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Real Scenes: Berlin

22. September 2011 in Berlin, Music, Stuff We Like by Paul

Jared and Digel both pointed me in the direction of this video from Resident Advisor which explores the club scene of Berlin. It is part of a series of films by Resident Advisor that have the following aim:

We explore the musical, cultural and creative climate within electronic music’s key destinations. We’ll look at the role singular figureheads—producers, DJs, promoters—play in making their city’s music scene a point of world-wide interest. We’ll also look at places, spaces and inspirations, seeking out the essence of what gives these hyper-local scenes a truly global resonance.

You can find out more about the Berlin film on the feature page, and of course you can watch it below:

Real Scenes: Berlin from Resident Advisor on Vimeo.

Long Night of the Museums – 27th August

22. August 2011 in Art, Berlin, Circus News, Design, Events, Festivals, Film, History, Museum, Music, Photography, Stuff We Like by Paul

museumsTwice a year the museums of Berlin open their doors long into the evening to show off their spaces under the cover of darkness, often with special events and performances to mark the occasion. This coming Saturday is the summer edition of the event, and 105 different venues are taking part. Before we pick a few things to look out for, here are some practical details:

  • Combi-tickets which get you admittance to all venues cost €15. This also includes the shuttle bus network which is laid on between the different venues, and all other public transport on that evening until 3am. So it is a pretty good deal…
  • You can buy tickets from all participating venues but also from BVG ticket machines, so if you want to get it in advance, check out the ticket machine down on the platform of the U-Bahn station at Rosenthaler Platz.
  • The “central meeting point” for the event is the Kulturforum. Here is the starting point for all the shuttle bus routes, a number of different museums, and they are also hosting a programme of live music, wine tasting, some performance installations and a Twitterwall (no, us neither).
  • The website for the Long Night of the Museums is in German, but if you scroll down you can download the English guide as a pdf, which includes an overview of every single thing going on around the city.

Right then, you know where you are going and how to get a ticket…but how do you possibly choose between 105 different venues? It’s not such a long night after all… Anyway, we’ve put together a sample of some things that look interesting to us, but we would definately recommend you download the English language guide from the website and make a plan for what you would like to see.

Five Things That Caught Our Eye

German History Museum

The DHM is one of Berlin’s best museums, exploring as it does over two thousand years of history in extraordinary detail. It would be impossible to see everything in one go, even with a long night, but at 6pm and 9pm they are offering summary tours in English of their collection.

Film and Television Museum

At Potsdamer Platz, just down the road from the Kulturforum, the Film and Television Museum has a great exhibition on the history of, well, film and television. There is also a special exhibition going on of cinematic storyboards through history, from Hitchcock to Spielberg.

Martin Gropius Bau

Each year the Martin Gropius Bau hosts around twenty exhibitions that are almost always well worth checking out. This Saturday you will have the chance to see wood-cuts and painting by Hokusai, as well as photographs from Budapest, Paris and New York by Andre Kertesz.

Computer Games Museum

Alongside the permanent exhibition covering the history of computer and video games, there is a special performance on Saturday from 10pm-2pm by London’s gwEm and Aachen’s Microwave Massacre, who will be making music from the computer game theme tunes of the 70s and 80s with a modern twist.

DDR Museum

The DDR Museum explores everyday life in East Germany, and for the Long Night of the Museums they will be playing top hits and forgotten gems from the GDR music scene, as well as serving up classic food and cocktails…what, no bananas?

Rosentage – Events at The Circus

22. Juni 2011 in Berlin, Circus Hostel, Circus Hotel, Circus News, Circus Talks, Events, Fabisch, Festivals, Film, Goldman's Bar, History, Music, Our Neighbourhood, Rosentage, Stuff We Like by Paul

Rosentage 930x1984

As you might already know, this upcoming weekend is the Rosentage – a neighbourhood cultural festival for the Rosenthaler Platz. We are extremely excited about the weekend, what with loads of great things going on around the square, including exhibitions, performances, music, film, theatre, street-art, creative corners and some silly dancing from our friends at Rotation. You can take a look at the full programme for Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the Rosentage website.

Here at The Circus we have a range of different things planned, which are free and open to everybody, so if any of the following takes your fancy, then make sure you come down to Rosenthaler Platz this weekend to join in the fun!

