Category: christiania

Midsummer, burning the witch, slutwalk and #metoo

On By boandresenIn christiania, Concerts events, Eating and drinking, food, sports, Street partyLeave a comment

It is a tradition since mediavel times, to make a big bonfire on June 23rd Saint Johns (Sankt Hans) evening. It is all over the country and also in Copenhagen. It has for many years been controversial to burn witches (or the symbol of witches) and even more in these #metoo times.
This year the fires are cancelled because of the long drought. So even it has been raining the last week, The Fire Brigade is still making a ban. Instead there are all sort of creative things, like LED lights and other fake fires.
Along the harbour there are many events, so its easy to take a bike ride and find some.

At Reffen in Refshaleøen, they are celebrating Sankt Hans, and Fastpoholmen are playing, and they are a really good Swedish / Danish band.

Slutwalk
is an event to mark that a woman should be free to dress and act, in any way she likes, without being harashed and assulted by men (or other women). You can participate at Rådhuspladsen at 12 midday, and the next couple of hours. (No dress Code ;-))

Saturday is time for Nørrebro Festival at Blågårds Plads. There is the Nørrebro Løb, where kids and grown ups are running around in Nørrebro, and a Flea Market, and bands playing, Barbecue, Circus, entertainment for the kids and other stuff. It all ends in the evening with the fire without fire or witch. Because Nørrebro is NOT celebrating the burning of witches.

And if you are not that much into outdoor fake bonfires and then go inside to Ungdomshuset an find some Hard core Punk

Natasja on friday
Now ten years have passed since danish reggae legend Natasja died in a traffic accident in Jamaica. She is celebrated in a concert at Pumpehuset friday, with the best reggae artists that Copenhagen can find. It should have been at Grey Hall Christianina, but is moved to a smaller location. Tickets at the door.

Friday Night Skate is starting at Solbjerg Plads 8 PM. So grap your rollers and get moving.

Beyonce and Copenhell
Many of my friends  are headbanging at Copenhell. You can find a spot to hear it from the stages. Or climpe the fences… It is more difficult to climp the fences at Parken . Beyonce and Jay-z are playing, but you can hear it from the park next door.

Nemoland Christiania has free concerts every sunday. You can hear really good rock June 24th  when Sandmen from the 1980´s are playing with my favorite  Rock band Bolværket as support. It should have been the other way round. Sandmen supporting Bolværket.

On your way to Christiania you can drop by the Fleamarket in Islands Brygge. Always something good to find, and the opportunity to take a swim in the harbour.
Have a fantastic weekend

Photo: The outdoor Concert saturday at emaljehaven. 

National day of Greenland

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Is on June 21st. So that is why you see the Greenlandic flags everywhere. It is also summer solstice, and among other places its celebrated at Christiania, where the Sunshine Bakery is hosting an event with live music and DJ´s , and food of course. It is Freetown aid, supporting an orphanage project in Nepal.
And then in Vesterbro, there is something I dont really know what is. But it sounds like a wired experience. But the sentence keeps on coming back in my head: ”CALLING ALL VAMPIRE FEMMES TO FEAST ON FASCIST BLOOD (Yerbamala) ”. 

The smaller Live music venues are closing down for the summer, leaving it to the festivals, to take over. Loppen, Alice, Stengade, Amager Bio are all closed, except for some concerts during the Jazz Festival in the second week of july.

But Underwerket is not going down. Wendesday June 20th there is Hardcore with US bans Fury , and two danish support bands.
Ant then Heavy Metal Festival Copenhell starts at thursday at Refshaleøen. 4 days of metal, with a warm up on wendesday. Ozzy, Alice in Chains, Deftones, Nightwish are among the bands playing.

Photo: Sundays Bikewars with Tallbike Knights tournament

K Town

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Is the biggest Hardcore punk event in Scandinavia, and it´s  at Ungdomshuset and is all DIY. Three days of bands from all over the world, doing what they are best at: Playing loud and fast!!!

There are a big and a small stage at Ungdomshuset, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 3 day Tickets are sold out, but you can buy single day tickets at the door. Bring plenty of Cash for the entrance, the bar and the merchandise stands. They take euros.

Bike Wars

Bike wars is not war on bikes, but war with bikes. There are all sorts of crazy home welded bikes, and the game is to smash the other bikes. The bike that last longest wins. And there are also a tall bike knights tournament. It is really entertaining, and with Dj´s playing more hardcore punk for you. At Blågårds Plads sunday at 2 PM.

