BERLIN LOVES YOU is here to coax you out of your self-imposed shell this January. Is your New Year’s Resolution to see more live music? No? Well, it should be, because there’s lots going on. Get out there and see for yourself how buzzing this city’s music scene is. Here’s what’s coming up this week…

Friday 13th January

Beatles Vs Stones : Band Battle Live @ Bassy Club

One of life’s Big Questions: who is better, The Beatles or The Rolling Stones? To decide once and for all, local promoters The David Watts Foundation and 8MM Music have teamed up to host a battle of the Berliner bands. They’ve invited some of the city’s best bands to pick a side and fight for what they believe in. The Underground Youth are playing, as are Park, Gewalt and The White Dukes. There’ll be several collaborations on the night too, with members of The What…For! and Snøffeltøffs joining forces in the hope of coming out victorious. All proceeds (it costs €5 to get in) appropriately go to the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.

Oh, and if you’re wondering – I’m a Stones man myself (Brian Jones era, not that daft rock ‘n’ roll stuff from the ’70s). Although, I do enjoy spinning The White Album occasionally… and Mick Jagger is intensely irritating…

…I’ll save this rant for the night. See you there!

Beatles Vs Stones @ Bassy Club Facebook Page

Saturday 14th January

OMP All Stars @ Schokoladen

‘We are not a sect, nor a party, nor a civil society, but we do have a mission. And that is: summer, sun, hits!’. Quite a statement of intent from the Orchestre Miniature in the Park (OMP for short). This colourful bunch of Berliners claim to be the only miniature instrument orchestra in the world, and who are we to argue!? Formed with the aim of bringing music to the parks of Berlin, the OMP boast an impressive number of members and have toured throughout Europe. This Saturday the band’s All Stars line-up perform their Kaleidoscopic-alt-pop at Berlin’s legendary Schokoladen. Let’s Dance.

OMP All Stars @ Schokoladen Facebook Page

Monday 16th January

Roedelius @ Roter Salon

Those that know their krautrock (…and for those that don’t, it’s the German experimental rock that defined the country’s music scene in the late ’60s and ’70s) know that Hans-Joachim Roedelius is one of the genre’s true pioneers. Co-founder of both Cluster and Harmonia, this guy has a seriously impressive CV. Performing this Monday with pianist and frequent collaborator Arnold Kasar, expect to hear the fruits of this relationship alongside much-loved favourites from Roedelius’ former bands. A huge influence on David Bowie and Brian Eno (the latter once called Harmonia ‘the most important rock band in the world’), you weren’t seriously considering missing this were you?

Roedelius @ Roter Salon Facebook Page

Tuesday 17th January

Giardini di Miro @ Urban Spree

Italian post-rockers Giardini Di Miro are heroes of the Italian music scene. It’s the 15th anniversary of their much-loved debut album Rise and Fall of Academic Drifting, which has become a milestone in Italian independent music. This five-headed beast, who come armed with violins and a saxophone, are perfectly suited to Urban Spree’s crunchy sound. They rarely make it over to German shores, so we’re extremely lucky to have them this Tuesday.

Giardini di Miro @ Urban Spree Facebook Page

Wednesday 18th January

WMP Persistence Tour @ Astra

The line-up of this year’s WMP Persistence Tour is pretty much a roll-call of the best hardcore punk bands out there. Suicidal Tendencies, Agnostic Front, Municipal Waste and Walls of Jericho all put on pounding shows which put bands half their age to shame. Down To Nothing, Burn and Mizery, all of whom are capable of putting on headline-worthy shows, round out this incredible line-up. Expect Friedrichshain’s Astra Club to barely contain this whirlwind of heaviosity. What’s more, Suicidal Tendencies have none other than Dave Lombardo on drums. Possibly the greatest thrash-punk drummer known to man, Lombardo is sure to add an extra level of brutality to their headline performance. Get yourself down to Astra this Wednesday and join the circle pit.

Will Lombardo be spotted post-show at the bar named in his honour in Prenzlauer Berg? There’s only one way to find out…

WMP Persistence Tour @ Astra Facebook Page