It's now been 20 years since the Berlin Wall came down. I was fortunate to visit this location of the earth a few weeks ago...(this was written on my phone during the tour, so pardon the typographical and grammatical errors)
Berlin Germany. Lost for hours. standing on history.
We do a three hour burn to the capital city. I nap the whole way there. We arrive at the hostel, which was apparently within walking distance to the club. Since we had to unload gear, we only dropped off our bags and took off to the club.
1.My bag was left in the van with my phone charger.
2.The map I had made me confident I could find my way to the hostel so I paid no attention to the roads as we drove to the venue.
3. Thinking there's no possible way everybody would leave without me I gave my map to a band member that needed it.
4. Much drinking and smoking later...
The show was a packed house yet again. Elbow to elbow with punk rockers. So far the booking agent did a fantastic job with venue sizes. I drank hard cider, local beer, czeck beer, belgian beer and it didn't end there. Even the nameless cups of random beer is so good it almost pains me to ever think of people drinking Coors Light for pleasure. The punk rockers here were of an older generation than the night before. Battle hardened warriors these 40 somethings were. The fashions were just too ridiculous in variation and style. Again, most of the attendees were fully decked out punk rockers. I spent some time at the merch table talking to them about their local scene drama. Who the big bands are, who sucks, the best clubs etc...My german speaking skills are improving dramatically more with each conversation. Germans are not afraid to help you learn.
After the show we hung around the venue. Unknown to me, our entire crew and band, had gone back to the hostel without me. Around 4am I knew I was in trouble. No map. No memory of direction. Dead cell phone. Head full of alcohol. So I did the next logical thing and said goodbye to everybody and left. This was poor decision making.
I remember the hostel being near train tracks with "THC" graffiti sprayed on a building. That's all I had to go on. Usually I'm pretty good with common sense things like locating my HQ. Not this time. Luckily I took notice that the van was still parked at the venue.
After wandering for a few blocks I acquired a map from a hostel I had mistaken for mine. I urinated in bushes at one point. Also, I used some euro coins to call home, maybe get ahold of Sara. Her phone was off so I called Logan. He said "find your hostel man". Words of infinite wisdom. Thanks.
From 4am to 7am I walked in a giant circular motion, taking on a new block each time. The city was dead this early car-wise but foot traffic had increased. I had an amazing garlic Falafel breakfast with some local Germans. It was nice conversing with Europeans on the street. Most of them had been up all night as well.
7am I stumble into a central square containing wall segments of the Berlin Wall. Drawn like a magnet I touched each piece and read the graffiti. An emotion of anger stirred as I realized my awesome picture phone had a stone dead battery. In Berlin, the exact position of the wall is marked by misplaced cobblestones forming a path that weaves around the city. I decided to follow this. It crossed a street, went into a building, and popped out the other side. After a few miles, my feet were killing me! And then I saw it.
The SS headquarters that Hitler had stood on with his generals saluting the army that marched by. The poles that once held swastika flags. The steps Hitler walked down to shake hands with Mussolini. The massive lion statues on either side of the main entranceway. The building was in remarkably good shape. It was a bit smaller than I imagined and closer to the street. I was the only pedestrian around this area as the sun rose. I ascended the steps and stood on top center, facing the street in silence. Across the street was the statehouse building also in good shape. This was the view Adolph Hitler had as his troops marched by saluting him. This was the epicenter of everything I had known to understand about WWII in Europe. Bombings, concentration camps, Jews, Nazis, countless movies and video games. I thought of the model planes I build back home. I thought of my uncles who served under Germany in that war marching by saluting their leader, stormtroopers of death, themselves. All of a sudden... I no longer felt comfortable standing there.
8am I found the street the club was on. At this point my legs were on fire. I collapsed in front of the locked van. Lucky enough some club staff were just getting out. After hearing my story they turned around and made a bed for me inside the club. I was incredibly grateful. All of the bands gear was inside. I knew they would have to come back for it. I used two shotglasses and water to store my contact lenses. On the hardwood floor of the stage with a few pillows for a bed I pass out easily.
11am I am awaken by Paul laughing saying "see guys he's ok!"
We hit the road again. My eyes burning, head throbbing, and legs burning. I passed out easily in the back of the van for the four hour trip to Torgau.
Berlin Germany. Lost for hours. standing on history.
