a group of friends and colleagues. The Paradiso ritual started. Meet up, eat something cheap and cheerful, get into Paradiso, grab a beer, see a (preferably, but not always) great band and, frankly, get quite drunk. Different priorities, then.

Time moves on. Many of the friends group, being expatriates, chose to return to their homelands. The DJ, who oddly was based in Amsterdam but was also from my hometown of Yeovil, moved back to the UK and now runs mobile platforms for BT or something like that. Things change. MS forced it’s way into my life and became more imposing on my rhythm. Still, I keep Paradiso in my life. That familiar constant. Sometimes, I just need to sit down or pop out of the auditorium for a quick rest if the music or light show gets overpowering. That basic ritual remains the same. Meet up with friends, eat something, get into Paradiso, grab a beer, see a (preferably, but not always) great band and perhaps get a little tipsy – shock news, people with MS get drunk. It’s just quicker and cheaper! Although, that’s not the target these days.

And the main thing? Those concerts! That music! The bands I knew I loved. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Manic Street Preachers, Afghan Whigs… Then there are the great surprises. Foals, Thundercat, Wet Leg, The Lathums. Some disappointments, of course, but that’s a minority. There were a couple where MS did decide I wasn’t going as I was too tired, my beloved Libertines being one of them. Come back soon, please!

I prefer the highlights and will take three.

• The Jesus and Mary Chain for being THAT loud and still THAT good.
• Suede, or London Suede for those in the US, three times in Paradiso. A band I had loved in my teenage years but, in those days, I could not afford the tickets to see them. Made up for it later in life. I try not to have a favorite band but if I did, it would be Suede.
• The Black Crowes, which I went to at the behest of my wife. I was not a fan. Had heard ‘Hard to Handle’ too much at sixth form college at the age of 17. Seeing them blow the roof off changed my mind. Helped that they cut from ‘Hard to Handle’ to a Deep Purple cover halfway through. The bulk of the crowd were disappointed. I wasn’t!

One of my favorite places and why it means a lot to me. Anyone else have a similar place? Or perhaps just a favorite concert?