Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

npr.org

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

241–250 of 324 posts

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

#241

Post by bowsamic »

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 is very naïve. Berlin had the perfect storm required for this to work: a strong counter culture, post-wall joy, and a lot of cheap old abandoned buildings. It really isn't just something that can happen anywhere, hence why it hasn't...

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

#242

Post by mikosty »

deng wrote: post #56
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…

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…

>Usually the bouncers walk the line and already tell people when they definitely will not get in.

Not true. I have never seen or heard anything like this to happen at the Berghain queue.

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

#243

Post by projectazorian »

explaininjs wrote: post #161
projectazorian wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Welcome to the “underground” scene, where middle school level behavior is still regarded as the height of sophistication. Almost like actual adults who still sport non-drug-addled brains should run away as quickly as possible.

It is, in a sense, the opposite end of the "autism spectrum". An innate deep understanding of social cues and general empathy.

Magical thinking and crackpot beliefs about being able to read into people’s souls with a single glance? Seems pretty spectrum-y to me. At best.

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

#244

Post by LeanderK »

pallas_athena wrote: post #221

Clubs turning people away is a feature, not a bug. It's a moderation problem, and if you don't have the right "vibes" you don't get in. It's arbitrary? Yes. Prone to false positives? Yes. Does it work? Also yes. That's how clubs maintain their unique identity.

during the final stages of covid you could only buy tickets beforehand and therefore there wasn't really a hard door to get though. It sucked and destroyed really any unique character. For example, usually sissy is more colourful, more festival-like, easy going but being there during the last civid-stages it sometimes felt like an after-work event. With young professionals who look like they are being spat out of co-working spaces, wearing chinos and all.

I used to resent the door policies but after this experience (it really destroyed the atmosphere!), I am glad they exist.

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

#245

Post by [deleted] »

kodapoda wrote: post #184
ungamedplayer wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Prep work.. like the years of study practice pays off . What kind of prep is required to go out to drink and fund someone else's business? I will never be going as I am too old and too busy for the "scene" so please explain it to me in laymen terminology.

You need to know how to look and set the right expectations if you want to experience the most highly regarded techno club in the world. If you show up there with a group of drunk mates wearing sweatshirts or office attire - don't expect to be admitted. It's not that hard really, exclusive places have special rules.

[deleted]

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

#246

Post by kristopolous »

Beijinger wrote: post #219
kristopolous wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Counterpoint: Hacker News, CDMX EBM scene, goth scene, LA underground art scene, SF renegade rave scene, Latin bars, gay clubs like the EndUp, which have been open and welcoming since 1971, gay black scene, free software movement, gay Asian scene in any city, bear bars, salsa clubs, martial arts clubs, drag bars, anime scene, furry scene, hiking groups, Trekkies, adventurer clubs, punk scene, bicycle riders groups, a…

"I'd argue the majority of cliques and scenes are extremely accepting and people self filter. Having a discriminating door guy is just being an asshole." Yes and it is a pretty good description of most Berliners. As a capital, that has mainly lived the last 30 years by sucking tremendous money out of the other federal states, as a city that has little industry and businesses left, as a place which administration has…

Honestly when it comes to Berghain, the paternoster next door at Neues Deutschland Druckerei und Verlag is way more interesting and fun.

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

#247

Post by bambataa »

neom wrote: post #121
Blahah wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just wearing black is not gonna get you into Berghain. The main criterion is unashamed indivual expression. If you are trying to get in by wearing a uniform you're not gonna have a good time (either in the queue or the club). I've only ever been in outfits that were colourful, and weird, and me. Beyond the outfit you are also most likely to get in if you are clearly bringing your personal uniqueness and energy to the…

I've been to Berghain quite a few times, each time I wore the same thing. black dress shoes no socks, black knee length "cut jean" shorts, and a white dress shirt 3 buttons undone. Never had any issues, I got the impression your vibe matters a lot more than how you're dressed? I love Berghain, it's great spot, crazy how kind and fun everyone is when you're in there.

Aren’t dress shoes without socks very sweaty and painful to wear?

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

#248

Post by projectazorian »

watwut wrote: post #229
kristopolous wrote: post #196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So your argument is that it's a popular tourist attraction so instead of capitalizing on it by say opening a second, moving to a bigger space, having more events, selling tickets in advance or charging higher prices they instead openly and famously discriminate based on physical appearance? In Germany. Let me guess, they look at your ID to check your name and nationality first. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong bu…

If the community and friendly feel is the selling point, then no you can not really scale that way and simultaneously keep the community and relationships. You have to choose between the two.

As if Berghain is still a community venue, as opposed to a bunch of ur-capitalist hustlers selling the idea of community to lost and naive souls.

Community and scale do not mix. If the founders truly cared about community they would have wound the place up in about 2010 and done something new.

But once people experience a bit of success greed inevitably takes over…

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

#249

Post by [deleted] »

kodapoda wrote: post #186
Blahah wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's genuinely nothing to do with why the Berlin clubs with strict entry policies are great. The experience inside doesn't feel exclusive, it's beautiful - people being free and really immersed in the music, supporting and taking care of one another, creating myriad moments of connection and joy, and a very much lower rate of people being obnoxious or in conflict than in a regular club. It's totally unlike being in…

Exactly, I feel like people who complain about this have never experienced anything close to what you describe. Strict door policy benefits the club goers. If you want to go pick up girls with some sweaty dudes looking for a fight - that's fine, there are many clubs like that in any European country, including Germany.

[deleted]

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

#250

Post by stinos »

makeitshine wrote: post #24
RamblingCTO wrote: post #2

You also have tik tok ravers. A generation which built their own culture in isolation in the pandemic now flooding the dance floors not knowing anything about techno culture. For me it's a big part of not wanting to go anywhere anymore. Before, your outfit didn't matter, phones, photos and videos were discouraged. Nowadays these kids dress to impress and point there phones everywhere. They consume the techno culture…

For many older people it died in the 90s. When people stopped dancing and treated the DJ like it was a concert I felt it had changed into something else. I watch some of the old VHS I took and people are crowding the speakers and the floor is alive, while nowadays so much of what I see is people all facing a DJ lit up by a spotlight and just standing their bobbing their head.

When people stopped dancing and treated the DJ like it was a concert I felt it had changed into something else

That might have happened in some particular scenes, but:

- the exact same thing kept on going, maybe shifted a bit to more underground things; I don't know what type of parties you are referring to, but the stuff I frequent has been using the same principle for a long time: it is often so that one cannot even see the DJ because they're covered in the decoration and/or the DJ is in the back of the place and people dance to the speakers in the front

- not all concerts are the same. I get what you mean about 'DJ in the spotlight' which is just somewhat saddening especially if they're just pushing some buttons or even faking it, but at least for me there is something about proper interaction between DJ or band and the crowd which I also really like. I have fond memories of small parties where we'd be going crazy in front of the DJ because they'd build this really nice story in the mix where we'd knew what was coming and they know we knew and that would lead to an even better feeling of togetherness. So even though they're in the front they'd actually be part of the crowd as well.

Post reply on HN