Raver's Rant by Tiddlerz

Keeping up with the Berlin club scene is a full time job. In fact, just trying to keep track of all the parties happening and the new clubs in the city is almost a full time job! When planning a night out in Berlin, taking a look at the club listings on Resident Advisor can actually cause more of a dilemma than offer an obvious option. On a randomn Saturday night in October will I check out Mark E at Loftus Hall or DJ Rahaan at KTV? What about Snuff Crew and Abe Duque at Horst or LA’s premier dj crew Droog at Renate? Or will I even be able to make it out on Saturday night following a Friday which features Moodymann at S.K. Robinson and Homopatik at ://about blank?

That small sample of parties on over the course of just one weeke,  show why Berlin is the undisputed club capital of the world. But then the question arises, is this all sustainable? Are there enough ravers and party people out there to fill the clubs and make all these parties happen? Or are we in the middle of nightclub bubble which is destined to burst?

This question came to mind when considering the fact that five new clubs have recently opened in Berlin. S.K. Robinson, Prince Charles and Gretchen are three new venues in Kreuzberg, while in Mitte KTV and What?! have opened. S.K. Robinson has caught the eye with some great early gigs, Gretchen has differentiated itself from the crowd with left field/electronica style booking, Prince Charles has been slowly swinging into action throwing irregular parties with interesting line ups while KTV and What?! are perhaps going for a more relaxed vibe than most well known Berlin clubs.

It is certainly a positive that Berlin is such an affordable city with a liberal open minded attitude and relaxed licensing laws that it enables people with passion and ideas (and perhaps a little bit of financial backing) to open their own venue and try to create a new buzz. However, I certainly feel for all the promoters and investors trying to suceed in a saturated marketplace with such an enormous amount of nightlife options and well established clubs.

What are the factors that determine a new clubs success or failure in Berlin? Of course the style and design of the club are important, as is the location. Also the booking policy and programming, as well as more subtle factors, such as who the owners and promoters of the club are. Another factor which I feel is vital to a clubs longevity is support of the locals. If the average Berlin party goers like your club, and are in regular attendance then you are on the right track, but if not then it is going to be tough to prosper.

One thing that all new clubs and parties need is a bit of luck. They need to create a buzz right from the start and then they need to maintain it. If you attend a new club and you don't have a good time you will be reluctant to return. But don't be one of those people who shoots their mouths off and says things like 'that club is shit' and 'I hate it', these sort of statements do not represent an intelligent opinion or any sort of  accurate description. Remember that Rome wasn't built in a day and that if you have to opportunity to regularly enjoy Berlin nightlife,   then you are luckier than the unfortunate wannabe ravers in New York, London or Paris. I for one am looking forward to risking my health and financial welfare while checking out all these new clubbing options.

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Taken from SLIM Mag November Issue