Berlin - whither should I go?

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
OK, put this question out on ILM too, but thought I'd pick the brains of the distinguished and knowledgable people here too...

I'm off to Berlin this weekend, and would love to know some cool places to hang out - clubs, bars, whatever. As for the musical context, very much into Kompakt, Get Physical etc, and weird club venues too.
 

run_time

Well-known member
I've heard that the Week-end club (http://www.week-end-berlin.de/) gets a mixed reputation at times (crowd being somewhat aloof) but the space with some amazing views on three sides including across Alexanderplatz. beats black painted walls in a basement and there programming seems pretty close to what you are into.

Beach bars are worth a look for a more laid back time.
 

blunt

shot by both sides
It's pushing 10 years since I lived there, so my local knowledge is a little rusty. But when I was there a couple of Xmases ago, some resident friends took me to <a href="http://www.water-gate.de" target="_blank">Watergate</a> and the new <a href="http://www.wmfclub.de" target="_blank">WMF</a> club - both great.

And try to make a pilgrimage to the <a href="http://www.hardwax.de" target="_blank">Hardwax</a> record store :)

I suggest picking up a copy of DE:BUG when you get there (available from all good record stores and, I think, even from the street kiosks these days); it's usually got its ear close to the ground. To be honest, even Zitty (the Berlin-equivalent of Time Out) is - relatively - clued up.

But for Christ's sake don't bother with Tresor - it brings tears to mine eyes what they've done to it... :mad:
 

adverb

Well-known member
where is tresor on now?

ostgut is the one for me anyhow - if you can catch the perlon crew it's awesome.
 
Ostgut has changed its name and venue: it's now called Berghain and as it features Kompakt's Tobias Thomas on saturday, this should be the right choice for you. Maria might also be worth a try.

As far as weird places go, you should really check out Bar 25 on the Spree waterfront, which is a bar/restaurant/club combination in a wooden shack. The waiters wear cowboy outfits and the food is said to be excellent. Music policy: minimal techno.

And if you might wonder how the Germans react to Grime, you should visit WMF, where Kano will be spittin' on friday.

btw: Tresor had to close down this year...
 

blunt

shot by both sides
danny bwoy said:
btw: Tresor had to close down this year...

Ha! In spite of my bad-mouthing Tresor, I will admit to feeling a strange pang of sadness when I read that. It was an amazing venue - what am I saying? it was an amazing club, full stop. It's just doubley-sad that they climbed up their own arsehole long before the wrecking ball got to the club :(

Anyway, enough nostalgie! Also a shame about Ostgut; it was also a great venue. But at least it's been reincarnated elsewhere.

On which note: what's happening with the old E-Werk building? Last I heard, there were plans to turn it into some kind of electronic arts centre..?
 

jack

Well-known member
Yeah, Watergate and Bar 25 I can vouch for. Go to Bar 25 early Sunday morning and listen to das minimal over a modest sound system. V minimal.

If you go on the free tour around Berlin advertised in hostels and such, you might be led round by a guy called Christian (Canadian, slightly wild-eyed possibly from mdma overindulgence). He knows where to go for the rave...
 

Eric

Mr Moraigero
Just to extend the question a bit, I'll also be in Berlin relatively soon (mid-October). Does anywhere have a regular grime/dubstep thing going on these days?
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Thanks for all the info - will def try to catch Tobias Thomas this Saturday...

Incidentally, what are entry prices like? Whenever I've been out in France, Belgium, Spain etc, they've been crazily low - does the same apply in Berlin?
 

ripley

Well-known member
You should go to Neurotitan, in Haus Schwarzenberg, Mitte (Rosenthaler strasse) - amazing comix, art, art gallery, and killer record store.

You should go to Deeroy's Dub Spot, on Pappelsallee in Prenslauer Berg -Eberswalder Str. S-Bahn
And on (I think) Zossener strasse (or is it Zingster) near the Bergmanstrasse UBahn in Kreuzberg is Space Hall, an awesome record store, and across the street a smaller one that is also good.

for clubs

WAF-Salon is a great little place in Friedrichshein on Rigaer Strasse, I played there on a Monday night with Donna Summer, Duran Duran Duran, and Society Suckers (all on the decks), and the party went till 5am. Tiny, run by anarchists.

