Lutz Leichsenring fights for the rights of Berlin’s vast underground club scene. “What makes Berlin’s club scene different? Primarily Berlin’s club owners."
ADE celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and one way the event will be celebrating is with a number of themed concepts at ADE Pro, including a MyCity series in a 20 X 20 sessions shape: 20 minute talks by key influencers about their base of operation. In this article we take a look at Berlin through the eyes of Lutz Leichsenring, spokesman and member of the executive board of the Clubcommission Berlin.
"The first generation after German Reunification were mainly punks, artists and squatters and that’s why Berlin’s clubs often pursue their own philosophy. Many of today’s younger event promoters and clubs also continue this style and think a lot about issues such as sustainability and avoiding corporate sponsorship, focusing on music and avoiding bling bling.”
As spokesman and member of the executive board of the Clubcommission Berlin, Lutz Leichsenring fights for the rights of Berlin’s vast underground club scene, enlightening lawyers, licensing officials and politicians about its essence and vital role in transforming Berlin into today’s world clubbing capital of techno and underground house.
Lobbying via Berlin’s Chamber of Commerce, committee meetings and projects such as www.clubkataster.de- a new project with Berlin’s Senator for Urban Development designed to help protect clubs against residential encroachment and gentrification issues, he’s also quick to stress he fights for underground club culture as opposed to bottle service, ‘VIP’ style haunts.
“There have always been posh discos and mainstream clubs in Berlin, particularly West Berlin, those places which are primarily businesses set up to make money as opposed to being places of self-realization,” he says. “These kinds of clubs provide no contribution to the wider club culture and progressive music. The clubs we represent are heterogeneous and fortunately a little anarchic.”
“Prejudices needed to be eliminated and the Club Commission has focused on educating authorities here so they could understand night culture. Nowadays many people can differ between a serious club program and bullshit like pub crawls or beer bikes,” he continues. “As a lobbying organization we are now involved in many important decisions to be taken. However, much remains to be done for the future, because we are competing with our concerns to residential areas, shopping malls and hotels. We are facing major challenges because so many people have moved to Berlin from all over the world and need housing. Then there are property speculators buying up relatively inexpensive land and buildings, forcing up rents making temporary use of spaces more difficult.”
So are Berlin authorities nowadays consciously more tolerant than anywhere else?
“They are not,” Lutz concludes, “They're just understaffed.”
ADE Pro
MyCity: Berlin
Date, time & venue: TBA.
Tickets for ADE's conference are available here.
Photo credits: Laurin Schmid
The Amsterdam Dance Event is organized by the Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation, an initiative of Buma. Official Partner ADE: Samsung
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