DJ Momo from a distance. Photo: Coretta Jongeling Coronavirus or not, there will be partying at the Bunker every night throughout the AID.
Eight nights long, you can dance between nine and three to the music of Wageningen names like De La Niets and Miniculcture. DJ Momo kicked off the partying on Thursday evening. Sound, light, it’s all there, except one thing: an audience. The parties can be streamed online, so people can join in the fun from home. The board of the Bunker hopes to be able to welcome small audiences at the venue from September.
VIP experience
‘We’ve drawn up an extensive coronavirus protocol,’ says Bodyl Visser of the Bunker board. ‘The DJ stands at a safe distance, tape on the floor shows the boundary the audience can come up to, and the bar staff are protected by plexiglass screens.’ Everything has been thought of: to ensure people don’t get too close together on the dance floor, everyone is allocated a seat at a table. You are allowed to dance, but only on the spot at your place. A maximum of 5 people can attend each party, and the rest can join in online. So it is quite a VIP experience. Now let’s hope the municipality approves the plan. The board hasn’t had an answer yet and September is approaching fast.
Renovations
The Bunker team haven’t let the grass grow under their feet during the lockdown. ‘We were planning some renovations anyway. The stage was due for replacement. We wanted to do that during the summer holidays, but because of coronavirus we brought everything forward. And because there was so much time, we did a lot more than planned.’ The Bunker got a makeover and feels more like a nightclub than a student bar now. The AID programme gives you a sneak preview. ‘We hope to be able to open on Fridays as well in future, and put more dancing on the programme.’
In the garden
It’s a bit weird, watching a DJ go crazy to his numbers but without the usual dancing crowd. Bodyl has no idea how many people will listen in remotely. ‘We checked at a quarter to three and there were seven viewers at that point. Not many, but it was late by then. We flyered at all the big Idealis complexes. At Droevendaal and Rijnveste they have big gardens, so I hope they chilled out there with our music on.’
