Tag Archives: Berlin music scene

An evening at Barbiche, a woman-owned art space!

Alfred Ladylike at Barbiche March 18 2018 by Suzanne ForbesDo you know what Barbiche means? It means the little beard of the goat!

Isn’t that the best damn thing ever?? Barbiche is a new bar and art space created by artist Lena Braun, legendary Berlin queer gallerist, salon hostess and culture curator. I went there to see my friend Alfred Ladylike perform. Here she is rocking out onstage!

And below is woman rocker Kitty Solaris.

Performer at Barbiche March 16 2018 by Suzanne ForbesI took the bus in the snow to get there, which sounds onerous but was actually delightful.

I was bundled up and cozy, the bus comes every five minutes and is right on the corner, and the snow flickering down in the night was like glitter. And Barbiche is in the West! It’s a gorgeous space with lots of cool art on display. In Schöneberg, where the art scene is getting stronger and stronger. As per Lena: “In the west of Berlin,” she says, “something is happening again.”

Alfred’s consort Chris was petting their dog Georgie Boy here. One of my Patreon Patrons also makes an appearance in this drawing, as does the hostess herself, Ms. Lena Braun!

At Barbiche March 18 2018 by Suzanne ForbesIt’s totally normal to bring your dog to your gig in Berlin.

And Georgie is a good boy! You can see I’m drinking Fritz-Kola, the ubiquitous independent soda of Berlin, in my fave flavor, rhubarb. Pink vegetable soda, sweet doggos, original art, woman-owned art business, friends rocking out. It’s a damn good life.

Baron Anastis and the Erinyes and a new drawing buddy, Miz K!

Drawing of Suzanne Forbes by Kristen Haas Curtis and of Miz K by Suzanne Forbes Feb 1 2018

Drawing of Suzanne Forbes by Kristen Haas Curtis and of Miz K by Suzanne Forbes Feb 1 2018

The drawers, drawn! AKA, women cartoonists unite and rule!

Last weekend my friends were performing in my neighborhood, just a couple blocks from my home. At a cool place I didn’t know about, an art gallery/music venue called Art Stalker!Baron Anastis by Suzanne Forbes Feb 1 2018

We don’t get much punk rock here in the Far West, ya know, so it was a big deal!

It was my first chance to catch an official gig of Baron Anastis and the Erinyes. Friend and muse Rah Hell is the drummer, veteran Berlin rocker Joe Sparkle is on guitar and Baron Anastis, punk titan of West Berlin, is the frontman and songwriter.

Joe Dochtermann by Suzanne Forbes Feb 1 2018(You can see my drawings from when I went to a rehearsal at their Sekrit Mystery Rehearsal Space here. )

Rah Hell by Suzanne Forbes Feb 1 2018To my delight, I also got to IRL meet Rah’s bestie, Switzerland-based American cartoonist Kristen Haas Curtis. Kristen is known as Miz K in the independent comics world, and she is a marvelous talent. I had been enjoying her warm and deft diary comics for a while, and was intrigued to see her at work in the wild.

Miz K and I settled down together to share a drawing table – she was doing Hourly Comics Day, which I didn’t even know was a thing!

It turns out it is, and damn, no way would I be able to do that. Would you look at this??

Hourly Comics by Kristen Haas Curtis AKA Miz K Feb 1 2018

Hourly Comics by Kristen Haas Curtis AKA Miz K Feb 1 2018

It was so nice to have a drawing buddy at a gig and the show was great. They played some of their terrific glampunk originals and some covers including a deliciously corroded cover of “Pure Morning” and a rollicking “Commando”. Everyone had a good time!

Afterwards we took a taxi since Rah and Miz K were transporting drums, and they dropped me off at my door like a fancy person. And then I read Kristen’s lovely comic done in collab with her daughter Bee, Princess Wolf and her Life of Darkness, which is really wonderful and if you have kids or like comics, check it out right here, I HIGHLY recommend it!

Follow Kristen on Instagram, see her previous hourly comics here, and follow Baron and the Erinyes here!

Thanks a million, million to my beloved Patrons on Patreon, who make it possible for me to show up and document events like this!