Underground milonga in Amersfoort

It was Saturday night after the Waterlelie milonga and I wanted to keep exploring and dancing. I went on to the Underground milonga in Amersfoort.  Details: Oude Fabriekstraat 20, Amersfoort. 20.30 - 01.30, Entrada 8 Euros.

I went by train from Leiden with a guy I'd met at the Waterlelie, also on a bike. 

It was busy. There was booth-type seating down one long side, although this photo (for the more traditional milonga in the same venue) suggests it is more likely the chairs were just turned round, booth-style, to face one another. This made it less easy to invite because you could only do so by standing nearest where the photo is taken at the bar/short end (above left). Here too you can see the makeshift bar by the entrance and behind it very limited seating, lounge-style. In memory it was darker than it seems in the photos but not impossible for invitation by look. The floor was like chipboard but was OK. The photo below shows the semi-industrial feel to the place and the start of the booth-type seating on the right. 

I think Arthur (?Abel) was the DJ - you can see the DJ spot under the speaker in the top photo. The music felt like 50% alternative which was more than was advertised. I think it was in the format of one tanda alt, one traditional which made things easily predictable for chat or to step outside for air. Most of the trad tandas were pretty good for me. The atmosphere was relaxed but by this stage I was relaxed anyway. 

I danced initially and off and on with the friend I had arrived with and twice with a Dutchman in swapped roles because he had a lovely smile, lots of adorable white Dutch curls and was willing. He enjoyed it, therefore so did I. People were tolerant about the swapped roles and smiled.  As you can see there were women dancing together too. I danced with a young guy I'd seen or was to see around and that was about it. One or two guys asked discreetly and politely for dances but I never felt pressured or hassled. The men looked easygoing and relaxed - so different from the more uptight UK. 

It was not thereafter easy to pick up dances with girls and only partly because of the seating/room arrangements. I was hesitant because I was not sure who I wanted to dance with, not having been focused on the girls and they hadn't seen me much either. 

I haven't been recently to many alternative or semi-alternative milongas in the last two or three years - only St Andrews and that not lately - but I was starting to realise it is not unusual to find in them a warm and relaxed atmosphere. I am glad I went but I didn't fancy enough of the dancing at the Underground and after a couple of hours - by about midnight - had had enough and got the train back to Amsterdam. 

I heard from several people there is a nice trad milonga in the same venue called La Roca.