::: Moscow Blog :::

Usually I try to stay away from the politics. There are plenty of blogs discussing this matter for the US, Europe and Russia or their relations to each other. Nevertheless, I am very often confronted with the “Freedom of Speech” and “Freedom of Press” in Russia discussion during my travels in Europe or the US. Last weekend I found this (once again) outstanding documentary on PBS’s FRONTLINE, which you can watch online. It is about the press in the US, how the Bush administration (but also others before) tries to manipulate and control it, but furthermore it is about the ECONOMIC REALITIES BEHIND THE PRESS. Publishing is a business and who pays (or advertises) makes the rules. Its as simple as that.

I could experience this about 10 years ago for the first time, when I made the mistake of discussing a fucked up event with a guy called Uwe Sasse (a manager of a clothing company) infront of some TV people. I told him, I’d write the truth about his event during this talk (it wasn’t a fierce one or an argument). What I didn’t know (being naive at that time), he was one of the biggest advertisers of the (snowboard) magazine I worked for and got me fired. He also made sure, I will not get any other jobs in any other magazine related to Snowboarding in the German speaking countries. At least the article was printed at that time already and they couldn’t pull the issue. Its sad, but it is as FRONTLINE calls it: the economic realities behind the press. Watching this documentary, I also had to think about Berlusconi and how he controls the media in Italy. Is it Bertelsman, Springer and/or Burda in Germany? So? Instead of bashing Russia, is anybody else talking about the freedom of the press in Europe and the US? Oh yes, you are right. At least journalists don’t get killed there, but they are put in prison, lose their jobs and are made silent in other ways, which are almost equally as horrible. Freedom of speech and freedom of press my …

Newswar. Watch the full series online on PBS.org:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/newswar/view/

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It was one of the first bars I have visited in Moscow and its one of the few, which survived over the past years. Until last weekend. Garage just closed down and with it, one of the best after hour clubs is gone for good.

I have been there last Saturday and probably for the last time. The club was said to close down for the longest time. Just a year ago, a fire in the first floor restaurant caused a flooding of the club below. Garage was said to close down, but 4 weeks later it was opened again. You can say many bad things about Garage, like that there were too many whores (leftovers from Nightflight after its closing at 3 AM), the music being bad, the facecontrol was strangely unreliable and and and, but it has been THE after hour club in Moscow and there was always a party and interesting people to meet at 4-11 AM in the morning, when the other clubs had long closed down. I had many good and bad experiences in Garage during the past 4 years. It was sort of a love and hate relationship. I met my girlfriend there, had been friends with the manager (until he got fired), ended my DJ career there (they kicked me out), met and got drunk with one of the owners (who lived in Germany for a while), met EU officials, business men, tourists, other DJ’s, club people, major Moscow nightlife figures from other clubs as Dagilev, … I left this club too often, drunk as hell, facing busy and sober Moscovites and (way to) bright daylight on a Sunday morning. Them looking at me, like I am a Zombie.

Last Saturday we passed by for a quick farewell drink. Garage was supposed to be closed already, but they decided to open for another night just for people who pass by. After 3 AM the place was full as usual and the party kickin. We talked to Alec, one of the owners. He told us that him and the other owners have plans to open a new club. Something on a roof, a little more exclusive (what a surprise for Moscow) and with a pool. I am curious and hope the face control is a little more predictable, than at Garage, where you could come shitfaced drunk with baggy pants, wearing a NYankees cap and they let you in. Next time you came nicely dressed and almost sober after a corporate party, but there was a NO GO! Even, though they let other suits in. Oh well, if you really needed a few more Vodka Red Bulls, you could always buy your way in with 500-1000 Rbls.

So, I guess its time to say Good Bye to Garage, a club I hated and loved at the same time. Being confused about where I will spend my afterhour from now on, I can say one thing for sure: With its closing an era of Moscow nightlife has ended. Lets see what the future brings. Where do you go for after hours in Moscow? Mix? A-Priori? Krisha? Boarhouse?

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