On Sunday myself and a sizable crowd of Berliners congregated along the busy Am Treptower Park road hopeful to hear strains of Radiohead as they performed at Lollapalooza Festival. Radiohead certainly sounded good from our position and we could definitely make out ‘No Surprises’, ‘Creep’ and ‘2 + 2 = 5′ between the gaps in traffic. The sound wasn’t as good as any of us expected, but in terms of cool things you can do on a balmy Berlin evening it was a pretty fun time. Anyway, here’s a roundup of what’s going on gigwise over the next week:

Thursday 15th

Chases @ Marie Antoinette

Full disclosure – I play in Chases. We play ‘heavy pop bastard rock’ and sound a bit like all those cool bands from the ’90s that wore plaid shirts and had long hair. We’re celebrating the release of our debut album 1991 so we thought we’d throw a party. Why should you come to the show? Well, we’ve got two of our favourite local bands to join us. Mincer Ray kick off the evening and are the slackest band I’ve seen live in Berlin. They’re great – funny, laid-back and the songs rock. Used F.O. are a noisy duo from Potsdam that make a right racket. Marie Antoinette is a top venue with cool views over the River Spree. Come on down!

Doors are at 8pm. The Facebook event is here.

Saturday 17th

Synästhesie Festival

Prenzlauer Berg’s 8MM Musik put on some of the best shows I’ve been to in Berlin. This Saturday is the 2nd edition of their fantastic Synästhesie Festival which takes place at UFO Sound Studios on Greifswalder Strasse. 8MM aren’t the kind of guys to mess around and this year they have upped their game with a formidable lineup that includes Neu!’s Michael Rother (I saw this guy in Amsterdam last year – his show is brilliant), Canadian smokey-voiced singer Tess Parks and psychedelic LA rockers The Warlocks. There’s also a selection of local bands including Gunman & The Holy Ghost and Le Vent performing. Don’t miss this.

Get more info and tickets here.

Sunday 18th

Hannah Epperson @ Monarch

Top off your lazy Sunday with a chilled-out gig at Monarch. Hannah Epperson – violin wielding indie songwriter – is performing. Her captivating combination of violin sounds and loop pedals has earned her many fans and several awards. The Salt Lake City-born musician is embarking on an extensive tour of Europe, beginning with Germany. Get an idea of how she sounds below with this excellent live clip:

Thursday 22nd

Le Butcherettes @ Cassiopeia

Of all the memorable live gigs I’ve attended in Berlin, Le Butcherettes tearing up Kantine am Berghain last November was something extra special. They rocked relentlessly with singer Teri Gender Bender strutting around the stage in high heels completely possessed by the music. Quite how she manages to not break her ankles is beyond me. Best gig of 2015. Curious? Come next Thursday to Cassiopeia on the RAW-Gelände in Friedrichshain – it’s gonna be incredible.