There are those places in the city that just keep on existing while all sorts of things are disappearing around them. Bitterzoet is one such place. Founded in 2003 by Pieter de Kroon, Joris Bakker and Nica de Bloeme, the club has been on Spuistraat, near the Spui, for more than two decades. No hype, no rebrand, no concept: just open every day and a program every day.
The programming is what makes Bitterzoet different. On one night Rome Streetz takes the stage for a hip-hop concert; a few days later it's the turn of bleood, the rap and trap act whose night already sold out. Crack Cloud, the Canadian multimedia collective that combines music and performance, is also on the bill. These are not names you find in the big halls: Bitterzoet picks up artists who still have something to prove, or who consciously choose the intimate setting.
The stage is small, the space is small, and that's exactly its strength. You're close to the music, close to the other people. There is no VIP section, no dress code stuff. The atmosphere is what you feel at home in a good neighborhood bar, but with a sound system that does the job. Jack Daniel's is a partner of the club, which is visible on the nights, but the programming does not revolve around sponsor interests.
Bitterzoet deliberately chooses to program something daily, from hip-hop and funk to dancehall and alternative genres.
The club is open seven days a week. That sounds logical but it's not: most small venues run three or four nights a week and stop there. Bitterzoet deliberately chooses to program something daily, from hip-hop and funk to dancehall and alternative genres. That requires tight organization and a good network. The website development is in the hands of Stuurmen and PUHA. The Spuistraat has seen many come and go over the years. Bitterzoet is still there.