We do a three hour burn to the capital city. I nap the whole way there. We arrive at the hostel, which was apparently within walking distance to the club. Since we had to unload gear, we only dropped off our bags and took off to the club.
1.My bag was left in the van with my phone charger.
2.The map I had made me confident I could find my way to the hostel so I paid no attention to the roads as we drove to the venue.
3. Thinking there's no possible way everybody would leave without me I gave my map to a band member that needed it.
4. Much drinking and smoking later...
The show was a packed house yet again. Elbow to elbow with punk rockers. So far the booking agent did a fantastic job with venue sizes. I drank hard cider, local beer, czeck beer, belgian beer and it didn't end there. Even the nameless cups of random beer is so good it almost pains me to ever think of people drinking Coors Light for pleasure. The punk rockers here were of an older generation than the night before. Battle hardened warriors these 40 somethings were. The fashions were just too ridiculous in variation and style. Again, most of the attendees were fully decked out punk rockers. I spent some time at the merch table talking to them about their local scene drama. Who the big bands are, who sucks, the best clubs etc...My german speaking skills are improving dramatically more with each conversation. Germans are not afraid to help you learn.
After the show we hung around the venue. Unknown to me, our entire crew and band, had gone back to the hostel without me. Around 4am I knew I was in trouble. No map. No memory of direction. Dead cell phone. Head full of alcohol. So I did the next logical thing and said goodbye to everybody and left. This was poor decision making.
I remember the hostel being near train tracks with "THC" graffiti sprayed on a building. That's all I had to go on. Usually I'm pretty good with common sense things like locating my HQ. Not this time. Luckily I took notice that the van was still parked at the venue.
After wandering for a few blocks I acquired a map from a hostel I had mistaken for mine. I urinated in bushes at one point. Also, I used some euro coins to call home, maybe get ahold of Sara. Her phone was off so I called Logan. He said "find your hostel man". Words of infinite wisdom. Thanks.
From 4am to 7am I walked in a giant circular motion, taking on a new block each time. The city was dead this early car-wise but foot traffic had increased. I had an amazing garlic Falafel breakfast with some local Germans. It was nice conversing with Europeans on the street. Most of them had been up all night as well.
7am I stumble into a central square containing wall segments of the Berlin Wall. Drawn like a magnet I touched each piece and read the graffiti. An emotion of anger stirred as I realized my awesome picture phone had a stone dead battery. In Berlin, the exact position of the wall is marked by misplaced cobblestones forming a path that weaves around the city. I decided to follow this. It crossed a street, went into a building, and popped out the other side. After a few miles, my feet were killing me! And then I saw it.
The SS headquarters that Hitler had stood on with his generals saluting the army that marched by. The poles that once held swastika flags. The steps Hitler walked down to shake hands with Mussolini. The massive lion statues on either side of the main entranceway. The building was in remarkably good shape. It was a bit smaller than I imagined and closer to the street. I was the only pedestrian around this area as the sun rose. I ascended the steps and stood on top center, facing the street in silence. Across the street was the statehouse building also in good shape. This was the view Adolph Hitler had as his troops marched by saluting him. This was the epicenter of everything I had known to understand about WWII in Europe. Bombings, concentration camps, Jews, Nazis, countless movies and video games. I thought of the model planes I build back home. I thought of my uncles who served under Germany in that war marching by saluting their leader, stormtroopers of death, themselves. All of a sudden... I no longer felt comfortable standing there.
8am I found the street the club was on. At this point my legs were on fire. I collapsed in front of the locked van. Lucky enough some club staff were just getting out. After hearing my story they turned around and made a bed for me inside the club. I was incredibly grateful. All of the bands gear was inside. I knew they would have to come back for it. I used two shotglasses and water to store my contact lenses. On the hardwood floor of the stage with a few pillows for a bed I pass out easily.
11am I am awaken by Paul laughing saying "see guys he's ok!"
We hit the road again. My eyes burning, head throbbing, and legs burning. I passed out easily in the back of the van for the four hour trip to Torgau.
it sounds like quite the experience, though I can only imagine what you must have felt while standing at the SS Headquarters. It's amazing when you go to places that are so steeped in history that you can literally feel the weight of what went on there and it makes you feel awkward and perhaps uncomfortable for a myriad of reasons...