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Hallo wereld!

Posted on 15 januari 2025 by joost

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AN ALTERNATIVE TO AMSTERDAM

When you're the capital of the country, it's easy to forget that outside of cities there's new and exciting things going on. Today we present you: INDIE PLAYGROUND ZAANDAM, a project initiated by ex-scenester Manupalooza (OCCII, Vondelbunker, SUB071 & beyond) and Joost Weemhoff, aka frontman of the band Tupperwr3, initiator of the underground Nieuwe Nederlandse Naivitieit label/festival, and notorious local rebel.

Indieplayground was born out of Joost & Manupalooza's desire to resuscitate the dead DIY scene of the Zaanstad region. During the 1980-2000s, Zaandam and nearby towns were full of squats, activism and art, and was the home of bands such as The Ex and De Kift. Saenpunk & Wormerpunk are well documented in music history. But the last decade or more, the scene died out as the youngsters started en masse to move to the big A-city.

Now that Amsterdam is hysterically full of burned out inhabitants, Zaanstad is getting slowly busier again with individuals who are sick of working mainly for their rent, or fighting constantly to keep their squat from being evicted. In parallel, the generational schism in an already polarizing scene typical now of larger (gentrified?) cities, is attracting persons to the Zaanstad that want to pull up their sleeves and "get shit done" instead of endless meta discussions on the particulars. In comes Indie Playground! Since their inception in March 2025, their monthly events are attracting a growing community - and the events are fun, unserious, made for all-ages and with not one specific sub-scene in mind. A bit like Amsterdam used to be before social media.

"Every month we organize exciting underground events in the Zaan region. The evenings are characterized by unknown, unusual music and an artistic and informal atmosphere. Indie Playground is a non-profit organization and offers a platform for alternative pop music, poetry, and spoken word. By organizing accessible and small-scale pop concerts in accessible spaces, we try to bring alternative, non-mainstream pop music closer to music lovers in Zaanstad"- claims their earlier interviews in local newspapers.

Indie Playground is indeed very much a platform for artists with a unique approach: outsiders, freethinkers, and dissidents, some with a certain distance to society, who express their music in a very personal and creative way. Joost & Manuela are very conscious of the neurodiverse, the FLINTA, and other public and artists that thrive in a mutual supportive and safe(r) space. They're subtly trying to introduce these to the program, as shows their upcoming collaboration coming 13 December with Girls to the Front!, a young community from Utrecht - or their 80-100% queer programming at their new secret location (send a DM to find out the address ;))

These very artists reject the conventional and therefore often find themselves at the back of the lineup when it comes to stage spots. Indie Playground recognizes that these musicians contribute to creative innovation and believes it is crucial that their music has a place in PVV-rife Zaanstad.

Joost & Manuela operate solely according to DIY organising principles. This means self-reliance, a non-existant budget, and countless sustainable/creative solutions. They raised money themselves for a backline, and at none of the events does anyone get paid (apart for the performes, who get whatever's in the donation pot at the end of the event). As their events grow, volunteers are joining and it's becoming more like a "chosen family" vibe. The youngest volunteer is 18, the oldest is 55. Joost & Manuela firmly believe that every generation has something to teach the other one, and the succesful collaborations within these are vital. A lot of discussion is done within Indie Playground members, a lot of trial and error, accountability, reflection, and constant learning when something "fails".

This lack of funding is something they need to explain to (usually young or inexperienced) bands all the time. They literally, have to turn down bands on a weekly basis who expect a guarantee, professional media exposure, and sadly, a VIP treatment. This is especially alarming when bands claim "non-commercial/alternative/DIY" in their BIOs. Joost & Manuela aim to educate and share their background and history - to build a scene, you need to Do It Together, they remind the kids.

Every single person counts. ....Expect to be warmly greeted, when you go!

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