returning the favour / let's go clubbing

No, I haven't joined an arty indie band and this isn't our promotional photo. Rather, it is Andrew, his British cousin Dan and myself being successfully snapped in a dark bar by Dan's flatmate Jed, who is more capable with my digital camera than I am.

Upon our departure from London, Andrew and I had heartily invited all associated parties to visit us in Berlin. They happily took us up on our offer, joining us for a Berlin-style Schönes Wochenende in late Feb. We took them to Tacheles (formerly a 1990s artists' squat and place of general bohemia) for a taste of Berlin grit, although the place has since become somewhat of a backpacker attraction, thus negating much of it's earlier edginess.

Above: Tacheles from behind (oooo errr). There's an open-air bar at the very top, with great views of the video art that is projected onto the back wall of the 5-story building opposite the Tacheles complex.

Later that night we ended up at Rodina, located underneath the Janowitzbrüke S-Bahn station, directly on the river Spree. Inside were two large dance rooms, one with electro, the other with Russian-born Berlin novelist Wladimir Kaminer cutting up the decks with his trademark Russen Disko. Such high-tempo, relentless Russian folk rock makes for some hilarious shouting-and-clapping-inspired improvised dance-moves, but dehydration and fatigue quickly take their toll. Although satisfied and sweat-drenched as we left to head home, I was disappointed not to have heard that stereotypical Russian call to arms, 'Moscow', which Kaminer always plays, and which Google tells me was penned by someone called Genghis Khan (although my search engine skills are notoriously bad).

You'll know it, it's the one that goes:

Moscow, Moscow, throwing glasses at the wall
And good fortune to us all, Hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh, Hey!
Moscow, Moscow, join us for a Cossack Show
We'll go dancing 'round the clock

Which in the club is sung thus:

Moscow, Moscow, laa-la-la-la laa laa laa
Laa-la-la-la-laa laa laa, Hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh, Hey!
Moscow, Moscow, laa-la-la-la laa laa laa
Laa-la-la-la-laa laa laa, Hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh, Hey!

The following night, after a few looseners at a red-lit bar near Boxhagener Platz (see photos), we all headed to the infamous Panorama Bar / Berghain. After a nail-biting wait in the Schlange, fretting over the club's irrational iron-fist door policy, we entered the monolithic ex-factory and had our digital cameras confiscated. As such, I have no images of this notoriously salacious club to post online. Well known for it's 60-40 gay/straight mix, Panorama/Bergain's 'we never close' weekend policy encourages drug-addled benders and there were still many revellers rocking up on Sunday morning as we were leaving. As a straight woman, I found the abundance of topless gay muscle men a bit intimidating, but the insane sound system and other-worldliness of the place was pretty awesome.

Above: Tom, Joss and Katie going red at a bar near Boxhagener Platz, Friedrichshain.


Above: The whole crew gets in on the act.