NOVEMBER 2018 - SCOOT IN-FLIGHT MAGAZINE

BERLIN
CIRCLE:
Patrons wait patiently
to be let in at
punk-rock nightclub
SO36 on a packed
Friday night;
LEFT:
Music enthusiats
mingle with fellow
bar-goers at SO36.
PHOTOGRAPHY SO36, CAPRI BY FRASER
music venues in Berlin is to be
an avenue for up-and-coming
artists and music lovers first,
and a revenue-generating
establishment second. This
unwritten mission to proactively
collaborate with local artists
and give them a platform to
showcase their talents are what
keep the underground music
ecosystem thriving.
Nanette* of SO36 attests to
that calling. “Everybody is
important,” the punk rock club
spokesperson says. “From
musicians and event organisers
to loyal music supporters and
media people who ensure that
we’re on the music fans’ radar
– each have their unique way
of keeping the underground
scene alive.”
It wasn’t always a smoothsailing
for this pioneer
underground nightclub. When
SO36 first opened in 1978, they
had regular punk and new wave
acts playing at their nightclub;
this was on top of the wellflocked
art events that they ran.
Amid the success SO36 was
enjoying, the local police shut
down the establishment in the
mid-1980s, citing undisclosed
reasons. It was only in 1990
when non-profit organisations
helped SO36 reopen the club
with the condition to transform
it into a venue where punk
concerts, political gatherings,
theatre plays, techno parties,
and even LGBT-related events
could be held. The rest, they
say, is history.
ISSUES ON SPACE
Compared to other European
cities such as Paris and
London, Berlin has been a far
more viable base for
entrepreneurs to start their
own companies, thanks to
competitive property rental
prices. But in recent years,
these relatively low prices have
come under threat from
gentrification.
For the past couple of years,
commercial corporations have
been buying out as much city
space as they can. “The
demand on Berlin’s housing
BETTER BY DESIGN
Need a place to crash after
a heady night of non-stop
rocking out underground?
Book a night at Capri by
Fraser and bask in one of
hotel’s 143 stylish, designled
accommodations to
recharge your body and
spirit. Fashioned around the
needs of today’s travellers,
staying at this four-star
accomodation also affords
you close proximity to
cultural sights including the
historic Potsdamer Platz
area, the bustling Museum
Island, and more.
capribyfraser.com
* Name withheld upon request.
SCOOT
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