ROSENTAGE 2011 – EVENTS AT THE CIRCUS

FRIDAY

3pm – Circus Cafe (Hostel): Pavement Party– DJs, Sangria and Sun!
6pm – Circus Cafe (Hostel): Documentary Screening: 20 Years of Change in Prenzlauer Berg/Mitte, followed by wine and nibbles
10pm – Fabisch (Hotel): Live Music – Saudia Young + Berlin Sling (Soul/Jazz/Lounge)

SATURDAY

11am – Roof Terrace (Hotel): Rooftop Yoga – Free! Sign up at reception
3pm – Hostel: Meeting point for Rosenthaler Platz Urban Sketching workshop
2pm – Hostel: Open-Air DJ set from The Record Store team
3pm – Fabisch (Hotel): Free Coffee and Cake
6pm – Fabisch (Hotel): Eyewitness Talk (in German)

SUNDAY

11am – Hostel: Meeting point for Neighbourhood Walking Tour (approx 1 hr; Free)
2pm – PICNIC IN THE PARK – with food, drinks, circus show and more – Pick-Up from the reception

Opera in Berlin: Der Freischütz

21. Juni 2011 in Berlin, Events, Music, Stuff We Like by Paul

FreischutzDo you like opera? If so, then Berlin is the right city for you, what with three major opera houses and all…but if you want to see something a little different, and support the work of young artists and creative types from Berlin, then we have a suggestion for next Sunday and Tuesday evenings…

Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber is Germany’s national opera, but the performances taking place at the Heimathafen in Neukölln are a modern interpretation of the piece created and organisation by a group of students in Berlin…including our very own Circus Crew member and Queen of the Rosentage, Judith Bodenstein.

Alongside Judith over 100 people have voluntarily worked to create this operatic spectacle, telling the story of a bizarre family, its dark secrets and the envy, cynicism and randomness of events that is all beyond their control. Sounds intriguing? Well you are in luck, as there are two final shows taking place on Sunday 26th June and on Tuesday 28th June.

The music is performed by the Sinfonieorchester Schöneberg and the Chor Univocale, and the starting time on both days is 19.30. You can get to the Heimathafen by taking the U-Bahn to Karl-Marx-Strasse or, if you want to check out the Tuesday performance, there is a pick-up at the Circus Hostel and Hotel receptions. Another of the Circus team, the lovely Eva, will be waiting at 6.30pm and she will guide you to the venue…tickets cost €18 (€12 reduced) and can be bought on the evening.

If you would like to learn more about the story of Der Freischütz  you can do so on the Wikipedia page, but I reckon the modern interpretation that you can see in the flesh will be better than any website could ever do justice to!

Details again:
Der Freischütz, an opera by Carl Maria von Weber
Sunday 26th June and Tuesday 28th June
Starts: 7.30pm
Heimathafen Neukölln, Karl-Marx-Str.141 (Google Maps)

Oh Yes…This Saturday is Eurovision!

12. Mai 2011 in Circus Hostel, Events, Goldman's Bar, Music by Paul

You know that this is the greatest cultural celebration that Europe has on offer right? The finest musical songwriters on the continent pared with the very best performers? A competition judged on musical merits and merits alone? An event that gave us Abba, Lulu, Riverdance (thanks for that), Celine Dion, Lena and those cheeky chappies Lordi from Finland? An extravaganza that surely cannot be missed…

And you don’t need to! Oh no, because this Saturday in Goldman’s Bar the whole thing will be broadcast in its cross-border-loving, europopping, nul-pointing glory. After Lena’s triumph last year we were naturally extremely excited by the possibility that it could be Berlin hosting the 2011 event, but unfortunately Europe’s Capital of Cool (copyright the New York Times) was rejected in favour of Düsseldorf. In any case,  we will be partying as if it was actually on our doorstep, and we have happy hour from 9-10pm, plus €1 Jägermeisters all night, plus a tipping competition on the final result which could win you some drinks prizes.

