History

For more than 40 years, Simplon has been a centre where young people and youth culture play a very important role. Groningen is a student city with a vibrant pop and youth culture. And because youth culture is constantly changing, Simplon has also changed frequently. It all started with a canning factory and later a coat factory from the beginning of the last century on a canal north of the centre of Groningen, the Boterdiep.

In the early 1970s, the Simplon building stood empty and was squatted by hippies and artists who organised sessions and concerts there. Later, the adjacent building at number 69 was added. A characteristic feature of the Simplon hall was “the pit”: the floor in the middle of the hall was sunken, creating an intimate atmosphere.

In the early 1980s, punk culture gained the upper hand and legendary punk concerts were organised at Simplon. Simplon was, for example, the home stage of the Boegies, one of the Netherlands’ most famous punk bands. Volunteers have always been very important to Simplon. In the 1980s, more and more people became involved in the concerts, providing support services: sound engineers, lighting technicians, photography, video technology, design, screen printing, computer workshop and offset printing. New activities included the bar, the eatery and the cinema. Later, the emphasis shifted to a progressive cultural function. In the 1990s, Simplon was at its peak with over 150 volunteers and daily public activities, such as underground concerts, metal concerts, house parties, feature films, a restaurant and café, and more than 15 support departments, all run entirely by volunteers.

In the transition to the 1990s, Simplon’s survival came under pressure: Simplon had financial problems and politicians felt that Simplon and Vera were too similar. Both centres were threatened with the withdrawal of municipal support. Ultimately, a cultural/social approach was chosen for Simplon, financed by the welfare department. The combination of adding staff who had little affinity with youth culture and increasing financial burdens due to the large increase in paid staff members caused further turmoil. Concerts and dance parties had to be cancelled, and the sound of dance evenings was restricted. Even a normal band’s drum kit makes too much noise, which meant that only muted and unamplified performances could be organised. Despite attempts by the programming team to put together a good programme within these limitations, the public stayed away en masse, resulting in plummeting revenues and more financial problems for Simplon. With the help of protests by volunteers in all forms, the municipality decided to continue its contribution after all, and funds were also made available for a major renovation to soundproof the building.

After three years of uncertainty, the tide seemed to turn for Simplon in 2000. The entire building underwent a thorough renovation, with the main hall now able to accommodate 400 visitors instead of 300, and the first floor gaining a small hall, café and chill-out area for up to 200 visitors. At the beginning of 2002, the building was festively reopened. The policy was also changed. A completely new, decisive board and new management were appointed, and the organisation was professionalised. The volunteers largely disappeared and were replaced by on-call and temporary workers. Simplon was no longer a youth centre: the phenomenon of youth workers had disappeared. The activities became increasingly focused on culture and, in particular, music, which young people were enthusiastic about. Simplon was renamed Jongerencultuurpodium (Youth Culture Platform). Unfortunately, in 2003, it seemed that the curtain was about to fall on Simplon once again. Due to allegedly not reaching the target group – young people in vocational education, a requirement from the welfare department – substantial cutbacks were implemented. Once again, unambiguous action was taken. This time, the municipal council saved Simplon. However, this would not last long. In the period 2005-2006, Simplon’s subsidies were transferred from the welfare department to the culture department. However, there was once again uncertainty within the municipality about Simplon’s policy; it was now considered to be too little culture and there were threats to completely stop the subsidy. Ultimately, Simplon was cut by more than 22%.

After 29 years of balancing welfare and culture, the name was changed to Poppodium Simplon in 2006. With a new board and a reorganisation of its permanent staff, Simplon has got its affairs back on track. A completely independent programme has been set up and a new audience has been tapped into. Dance and hip hop in the broadest sense of the word have taken a prominent place in the programme, which also includes pop, punk, rock, jazz and metal. And, of course, local talent is given every opportunity to showcase itself. Simplon also works mainly with volunteers rather than paid staff. Thanks to all these changes, Simplon has undergone a positive transformation over the past year. Visitor numbers are rising and the approximately 75 volunteers bring a positive and enthusiastic atmosphere to the pop venue.

In 2010, Simplon was nominated by the VNPF for the title of “Best Pop Stage in the Netherlands” for the first time in its history.

(source: Wikipedia, Simplon monthly newspapers, among others)