Flyer
Berlin
17th August 1984

I'm guessing 1983/84 for this flyer.

I was a regular at Berlin around this time - but on the more "Alternative" nights rather than the Jazz nights. The club was small and dark, had camouflage netting on the ceiling and (unusual for this time) regular blasts of dry ice which gave it a great atmosphere, and a small screen showing films/graphics. I remember one of a woman getting dressed into fetish gear then walking off camera on crutches.

The Sisters were big at this time (pre-Smiths) and the soundtrack was punk/post punk/indie/psychobilly/TRex/Doors etc plus some dancehall reggae. Chameleons and So Young by the Roses I recall. Dark/dancier stuff from Cabaret Voltaire/Pete Shelley and DAF. Maybe the odd Northern track.

By the mid-late 80s the place morphed into The Asylum with great DJing from Dave Booth who began to bring early gogo/house/rap/Prince into the above mix plus the Postcard/Bodines/Railway Children/Waltones/Smiths/Easterhouse scene. Public Enemy, Schooly D, Bambaata, Mantronix, Beasties, DMC, LL Cool J etc. Dave Haslam was playing a similar mix at this time at the Venue and the Hac. Great days - just before things went mental. You could feel something brewing.