After Hours: New documentary series from Berlin

dd528 · Post by **dd528** » Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:03 pm

Been lurking for a while; thought I'd register to comment on this.

This was a really interesting watch, even with my very limited German. Thanks!

I haven't spent that much time in Berlin recently, so I don't know how comprehensive a picture of the scene there this is, but I thought it did very well to tap into the sense of freedom that there is around parties in Berlin. Having lived most of my life in England the frustration here that often surrounds encounters with the police and licensing authorities, and noise complaints, and bad door staff, and people who show up to be seen, rather than for the music - all these seem much less less prevalent in Berlin, and I think that, along with government support for less orthodox cultural movements, is what has made the city something of a Mecca for dance music over the years. And for other types of culture too I suppose.

I have to admit though, it was a bit cheeky of them shooting so much of the documentary in the height of summer. Last time I was in Berlin it was wind, rain, grey skies and thick coats pretty much every day. They made it look more like California than central Europe!

hotpace · Post by **hotpace** » Fri Feb 12, 2010 2:58 pm

dd528 wrote:Been lurking for a while; thought I'd register to comment on this.

This was a really interesting watch, even with my very limited German. Thanks!

I haven't spent that much time in Berlin recently, so I don't know how comprehensive a picture of the scene there this is, but I thought it did very well to tap into the sense of freedom that there is around parties in Berlin. Having lived most of my life in England the frustration here that often surrounds encounters with the police and licensing authorities, and noise complaints, and bad door staff, and people who show up to be seen, rather than for the music - all these seem much less less prevalent in Berlin, and I think that, along with government support for less orthodox cultural movements, is what has made the city something of a Mecca for dance music over the years. And for other types of culture too I suppose.

I have to admit though, it was a bit cheeky of them shooting so much of the documentary in the height of summer. Last time I was in Berlin it was wind, rain, grey skies and thick coats pretty much every day. They made it look more like California than central Europe!

Have you been to Berghain?

dd528 · Post by **dd528** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 2:57 pm

hotpace wrote:
Have you been to Berghain?

Ah yes, but I think that's more the exception than the rule.

My opinion is this: There's never a need for door staff to be rude, unless someone is actively getting up in their face or causing trouble. 99 times out of 100, door staff should be courteous. If someone isn't up to the dress code, or the club is full, or whatever, just explain politely. If someone starts kicking off, that's when you should start being a dck. Not before the person queuing has even had a chance to open their mouth.

But, sometimes there are reasons to limit the number of people coming into a club. Somewhere like Berghain turns away many people every night, but it has full dance floors inside. Because it is so special, everyone wants in, and they wouldn't all fit. The bouncers don't have to be arses about it, but in principle I don't mind them having a fairly strict door policy. Their atmosphere is their legend, after all.

What really pisses me off here in the UK is how many clubs that are really not all that special have bouncers who (either of their own volition, or on the club's instructions) behave in a needlessly offensive fashion to anyone they don't like the look of, even very slightly. Nothing annoys me more than queuing to get into a club, all the while watching door staff abuse other people in the line, only to get inside and find the place half empty and with no decent vibe at all.

When I'm in my home town I know the clubs pretty well, so I can avoid the worst places, but sometimes I'm in a city I'm not familiar with, or sometimes a great night ends up in a bad club as a one-off for whatever reason.

Obviously there are some bad door staff in Berlin. Bouncers are people, after all, and some people are just twats. There's no getting over that. In the my (fairly limited) experience of Berlin's nightlife, there seems to be just a bit less elitism though. A bit less of that fronting that I see so often over here.

BigPoe · Post by **BigPoe** » Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:39 pm

There's a really dodgy club in Granada in Spain that I went to a couple of times but the bouncers were such evil bastards that I tried to stay well clear. Someone I knew got threatened by one of them with a fucking samuri sword. They thought they were the mafia or something...

bleepbleep · Post by **bleepbleep** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 10:51 am

I get the gist of whats going ion in the film but is there a version with english subtitles? I don't speak german.

PsyTox · Post by **PsyTox** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 12:16 pm

dd528 wrote:In the my (fairly limited) experience of Berlin's nightlife, there seems to be just a bit less elitism though. A bit less of that fronting that I see so often over here.

It's funny because I actually get the same impression when I go to London to party. I find it in fact a breath of fresh air from the utterly mediocre and amateuristic ways that clubs in belgium are being runned. Seems like people over here are coming to a reception, standing around, drinking a beer, talking, but no vibe or atmosphere or exitement to be found anywhere. And then you read the boards the day after saying that it was an amazing night and 'crazy vibe'... I seriously wonder if I live in a parallel reality when i read that

Bouncers... you have good ones like at Fuse f.e., and you have downright maffiosi types like at the old LaBush, a huge club, but with complete assholes at the door who didn't hold back to slap your head if they felt you were keeping the cue up and that sort of behavior. Anyway, in the long run that's what kills a club, many clubs in Belgium have shut down or have capacity of 3-4000 people but only 100 people turn up in an entire night, so... what comes around goes around I guess.

sven laux · Post by **sven laux** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:23 pm

Mh, the girl with the hat is ridiculous.

kgw · Post by **kgw** » Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:25 pm

PsyTox wrote:
dd528 wrote:In the my (fairly limited) experience of Berlin's nightlife, there seems to be just a bit less elitism though. A bit less of that fronting that I see so often over here.
It's funny because I actually get the same impression when I go to London to party. I find it in fact a breath of fresh air from the utterly mediocre and amateuristic ways that clubs in belgium are being runned. Seems like people over here are coming to a reception, standing around, drinking a beer, talking, but no vibe or atmosphere or exitement to be found anywhere. And then you read the boards the day after saying that it was an amazing night and 'crazy vibe'... I seriously wonder if I live in a parallel reality when i read that

Bouncers... you have good ones like at Fuse f.e., and you have downright maffiosi types like at the old LaBush, a huge club, but with complete a$$holes at the door who didn't hold back to slap your head if they felt you were keeping the cue up and that sort of behavior. Anyway, in the long run that's what kills a club, many clubs in Belgium have shut down or have capacity of 3-4000 people but only 100 people turn up in an entire night, so... what comes around goes around I guess.

Can I ask where you live in Belgium? I'm English but have been clubbing on two occasions in Belgium and found the atmosphere to be ten times better than that of most club nights outside of London. Obviously I could have just got lucky. I know you were talking about London but I'm just curious as to what area in Belgium you're referring to.

I'm actually going again for BEMF 2010 next month. Can't wait.