Have a Cigar - Boerderij concert hall

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Director Arie Verstegen describes his influence on one of the Netherlands’ most prog-friendly music venues.

Boerderij Concert Hall looms tall on the outskirts of Zoetermeer, in South Holland. Behind its patchwork exterior is an exciting hub of musical entertainment with a strong emphasis on the more progressive side of things.

There are two stages to cater for bands of different levels – the main hall holds up to 750 people – making it the Dutch venue of choice for so many prog bands; IQ, Spock’s Beard, The Pineapple Thief and Mostly Autumn have all played there. And it’s Arie Verstegen’s job to choose the line-ups.

He started working at Dutch music venues in the early ‘80s and spent several years handling prog bands for a booking agency in the ‘90s, before moving across to the Boerderij 14 years ago and injecting a hefty dose of prog rock into their schedule.

“Before I came along, the Boerderij were just putting on regular gigs and running at a loss,” says Verstegen. “I thought we should host different bands to attract a new audience. There weren’t many venues here that were booking prog back then so that was something that made the shows special.” The gamble paid off and the venue now has a loyal audience who travel from around the world to see their favourite prog acts.

But putting prog acts on in the hall wasn’t just about offering something different; the director’s choice of genre has a lot to do with his personal tastes. “I became a prog fan after hearing Genesis when I was a small child,” he reveals. “It’s my favourite genre and now I have the opportunity to book all these bands. I still get excited when I watch them and I feel a responsibility to put on the newer, smaller bands too, so there’s a new generation ready

to take over. Big Big Train and Knifeworld are among my current favourites. I love the way the genre is constantly evolving,” he adds. “But I have to have the right feeling about a band when I hear their music.”

The Boerderij is mostly run by volunteers, many of whom have worked there for around 10 years. “We’re like one big family,” says Verstegen. “We’ve got a very good team because we’re all so passionate about music.”** **

_For more information visit: ___cultuurpodiumboerderij.nl

Natasha Scharf
Natasha Scharf
Deputy Editor, Prog

Contributing to Prog since the very first issue, writer and broadcaster Natasha Scharf was the magazine’s News Editor before she took up her current role of Deputy Editor, and has interviewed some of the best-known acts in the progressive music world from ELP, Yes and Marillion to Nightwish, Dream Theater and TesseracT. Starting young, she set up her first music fanzine in the late 80s and became a regular contributor to local newspapers and magazines over the next decade. The 00s would see her running the dark music magazine, Meltdown, as well as contributing to Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Artrocker. Author of music subculture books The Art Of Gothic and Worldwide Gothic, she’s since written album sleeve notes for Cherry Red, and also co-wrote Tarja Turunen’s memoirs, Singing In My Blood. Beyond the written word, Natasha has spent several decades as a club DJ, spinning tunes at aftershow parties for Metallica, Motörhead and Nine Inch Nails. She’s currently the only member of the Prog team to have appeared on the magazine’s cover.