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Venue spotlight

Kantine am Berghain: The gigs not to miss this April

The concerts at Berghain’s unjustly overlooked sibling venue are some of this month’s best.

Kantine am Berghain. Photo: IMAGO / POP-EYE / Ben Kriemann

Kantine Am Berghain is the wing of the Berghain complex reserved for traditional concerts. Unlike almost every other square metre of the space, it’s one of the least hyped spots in the city to catch live music – and also one of the best.

Life in the shadow of the big house has its perks. The line is never more than twenty minutes long and you’re never going to get patched at the door. Yet, tired clichés aside, the main attraction of Berghain is that, like it or not, this is where the zeitgeist lives. A hulking, harness-clad genie in a poured concrete bottle, writhing before one of the world’s premiere sound systems.

Admittedly, the dress code at Kantine Am Berghain is more belt buckle than chest buckle, but the fact remains you’re getting access to the same exceptional programming and the same enviably talented sound technicians.

Berghain’s endless mystique is an incredible tool for convincing people to see unfamiliar acts.

This month, as with every month, the bill at Kantine Am Berghain hits all the right notes with just the right balance of hype and heads appeal as is befitting the status of any venue bearing the Berghain name.

The best venues create a symbiotic relationship with the artists that they book and that’s surely the case with James Leg. All heavy guitar and wailing organ, James Leg isn’t exactly the most fashionable act in town but he is a brilliant live performer. His gruff blues are a perfect fit for the immense experience of sound that Berghain can offer and well worth a punt on a Wednesday night.

Berghain’s endless mystique is an incredible tool for convincing people to see unfamiliar acts. While that will be of benefit for James Leg, there’s no such problem for Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul. The infectious electro pop duo are deservedly hyped right now and one of the few acts capable of uniting Berghain’s partisan crowd.

Their newest record, Topical Dancer, is packed full of club influences brought to life by bright pop production. Still, it’s the wry humour, obvious friendship, and genial up-middle-finger discussion of xenophobia that will make this record a huge hit. It’s always worth seeing an act when they’re hot and this is no exception. Tickets to this gig will go fast, and with just enough bass kick to get the crowd moving, it’s safe to say the crowd is in for a whole lot of fun.

James Leg Apr 6 at 20:00 | Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul Apr 19 at 20:00

Kantine Am Berghain, Am Wriezener Bahnhof, Friedrichshain