So this is a post about the Musik/Nachtklub/Kneipe (bar/pub) scene in Berlin that I have experienced thus far... bare with me, it's quite extensive. Each name is a link to the venue's website. I think I've almost heard it all... Darkwave, Cold Wave, Minimal, Industrial, Deathrock, Batcave, Post Punk, Nu wave, Synthpop, EBM, Psychobilly, Rock, Metal... you name it, it happens... somewhere... probably every night of the week. Take your pick, or do them all, because you'll likely have 2 or more events to choose from. Decisions, decisions...
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Barbie Deinhoff - from the moment you open the door to this Kneipe, you will be squeezing your way inside and to the bar which is only a few feet in front of you, but feels like it takes 10 minutes to get to because you are packed in like a sardine. Definitely a place to chill and chat with your friends over a few rounds of perfectly mixed cocktails. The staff here really know what they are doing! The music playing the night we went was all over the place. Hard not to make everyone who was there happy.
Clash - the 3rd Saturday of every month is a wicked Nachtklub called 'Flowers of Romance'. When I first walked in I thought... "I'm home." Seriously, it reminded me of The Twilight Zone waaaaaaaaay back in the day when all different underground subcultures mixed together. The atmosphere was dark and moody, but the people were friendly and having a great time. The music selection was a fantastic combination of Batcave, Cold Wave, Minimal and New Wave/Romantic. I was in heaven on the dance floor. The ceilings are probably 20ft tall with a good sized dance area and tons of room to sit. If you aren't the dancing type there are pool tables, pinball machines and air hockey!!!
Duncker - the night to go is 'Dark Monday'. It's a cozy little Nachtklub with a dance floor the size of an apartment livingroom, some sitting room and bar in the main room. There is also another little room tucked off to the side with yet another bar and more room to sit and talk. Out the back you will find a smoking area... which is remarkable, and one of 3 venues I've been to, because smoking is acceptable indoors in Berlin. The music they played here was Darkwave, Post Punk, Darkwave, Industrial, Minimal, Neofolk and Gothic. P.S. They make killer Mojitos!!!
8mm - ended up at this Kneipe with some friends one night after dinner. Dark, dark, dark inside... and they were screening "The Shinning", hence the name 8mm. Always showing some sort of dark/alt movie on the wall, ohne volume, and serving up tasty cocktails too. A really great place to socialize.
King Kong Klub -every Thursday night is hosted by Jen Ellerson and called 'Modern Movement'. This is the Nachtklub I had my DJ premier. It's an intimate space as well, with a moody atmosphere, lots of eye candy, strong drinks, stellar bands and wicked DJs. You'll hear Minimal, Post Punk, Nu Wave, Electro and Cold Wave at this night. I *heart* it.
Madame Claude - first of all, an interesting fact, this Kneipe was once a brothel. As you enter a 'Red Room' a la Twin Peaks, you will be greeted by the grad portrait of Laura Palmer. After you walk down the twisty staircase, you will notice something a little peculiar... everything is upside down and attached to the ceiling. Chairs, lamps, tables, framed pictures are upside down, etc. Also to note, the entrance fee is pay-as-you-wish (€1 -6... but if you are cheap, you may be denied entry). This is a great place to listen to electronic experimental music and live bands. I saw a couple of bands play in the tiny, non-smoking (yay!) basement and the sounds was great.
Steinhaus - has special events on Saturdays that appeal to my musical palate. I attended an event titled 'Disco Disaster' featuring Post Punk, Batcave, New Wave and Coldwave underground and Minimal and Flexipop on the main floor. Can you guess where I was? Same DJ from 'Flowers of Romance' was spinning underground this night. Can you guess if I was dancing or not? Their next event is 'Spirit of the 80's'. Looking forward to it!!!
White Trash (Fast Food) - a little bit too touristy for my liking. Serves as a restaurant/Kneipe/Nachtklub with mediocre food (not too veggie friendly), expensive drinks and typical mainstream, top 40 of all genres, tunage. It's not horrible, it's just not too exciting. Kinda reminds me of Luv-a-fair toward the end of it's existance... really predictable. Cool venue though with the klub being in what feels like a bunker below the restaurant, with a tattooing shop and hair salon that are only open during the day. But again... really touristy.
