CITY CLAP. Garage Klub, a poisoned gift for Antwerp’s nightlife? (Antwerp)

The rumor mill was running at full speed for a long time in the land of night owls. Will it come or won’t it come? It seemed that the Antwerpian Dream of the famous Kompass Klub would become a Tantalus torment. But at the beginning of April, the Ghent dance factory single-handedly put an end to all speculation. Kompass spreads its wings and descends on Noorderlaan. She does this under the name Garage Klub. Huzzah!

READ ALSO. Kompass Klub comes to Antwerp with ‘Garage Klub’ on Noorderlaan

A new club is always fun. Especially when counterarguments from soured whiners are effortlessly countered. Garage Klub is located a bit outside the center and is easily accessible by public transport. Noise disturbance? Nil. Politically content, local residents (for now) satisfied and night owls ecstatic. Does Garage Klub really provide a Kumbaya moment between parties that are usually at each other’s throats?

Anyway. The thousands of ravers who officially baptize the dance floor of the Garage tonight, Friday, have no interest in spiritual songs. Fortunately, they nod their heads ad infinitum to the techno of Drumcode boss Adam Beyer or the stirring trance of the Turkish Spacer Woman. The enthusiasm is great. Antwerp night owls seem ready to fall in love with their newest home base.

Is Garage Klub doing the Antwerp nightlife a favor? Anyone who does not think further would be inclined to confirm wholeheartedly. After all, the local scene has been yearning for one (or more) new location(s) for some time now. But is a gigantic warehouse with an industrial look the right answer to that plea? There are reasons to believe not.

Garage Klub is in danger of not offering any musical added value to the extremely monotonous and saturated Antwerp scene. “We felt there was a need for something new,” the team behind Garage recently noted VRT NWS. If you then show up with, with all due respect, DJs like Enrico Sangiuliano and Pan-Pot, you’re completely shooting yourself in the foot.

Of course, there is no arguing about color and taste. And the Antwerp added value seeker will not lose sleep over it. He has realized for a long time now that his salvation lies elsewhere. Ghent, Brussels or Rotterdam, to name a few. There he finds kindred spirits who are really eager to discover new music week after week.

Do it yourself

Nevertheless, it would be nice for him to also get his musical tastes in his own city. Would you rather do it yourself? It’s not that simple. Anyone who wants to create a concept in Antwerp, averse to all techno, house and funky relatives, will soon hit their head against the wall.

In a city where the we-know-us mentality reigns supreme, newcomers with refreshing and daring ideas hardly have a chance to take over a room. However, the unprecedented requests that the defunct free port Onder Stroom received prove that the need is dire.

READ ALSO. Curtain falls over cultural hotspot Onder Stroom on quays: “No more energy to start elsewhere”

Even more than a Garage Klub, there is a need for a lake grassroots venue where misfits come home and give full rein to their musical creativity. Where sunglasses in the hair when it rains, forced Berlin-inspired rave aesthetics and constant chatter on the dance floor are distanced. Where the love for music prevails. Obviously something like this can thrive perfectly next to Garage Klub, which, despite everything, I wish all the prosperity in the world.