This is carnival season. This is the week when we can eat as many doughnuts as possible, as we teeter on the verge of diabetes. And then we dance off all that sugar.
And boy, are there a million parties to choose from on Monday night. Fasching just isn’t my thing, it reminds me of being a fresher at university, wearing ill-fitting bad taste fancy-dress costumes in the name of fun. I just didn’t get it. For a great many Germans, and for pretty much everybody in Cologne, it’s one of the parties of the year. Actually, I’ve just realized that if you’re going to party on Monday night, a Mardis Gras krapfen is possibly the best hangover cure possible. Yeasty dough (soaks up the beer) and a sugar kick in one.
Anyway, to the parties, the cornier the better: the Atomic Cafe’s hosting a Hawaii themed party – think Hawaiin rock’n’roll, cocktails and coconuts – a far cry from the Munich winter, hey? And then there are other themes – the Alte Galerie are hosting a Bad Taste party, entrance is just 7 € and long drinks, beers and soft drinks are 2,50 €. Not bad!
If you have kids and are wondering what to do with the holidays, take them along to the BMW museum on Shrove Monday, where they can enjoy an afternoon of face paints and theatre – and if you pop down there between 2.30pm and 6.30pm, it’s free!
If, like me, you’d rather enjoy a good concert, Monday has those too. Swedish new wave band The Sounds are in town, playing at Backstage. Their music is inspired by Roxy Music and Depeche Mode, and there are definite hints of Blondie thrown in too. Oh, lead singer Maja Ivarsson is a pretty lady, so it shouldn’t be too difficult persuading the boyfriend to join you.
Another Swedish band, Golden Kanine, will be at 59:1 on Monday night – it’s good honest post-rock, slightly experimental.
On Tuesday, the parties continue – the Rote Sonne is hosting a party that starts at 3pm – and will go on throughout the night. If you’re lucky enough to have Shrove Tuesday off, go and enjoy yourself!
On Wednesday, the corniness continues – yes ladies, control yourselves – Chris Rea is in town. What’s that I hear you cry, he’s still singing? Yes, you’d be a fool if you think it’s over. Sorry. I couldn’t hold back. He’ll be playing at the Olympiahalle, and tickets start at the princely sum of 40 €.
Thursday is quiet – leaving you to save up your energy for Justice at the Zenith on Friday. I missed out on a ticket, but the Zenith isn’t my favourite venue in the world anyway.
Saturday sees the week winding down with Chairlift – here’s some shameless self-publicity, here’s an interview I did with them a couple of months ago. Check out Caroline Polachek’s surrealist dance to Amanaemonesia too. Nada Surf are also back (they played to a sold-out audience in 2010, which went down a treat) and they have a new album to promote. Oh, I interviewed lead singer Matthew Caws at their last gig too – read it here. If you haven’t got a ticket yet, start entering all the competitions you can find – it’s completely sold-out.
If you love fashion, head to the Next.12 WONDERLAB at the BMW museum on Saturday – but make sure you buy tickets in advance.
Gotye’s being played almost as much as Adele on the radio right now – if Sombody That I Used To Know has become something of an earworm, you can experience it live at the Freiheizhalle on Sunday.
Happy Carnival, folks!
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