RAW-TEmpel, Bastard (in Prenzlauer Berg)

um.. all of these places are considerable less glossy than places like Watergate.

for gloss, there's also a huge new club in a former Opera House called Goya
http://www.goya-berlin.de/

and the ACUD (Veteranenstr, Prenzl.berg), I think it's a former squat, got a club, movie theater, bar and cafe.. it's a bit fancier than it was, but still interesting

man there is so much to do there!
 
@ baboon: you should expect to pay 10 Euros at the bigger clubs (like e.g. Berghain, WMF, Maria and so on), smaller venues with not-so-famous DJs should take fees around 5...
 

Tobias

Member
blunt said:
Also a shame about Ostgut; it was also a great venue. But at least it's been reincarnated elsewhere.

You'll problably not believe me, but the Berghain is even greater than the Ostgut. Greater by several miles. Huge space, very rough and industrial, amazing soundsystem, probably the best of the city, and still run by the same people with the same attitude. Wonderful. Different planet.

You have to wait for an hour to get in though.
 

polystyle

Well-known member
Klubs

Hey Baboon , glad you started this thread , lots of good info , that shack sounds wild .
We will be coming through Berlin soon enough for gig 9/23 (Bi Conicals Of The Rammellzee) and will stay on for a few more days after , .
Was hard to find a room for the period we will be there - there's a marathon going on (!),
settled for 4 in a room @ Die Fabrik in K'burg.

Note to Eric: From Kyushu typhoon to Berlin eh ?

Cheers all
 

owen

Well-known member
a few quick suggestions...

leila-m near rosa luxemburg platz has freakishly nice staff for a record shop..v big grime section, funnily enough, and found a flyer for a grime night with d double etc (this was in feb tho, so not too helpful...)

haven't been to berghain, bah

also, tourist things- well i am fond of this place (also cafe moskau naturlich)
stalinallee.jpg
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Excuse my ignorance Owen - where exactly is that? :eek:

Oh, and (ahem) drugs - easy to get hold of in Berlin; reasonably priced? Thinking E/coke/weed here primarily...
 

owen

Well-known member
that'll be the mighty karl-marx-allee in friedrichshain...

drugs i dunno...i think pills are in no way hard to come by

also, you should try and pick up Groove mag (esp the free version) in shops- auf deutsch, but with lots of good tips and things from scarily elegant teutonic DJs

the wohnzimmer in prenzlberg's furnishings are excellent for hangover...
http://www.imomus.com/dailyphoto151003.html
oh yes and the bauhaus-archiv!
bauha_01.jpg

(sighs wistfully...only a few weeks and i'm there)
 

Duke

New member
I dunno what sort of records you want to buy, but you should visit Dense records on Danziger Strasse, near the Eberswalder Strasse U-Bahn. Freakout is quite close by, on Prenzlauer Allee, and could be worth a look for its second-hand stuff -- otherwise it's rather standard indie. Hardwax is also worth a visit - it's on the Paul Lincke Ufer in Kreuzberg, nearest U-Bahn is Kottbusser Tor, off the top of my head.

Ausland can be a great little club for lower-key live acts (turntablism, electronica, the odd avant-rock band) -- it's on Lychener Strasse, very close to Dense records.
 

SIZZLE

gasoline for haters
As far as grime related events:

Catch your boy Matt Shadetek aka Yankee Boy aka Who's That Wigger over at Bastard Club in Berlin this month.

24.09. MORE BASS – grime special @ Bastard / Matt Shadetek, DJ Sheen, HNS, Janoshi, Asian-Trouble MC’s, visuals by Kitsuka

Matt and Sheen are gonna be repping alongside Zhi MC and his partner Do, the other half of their crew Asian Trouble. Zhi is definitely one of the best MCs in Berlin right now, and one of very few who can flow doubletime at grime tempo. He tells me Do has been practicing at it too, so if you're interested in hearing what Berlin grime might sound like, this is probably it. Don't sleep.

20.10 at Watergate: Bashment upstairs, grime/crunk/drunk downstairs with Matt SHT and Sick Girls. Also Zhi MC will be in the building hosting. The downstairs at Watergate is beautiful, lounge space right on the waterlevel of the spree river with big windows and a great view, highly reccomended and the music shouldn't be too shabby either.
 
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