Ideas for the world of tomorrow

Anyone who drifts through Hamburg's neighbourhood at the weekend with numerous tourists and party people will be amazed: with an estimated 140 music venues and around 20,000 music events a year, Hamburg is at the top of the list in Germany. Between Reeperbahn and Schanze you will find institutions such as "Große Freiheit 36", "Gruenspan", "Docks" and "Uebel & Gefährlich". A mecca for lovers of live music and dance enthusiasts. Hardly anyone would think that many clubs regularly slip into the red despite long queues at the entrance - 15 of them have closed their doors in recent years, including well-known venues such as "Golem", "Kleine Donner", "Moloch" and "klubsen". There are many reasons for this - according to Thore Debor, CEO of Clubkombinat Hamburg, factors such as redensification, tenant displacement and costly regulations are primarily responsible for the "end" of many clubs.

Clubkombinat is the association of the club and promoter landscape in Hamburg and is committed to ensuring that the conditions for the local live club scene do not deteriorate any further: "Due to the enormous number of construction projects in Hamburg, we have to take a very close look at what is to be built in the neighbourhood of music venues. Otherwise we will soon see clubs being pushed out of the neighbourhoods into the outskirts. The people who move into a new building these days or stay in a hotel in the immediate vicinity of a club are not all enthusiastic clubbers and are unfortunately very sensitive to noise. In addition, commercial rents for music venues are increasing significantly, especially when the neighbourhood is upgraded by new buildings," says Debor. Corners, which have now become established, are also weakening the clubs, which are often only able to book an increase in turnover at the end of the evening through their catering income. Drinks are cheaper at the kiosk round the corner than in the club - and life in the big city is expensive enough as it is. Jakob Lass, who directed the adaptation of the novel "So was von da", has also seen some of his favourite clubs go in recent years: "I think you can see a big change in Hamburg - at least compared to what I knew in my youth. And unfortunately it rarely gets better. In order for it to get better, we need to work to ensure that there are spaces that don't have to function commercially. I think it's important to create such safe spaces where it's not about money, but only about culture."

Tino Hanekamp has already had his last club night in Hamburg and left the club business more than five years ago. Was there already talk of clubs dying out back then? "The word was already floating around back then. But maybe it's not a dying out of clubs, but rather the impossibility of new clubs opening. I don't think it's a problem for the club scene that clubs sometimes close. There should be movement. But there are no spaces for new venues - and it's almost impossible to finance a new club with all the official requirements, that's really crazy! We had found a small niche with the Weltbühne at the time and cheated quite a bit - we knew that the authorities could come any day and shut us down," says Hanekamp, who co-founded the "Uebel & Gefährlich" after the "Weltbühne" closed. So what would be the solution? "You could try, for example, not to immediately demolish an empty building in every neighbourhood or renovate it as a condominium, but to give club operators a chance and say "here, have a go". Give people five years, then create another space. Buildings should be used for other purposes for a while before they are thrown onto the housing market," says Hanekamp. Of course, that would also be conceivable for new buildings.

Thore Debor also finds the term "club death" unsuitable for the current situation, a hyped word that fuels fears where it doesn't need to be. Even though 15 clubs have closed, seven music venues have reopened or expanded. You also always have to consider whether it is a voluntary or involuntary closure and whether the "end" of a club also rules out the arrival of a new club. Dying looks different. The Ministry of Culture and Media has increased its funding for live music clubs from 150,000 to 250,000 euros this year. A sign that emphasises the importance of clubs for Hamburg, even in political circles. So Hamburg is on the ball, even if, according to Thore Debor, the ever worsening framework conditions constantly require new and more intensive efforts. And sometimes the devil is in the detail: "My biggest problem at the moment is the summer slump," says Susanne Leonhard, who has been running "Docks" and "Prinzenbar" on the Reeperbahn for eight years now. "If my CEO didn't support me, I would go broke every year in the summer months. People want to party outside when it's 30 degrees and the festivals give us a hard time. We only have three events a month instead of around 15. It would actually be cheaper to close the club during this time," says the 55-year-old. For several years, she and Clubkombinat have been looking for a suitable open-air space that the Hamburg clubs can also play in summer temperatures - but so far in vain.

Club owners are often categorised as restaurateurs or tradespeople. However, if you walk along the neighbourhood or the Schanze, you quickly realise that there is more to it than that. People meet up for events, cultural happenings and unforgettable evenings. People exchange ideas and get inspired. "This is where the ideas for the world of tomorrow are born. It would be great if the importance of these cultural spaces for the people of our city was recognised," says Debor. The Clubkombinat therefore also speaks of cultural space protection, a term that illustrates the dimension of protecting clubs and bars a little better. But what can eager concert-goers do to support their favourite clubs in the best possible way? Thore Debor again: "When buying concert tickets in advance, you can use our FairTix system to save money and still donate 1 club euro per ticket to the Club Foundation (www.fair-tix.de). It is also a great support to be able to consume drinks in the club. And if you attend a concert and were impressed by the artist, you are welcome to buy CDs or records after the show. Many bands keep their heads above water by selling merchandise." And very important: don't be too loud outside the door at clubs that are struggling with noise complaints. Sounds a bit like a buzzkill, but it can make all the difference for one club or another.

So it remains to be said that the club business is not an easy business these days, but it is an extremely important one for society. We are a long way from clubs dying out, but we need to keep our eyes open to ensure that conditions do not deteriorate any further. When asked about their dream job, many people answer "open a bar or a club". Not an easy endeavour, but not impossible: "If you want to open a club these days, you have to be prepared to give your whole life to it. He or she has to enjoy the job because you don't get rich as a club operator. I still can't imagine doing anything else," says Susanne Leonhard, her eyes shining. Tino Hanekamp also sees no reason to be dissuaded from opening a club: "Just do it and don't be afraid. Mistakes and failures are often the best way to set the course for your life and, in case of doubt, take you to the most amazing places that you didn't even realise existed." With this in mind, we are looking forward to the next club in Hamburg!