If you are not that much into hardcore punk, I suggest that you drop by at Operaen in Christiania for some ethnic dancing with Balanga, and some DJ´s performning. Much more quiet and calm than Ungdomshuset.

Metropolis is a Danish forum, who are organising culturel events out in the open. In Nord Vest they are making a performence with a symphonie Orchestra, who are playing in front af the apartments in the building at Emaljehaven It is friday and saturday at 5 and 7 pm. And then it is just a 10 minuts walk to the punk festival at Ungdomshuset 😉

And you can spend your entire weekend in Nordvest, if you go to Nordvest festival, which is also from friday to sunday. Lots of stuff going on . Flea market, food, concerts, theater and dance performances

Art

Charlottenborg is the art school at Nyhavn, and here in the weekend, they are opening the doors so you can come and see what the students are working with right now. Prepare for a hold range of new art, and you can meet some of the artist there, and they can explain what sort of world they are expericing. It is called Rundgang

At the Kaospilot project they are also a little arty, and they are celebrating there new team is finished. So there is another party for you at Refshaleøen.

And Eid Mubarak to all Muslims here and abroad

Photo festival, Photos from above

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Photo festival is taken place with 57 different excibitions, spread out over the city. It is the next 10 days, and there is both history and art. As a dedicated photographer I sure will check out some of the things there. It is not only in Copenhagen, but also in Malmø. The main place is at ”Photo City” In Copenhagen Østerbro.

A night at the Opera

Operaen at Cristiania have a evening with Showmen, Jugglers, sword swallowers and much more. There is bands playing, and a night disco. It is FridayJune 8th

Instrumental reggae sound interesting and more like a jam, than actual numbers. Stengade on Nørrebro has it, and it will be hot and crowded, and it is almost sold out. Local Reggae performers are doing what they are best at.

Stop torture are making a concert at Kongens Have Saturday June 9th . It is with Teitur from Faroe islands and Danish X factor winners Place on Earth and Noah as a headline. Also entertainment for the kids. If you join this concert, please contribute with some money or a buy the beer or give a signature. They are doing a great job and need some support.

Get a ride

Hitchhiking has never been a big thing i Denmark. It has always been difficult to get a ride out of Copenhagen. But now there is opening official places to hitchhike out of Copenhagen. It is at 4 different places going north, west and south. We still need a place for going East towards Sweden. It is celebrated with an event on saturday June 9th from 9 morning to 6 evening.

Pictures from above

The French Photographer Yann Arthus-bertrand is making an event where he wants to have pictures and films of poeple with Bikes. It is on Israel Square Sunday June 10th at 5 PM. Check the event here.
It will be used in a new book, So be there at the square and be part of the event.

Smels Like Teen … Piss

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The hole city is stinking of piss. Both Nørrebro, Vesterbro and the Old City. Is hasn´t  rained for weeks, and after Pisstortion the smell is just not going away. So every time you go somewhere or sit down, the smell hits you. And there is no rain coming in the next week.

We need water. Water to drink, water to swim in, and water from the sky. The two first are no problem. You can swim in the harbour, and drink plenty of water. But we need some serious rain, to wash the dirt of the streets

Concerts

There are a few concerts that sounds good in the coming days. At Pumpehuset  Current Swell is a pretty good blues/ indie guy Performing. And by the youtube it sounds good for a free concert wendesday 6th . By some beer to support the place and the bands playing there.
Also at wendesday At Alice  in Nørrebro Meta Meta is Psycedelic / Rocky Salsa from Brazil, and that sounds like it could be a really fantastic dance and sweat concert. Check the video.
And Loppen – Christiania have tuesday June 5th a fairly new Danish rock / punk band playing. Dødens Triumf  consist of People from Halshug, and with guest fra Orm and Slægt, this could turn out to be a very good evening at Loppen. They sing in danish.

And remember that tuesday June 5th is national holiday. It is Constitution day 169 years since 1849.

 

Photo: The sound reduction in the ceiling at Loppen. 

