is it true that clubs in berlin won't let you in if the bouncer don't like the way you look?

[GermanFucker]

50 minutes ago, ellentonboy said:

It's a sobering experience to be told NO at the door.

I think it's a bit more sobering when expressed with the typical Berliner "charme". They say, Berliners are just like Hessians in their misantropy, but add agressiveness: 

[think before following links] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-t0P12Vzpw4

 

Edited Monday at 01:56 PM by GermanFucker

[NordicBtm]

23 minutes ago, GermanFucker said:

I think it's a bit more sobering when expressed with the typical Berliner "charme". They say, Berliners are just like Hessians in their misantropy, but add agressiveness: 

[think before following links] [think before following links] https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-t0P12Vzpw4

 

I was in a group of 10 guys going to SNAX in Berlin a few years ago. I think that year was particularly nasty because if you didn’t have an extensive fetish outfit you were barred entry. So out of a group of 10 only one guy was allowed inside after something like 5 hours in line. They were also incredibly rude lol. It wasn’t only us as it seemed way more guys were being rejected than allowed inside, maybe 20-25% acceptance rate. Apart from that I’ve always made it into any other Berlin establishment or club of any sort so I dont hold it against the Germans I guess 😉 

[John69]

WOW !  Amazing - Mercy ! you - your Profile picture - so Damn Hottie - give a DEAD Man a Erection - HOTTIE melt in my Mouth !

[Bob1119]

12 hours ago, GermanFucker said:

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding here. This is about 2 things above all: a.) Dress codes and b.) Germans taking things seriously. 

1.) There are dress codes in the US, too ("no shirt, no shoes, no service"), but Americans are sometimes laxer about enforcing them with the customer being king and all. Germans are much more serious about things. A rule is a rule and it's there for a reason. Either follow it or you're out, there is on point in arguing.

2.) Of course big cities like Cologne, but especially Berlin take this to an extreme. In some backwater town, you may not even have a gay club, only a queer club for lesbians and gay alike, or just a weekly LGBTQ night at a local college bar. Those places are welcoming to everyone. Berlin is different with its huge, but also fragmented scene. Many clubs cater exclusively to specific crowds and fetishes. These clubs don't care about a general appeal to the wider public, but they pride themselves on being "the place to be" when it comes to e.g. getting pissed while wearing farmhand attire. 

3.) It's also about the crowd feeling comfortable. You don't want looky-loos wandering around the establishment staring at you while they're not really taking part in the debauchery. Or a guy in flip-flops having a go at you when you came to the club to meet leather daddies.

4.) It's usually not about how well you can pull off a look, but rather how authentic you are and how much you respect the theme of the party. Skin color is not the issue. It's not about fitting a stereotypical picture, but understanding the fetish and making an effort with your wardrome selection. Sure, if the motto of the evening is "barely legal pretty faces", you have a hard time getting in as a daddy type. But I have seen incredibly attractive guys turned away from clubs because they didn't want to follow the rules and the red carpet being rolled out for barely average guys, because they nailed what the party is about. 

5.) Best is ALWAYS to ask a local friend (who has been to the party before) about possible pitfalls. It's usually tourists (be it a Americans, but also Germans from a different state) run afoul of local dress codes, because they usually don't have the time to get informed in advance and aren't introduced to the fetish scene gradually by friends and aquaintances. But if you know someone in the area, take advantage of it. 

Well, since this post is in the Berlin sub, I’ll share my opinion as someone who’s been going to parties in Berlin for 10 years and has been living in the city for 2 years.
And just to be clear — I’m talking specifically about cruising clubs (not dance clubs like Berghain).

I’m talking about cruising clubs focused on gay men. There are very few events or parties where a dress code is actually mandatory — for example: LAB.oratory, Gummy, or the Rubber Party at Scheune bar during Easter week. But aside from those, on almost all other days, there is no strict dress code at any club in Berlin.

That said, people do get turned away at the door — especially if they’re not following the “suggested” dress code. For example, there’s a very well-known cruising club for leather men in Schöneberg. On Saturdays, dress code is theoretically mandatory.

But are they going to turn away a regular local who goes there all the time and happens to show up without full gear? Probably not. Who are they more likely to turn away? A tourist not wearing the dress code. That’s where things like ageism, looks, and general appearance unfortunately come into play. A young, attractive guy will rarely be rejected — even on a strict Saturday dress-code night.

Right now there’s only one bar in Schöneberg that’s really “focused” on a younger crowd — and it’s actually a franchise of a bar from Barcelona.

I’ve heard stories of people being turned away at the door because they were older than the bar’s “target” crowd… but again, they were tourists. Locals who live in the city and go there regularly are rarely turned away.

There are also a lot of reports of people being turned away from the SNAX party, which happens twice a year at Lab.oratory — and according to most people, it often comes down to how “hot” the bouncers think you are.

Edited Monday at 08:11 PM by Bob1119
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