Februar 2010

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22nd Feb: This week at Fabisch and in Berlin

22. Februar 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Music by Paul | Comments closed

berlinslingWith the excitement of the Berlinale behind us there are still plenty of things to look forward to both here at The Circus and elsewhere in Berlin. Our entertainment guru Andrew Rowley once again has the run-down on what’s taking place this week…

At Fabisch

Wednesday’s APERITIF – with Music, Finger food and of course Drinks is on again. Am happy to welcome back DJ Frau Brex who will no doubt charm us with her eclectic mix of atmospheric tunes. For more info on Frau Brex see http://www.myspace.com/fraubrexdj

Friday night we have long time Circus friends and super cool cats “Berlin Sling” (SEE PHOTO) performing in duo some vocal jazz and pop covers.

More info: http://www.myspace.com/berlinsling

Sunday we see the return of the one and only, Massimo Giovanardi who is paying us a short visit from Italy and has packed some Bossa Nova in his suitcase. More info: http://www.myspace.com/massimogiovanardi

Around Town:

Tuesday at C-Halle American tough guy of hip hop 50 cent will be in town and at his crutch grabbing best  to launch his European “before I self destruct” tour.  While on Thursday music of a different kind will be held at Berghain’s electroakustisher Salon with Swiss composer, improviser and experimental musician Antoine Chessex performing ” DUST” a composition of three violins, Tape, Electronics and quadraphonic sound. More info : http://www.berghain.de/event/45

If it’s theatre you’re looking for, then Berlin’s English Theatre (http://www.etberlin.de) is presenting 3 pieces  from Bennett’s “brilliant and masterful”  TALKING HEADS, ” a series of hilarious monologues peeling back the veneer of respectability to revel in – and of course laugh at – the private foibles of everyday life.”

Lastly, for the modern art and history buffs, the German historical museum is holding the exhibition “Displaying power  – Art as a strategy of rule”  looking at the relationship between power, representation through art and Germany’s quest for new alternative symbols due to the corrupted symbols associated with its Nazi past. More info : http://www.dhm.de/ ausstellungen/machtzeigen/en/index.html

15th Feb: This week’s Fun at Fabisch and Around Town

13. Februar 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Festivals, Music by Paul | Comments closed

Saudia Young(Paul is still away, about as far as it is possible to go from Berlin and yet still be in Germany…In his place The Circus Entertainomeister Andrew brings the lowdown on the best things taking place this week at The Circus and in Berlin)

Hi All

With Berlinale in full swing and taking centre stage throughout the city, have put together some nice alternatives for those who need a fix of off-screen reality.

Highlights include:

Fabisch:

Wednesday brings another APERITIF however with Frau Brex out of town this week, I am pleased to welcome DJ Sentero Luminoso ( aka Bob) – who will spin some tunes for us and may even throw in some vintage movie soundtracks.

Friday night we have Saudia Young (SEE PHOTO) performing with her band and new guitarist Dirk Toepper. The Trio will entertain us with their “Dark Caberet”  - however the evening will be opened by ” Phases of life ” performing 3 ballads with Voice, Guitar and Piano. More info: http://www.myspace.com/saudiayoung

Sunday we have another live music first timer at Fabisch, and that is Diego Rial. Diego hails from Buenos Aires, however, has been performing live Tango/Latin/Jazz sets in Berlin theaters and cafe’s for many years.

For more info visit : http://www.myspace.com/diegorial

Around Town:

With so many good music performances on this week, Ive had to single out two very special friends of the Circus. On Wednesday Sarsaparilla will perform their Sci-Fi-Folk  at Schokoladen starting 21:00. For me, they

represent two very different styles of music  - that I enjoy: Minimal electro and Folk. However Sarsaparilla are the first band which I have seen who so stylishly mix acoustic melodies with Electro bleeps and sound effects that you forget the origins of their influence and become to understand that theirs is a sound of their own. Really atmospheric.  More info check out : http://www.myspace.com/sarsaparillamusic

On Thursday night, again at Schokoladen – Marta Collica with take the stage. Marta performed at Fabisch last month and really impressed me with her solo piano/show. Minimal arrangments with a beautiful fragile voice

covered with a rock chick attitude.  Marta has collaborated with many influential musicians over the years, and her latest solo album ” About Anything” has UK’s John Parish assisting with production and playing guitar.