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I think that's enough for now... I'll likely have a 'We Dance to the Sound of Sirens: v2' in the near future. I'm thinking of doing a similar post about dinning and shopping. A good way for me to keep track of the places I've enjoyed most and can recommend to others along the way.
Love and misses,
Devi
Monday, May 16, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Take it from the top please. Aaaaaaaaand... ACTION!!!
First of all... ALLES GUT ZUM GEBURTSTAG mein Vater!!!
So, where do I begin? I really need to update every week so as not to fall behind. I must consult my iCalendar for all the past activities I have partaken in. Good thing I'm so freakin' organized!!! LOL
Let's start with some photos from the airport. Thanks so much for seeing me off. Sorry about the hasty departure at the gate. I was about to lose it emotionally so I had to rip the bandaid off the wound fast so as not to start a chain reaction of tears:
My first week was spent organizing my new life in Berlin as well as taking in some sights around the city. The Nikolaikirche is the oldest sacred building of historic Berlin. Construction commenced in 1230 and continued through the 15th century. This Gothic church had it's two towers modified in 1877, as can be seen by the variation in brick. In 1945 it had been severely damaged by bombings and has undergone extensive renovations that still continue. I've visited the kirche 3 times since 2008 and it has always been covered in scaffolding. It was finally re-opened to the public in 2009. Now I can appreciate it in full.
These grave plaques are mounted all around the exterior of the kirche. Many of them display winged skulls.
The Fernsehturm TV tower, built 1969, is the tallest structure in Berlin at 365 m (1,197 ft).
Neptunbrunnen is a beautiful, Neo-Baroque fountain built in 1886. It was originally located at the Stadtschloss (Berlin Castle) and was moved in front of the Fernsehturm in 1969.
Michelle gave us a guided tour of Communist era architecture where we came across the Haus der Lehrers - House of Teachers. A landmark work of Socialist-realist architecture covered in mosaic work idealizing the hardworking citizens of the GDR. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a really good photo of the details of the mosaic.
The East Side Gallery is a one mile long section of the Berlin Wall. In 1990 it became a huge collection of graffiti and art by 118 different artists from 21 countries. These are few of my favorites:
This next set of photos are sites around our apartment. Boddinstraße is the U-Bahn station nearest to us, and Mainzerstraße is our street. The graffiti on the side of the building is common all over Berlin. I'm going to try to document it as much as I can.
These little gold bricks, called Stolpersteine (stumbling stones), are scattered throughout Berlin and most of Europe that was occupied by Germany. They are little memorial markers for those people who were taken to concentration camps. They are usually found in the ground outside of the apartments in which the people lived and where taken from. They list their name, birthplace and year, when they were deported and the camp where they died. Pretty emotionally heavy bricks for something that is only 3x3".
I was lucky enough to be a guest at Covenant's performance on April 24th, where I partied with them and some new friends backstage, as well as muscle my way upfront to snap some moderate photos on my iPhone. Their performance was flawless, as usual.
This is my new friend Anne from California, living in Berlin, and I.
And these fellas are Daniel (R) who plays keys and sings back-up for Covenant and his mate Peter (L) from Sweden. Really sweet guys.
This is the Türken Markt am Maybachufer. I've been there almost every Tuesday and Friday since my arrival in Berlin. You can find pretty much everything you need here including fresh veggies, fruit, spices, fish, bread, Turkish sweets, fabric, household items, clothing. There is also live music and great coffee and food stands to indulge in after browsing the fares of the market. The amount of people that come here is insane. You have to really pay attention to where you are going as well as watch out for the women pushing baby strollers and pulling their shopping carts - they are ruthless!!!
My final photo in this posting is of some socks my friend Dorit lent to me one evening while we were BBQing on her balcony. They are so cute and reminded me of home. Canadiana moose!!!
This post pretty much covers my month of April. The only thing I have failed to mention up to this point was my DJing debut at King Kong Klub. It was a minimal, coldwave nu-wave night put on by Jen Ellerson called Brave Exhibitions. I was really nervous to spin because I didn't feel prepared enough, but Jen was happy with my choices in music and the crowd was dancing and happy so I pulled it off alright. :D Hopefully I can do it again sometime. (No, I am not talking on my cell phone... I am listening to cue up my next track.) ;)
Love and misses!!!
