The other face of Berlin

So, the city was super stylish, oozing coolness and culture and all of that jazz. Many things were a treat for the eyes and an absorbent creatively inclined mindset. All good then... But, was it really?

Meandering through the streets and relaxing in the coffee shops and observing the many fashionistas on bikes to strutting about casually - it would have been very easy to accept that the German capital harboured nothing cheesy or euro 'trashy' as perhaps one could have been inclined to believe, due to lazy English media portrayals. Berlin, on the face of it did not bare any other dodgy similarities to its corny neighbouring countries.

Well... naive glasses were removed after a few days. Yes, I had begun to suspect an underbelly of the other face of Berlin as a few things attracted my attention. At first I dismissed them to the back of my mind as I was too concerned with embracing the arty and other favourable offerings that this city emanated in abundance. However, a stark contrast was beginning to emerge. By day everything appeared pretty cosha and respectable. But, as night fall descended upon the capital things transpired to change. Or perhaps they just seemed to strangely manifest themselves more so.

Poorly lit street lights may have done their best to conceal the questionable aspects of a city and country that once held David Hasselhoff in high esteem (not sure if he still holds the same reverence in 2013), anyway, this should have been a little warning alarm bell for myself. It wasn't. The choice of high leather boots worn by some 'interesting' men was also something that raised an eyebrow. Bar tenders in vests (in January was also food for thought).

One wet and gloomy night Abdi, David and I found ourselves searching for a 'disco' a place to go and dance and hang out. Walking through the brooding Gothem city like landscape we found ourselves off the beaten track making our way towards a courtyard that we had been informed by a trio of girls would lie a cluster of clubs that we would enjoy.

This cobbled avenue was hidden from the relatively main road, perhaps for a good reason. For on entering the club we were greeted by music that we were already accustomed to hearing back in the UK or in Abdi's case - Barcelona. So...why do I mention this venue. Well, the general music soon changed and like a pesky thief in the night as the DJ flipped the script and began to play what sounded like nationalistic German anthems. Dance/Euro pop music Berlin style, fist pumping beats that sent the locals wild with delight. Boom! Boom! Boom! Songs about zee schnitzel?? It was as though we were in the midst of a rally that was 100% cheese and tacky, it was unrelenting.

The crowd lapped it all up in euphoric glee as we watched with widened eyes. We observed and then, erm, we followed suit (some of us) swept up in a bizarre wave of imitating the locals and, well, making up our own moves. Fist pumping lead us to being caught up in the cheesy propaganda that bashed out of the great speakers  filling the busy club. For all of the 'cool' pursuits and dalliances garnered this trip had culminated in three bemused chaps being present in a tucked away haven of hard cheese that was bursting with people singing and dancing to extremely random music that one should never ever admit to liking.

This music was far more popular than general pop and say RnB music (that the crowd had previously enjoyed) but when their own music played it was was whole different kettle of fish - as though a switch and been pressed and it became a zone for extreme head nodding and weird German shouting. Repeatedly recited and oddly catchy.

Eventually, we snapped (some of us) out of our Euro trance and decided to exit the joint. A slightly unusual experience had been had alongside the other aspects of the city that had been noticed and processed. Berlin, for all its admirably cool and trendy elements has another face, and one should note that the place also enjoys to more than dabble in the opposite of the word. In retrospect I suppose this this level of cheddar adds to the overal charm of the city.

P.s and for the picture that I have posted to accompany this piece... words simply fail me. Plus, I feel as though I have used enough adjectives for one day.

Demola, TCC