More info on Marta Collica: http://www.myspace.com/martacollica

8th Feb: Stuff Happening at the Circus and in Berlin

8. Februar 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Festivals, Film, Music by Paul | Comments closed

ryantjacobs

With Paul away searching for the soul of Germany, our Entertainment Head Boy Andrew Rowley brings you the best of this week in Berlin and at the Circus…

In addition to the usual toe curling fun that Berlin has on offer, this coming week combines romance with festival fever as The Berlinale will once again take centre stage, but for the romantics out there, Sundays Valentines day will be marked by a very special Fabisch event. Weeks highlights include:

At Fabisch:

Monday Cocktail night by the mix master Gabe, will pay homage to (Ive been told)  Queen Elizebeth II  favourite drink -  Dubonnet – Anyone bearing a strong resemblance to the royal frau, or indeed wearing royal robes and a crown can have their first for free.

Wednesday’s APERITIF will again kick off at 7.00pm with Finger food, Drinks and off course tunes from my new favourite DJ -  Frau Brex.

After last weeks success, am once again looking forward to the chaos of rearranging furniture turning Fabisch into a place to relax, Chill and enjoy an aperitif.

Friday’s Live music see’s the return of EDI FUCHs (Pop/Electro/ Lyrical). EDI is a Berlin based artists and founder of Berlin Label ” Cake pusher”.  More info: http://www.myspace.com/ediefuchs

Sunday we have ” Kitty by Candlelight” celebrating Valentines day with Berlin’s very own queen of romance Kitty Solaris (More info: http://www.myspace.com/kittysolaris) . Enjoy an evening of fine food, fine wine and off course fine music. Our head chef Roman has put together a special evening menu for the occasion, and our Bar honcho Jared has selected some drinks to cater for everyones romantic status.

Around Town:

Live music venue Schokoladen will on Wednesday play host to a very special Circus Friend and employee – Ryan T. Jackobs (SEE PHOTO!). Despite the ever growing, out of control,  winter inspired facial hair which covers is boyish good looks, Ryan will no doubt charm us with his own unique brand of Acoustic folk, and if were lucky will even jump on the piano. More info http://www.myspace.com/ryantjacobs

With the Berlinale rolling around again, Tresor is hosting a rather interesting evening to mark the occasion with a Special screening of Blade Runner – to be accompanied with live RMX music by Zan Lyons.  View trailer : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qA-OKaSeZdI

And lastly I have to mention that the Berlinale will kick off on the 11th Feb until the 21st. Festival profile and program details can be found at http://www.berlinale.de/en/HomePage.html The Circus will be providing programs detailing individual screenings in both English and German. In addition, the Circus will have FREE tickets to give away to lucky guests each day of the festival until its close.

Kitty By Candlelight: Valentine’s Day at The Circus

5. Februar 2010 in Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Music by Paul | Comments closed

Kitty SolarisValentine’s Day, the world’s favourite hallmark-holiday…and we are romantic souls here at The Circus which is why we have decided to put on a nice intimate evening of low lights, tasty food and good tunes. To serenade us on the evening is Kitty Solaris (see photo), Berlin’s very own queen of romance, who will be bringing her unique brand of Lo-Fi pop to the Fabisch stage.

If Kitty is bringing the food for the soul, head chef Roman has put together a menu for the belly, with a three course dinner that can be ordered in its entirety or, if love is impacting your hunger, as individual courses.

Valentine’s Day Menu – 14th February 2010

Full 3-Course menu costs €25 (meat option) or €23 (vegetarian)

Starter (€6,50)
Salad Hearts with Cesar-Dressing, melted cherry tomatoes, herbal croutons and flaked parmesan.