Devi
So, where do I begin? I really need to update every week so as not to fall behind. I must consult my iCalendar for all the past activities I have partaken in. Good thing I'm so freakin' organized!!! LOL
Let's start with some photos from the airport. Thanks so much for seeing me off. Sorry about the hasty departure at the gate. I was about to lose it emotionally so I had to rip the bandaid off the wound fast so as not to start a chain reaction of tears:
My first week was spent organizing my new life in Berlin as well as taking in some sights around the city. The Nikolaikirche is the oldest sacred building of historic Berlin. Construction commenced in 1230 and continued through the 15th century. This Gothic church had it's two towers modified in 1877, as can be seen by the variation in brick. In 1945 it had been severely damaged by bombings and has undergone extensive renovations that still continue. I've visited the kirche 3 times since 2008 and it has always been covered in scaffolding. It was finally re-opened to the public in 2009. Now I can appreciate it in full.
These grave plaques are mounted all around the exterior of the kirche. Many of them display winged skulls.
The Fernsehturm TV tower, built 1969, is the tallest structure in Berlin at 365 m (1,197 ft).
Neptunbrunnen is a beautiful, Neo-Baroque fountain built in 1886. It was originally located at the Stadtschloss (Berlin Castle) and was moved in front of the Fernsehturm in 1969.
Michelle gave us a guided tour of Communist era architecture where we came across the Haus der Lehrers - House of Teachers. A landmark work of Socialist-realist architecture covered in mosaic work idealizing the hardworking citizens of the GDR. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a really good photo of the details of the mosaic.
The East Side Gallery is a one mile long section of the Berlin Wall. In 1990 it became a huge collection of graffiti and art by 118 different artists from 21 countries. These are few of my favorites:
This next set of photos are sites around our apartment. Boddinstraße is the U-Bahn station nearest to us, and Mainzerstraße is our street. The graffiti on the side of the building is common all over Berlin. I'm going to try to document it as much as I can.
These little gold bricks, called Stolpersteine (stumbling stones), are scattered throughout Berlin and most of Europe that was occupied by Germany. They are little memorial markers for those people who were taken to concentration camps. They are usually found in the ground outside of the apartments in which the people lived and where taken from. They list their name, birthplace and year, when they were deported and the camp where they died. Pretty emotionally heavy bricks for something that is only 3x3".
I was lucky enough to be a guest at Covenant's performance on April 24th, where I partied with them and some new friends backstage, as well as muscle my way upfront to snap some moderate photos on my iPhone. Their performance was flawless, as usual.
This is my new friend Anne from California, living in Berlin, and I.
And these fellas are Daniel (R) who plays keys and sings back-up for Covenant and his mate Peter (L) from Sweden. Really sweet guys.
This is the Türken Markt am Maybachufer. I've been there almost every Tuesday and Friday since my arrival in Berlin. You can find pretty much everything you need here including fresh veggies, fruit, spices, fish, bread, Turkish sweets, fabric, household items, clothing. There is also live music and great coffee and food stands to indulge in after browsing the fares of the market. The amount of people that come here is insane. You have to really pay attention to where you are going as well as watch out for the women pushing baby strollers and pulling their shopping carts - they are ruthless!!!
My final photo in this posting is of some socks my friend Dorit lent to me one evening while we were BBQing on her balcony. They are so cute and reminded me of home. Canadiana moose!!!
This post pretty much covers my month of April. The only thing I have failed to mention up to this point was my DJing debut at King Kong Klub. It was a minimal, coldwave nu-wave night put on by Jen Ellerson called Brave Exhibitions. I was really nervous to spin because I didn't feel prepared enough, but Jen was happy with my choices in music and the crowd was dancing and happy so I pulled it off alright. :D Hopefully I can do it again sometime. (No, I am not talking on my cell phone... I am listening to cue up my next track.) ;)
Love and misses!!!
Devi
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Finally... a photo post!
So now that we officially have the internets at our apartment, I will commence posting with photos henceforth!
