De Helling Utrecht
The club where I grew up
Okay, this one is a bit biased, as I used to work here, used to throw parties here, used to DJ here, and basically grew up here. But all for a reason.
Utrecht has many music venues and clubs, but De Helling, for me, is the perfect venue. It is somewhat low profile, especially compared to the huge TivoliVredenburg and the more fashionable EKKO, but De Helling just has the magic spark for me. First and foremost, it has, in my opinion, one of the best sound systems in Europe, something which is best experienced during a good club night with bassey music, such as dubstep, drum & bass or similar genres. Besides that, it has a really laid-back and accessible atmosphere and friendly staff, and it specializes in all the genres I like, whether it's drum & bass, reggae, hip hop, punk or dancehall.
It's big enough to sometimes host well-known artists, which you can experience in a cozy atmosphere with the best sound possible, but small enough to have a very undergroundsy feeling and host lots of local talents. It is located in the former industrial neighborhood called Rotsoord, where it has been a pioneer ever since it opened around 2000, then called De Vloer.
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