A Darker Side of Amsterdan

I have noticed a different side to this city since being back. I must admit, my love for Amsterdam comes from the daytime. The church bells that ring beautiful melodies every 15 minutes, the peaceful hum of trams and bikes and even when she rains she is beautiful. But like every city, when darkness descends, another side of the city comes out......’

Last year I arrived in Amsterdam for the first time. It was completely different to my expectations, I expected seedy whore clubs and dingy cafe's and coke dealers on every corner. When I seen just how beautiful, free and open she was I knew I wanted to stay. Taylor, who used to be a bass player and played in my old band White Trash ana Halfcast was with his friends when I first came here, so we met up and he said I could crash on the floor of his hotel, so I didn't book a hostel or think about accommodation for the night. He and his friends also love Amsterdam, but for very different reasons than me. They book a hotel as close to central as they can. And visit the coffee shops to get as stoned out of their heads as possible. Stay there for a few hours, then go to McDonalds for a 'munch'. They have never ridden a bike, and only know a short route to nearby coffee shops that love selling weed to people like this. Each one of them must spend a few hundred Euros in the 2 or 3 days they are here, which is great for the tourist economy and it will be strange to see how these laws on banning tourists work out. I have not found one Dutch person who thinks it is a good idea yet, already in the South, criminal disturbances have quadrupled because of the ban. I spent that first day in Amsterdam with Taylor and his friends, I assumed I could just crash on the floor of their hotel, but I was wrong. Hotels are very vigilant about things like this and they wouldn't let me stay. So, it was midnight and I had no place to stay. I decided I would just street walk the whole night, maybe find a bench to stay on. At least I had put my back pack in Taylors room so I wasn't carrying much. It was all such a new city to me, I had no idea where I was walking but just walked for hours. As I was walking, this strange man started following me, trying to creep me out. Saying 'Where you goin with that guitar? you can't carry guitars round here' Then he said he was gonna piss while we walk. I stared him straight in the eyes and said 'Look, lad. I have no attention to give you, you are obviously deficient of some brain cells, maybe mother never held you as a kid or something. But get the fuck out of my face while I enjoy Amsterdam, you are just irritating me, so fuck off'. That seemed to shake him off. it was 3 am in the morning and my feet ached, my mind was a bit frazzled, and I came to a sign that said Hotel. I went in and asked how much, he said he would give me it for 40 Euros as it was so late, so I took it and just crashed in the room. I was a bit gutted about spending so much money on a room. Cash was running out fast, but at that point I just felt I needed to. I went on to get 2 nights in a Hostel, and then I started camping, and then I joined the Magneet.

I remember it was 2 weeks before I even saw a police car in Amsterdam, no sirens no big police presence. I ask myself now, looking back. Am I romanticising that first 2 months here, because since I have been back I have felt such a change in the atmosphere. On Friday night whilst sitting at Rembrandt plain, two police officers came up to Vince and asked him for his 'Papers'. Shit! So you do need a licence to busk here! Then not long after, the strangest thing. A complete parade of police, fire and ambulance's went past, all with the sirens blaring! There must of have been about 15-20 vehicles, I thought, wow, what is happening here! There is now a mobile police station at Rembrandt plan keeping watch. And I am always seeing Politte everywhere. Still not as much as Liverpool, but immensely more than last time I was here. On the second night I was here, a policeman stopped me for riding on the wrong side of the road. I used my Britishness and all was good. I think if they are to bring the laws in on selling weed to foreigners, then they will need a heavy police presence to enforce it. because you know, there are gonna be dealers EVERYWHERE! it's not as if weed will just disappear from the city. But maybe this is why I am seeing such a change in the atmosphere here. Why not let the pot heads from around the world come and spend a few hundred Euros for a toke of freedom? Supply will always meet demand! But it seems they will stubbornly enforce this stupid law and ignore the rise in crime and disturbance that will inevitably come. After the police parade I got on my bike and was in dire need of a piss. It's hard to find a place to piss in Amsterdam, but I headed East and just decided to get a bit lost on my bike. Then the sirens again, all of them blurring down the road. I stopped and watched, and just wondered what on earth was the goal of this. Seeing Vince get asked for a licence to busk worried me, and I thought I had better be careful about taking my amp out.

One thing Amsterdam teaches me is patience and responsibility. Having the freedom to enjoy a smoke whenever you want makes it a different feeling all together. In England the illegality of it dictates when you can smoke it and where, and always gotta hide. Here, it is something to be enjoyed. There is this coffee shop in Rembrandt plain called Balou. It is right by my busking bridge, and I went there a lot last year. So much so that the guy recognised me, and said 'Hey, it's been a while!' I would make enough from busking to get me a little smoke and a cuppa and always enjoyed that coffee shop (mostly for the fact it was the closest.) I like to really enjoy a joint, not smoke too much and get green out my head. I only have one joint in a coffee shop, and then I go riding. I space my day out by this. I already had a little bit of smoke left, and then went in to the shop to order a coffee. It was a different guy working there, this fat guy, with a kind of, what I lack emotionally, I overstate, look in his eyes. I asked him for a coffee and he said you gotta buy some weed. I said I already have some left from yesterday', he said 'This is how we make our money, so buy some weed, it's always the same with you, you buy a cup of coffee and smoke 1 joint.' I said 'excuse me, I have made this my local and really enjoy coming here, so I don't want to get stoned out of my head, but just enjoy a smoke. I am sure you make quite a bit from drink sales as well.' He put his head down and just pointed at the weed menu. I left, and never have, and never will return.

There have been little things, like more people asking me for money, and people stepping out in front of me with mad eyes as I ride. Last year, in the whole 2 months, I was asked for 20 cents just once! None of this dampens my love for this city. On the contrary, I am excited to be here to witness the changes she is going through and how she will shape and resist the changes asked of her.........