Party-Arty

To start our second weekend in Berlin we went back to the Lovelite the local nightclub as we had been invited to the “American BBQ”. Imagine walking through what looks like two old garage doors, appropriately covered with street art to an open courtyard with a nightclub on one side, a ping pong table and leatherette car benches on the other side, a BBQ in the middle and to top it off an empty garage that serves as a performance space.
This same performance space that last week had been filled with the polish punks doing the most amazing stencil art ever, to my initial disappointment was now all painted over. Turns out they change the space each week with a new exhibition, this week it was a unusual installation to do with some obscure poet and antler inspired graphics. (It had to be explained to me or I would never have understood the concept.) We met Yanneq the producer of what he calls “Party Arty -vibes from different tribes-” and tonight was “Shpoken Vord” night. We informed Yanneq of Harvey’s poetic abilities and before we knew it Harvey had a gig!
We were recruited to help with the removal of punks from benches and the performance space was set up – meanwhile the BBQ was in full swing and musicians started to set up.
Finally Spoken Word was ready to begin (about midnight!!) and there was four performers besides Harvey. First up was a funny story by Yanneq himself about vitamins, Dr. Flebber and a rap band (this was my impression as it was all in German), next was a performance by a couple that I have no idea what it was about but I guessed it had to do with sexual innuendo and a “pick up”, then Harvey’s wonderful poetry in blessed English, then an Ani Di Franco kind of singer who did one nicely executed song on an out of tune guitar, then a Tom Waits inspired one man band with a cool hat – the whole experience would have been like the best fringe festival ever if not for the smoking.
The party then moved next door into the Lovelite itself where three different DJ’s and the hip hop band “Long Lost Relative” kept us dancing until we once again succumbed to smoke inhalation about 3am.