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Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

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Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#61

Post by spacemadness »

FFP999 wrote: post #9
3seashells wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's never over as long as there is a industrial ruin, a speaker and a glowstick. The rest is just the clubs that ate the raves. Nothing of value was lost.

It'll never be over--it's just Berlin will no longer be the capital of it. Actually would not be terribly surprised if the party moves to San Francisco next.

This would assume housing in SF becomes reasonable ala dotcom crash era? Nimbys finally get their due? I remain incredibly skeptical that is going to happen but we’ll see.

Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#62

Post by deng »

cedws wrote: post #58
deng wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually, Berghain does it pretty well. Usually the bouncers walk the line and already tell people when they definitely will not get in. This avoids a lot of drama at the door, and people don't have to wait needlessly and can still comfortably go someplace else. Berghain is one of the most famous clubs in the world. It has and cultivates an underground image, which is why people want to go there in the first place. Y…

Berghain has created the problem of being a tourist magnet for itself by being exclusive. As someone who loves techno, I'd much rather everybody gets to join in and enjoy themselves instead of just those who meet the bar. As long as you establish rules, like no photos/videos. You can't "convert" people who don't get the experience. >You don't need a "uniform", Everybody says you need to wear black. Even the tourists…

> Everybody says you need to wear black.

That is false.

Look, if you just made it for everybody, it would no longer be a club with an underground image. Berghain is a tourist magnet because it simply is an unbelievable location straight out of a Mad Max movie, paired with a Funktion-One sound system that fits your head like a headphone, featuring the best techno DJs in the world, and you can spend your whole weekend there without ever leaving the club. They surely do not struggle financially, on the contrary, the owners are probably swimming in money and only still do it because it's fun.

Besides, let me say there's lots of other clubs in Berlin you can go to. The article is correct that there used to be much, much more, but the main issue for clubs is not attendance, but like pretty much in every big city: rising rent and neighbors who complain about noise and garbage.

Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#63

Post by spacemadness »

gedy wrote: post #55
cedws wrote: post #43

I realise Berghain et al are trying to protect themselves from the riff raff, but enforcing a stupid "techno uniform" and turning away half their potential customers for arbitrary reasons probably doesn't help their business. I went to Berlin earlier this year and didn't even try to get into Berghain because I don't want to waste time queuing only to be turned away. In London we have some excellent clubs that don't c…

Berghain is a sex club though, no? It's not just a place to dance and drink. I'd never go there myself, but I kind of get the point of being selective.

Uh, no. The focus is the music and dancing. It’s as much a “sex club” as any other dance club. Source: I’ve been to Berghain.

Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#64

Post by FFP999 »

spacemadness wrote: post #61
FFP999 wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It'll never be over--it's just Berlin will no longer be the capital of it. Actually would not be terribly surprised if the party moves to San Francisco next.

This would assume housing in SF becomes reasonable ala dotcom crash era? Nimbys finally get their due? I remain incredibly skeptical that is going to happen but we’ll see.

Seems to me if the housing market continues to drop there, NIMBYs will get what they want: less demand for housing means less reason to build in their backyards.

Or I guess maybe you were referring to the value of their houses drop, in which case, probably, and I personally wouldn't be very troubled if I saw that.

Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#65

Post by taway1237 »

hackernewds wrote: post #37
graphe wrote: post #26

Berghain likes to exclude you based on your accent, if you sound "too American" you'll have to party elsewhere. A Berlin club owner bought some buildings in Detroit too and abandoned them, the death is felt internationally. https://abcnews.go.com/International/berlin-club-owners-miss...

Imagine Americans excluding Europeans for their accent. There would be a massive furor and lawsuit.

In this case I suggest scepticism towards the theory that Berlin nightclubs intentionally and openly exclude American tourists (a pretty wealthy class). When the only proof is a random HN post. This doesn't even pass the sniff test. Sounds more like a urban legend started by some tourist that was bounced for any other arbitrary reason.

Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#66

Post by spacemadness »

graphe wrote: post #26

Berghain likes to exclude you based on your accent, if you sound "too American" you'll have to party elsewhere. A Berlin club owner bought some buildings in Detroit too and abandoned them, the death is felt internationally. https://abcnews.go.com/International/berlin-club-owners-miss...

Well the DJ interviewed in the NPR article that is a resident of Berghain is from Minneapolis originally and has a midwest accent so there is that.

Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#67

Post by spacemadness »

deng wrote: post #42

Berghain for sure is not struggling, but even if they were, Andrea should know that you'll always have a hard time at the door with two guys sporting the "skinfade + northface jacket" combo.

So they wouldn’t let Autechre in? Their loss.

Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#69

Post by spacemadness »

FFP999 wrote: post #64
spacemadness wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This would assume housing in SF becomes reasonable ala dotcom crash era? Nimbys finally get their due? I remain incredibly skeptical that is going to happen but we’ll see.

Seems to me if the housing market continues to drop there, NIMBYs will get what they want: less demand for housing means less reason to build in their backyards. Or I guess maybe you were referring to the value of their houses drop, in which case, probably, and I personally wouldn't be very troubled if I saw that.

Nimbys want less people certainly, but most want that by watching their investment continue to skyrocket.

Re: Berlin's famed nightclubs, losing customers, face an uncertain future

#70

Post by cedws »

deng wrote: post #62
cedws wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Berghain has created the problem of being a tourist magnet for itself by being exclusive. As someone who loves techno, I'd much rather everybody gets to join in and enjoy themselves instead of just those who meet the bar. As long as you establish rules, like no photos/videos. You can't "convert" people who don't get the experience. >You don't need a "uniform", Everybody says you need to wear black. Even the tourists…

> Everybody says you need to wear black. That is false. Look, if you just made it for everybody, it would no longer be a club with an underground image. Berghain is a tourist magnet because it simply is an unbelievable location straight out of a Mad Max movie, paired with a Funktion-One sound system that fits your head like a headphone, featuring the best techno DJs in the world, and you can spend your whole weekend…

>if you just made it for everybody, it would no longer be a club with an underground image.

It is clearly not underground because everybody knows about it. It only achieves the "image" through arbitrary discrimination. That is the least punk as you can get.

None of what you said makes Berghain great goes away by letting more people experience it. The sound system and DJs will still be there.

I guarantee if Berghain stopped trying to be techno Mecca, the riff raff would lose interest, and you wouldn't need the picky bouncers. There's a particular club I go to in London that this works perfectly well for.

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