by Benjamin Storey
So our Scottish leg of shows are fully underway. This weekend you can catch us at Falkirk, Livingstone and a cheeky wee show in Manchester on Sunday at 2pm.
One of the best things about being on tour is the blissful mid-week freedom, I’ve grown a little tired of laying bed and binge watching Prison Break and PLL, so obviously I booked an ‘easyjet’ flight to Berlin for a few days. £14.99 each way btw. No jokes.
This city though. I’ve tried to balance the right amount of cheesy tourist with living the local’s life. I’ve only been here a few days but I do believe asking a local what to do here is better than any tourist website.
Last night, for example, we ended up in the attic of a restaurant on Görlitzer Straße, listening to an impromptu jam session from a couple of jazz musicians from New Orleans. They actually tore the stage apart and then invited singers and musicians to join them on stage, I digressed somewhat, I wasn’t sure Berlin is ready for my trill-filled cover of Justin Beiber’s “Sorry”.
Another thing that has struck me, was the welcome for individuality and independence. Or more directly, no couples necessary.
I recall a trip to Paris, and everything was “the couples special” and the city seemed to design itself for romantics. Berlin seems quite the contrary, in my opinion, for a few reasons:
1. INDIVIDUAL CARS. I’ve seen them. I didn’t realise they were a thing, but they are… And I need one. A car that literally fits one person and a small boot.
ALSO…..
Perfect for when you organise a social outing, it starts raining and then your friends pipe up with the good old classic:
“Oh no! it’s raining and my bus doesn’t arrive for another forty minutes, can you drop me home even though it’s an hours drive in the other direction? Ok thanks”
This car allows you a hall pass to simply reply with “Soz babes, only got one seat”, offer them an umbrella and speed off out of that situation you’re in right there.
2. Cheap SINGLE Menu. That classic restaurant phrase “singles eat at the bar” no-longer feels like taking a bullet to the middle of the heart, as the singles menu is not only cheaper, but also quicker to make and will arrive quicker. (Meals vary from €4-9) – not too bloody shabby if I may say so.
3. CAREER STARTERS. My first night here, my friend and I tried to recreate a scene from Love Actually by looking for a “typical GERMAN bar”. On the hunt for some beautiful German girls. We got speaking to the lassies behind the bar in the Generator Bar, the girls who were Scottish. Classic.
We got to chatting about how they came here. They originally ventured here on a holiday, saw the potential to ‘Get up and Move’, and so they did just that. With the help of some sort of prepaid lodging scheme that sets you up in a small apartment and a part-time job, I think in this case the girls worked part-time behind the hotel bar in exchange for lodgings, just until they had found their feet.
Stay tuned, I’m in London next week. There’s bound to be drama….