Melkweg
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The Melkweg (English translation: "Milky Way") is a popular music venue and cultural center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It is located on the Lijnbaansgracht, near the Leidseplein, a prime nightlife center of Amsterdam. It is housed in a former warehouse and is divided into a number of spaces of varying sizes. Besides a large hall for rock and pop music concerts, there are also spaces for dance/theater, cinema, photography and media-art. The Melkweg is run by a non-profit organisation that has existed since 1970.
It is referenced in the Cracker song "Euro-Trash Girl", the Lagwagon song "Infectious" and in title of the Half Man Half Biscuit song "Prag Vec at the Melkweg". The title of The Church's song "Under the Milky Way" is also a reference to the Melkweg. Heather Nova's 1995 EP "Live from the Milky Way" was recorded here as was Spacemen 3's album Performance.
Space rock band Gong held their Gong Family Unconventional Gathering at the Melkweg in November 2006, which was a 3 day event that featured many different bands and performers associated with Gong, as well as a reunion of (most-of) the classic line-up, including Daevid Allen, Steve Hillage, Gilli Smyth, Didier Malherbe, Mike Howlett, Tim Blake, and Miquette Giraudy (also featuring newer members Theo Travis and Chris Taylor). The Gong set, as well as sets from the Steve Hillage Band (consisting of Hillage, Giraudy, Howlett, Basil Brooks, and Taylor), and the Glissando Orchestra (which featured Allen and Hillage among others) were filmed and released on DVD.
Other venues in Amsterdam
