Upon my arrival in Berlin, after a day filled with travelling and an evening of rum and spontaneous karaoke, one of the first people I encountered was a bloke, probably in his mid-thirties, and he resided in a train station at 4 in the morning.
As me and my friend sleepily sprawled upon the stairs of the station, we made the bad judgement of making eye contact with this bloke. He shouted at us abruptly, then danced his way over, raving unconsciously to the techno that was blasting from his tiny speakers. He stood over us energetically dancing for about five minutes, until he made his way around everyone else in the station thrusting his Dre Beats in their faces. Now, I feel that this man is a perfect example of Berlin and its love for Techno. Obstructing, weird, loud and just brilliant.
Berlin is fascinating place. It is a city that has been riddled with war, repression and relentless authoritarianism. This becomes all the more apparent in the Eastern district of the city. This district is one of the more ‘urban’ areas of Berlin. After the demise of the Berlin Wall, this district became reclaimed by clubbers, squatters and artists. The district is home of the East Side Gallery, the ‘international memorial for freedom’. The gallery is 1,316 metres of the Berlin wall, covered in art work filled with political messages and pleas for freedom.
When in the Eastern district of Berlin it becomes apparent that the former repression of Berlin exerts itself in creativity and artwork. And although filled with tourists and visitors, you still feel that you’re reaping a sense of the striking culture. This area of Berlin also plays host to the majority of its notorious nightclubs.
Before my trip to Berlin, I had heard numerous tales of its infamous night life. It did not disappoint. The place I had heard most about was the world’s most famous techno club, Berghain. The tales conjured up images of eye-bending techno, menacing door-men named ‘Sven’, with policies so vaguely strict that nobody who was anybody was allowed in, relentless weekend sessions that played long into Monday morning and dark rooms in which strangers meet for some anonymous enjoyment.
Berghain, along with the East Side gallery, lies between the two former opposing districts of Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg, the name Berghainbeing an amalgamation of these two districts. The club is homed in an eerie abandoned former power plant. I had heard so many elusive stories about Berghain that when it came to arriving there, it almost seemed like a tiring enigma of speculation in which we had no hope of entering.
We decided to venture there on a Thursday night, probably not the best night to attempt an entry, not a renowned night in Berlin, or anywhere. The club lay down a baron road, only surrounded by huge warehouses and the Berlin Ostbahnhof railway station. Walking towards Berghain, we realised it was in total darkness and we could see no entrance. There was what looked like a small bar directly neighbouring the club. The bar seemed busy with the faint thud of techno teaming out of the doors. We saw a dark alley between this bar and Berghain, assuming there may be an entrance at the end of it. However in reality it was Berghain’s resident gentleman’s lounge.
After completely failing to find an entrance to the club, we decided to try the bar next door. As we made our way towards the door, a man head to toe in an Adidas tracksuit stopped us, and informed us that a ‘private party’ was in progress. Looking back, this was probably us being turned away. As we walked away, we also realised it was only half past two, whereas Berghain doesn’t begin to get busy until five in the morning, such novices.
After the failed Berghain attempt, we ventured across the river to Watergate. I had previously seen that this club came second in The Guardians ’10 Best Clubs in Berlin’, describing it as ‘a combination of hardcore sweatbox and spangly disco locale’. As we queued, groups of people in front of us got turned away by the cold faced, unforgiving woman who graced the front doors. Although she was only armed with a clipboard and a rope, this woman was truly terrifying. However, we thankfully waltzed straight in.
Watergate, although an amazing night, one of the best nights I have ever had, was somewhat underwhelming on arrival. I think the effort involved when entering a club in Berlin conjured up images of unknowing grandeur, but when I did eventually get in I was rather bemused by the exclusivity. However as the night progressed, I began to clearly see the hype surrounding Berlin's nightlife. Inside the club, the repetitive, intense, whimsical rhythm of techno captivated everyone perfectly until the sun began to rise, illuminating through the huge glass wall overlooking the river. And outside, Watergate comes complete with an amazing riverside terrace, perfect surroundings for the sobering breakdown I had at six in the morning.
If there was one main differentiation between clubs in Berlin and England, it would be the lack of pretentiousness. There are no ‘VIP areas’, no staged photographs being taken, no one posing with bottles of grey goose.
From my short experience, and speaking to some locals, the attitude to ‘partying’ in Berlin is completely different. Similar to the culture of Berlin, the eclectic nightlife is a form of opposition to former repression Berlin faced. In the past, The Nazis closed the night clubs, tormented and exterminated homosexuals and minorities reducing the city to a desolate shell. After the war, Berlin was bombed out and scarred from street fighting, starvation, with little industry or turnover within the city. The music and culture of Berlin is a different class to anywhere else, and I am not completely sure it is something to be understood without experiencing it. Hopefully you will actually be able to find the entrance to Berghain though…
Chloe Shepherd
Follow Chloe on Twitter @ShepherdChloe
