überlin

Pictures from Paris

by Zoë Noble

Last week I went to Paris for a work trip and managed to squeeze in some sightseeing before my flight back. James and I visited Paris over seven years ago so my memories were a little hazy, but as soon as the taxi drove past the Arc de Triomphe it all came flooding back. The buildings, the beauty… ah memories! Here’s a few pics I took along the way.

Getting ink at AKA

by James Glazebrook

We’ve been meaning to get tattoos for a long time, something permanent to symbolises our love and life together. When we got married, we talked about inking the deal with something (literally) in the place of rings – but, looking at David Duchovny’s finger tatt, I’m glad we didn’t. It took a second life-changing experience to make up our minds: the move to Berlin. If you don’t care what our matching tattoos mean, skip straight to the pretty pictures of them and the place we got them – AKA Berlin – but if you do care, read on…

Moving to Berlin is (one of) the best thing(s) we’ve ever done, überlin represents the move, and now these two little squares symbolise überlin (they’re the pixelated umlauts that sit above the “u” on our logo). This blog is our memoir, our media, our Meinungen, and has put us in touch with some of the most incredible people we’ve ever met – and are yet to meet. It’s worth celebrating, and we could think of no better way to immortalise it than with indelible ink. Thanks Sarah from AKA Berlin for making it happen!

Natural History Museum in Close Up

by Zoë Noble

For a glimpse of something more gruesome at the Natural History Museum, check out our photos of the Wet Collection.

Überstyle: Pretty in Peach

by Zoë Noble

Music Montag: BLITZKIDS mvt.

by James Glazebrook

BLITZKIDS mvt.

Who the hell are BLITZKIDS mvt? What information is out there about this Berlin-based art/music project is either in German or utterly nonsensical, or both. “Do you remember the time, when people fell in love with an extra-terrestrial?… Have you also been sucked into another dimension whilst sat in your bathtub?” Er… Anyway, the mantra “water, water, a glass of fresh water” suggests that words are nowhere as important to this high-concept pop as images. I’ll just let this super-stylized video for second single “Water” – think Gaga meets Goldfrapp in Gareth Pugh – speak for itself.

The Water EP is out now on Oh! My God It’s Techno Music!; catch them at SO36 on 12th August.

This article originally appeared on Bang Bang Berlin.

Fischerspooner live in Berlin

by James Glazebrook

A few hasty iPhone snaps from the amazing Fischerspooner performance at the Avant/Garde Diaries Transmission1, in bcc. Unfortunately, some dangerous douchebaggery on the crowd’s behalf shut down the show halfway through – if you want to read what happened, and aren’t offended by foul language (I was pretty pissed off when I wrote it), click here.

Berlin, you C***TS

by James Glazebrook

Well done Berlin, you cunts. You just shut down one of the best shows I’ve ever seen: Fischerspooner at the Avant/Garde Diaries, BCC.

I should have sensed it coming when you seemed jealous that you weren’t the centre of attention, that trained performance artist and pop star Casey Spooner *somehow* stole your spotlight. The crowd-surfing – at a dance gig – was a giveaway.

But then when Herr Spooner splashed you with water to get your attention and you responded with a full bottle of water, aimed at one of his five-foot-nothing dancers, that was the final straw. No, sorry, the final straw was the wine glass that followed. Rightfully so, everyone exited the stage, and then Spooner returned to explain why the band – who had travelled from Moscow just to be here – *couldn’t* carry on the show.

Now that it’s all over, far too soon, here’s a reality check. Bottles *do* get thrown at gigs – at hardcore gigs where you would be ground into pulp. But that doesn’t happen at “gigs” like this, thinly-veiled (but expertly-curated) car launches. If you want to be subversive and anti-everything, fuck off down to Kreuzberg to watch some second-hand-punk crap. And if, like the injured dancer said, you aren’t here to see the show – fuck off.

What is wrong with you, Berlin? If your crowds move at all, it’s to abuse the people who have showed up to entertain you. Seriously, fuck off.

On a happier note, you can find photos of the (half)show here.