I’ve been, and it’s not as bad as it sounds. It does definitely lend itself to people who want to do a huge night out, but it’s super viable to just go for a normal night out (though I’m told that the Friday night’s party peaks at around 10am on Saturday). Something I noticed while queuing was that people who were super dressed up always got turned away. I’m talking people like this (image source: the reality show “Geordie Shore”) This kind of garb is an extreme example of what women often wear on night out where I’m from. German clubbers, by contrast, are far more relaxed in what they wear, so foreign clubbers who are just there to do a heckton of drugs and stay up all night are easy to spot.

Certainly it’s not a typical nightclub though. Lovers of techno will have a great time there, though I’m told that some other Berlin nightclubs are better nowadays. I’m not a huge fan of techno, but it can be fun to lose yourself to the rhythm for a little while, and I honestly find the enthusiasm of techno nerds more intoxicating than any drug. I think part of why I got in was that the doorman asked me a question that I think was roughly ‘what brings you here?’, and I was able to respond with the name of the main person who was DJing that night (having seen that info online). I was also wearing something that was mildly weird, giving the vibe of “I’m a punk who is tired from travelling for a month, and I don’t give a fuck if these clothes don’t match each other, because they’re the only clean stuff I have left”. I was mostly curious about whether I’d get in and whether it’d be fun, and I think that chillness probably contributed to why I got in. There were loads of people who were clearly there for Berghain’s legendary status (but not in a good way)

It’s not as weirdly gatekeeping as it sounds, given that it must be hard to not have a nightclub become terrible once it gains a reputation for being cool. The mystique of Berghain comes from there not being an explicit door policy, but if they did have straightforward rules or entry criteria, then that would make it easy for people who are 100% there for the wrong reasons to get in, or would lead to more arguments at the door. My local goth club used to have a similar vibe, albeit far more chill; rules or not, having a trusted person be the doorman helps to curate the vibe of a night club (tangent: I am affectionately recalling how my late best friend used to always have his song requests rejected at this goth club, for being too metal. That seemed silly at the time, but I think it’s the kind of thing that’s necessary if you want the goth club to stay a goth club and not just become a generic alt club)

It was a great night though. Despite loads of people on various levels of drugs and debauchery, I felt more safe and welcome than I would in a typical nightclub. I enjoyed that there were actually quite a few spaces that were quite chill, and I could gather my thoughts and talk to people. As a club, I would say it’s simultaneously over hyped and also underrated

I went several years ago, and it felt like almost everyone in front of me got in. But the line was extremely long and I was towards the front.

Think I caught siphilis by googling Berlin techno life.

if not knowing about something defaults me on it then I have no interest in knowing about it

I didn’t have to, but I suspect they would not let me in either.

i mean, usually berghain runs from 10pm on friday until monday noon. so going there on a sunday 1pm is nothing unusual.

today being a thursday is more of an issue tho :D