The Indie Muso’s Guide to Hamburg

The Beatles regularly performed in Hamburg, West Germany, during the period from August 1960 to December 1962. - via Wikipedia

Though Liverpool is credited as the birthplace of the Beatles, it’s the German dock city of Hamburg where the group really cut their teeth. During the early 1960s, the city was throbbing with a sexy, gritty music culture, and though the iconic Star-Club and many of its coequals are long-vanished, Hamburg’s music scene has only become cooler and more eclectic over the decades. Here is our muso’s guide to this down-and-dirty city.

Clubs

The 60s live on at the monthly Hip Cat Club, where striped blazers, basin-bowl haircuts, tie-dyed cravats and miniskirts are still the order of the day. This is swinging hedonism at its best; Northern Soul, psychedelia, and surf sounds lapped up by a fantastically groovy bevvy of clubbers. Look out for their special summer cruises down the river Elbe too – talk about the boat that rocked…

The twice-monthly Revolver Club has been socking it to Hamburg for over 10 years, with an unashamed penchant for spinning upbeat indie, Britpop and Manchester scene tracks. Their Myspace website is constantly updated with stalwart DJs Benny and Marco’s musical picks of the moment; presumably what you can expect to hear at the next Revolver Club night. Venues shift to keep the vibe fresh.

Live Music

Hamburg’s Prinzenbar has to be the city’s most gorgeous hangout; originally a cinema in the 1930s, much of the decor remains, with bands playing intimate gigs surrounded by stucco walls, carved cherubs, a chandelier, and stained glass.

Another intimate space (and what indie muso doesn’t look for intimacy in a venue), Grüner Jäger on Neuer Pferdemarkt feeds punters their fix of electro indie pop, cramming them into in a small room with one huge disco ball spinning from the ceiling. Things can get cramped, sweaty and very fun. Grüner Jäger’s website also features a band of the week, so you can keep tabs on what the hipsters are listening to.

Not the likeliest of music venues, but an unmissable Hamburg experience in its own right, is the Fish Market. Every Sunday morning, the city’s historical indoor market comes alive with the sounds (and smells) of trade. This is probably the only opportunity you’ll get to demolish a delicious fish breakfast whilst listening to live country, jazz and skiffle music. Rather than getting up at 5am, consider pulling an all-nighter at the nearby Golden Pudel Club.

Record Stores

Hanseplatte on Neuer Kamp is one of those rare gems with a genuine boutique feel. Any Hamburg-based band you fall in love with while over there, these guys will have the record (and possibly the t-shirt too), as they specialize in selling the wares of local artists. Even better, they put on their own in-store gigs.

Those in the process of building up an old school vinyl collection should visit the Aladdin’s cave that is Michelle Records. Apparently the oldest record store in the city, Hamburg’s muso population is forever to be found rooting through sleeves, hoping to discover that 12” rarity which will make their year. Michelle stocks English language music mags as well.

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