march-2011

THE BUZZ | TRAVEL NEWS
Punk & Politics
BERLIN
If you visited Berlin’s
Alexanderplatz last year,
you may well have seen
the photo exhibition that
stood in the square to
mark 20 years since the
fall of the Wall. One of
its most striking images
showed a Volkspolizei
offi cer questioning a surly
teenager with a mohawk
and ripped jeans, a shot
made all the more poignant
by the fact that it was taken
in exactly the same spot in
1980, when punk rock was
at its emphatic peak.
The thrashing riff s,
outrageous hairstyles and
shocking piercings that
go hand-in-hand with the
punk scene were frowned
upon in the UK, the US
and practically everywhere
else they popped up. But
punks in East Germany
risked much more than
disapproval. The Stasi
(State Security) feared
that punk posed a threat
to the GDR (German
Democratic Republic),
persecuting its proponents
and denouncing them as
enemies of the state. Yet the
Stasi’s anger only spurred
20 | TRAVELLER | MARCH 11
on the renegades,
who found that it
was an exciting time
to rebel for those
who had the guts.
Punk & Disorderly,
Berlin’s annual punk
festival, is a celebration
of the ethos that so
profoundly changed the
city – revolution dovetailed
with rock 30 years ago, and
the results moulded the
Berlin we know today. Marc
Nickel, a passionate punk
since the movement fi rst
hit Germany, started the
event some 11 years ago.
“Me and my friends were all
growing up in West Berlin
back in the late 1970s, but
we always stayed in touch
with people behind the Iron
Curtain through the punk
scene,” he says. “In the East,
punks expressed a new
youthful rebellion, but it was
very political too – the Stasi
spied on East German punk
bands and fans.”
Nickel believes that Punk
& Disorderly is more than
just a way to pay respects
to a faded musical era, it’s
a chance to inspire the next
generation of fans. “We
started the festival in the
days when punk was falling
out of fashion. We felt we
wanted to do this festival,
as fans, to keep the scene
alive. We now get 6,000
people in each night – it’s
grown massively.”
This year’s event, held
at the Astra Kulturhaus
in Kreuzberg, will boast
screeching sets by
bands from all over the
world. British hardcore
act Deadline will appear
alongside American retropunks
The Traditionals and
the home-grown talents of
Bad Co. Project.
Unsurprisingly, Nickel
can’t wait. “What makes
it special is that people
from all over the world
get together. Berlin has
this massive alternative
subculture, and a legendary
underground nightlife, so
it’s a perfect place for
Punk & Disorderly.”
1–3 April, punk-disorderly.de
Chris Beanland
CALENDAR
NEXT MONTH
2–9 APR
Princess Sofi a
Yachting Regatta
MAJORCA
Each year more than 600 boats and
1,000 sailors gather in the Balearic
Islands to compete in one of Spain’s
biggest yachting regattas. The speed,
skill and sheer number of boats
guarantees an outstanding spectator
event. trofeoprincesasofi a.org
2–17 APR
Istanbul International
Film Festival
ISTANBUL
This annual fi lm festival showcases
Turkey’s burgeoning movie talent.
Some 235 fi lms will be screened,
selected from a mix of fi rst-time
showings, international work and
cinema classics. iksv.org
4–9 APR
Snowbombing Festival
INNSBRUCK
Back for its 12th riotous year, the
Snowbombing Festival has a reputation
for being the biggest party on the
slopes. This year the musical line-up
includes The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim
and drum’n’bass/rock crossover act
Pendulum. Prepare to ski all day and
dance all night. snowbombing.com
PHOTOS © ALAMY, GETTY | WORDS AMY BAKER