Barlo (1969-1974)
Discobar Fly-In in Barlo opened in 1969 in a vacant chicken coop on Barloseweg. The discobar was run by a group of young volunteers and quickly grew into a popular nightlife venue. In 1972, a new location was put into use. Many musicians and bands performed there, and music events were organized. At the end of 1974, Fly-In ceased to exist and continued as De Loods.
The origins of Fly-In lie in 1968, when various parties were held in Barlo. For these parties, part of a barn or farmhouse was partitioned off with black agricultural plastic and furnished with a record player, amplifier, and colored lights. Because this had to be reinstalled at a different location every time, a number of young people came up with the idea for a permanent venue.
First accommodation was a chicken coop
The first location of Fly-In was a vacant chicken coop behind Derk Ebbers’ grocery store on Barloseweg. After cleaning and pouring a concrete floor, discobar Fly-In opened on December 13, 1969. The words ‘Fly In’ were painted in large letters on an interior wall. During a renovation of the building in 2024, it turned out that these letters were still on the wall.
The original idea to use the space occasionally was quickly replaced by the plan to open every two weeks on Saturday. The evenings at Fly-In were concluded at 11:30 PM with a fixed closing tune — initially Comin’ Home Baby by Casey & the Pressure Group, later Time Is Tight by Booker T. & the MG’s.
Problems and drive-in shows
It soon became clear that the accommodation was not ideal: the space was too small (approximately 25 m²) and the furnishings were very simple; there was no cloakroom and no private toilet. Girls were allowed to use ‘Uncle Derk’s’ private toilet, while the boys could pick out a tree outside.
If a group of young people were still chatting on the road after the disco evening, Uncle Derk would come outside and shout: “staot neet op de weg te dralliën, maor gaot naor huus!” (don’t loiter on the road, go home!). After about a year, Fly-In stopped at this location and continued by providing drive-in shows in the wider area.
New location
After about a year, a new location was found in the vacant warehouse of the machinery association on Lichtenvoordsestraatweg in Barlo, directly opposite café Domme Aanleg. The former agricultural warehouse was renovated with a bar, a turntable, a cloakroom, and a toilet. Benches and tables were made from oak planks.
The official opening took place on Saturday, March 11, 1972. From that moment on, Fly-In was open on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for members (membership card at ƒ 2.50).
Renovation and celebration
Due to the great interest, a renovation followed in the summer of 1972, during which the floor area was almost doubled. In 1974, the cloakroom was enlarged and extra toilets were installed.
On Saturday, December 15, 1972, the renovation was celebrated with over 800 guests in the Community Hall in Aalten with Earth & Fire, Mr. Albert Show, and Alquin. During the breaks, films were shown and records were played. The admission price was ƒ 6.50.
Fly-In Foundation
To prevent being held personally liable for any damages, the board decided in 1973 to establish a foundation.
After at least four board members had reached the age of majority (21 at the time), the ‘Fly-In Foundation’ was established at notary Obbink in Aalten. The foundation had a starting capital of one hundred guilders and aimed to organize and provide cultural and creative activities.
Performances and film screenings
During Fly-In’s existence, many performances took place by bands and artists, including Kaz Lux, Kraayeveld, Tom Haket, Dimitri van Toren (Hé kom aan), Armand (Ben ik te min), and Shepstone & Dibbens.
Concerts were also regularly organized in the Community Hall, featuring performances by the Bintangs, Chicory Tip, Dizzy Man’s Band, Earth & Fire, Long Tall Ernie, Mayfly, Plastic Feet, Q65, and Solar Plexus, among others.
Paaspop 1974
On April 15, 1974 (Easter Monday), Fly-In organized a festival under the name Paaspop. It took place in a festival tent on the grounds of AD’69 on Bocholtsestraatweg. The program included performances by Puddingh, Hobo String Band, Livin’ Blues, Kayak, Bronco, and Shakin’ Stevens & the Sunsets.
Two stages were built in the festival tent so that the bands could alternate, but due to trouble with Livin’ Blues’ van, this did not go entirely smoothly. Approximately 1,500 visitors attended the festival.
Closing party and poem
The closing party of Fly-In took place on December 13, 1974. The discobar would continue under the name De Loods.
At the closing party, the board was presented with a poem on a large piece of cardboard — an acrostic of 48 lines, of which the first letters together formed the following sentence:
“Long live Fly-In and thanks Huib, Henk, Gert, Wim, Jan, Wim and Jan.”
The poem is signed with the initials H.t.P. and B.H., but to date, it has not been possible to find out who these unknown poets were. If you happen to know, please respond at the bottom of this page!
Source
- ‘FLY-IN’ 1969-1974: The FLY-IN archive, Wim Simmelink
