SO36

The main stage in SO36

Address: Oranienstraβe 190, 10999, Kreuzberg

U-Bahn: Kottbusser Tor

Opening times: Mon-Thur 9pm-late, Fri-Sat 6pm-late

Admission: 5€-10€

Website: so36.de 

There is a reason why this grimy rock club on Oranienstraβe is named after the old Kreuzberg area code. Unlike many venues in Berlin which open, become successful and disappear overnight, SO36 has been at the centre of Kreuzberg’s nightlife for decades. It has overcome it all - bankruptcy, forced evictions and tighter law restrictions. The venue has had many faces over the years; a beer garden, cinema, art space and a squatter’s music venue. In the 1980’s it became a punk rockers paradise with bands like The Dead Kennedys, The Damned, Bad Religion, and The Misfits all taking to the stage, plugging in their scratched guitars and performing blistering sets. Another forced eviction in 1987 left the building abandoned for three years until it was taken over by the Sub Opus 36 e.V. organisation who continue to run it to this day. The organisation prides itself on working with the local community; promoting creative projects and supporting diversity and the alternative scene. They collaborate with artists and event managers to provide an ever-changing calendar. Punk, electro, hip-hop, hardcore and techno are just some of the many styles of music the venue hosts. They also have regular nights that celebrate the G.L.B.T. community.

Once inside, a long corridor with walls plastered in band stickers and graffiti will lead you to a set of heavy steel doors. Open them and you are struck by a wall of noise coming from the clubs powerful sound system. The first room is the bar area. Luminous mazes and circular patterns are painted upon the dark walls. Here you can buy bottled beer for 3€, including the deposit for the bottle, or a shot of Absinth for 2,50€ if you are feeling more adventurous. The venues two stages are located in the large back room. Here a varied crowd consisting of hipsters with undercuts, punks and wide-eyed ravers dance beneath the white banners hanging from the ceiling. No barriers separate the acts from the audience in this intimate, sweaty music venue. Opening times and costs vary depending on the night’s event so check the website or the many posters stuck around Berlin for details.