I came accross this guy at the Alexanderplatz last night doing big drawings in chalk on the pavement.......

I took the pics at night using my iphone so they´re more than a bit grungy. Heres another with buildings in the background to show the scale of it..

The Artist, understandably, didn´t want his picture on the blog. We couldn´t really talk as he spoke (I think) Portuguese. I´m not even sure what his Name is - I`m guessing he´s Nasio painkordia.
Respect, dude, that takes a bit more talent than spraying a tag or slapping a sticker and it doesn´t ruin beautifull buildings either.

Wandering around Berlin with no particular place to go and a camera always throws up some cool images. It´s amazing all the graphics, objects and scenes that pop into the view finder. Living in Berlin makes BerlinBonez happen. All this KOSMIK GOO-GOO gets washed through my brain, filtered, cross fertilized and regurgitated. Its a Chemical Marriage of urban imagery.
I use all this GRUNGE plus that SPARK INSIDE to produce those T-Shirts, Stickers and Buttons we all love soooo much.

I was sitting around, a bit bored, on Saturday night, wondering if I could be bothered to get off my ass and go on one of my explorations of Berlins many and various colourfull bars, clubs und self made cultural institutions.
A quick check on the InterWeb later, and I was trying to squeeze into my leather jeans and off to a kind of club / collektive / youth organization which, despite my many years in Berlin, I had, in fact, never been to before - the KvU, the Kirche von Unten.
The KvU which, loosely translated, means "The Church from the Underground" has been a Punk Mecca for over 20 years and, as far as I can tell fron their website, has its roots in the Church protests which played an instrumental role in bringing the DDR Regime to an end. In fact according to their web site it is still supported by a Church organisation in Berlin. But that could well be a kind of DADA  PR-Story.......

First up, and on stage when I got there where "The Inserts".
The Inserts are a Berlin all girl (not sure if thats the politicaly correct deffinition!) band and man, they thrash through their set and don`t take prisoners.
I was kinda reminded of X-Ray Spex but actually the Inserts do a more melodic sound that takes me back to wearing cut up leopard skin T-Shirts and  listening to dear John Peel on the radio when I was 16 years old to hear bands like the Lurkers. This is music that you could shout Oi!! to - if you were that way inclined.

The Ladies of "The Inserts" (who seem to have a fairly flexible line-up, judging from their My Space Profile) put on a wild set and made me feel about 30 years younger.....Check them out HERE

As The Inserts cleared the stage, I took the chance to check out the excellent urinal facilities at the KvU, which are (by Berlin Standards) surprisingly hygenic......and, of course, have the appropriate wall paintings.......

The Inserts were followed by the explosive three piece Combo "Erotic Devices" (without a "the"...)
Erotic Devices are:

Michi Mykilli: Drums - Back Vocals
Tara Ramona: Bass - Back Vocals
Gers Device: Guitar - Vocals.

At least thats what it says on My Space. I was too shy and possibly too drunk to ask them myself.

Erotic Devices explode on the stage with numbers like "I Hate You", "IdontWANnAdRINkVODK AanyMORE" (I Know the feeling...) and "MY BABY IS AN ANARCHIST".
My Space Tells us that Erotic Devices are influenced by "The Hamsters" - Well I´m not cool enough to know who The Hamsters are (I expect they were formed by some one who baby sitted for Amon Düül or something) ; but if they influenced these guys then I´ll take the time to fill my "Bildungslücke" (Education gap).......
In my humble opinion we are talking Ramones sound and styling (Check Gers Device´s HairDo) with a powerfull musical injection of pheromones,  nitroglycerine and Mega Classy Trash/Punk/Pop (did I just write that?).
Anyways, check out these dudes on MySpace here : Erotic Devices.

A big Thumbs Up for the Erotic Devices T-Shirt that Gers is wearing...
So if you´re hanging in Berlin and you´re a PUNK KID of the first generation or a Born Again Aficionado of the second - Check out the KvU. Heres a Link to the KvU Website.