Preview: Waiting for the Sun

Photograph by Sebastien Oppetit

April has been a weird month for parties. On the one hand, longer daylight hours have taken the shine off the idea of partying inside of clubs.  On the other hand, the ever-encroaching rain clouds and chilly winds have dampened any attempts at outdoor raving.  Like the good weather, Berlin's party spirit seems to have been on holiday leave since Easter, leaving people like me free to catch up on their reading, to see their friends, to see exhibitions... anything and everything except for 'avin it large in the mud (or sand or whatever).  No one seems to mind; there will be plenty of time for rabble-rousing starting on the first of May, after all. 

Ah, the first of May.  I can clearly remember cycling through the city just before dawn on the second of May last year.  Except for the odd late-night party, Friedrichshain and Kreuzberg were utterly silent, stunned by the explosion of sound and action that had just hit them. The streets were coated with smashed glass and spilled drinks... as if a giant bottle of inaugural Sekt (or Sternberg) had been smashed on the city to declare the party season  'open'.   It was the first time that I'd seen every light off in every house on Skalitzer Strasse.  And Warschauer Bruecke was actually empty, possibly for the first time since May 2nd of the year before!

The same scene will no doubt ensue next Wednesday.  But until then, I reckon the current easy-come-easy-go vibe will probably hold sway over the city.  That is why this week's shortlist of parties consists of places with a little bit of everything on offer.  Indoor and outdoor, culture and sleaze, food and drink, music and chillout, night and day... get my drift?  Because right now, the city needs more than just dancefloor and some DJs to plug the holes left by the party spirit's absence. 
Tomorrow night at Naerholung Sternchen is 'Die Invasion der Träume. Ein Hörstück über Berlin' which is not a party but rather, a sampler-of-Berlin themed night.  There will be a reading, live music (which my source simply describes as 'weird') drinks and nibbles, most of which are included for the 10 euros entrance price. It starts at 9 p.m. sharp.

At Morlox on Friday the 27th, there is the Miau meets Art You Out party.  Art You Out are a Parisian-origin party collective consisting of  DJs, painters, VJs, poets and more, which aims 'to give a new alternative and artistic breath' to nightlife. They plan to perform and host innovative artistic shows consisting of live performance, live painting, exhibitions, open mike and other stuff.  The venue's winding, favela-style maze of indoor and outdoor floors will also host a number of other sounds as well as backroom games like kicker and pool. 

As always, Sisyphos will be doing a long weekend party special from Saturday until well after the first of May. It will no doubt feature a (dis)array of people and things that you never thought you'd find inside of a club but, somehow, always knew you were looking for. 

If you're feeling legless on Monday, you can always party horizontally at Badeschiff, who are reopening their outdoor area for the summer season.  You can lie down on the sundeck while someone paints your face, or maybe just float in the pool while currents of chilled beats course through the air. It's free to get in and they open rain or shine so bring a thermal swimsuit, just in case the weather is more Baltic than balmy.  Starts at 18.00.

On May the first there are so many parties happening that they will tend to blur into one massive party, so there is no real reason to list them all separately.  Notable exceptions are Berghain and Kater Holzig.  They are also doing outdoor parties for free (for a limited time anyway) and that means that cheap-freaks like me can sample their internationally-renowned atmosphere for a song... and a dance.  Nice one! 

'Cats' on a hot tin roof.  Open air party, May 1st 2011

Any other parties that I hear about between now and then will be tweeted via @ClubAlienBerlin so  be sure to follow me.  Enjoy the extended weekend, wherever you spend it!