Main Courses
Meat (€14,50)
Rosa-fried Free-Range Lamb Cutlets with a thyme and lemon jus, bacon and green bean bunches, and a potato pyramid cake
or
Vegetarian (€10,50)
Herbal Polenta Cookies with a fruity mango-pepper sauce, aubergine caviar and salad bouquet

Dessert (€6,00)
Berliner Luft…Pana Cotta-filled poached Apples with a raspberry-vanilla sauce and fruit bouquet.

Dinner will be served from 6pm, and Kitty will be taking to the stage from 8.30pm. You can reserve your table by coming to the reception, or else you can find the contact details for Fabisch on the website.

We hope you can join us for what promises to be a jolly pleasant evening…

Renovation Diaries…Sign of the Times

3. Februar 2010 in Circus Hostel, Circus News by Paul | Comments closed

sign of the timesFirst Rule of Renovation…take everything down. The sign that has looked down over the Rosenthaler Platz since December 2001 comes down off the front of the building.

The Circus Guide to the Berlinale

3. Februar 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Events, Festivals, Film by Paul | Comments closed

BerlinaleThe brightest aspect of the otherwise dark month of February in Berlin is the legendary Berlinale Film Festival. This is regarded amongst cinema fans as one of the best film festivals in the world…indeed, some even argue that it is the best due to the amount of tickets for screenings that are made available to ordinary Joes and Josephines like you and me.

2010 is the 60th anniversary of the festival, so as you can imagine the organisers have pulled out the stops to make sure it is one to remember. Altogether over 400 films will be showcased in Berlin between the 11th and 21st February, and as such there isn’t space to give you the rundown on everything. But here’s a glimpse of what to expect, as well as information on how to get tickets for you lucky souls that will be in Berlin for the duration…

The Films

The festival kicks off on the 11th February with the world premiere of a Chinese film “Tuan Yuan” (Apart Together) which tells the story of a soldier fleeing to Taiwan in 1949, to be reunited with his true love decades later. This film is part of the competition part of the festival, in which films compete for the prestigious Golden Bear. Also in the competition are films from Martin Scorsese and Roman Polanski.

But the Berlinale is much more than just the competition. The section Perspektive deutsches Kino focuses on the world of German film, whilst Forum showcases the avant-garde and experimental, observations and political reportages, and new filmmakers at the forefront of new and unconventional cinema.

The Panorama offers a wide selection of art-house cinema from around the world, and includes films from places such as India, Brazil, the USA, Spain, Switzerland and many, many more. Added to this mix are many other sections of the festival including those devoted to short films, retrospectives, and children’s cinema. One undoubted highlight of 2010 is the screening of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis in its original form, 83 years after its world premiere.

Check out the Berlinale website for the full programme.

The Stars

Of course, even though the Berlinale is all about discovering the best in film from around the world that would not usually reach the local multiplex, there are still ample opportunities for a bit of red-carpet loitering and star-spotting as the tailored tuxedos and designer dresses shuffle by.

This year the organisers are expecting the appearances of such luminaries as Ewan McGregor (with or without motorbike), Pierce Brosnan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Gerard Depardieu, Ben Stiller amongst others.

Tickets

If you will be Berlin over the 10 days of the festival, then of course the question you want answered is: how do we get in to see the films? Well, its relatively easy. Beginning on the 8th February, films go on sale at the ticket offices and a limited allocation through the Berlinale website.

You can only purchase films less than 3 days in advance (4 days for competition films), and on the day of the screening tickets are only available at the specific box office. The central ticket sales points are at the Arkaden on Potsdamer Platz, the Kino International on Karl-Marx-Allee, and the Urania near Nollendorfplatz.

There are different prices for special screenings and premieres, but most tickets are between €7-8. Detailed ticket information is available online at the Berlinale website.

