The first Amsterdam Vinyl Club looked very different from the club we know today.

More talk than tunes, the opening show tried to do too much, too soon. But it mattered in other ways, proving that following through on half-baked ideas teaches lessons you can never learn while planning events from behind a laptop at home.

That evening helped us discover the heart of AVC – great DJs, opportunities for new selectors and crates of amazing vinyl waiting to be discovered.

DJ Roland both opened and closed the show and also took on compère duties for our music quiz. We learned another lesson that evening too: our quizzes were far too difficult – a discovery that eventually inspired the silly quiz sheets we use today.

AVC Vol 1 also introduced us to DJ Tea & 2 Sugars, the beginning of a friendship that has endured through all of AVC’s ups and downs.

Our third DJ, Piotrek Krochmalski, was fantastic – but we sadly lost touch after our July show was cancelled. If you’re reading this, Piotrek, we’d love to welcome you back to the decks.

And, because every first chapter deserves a time capsule, we’ve included the opening speech from that first night.

Looking back, it’s overlong, sentimental and undeniably earnest – but the cool kids will understand.

Opening speech: Amsterdam Vinyl Club Vol 1

Hello, good evening and welcome to the very first Amsterdam Vinyl Club.

We’re genuinely thrilled that you’ve taken a chance this evening and come to something completely new and unknown.

You’ve come to an event with little more than a name, a logo and a vibe – and that means the world to us.

But even though Amsterdam Vinyl Club might be a bit of a mystery right now, I think I know why we’re all here.

To people like us, music isn’t just background noise or a cheerful distraction while we do the washing up.

Instead, music is in our blood.

Music is the thing that keeps us going when the going gets tough, the soundtrack to our happiest moments, and the only thing that’s guaranteed to drag us from our deepest depression and back towards the light.

Just like the rings of a tree reveal its history, if you sliced one of us open – metaphorically, please – you’d find a spiral groove winding ever inward, etched with the tracks, hits, deep cuts and guilty pleasures that made us who we are today.

And, of course, beyond the music itself, we’re obsessed with the beautiful vinyl that carries it.

We love the thrill of digging through crates and stumbling across a record we’ve never seen before – or finally unearthing that one album we’ve been searching for for years.

We love the packaging, the artwork, the whole ritual. That moment of carefully slicing open the shrink wrap on a new LP, revealing the treasures inside – and, yes, saving the hype sticker, just in case.

We love sliding a record out of its sleeve for the first time and tilting it in the light to admire the lustre in the grooves.

And nothing beats the magic of that seductive ‘click’ as the needle drops – followed by a rush of goosebumps, whether it’s hearing something brand new or a favourite loaded with memories.

That passion for music and vinyl is what Amsterdam Vinyl Club is all about.

We want to grow this into a regular celebration of the joys of vinyl, of music discovery, and of finding likeminded people who get it – no matter what genre of music turns you on.

Now… before we start the show, we have a small confession.

We have absolutely no idea what we’re doing tonight!

We’ve pulled together some ideas based on what we love – but this club is meant to be for everyone. So, to help it grow, we need your help.

We want Amsterdam Vinyl Club to be fun, interactive and community-driven – a place where vinyl fans aren’t just watching, but taking part.

Tell us what you want from Amsterdam Vinyl Club, what would make you come back, and what would make you bring a friend.

We’re on Facebook and Instagram, and we’d love it if you shared your thoughts and photos using the hashtag #amsterdamvinylclub.

Maybe you’d like to spin a guest DJ set, share your favourite finds, or just talk about the record that changed your life. There’s a space for you here.

I’ll be back later to show you some of the things we’ll be looking for at future shows.

Now on with the show!

About the show

A community event for record collectors, vinyl lovers and DJs, Amsterdam Vinyl Club is held at venues across the city. We run shows that combine live vinyl DJ sets, guest selectors and opportunities to browse and buy rare records from local sellers. Contact Amsterdam Vinyl Club if you’d like to know more about our show.