I'll start with my adventures today. Aside from dealing with getting my online banking set up, having my Handynummer changed within the bank branch and fighting a killer headache for the better part of the day, I did get out to see a cemetery close to our place in Neukölln called St. Jacobi I (ev. Friedhof). I believe the oldest family plot I saw was 1850:
This one provoked a lot of thought in me because of the damage caused in WWII. I did some effects on it to make it look vintage:
This plot was a bit of a challenge with the shadows and bright sky combating for dominance. Keeping the green crisp without having too much of the interior in shadow. I love how strong Mother Nature is. Fights her way through anything:
These are just for texture and colour:
This is the final set I will show you of the cemetery. This family plot is dated as early as 1890. I love how time as worn away the concrete layer over the plaster base. I also loved the complimentary contrast of dark and light. I think I've finally found a theme for my photography, as I tend to go for contrast:
Had enough yet? I can keep going... but for today, I think this is all I will post. I will try to cover my last months photographic steps within the week so as not to have yet another month pass with a pictureless blog.
Love and misses,
Devi
I'll start with my adventures today. Aside from dealing with getting my online banking set up, having my Handynummer changed within the bank branch and fighting a killer headache for the better part of the day, I did get out to see a cemetery close to our place in Neukölln called St. Jacobi I (ev. Friedhof). I believe the oldest family plot I saw was 1850:
This one provoked a lot of thought in me because of the damage caused in WWII. I did some effects on it to make it look vintage:
This plot was a bit of a challenge with the shadows and bright sky combating for dominance. Keeping the green crisp without having too much of the interior in shadow. I love how strong Mother Nature is. Fights her way through anything:
These are just for texture and colour:
This is the final set I will show you of the cemetery. This family plot is dated as early as 1890. I love how time as worn away the concrete layer over the plaster base. I also loved the complimentary contrast of dark and light. I think I've finally found a theme for my photography, as I tend to go for contrast:
Had enough yet? I can keep going... but for today, I think this is all I will post. I will try to cover my last months photographic steps within the week so as not to have yet another month pass with a pictureless blog.
Love and misses,
Devi
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Waiting for internet...
I apologize for the lengthy delay in updating my blog. Without proper internet at home I have to do a lot of catching up on my iPhone and it's no fun emailing that way. Also, I have so many photos I want to put up here but of course can't because at this time, I write in a cafe without my computer. :(
I hope this situation will change soonly.
Recently I have done a fair bit of touristy things. I spent nearly 5 hours in the Deutsches Historisches Museum the other day. Started Medieval, got up to WWII and had to call it quits. Have to go back another day to absorb the rest of it.
Also saw this incredible medical museum near Charité Hospital full of dead and deformed things in jars. Not for the weak of stomach. Poor Michelle and William were looking pretty green through most of it! I was eating it up!!! Probably not the best choice of words there, but I LOVED it!!!
I must get a bike! I think I'll check out the Mauerpark Markt again this Sunday in hopes of finding a cheap one. The weather has been quite beautiful these past few days so I'm craving a ride.
So much nightlife here!!! Too many options and all on the same night! Tonight I will check out something called 'Disco Disaster' at Steinhaus - coldwave, new wave, post punk, batcave, etc. Meeting some friends there so it will be a fun night!
Love and misses to all of you!!!
Devi
I hope this situation will change soonly.
Recently I have done a fair bit of touristy things. I spent nearly 5 hours in the Deutsches Historisches Museum the other day. Started Medieval, got up to WWII and had to call it quits. Have to go back another day to absorb the rest of it.
Also saw this incredible medical museum near Charité Hospital full of dead and deformed things in jars. Not for the weak of stomach. Poor Michelle and William were looking pretty green through most of it! I was eating it up!!! Probably not the best choice of words there, but I LOVED it!!!
I must get a bike! I think I'll check out the Mauerpark Markt again this Sunday in hopes of finding a cheap one. The weather has been quite beautiful these past few days so I'm craving a ride.
So much nightlife here!!! Too many options and all on the same night! Tonight I will check out something called 'Disco Disaster' at Steinhaus - coldwave, new wave, post punk, batcave, etc. Meeting some friends there so it will be a fun night!
Love and misses to all of you!!!
Devi
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