Circus Ticket Giveaway

We love the Berlinale at The Circus, and to celebrate the festival we will be giving away 2 tickets every day for a film specially selected by a member of the Circus team…so  it will be a lucky dip in more ways than one. You will be able to find out more details about the giveaway from the reception of The Circus Hotel. We’re looking forward to a great couple of weeks of fun and film in the city, and we hope to see you here during the festival.

Bratentag – Get Roasted this Sunday!

2. Februar 2010 in Circus Hotel, Events, Fabisch, Music by Paul | Comments closed

On the first Sunday of every month we have a special Bratentag evening, which gives you the chance to experience the best of German roast meat, from a special menu created by our head chef Roman Bigalke. The menu is available from 4.30pm at restaurant Fabisch, and why not stick around for some live music? This Sunday we are extremely pleased to be welcoming The White Noise Supremacists to the Circus, who will be bringing their own brand of alternative/acoustic music all the way from New York to Berlin. The show starts at 8pm.

Bratentag Menu – 7th February 2010

Full Menu costs €20

Starter (€6,50)
“Vitello Tonato” – slices of roast veal with a smooth tuna cream, kapers and cherry tomatoes.

Main Course (both €9,50)
Roast Pork with crackling, served with a honey-sesame sauce, savoy cabbage and béchamel potatoes

or

Roast Young Venison with gingerbread sauce, with loganberry-red cabbage, and Thüringer dumplings

Dessert (€6,00)
Pancakes fried in butter with dried fruit, caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream

To reserve your table you can drop by the reception, or else you can find the contact details for Fabisch here.

We hope to see you there!

Feb 1st – This week in Berlin and The Circus

1. Februar 2010 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Events, Fabisch, Music by Paul | Comments closed

whitenoiseWinter seems determined to keep us in her icy grip for a little longer, and with temperatures refusing to lift above the level of “bloody hell, that’s cold”, most of the entertainment we can recommend for this week at The Circus and Berlin is of a decidedly indoor nature…take a look and see what grabs you…

@ Fabisch:

Tuesday night (2nd) we have a special solo performance by Brian mitchell. Brian is the guitarist from the Saudia young – Dark caberet band. While in Berlin, Brian has made a name for himself as being a truly unique, gifted, innovative guitarist. Brian’s solo project brings together the avant garde and modern Jazz as you have never seen it before.

Wednesday night (3rd) brings in a new event for Fabisch – APERITIF !  Starting at 7pm, DJ Frau Brex will entertain us with her smooth, vintage, atmospheric choice of music, while guests can help themselves to finger food and offcourse an aperitif – mixed by our cocktail master himself Gabe.

Friday night (5th) we have Guitarist Daniel Arruda performing for the first time at Fabisch, bringing with him some relaxing Bossa / fusion tunes for our enjoyment.

Sunday night (7th) Fabisch is fortunate to be able to welcome for the very first time ” The White Noise Supremacists” (Alternate/Acoustic, NY – see photo). thewns have been playing around town over the past months in venue’s such as Madam Claudes, Schokoladen and Kato. Our entertainment head honcho Andrew says that he can’t count the number of times he has been stopped mid-sentance and asked if he has seen these guys live, and we are really happy to have them coming to Fabisch. Not to be missed!

In Berlin:

Club Transmediale is now in full swing, and this Friday and Saturday @ WMF have performances by Fourtek, Kelpe, Fuckarma and The modern deep quartet. Our Electro music guru Digel has suggested these shows are a good choice if guests are looking to go clubbing this weekend.

The Volksbhüne is holding a revolution of sorts. This Thursday (4th) it will be taken over by the stage performance “Revolution Now” whereby audience members will be taken hostage and the theatrical revolutionary antics of the Berlin/Nottingham- based theatre cooperative will broadcast the events to the world at large.

And lastly the Australian comedy duo “Umbilical Brothers” are currently performing their stage show ” Speedmouse”  at Tipi am Kanzleramt from Tuesday through to Sunday.  Ive seen these guys many times on TV in Australia and they are great. They basically mix comedy with Mime and will blow you away with their athleticism and perfect body control.