Keeping a room going in 3DX for six years is no small achievement. Rooms appear all the time, some lasting only a few weeks or months, while others gradually become familiar fixtures on the 3DX calendar. Temple of Rock belongs firmly in the latter category. Every Wednesday, Robje and his team open the doors again for another evening of rock music, DJs, bands and dance teams, supported by a group of regular visitors who have helped turn the room into what it is today.

On 21 October, Temple of Rock will celebrate its sixth anniversary. It is the latest step in a story that began rather modestly about six and a half years ago, when he decided to find out what it was like to play music in 3DX.

From an experiment to a weekly room

There was no grand plan to create Temple of Rock when Robje first started DJing. He downloaded Mixxx, arranged a stream, found a room on the internet and opened it for an evening of music from the eighties. It was mostly an experiment to see how it worked and whether he enjoyed doing it.

A month later he decided to give it another try. That evening went well too, and before long the idea began to form that perhaps he could turn those occasional nights into something more permanent. Temple of Rock grew out of that idea, initially opening every two weeks before quickly becoming a weekly Wednesday event.

As his interest in hosting grew, Robje also started learning more about building. With some help he created his first room and later went on to build others. Today his collection includes Temple of Rock and Danse Macabre, which still makes an occasional appearance. Temple of Rock, however, has remained the regular weekly event and the room most closely associated with him. Another room in regular use is The Factory by Estrella.

Over the years the venue itself has changed and evolved, something that will happen again for the sixth anniversary. Rather than simply decorating the existing Temple for the occasion, Robje has prepared a new room that will make its debut when the anniversary celebrations begin on 21 October.

Too much for one person

As Temple of Rock became more successful, running it also became considerably more complicated. Hosting a weekly event involves much more than selecting some music and opening a room. Flyers need to be made, the room needs to be prepared, DJs have to be scheduled, bands and dance teams need to be organised, and there is the constant work of promoting the event and looking after visitors once they arrive.

Eventually it became more than Robje could comfortably handle on his own. So much time was going into keeping Temple of Rock running that he seriously considered stopping altogether. What had started as an enjoyable experiment with music had gradually developed into a sizeable weekly commitment.

The turning point came when Naomi and Estrella suggested that the three of them should run Temple of Rock as a team. Instead of leaving Robje responsible for every part of the event, they divided some of the work between them. Naomi took charge of arranging the dance teams, while Estrella helped with promotion and looking after Local chat during events.

For Robje, their contribution is a major reason why there is a sixth anniversary to celebrate at all. He readily admits that Temple of Rock would probably no longer exist without them, and gives both Naomi and Estrella a great deal of the credit for what the room has become. What began as one person's project had gradually turned into a team effort, making it possible to continue without all of the work falling on one pair of shoulders.

A little inspiration and some early help

Robje also remembers the people who helped before there was a Temple team. One of them is Eyleen, whom he describes as something of an inspiration for his own start in music. At the time she was running Red Baron as a weekly room, and seeing her doing that helped encourage him to try playing music himself. She is still active today, hosting once a month as a member of United Rockers.

Adier, known for Ring of Fire, was another person who helped during the earlier days of Temple of Rock. Having already run his own room, he understood how much work was involved and recognised what was happening when Temple began attracting more visitors. Robje was trying to handle everything himself, so Adier stepped in to help with practical things such as welcoming visitors in Local chat.

It may seem like a small detail, but those who have hosted busy rooms will recognise the problem. While visitors are enjoying the music, somebody still needs to keep an eye on the room, welcome people, deal with whatever comes up and make sure the evening continues to run smoothly. Having someone willing to take care of even part of that workload can make an enormous difference.

The people who keep coming back

Six years of Temple of Rock also represents far more people than those directly involved in organising it. Robje was particularly keen to thank the visitors who have supported the room over the years. As he puts it, without visitors there is no room, and the position Temple of Rock finds itself in today is just as much the result of the people who continue to walk through its doors every Wednesday.

That thanks extends to the many DJs, bands and dance teams who have performed there and supported the Temple along the way. Over six years, a considerable number of people have contributed to those Wednesday evenings, whether behind the decks, on stage, as part of a dance team or simply by being there on the dance floor.

Perhaps that is one of the reasons Temple of Rock has managed to last. The room may have begun with Robje downloading Mixxx and deciding to try an evening of eighties music, but it did not remain a one-man project. Other people became involved, some helping when the workload became too much, others providing music and entertainment, and many more returning week after week as visitors.

On 21 October, all of those years come together as Temple of Rock celebrates its sixth anniversary in a new venue. It is an opportunity to celebrate the room itself, but also Naomi and Estrella, whose help kept it alive when Robje was considering giving it up, the friends who supported and inspired him in the early days, the performers who have filled its programme and, finally, the visitors who have given everyone involved a reason to keep opening those doors every Wednesday.

Six years after that first experiment with a stream, a downloaded room and some eighties music, Temple of Rock is still playing every Wednesday evening from 19:00 CET till 23:00 CET.

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