 

Pisstortion, Police, Pushers and Play It

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Distortion
The neighboors hate it: The stink of piss and shit and old beer. They hate the broken glass puncturing the bikes. They hate the loud music that should end at 10 PM but the party keeps on going.
The kids from the suburbs love it. Here is a change to get really drunk, make a date, listen to some good music and dance in the streets. Wendesday on Nørrebro, Thursday on Vesterbro, before it moves out to Refshaleøen in the weekend, and becomes a party where you have to pay an entry fee, and cant bring your own alcohol.  Check it out
I probaply join the party one both Nørrebro and Vesterbro, but more like a observant, looking at the crazyness going on. And drinking a few beers of course. You can buy a bracelet to support the street party. The full deal for all five days (incl. Sunday) is 550 Kr.

The Street

At Christiania the situation on Pusher street is getting worse. On friday the local people opened up The Street again, after throwing out some of the younger dope dealers. But then the police announce that now they want to make visits everyday. And both saturday and monday morning they came with there trucks and chainsaws and removed all the stands. The result can be seen here at Nørrebro where I am living. The pushers at Nørrebro Parken have stepped up and placed guards around. So it can only go from bad to worse, with another gang war coming up. So over the summer we will have drive by shootings again, and more people filling the jails. And more people with PTSD.
It is sad that the danish government is so conservative and without visions.

Play It – Play it Sam

Stengade at Nørrebro has an open mic evening every month or now and then. You can bring your Guitar and check out your latest composition before a live audience. It is of course free, and you can sit and hang around. Its been a tradition since the 1990´s , and the staff works voluntarily. So a big hand for that.

 

Photo: Young Skaters ready to move at Vesterbro Skatepark, Enghave Plads. See how they copy the grown up guys. 😉 

Still summer in the city

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This weekend we give you the best that Copenhagen has to offer. The weather is incredible warm, and it will become the sort of nights, that you dont want to end. With the sun rising at 4.40 you just as well stay awake.

Concerts

At Alice in Nørrebro, there is percusion for you when one of the most hyped bands in the UK is playing. Tomaga is on the poster on friday 25th and next day, saturday there is a record release with danish Addis Abeba who is doing the task of combining Ethiopian Jazz and Nigerian Afrobeat. I am more likely to head for Lygtens Kro with Finnish Hard Action. In the Meat packing District at KB 18 There is Metal in your ears with Swedish RAM and the next generation metal kings danish Slægt.

On sunday, 27th Nemoland at Christiania starts there new set of free concerts with local Danish bands. They have some real good names on the poster. I dont understand why they are hiring so big names, and make so much advertisment. There is only room for around 1000 people, and the audience will be crammed like fish in a barrel. 🙂 . And on sunday when Fastpoholmen and Wafande is playing and the sun is shining, I will rather find a nice place by the harbour and take a dip in the water.

Clever at Bloom

 Bloom is in Søndermarken, Vesterbro near the Zoo, there is a nature and science festival. It is pretty long haired as we say, with talks and debates. Most is in danish, but there are also international speakers. And some music now and then. It is for free! , but you can buy a writsband and get access to more for a 100 kr. It is saturday and sunday May 26th and 27th.

Street party

And then on saturday there is a street party at Vesterbro on Enghave Plads . Things for kids, a flea market, music, food, beer, drinks. Mostly for locals, but it will be nice and the sun is shining, and int he evening you can find a bar to watch the CL Mens final, Liverpool playing Real Madrid.

 

Photo: Bell Rays at Loppen tuesday night. Good concert, even they were only playing for a small crowd 

Pusher street

On By boandresenIn christiania, Ikke kategoriseretLeave a comment

Things are happening at Christiania. The famous Pusher Street, where you can buy illegal cannabis products, have been closed by the local residents at Christiania. Tuesday may 22nd in the morning, the Street was sealed of by a fence, and som black curtains. So all trade has stopped, and it is not possible to buy any stuff.
My normal source is out of town, but rumours tells that they are tired of very young pushers ( down to 16 years), that are trying to control it. Also the everyday fighting with the police, and the many arrests has led to this action. They say The Pusher Street will open up again on friday, ”in a new and more hyggelig way”. It will be exciting to see what happens, and I will keep you updated. If you really need to buy something to smoke, ask around. And dont buy in the streets leading up to Christiania.
And as usually, the police wants to ”cooperate”. The rest of Christiania is open, so you can still visit it.
In my humble opinion the only thing to do, is to legalize cannabis, but it seems like there is a long way to go in conservative Denmark.

 

Picture: The pusher street in Christiania is closed until friday