Can Lena triumph again? Will Europe once again show her our “loff”? Will Denmark vote for Sweden? Who persuaded Blue that this might be a good idea? Can we take much more excitement? Probably not… be there on Saturday to find out…

eurovision

Kitty Solaris: Live at Fabisch on the 8th April

4. April 2011 in Berlin, Circus Hotel, Events, Fabisch, Music by Paul

KittyThis Friday at Fabisch we are extremely pleased to be welcoming back to the Circus stage Kitty Solaris. Kitty is currently touring her new album “Golden Future Paris”, and she will be performing acoustic versions of songs from her new album.

Based in Berlin, Kitty Solaris has released two previous albums, “future air hostess” in 2007, and “My Home is My Disco” in 2009. The new album has been produced by Serbian composer and pianist Nikola Jeremic (Sarsaparilla) and is a showcase of the many different musical styles that Kitty can call upon. Here’s some more about the album:

Nothing was planned and the collaboration with Nikolas Jeremic was plain luck. At the beginning the songs were voice and guitar only, they grew step by step, inspired by lots of funny and brilliant ideas. Everything was recorded in a flow, felt totally natural and nothing had to be forced.

Kitty Solaris was supported by Brandon Miller (Sarsaparilla) on the guitar in “Follow” and “Lost and Found”, by Damir Bacikin in “Gitano”, “Golden Future Paris” and “Get used to it” and by Christian Markwart of Echoplex Studio.

We are extremely pleased that Kitty will be joining us once again, for what promises to be a wonderful evening. So if you want to join the fun, come down to Fabisch at The Circus Hotel on Friday night. Entry is free, and the show starts at 10pm. See you there!

Slow Travel Day: Guest DJ – Robert Lippok

9. März 2011 in Berlin, Circus Hostel, Events, Goldman's Bar, Music, Slow Travel Day by Paul

to rococo rotEveryone at The Circus and Slow Travel Berlin are extremely excited by the most recent addition to the line-up for Sunday’s Slow Travel Day; A guest DJ spot from Robert Lippok, founder member of Berlin-based electronic legends To Rococo Rot! Robert will be playing a mix of electronic and indie music, including some rare To Rococo Rot tracks, and material from his new release on Raster Noton.

Robert will be spinning down in Goldman’s Bar from 9.30pm, so if you want hear some of the sounds of the neighbourhood – Robert grew up, and still lives, just up the street from the Circus on the Zionskirchplatz – then make sure you come down to the bar on Sunday evening.

If you would like to read more about Robert and To Rococo Rot, then there is a really interesting article on Slow Travel Berlin:

To Rococo Rot have been pushing their unique brand of loping electronica for 15 years. As they prepare to release their new album – the first for six years – STB chat to Berlin-based brothers Robert and Ronald Lippok to talk about growing up in Zionskirchplatz, dodging the Stasi and the early 90s ‘golden years’…

“This was where the main bohemian scene used to be,” states Ronald Lippok, gesturing out of a large café window in the general direction of Kastanienallee. “When we were younger, playing in punk-rock bands, all the rehearsal spaces were around Schoenhauser Allee and here in Zionskirchplatz. This was the centre of the art scene in the 80s. Places like the Wiener café and the Metzer Eck (on Metzerstrasse) were where you’d find punks and poets hanging out together…”

Read more on Slow Travel Berlin

SLOW TRAVEL DAY DJ SET
Robert Lippok (To Rococo Rot)
Sunday 13th March @ 9.30pm
Goldman’s Bar
The Circus Hostel, Weinbergsweg 1a, U-Bhf. Rosenthaler Platz

The Hoff: One Week On…

28. Februar 2011 in Berlin, Circus News, Events, Music by Paul

It is over a week now since David Hasselhoff performed live in Berlin, and Jared and Jim are still buzzing with the excitement of the evening. They went along with two of our guests – Manny and Michelle – who were the lucky winners of the tickets thanks to Manny’s creativity. Here are his winning entries in our Hoff competition:

Hoff Puppies:

hoffpuppies

Hoff The Man:

Hofftheman

After the show it was hard to get any sense out of those who witnessed this moment of history in the making, but here are the soundbites, and below you can see one of Manny’s photographs of the great man in action…

Manny: “Sharing the gift of David Hasselhoff with me was otherworldly. I will never forget the greatness of The Hoff live in Berlin.”

Jim: “I went as a joke, and came back a fan.”

Jared: “The Hoff what more do i need to say!”

The Hoff in Berlin:

Hofflive

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