SLOW TRAVEL BERLIN
Popfest Berlin, Grüner Salon, until 27 September
More Pop Less Shit! is the slogan of Popfest Berlin, an annual event that showcases indie pop bands from around the world. This year, for the fifth anniversary, Popfest Berlin will feature nine bands during a two-day jangle-pop jamboree.
The Popfest tradition is widespread, with the cities of Limoges, Madrid, San Francisco, Vienna, New York, and London – among others – hosting a yearly event. And while a variety of bands both young and old play, their music spanning beneath the wide umbrella of indie pop music, the roots of these festivals arguably date back to C86, a cassette compilation put out in 1986 by NME.
Of the 22 artists featured on the C86 tape, a handful have already played Popfests. This time around, Spearmint, The Popguns, The Flatmates, Fire Island Pines, The Understudies, Trambeat, Loor A Los Heroes, Lost Tapes and Woog Riots will make the soundtrack for the nights. And once the bands end, the DJs begin, playing tunes until the last dancer drops. Natalye Childress
Grüner Salon, Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz 2, 10178 Berlin; 030 24 00 93 27; U Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz; admission: €20 on Friday, €20 on Saturday, €36 for both days.