Yesterday I made plans with Ina to do something. She really wanted to go to the Dieburger Biergarten...somewhere I have never been which she described as a rock club. Naturally I am a pretty open person so I agreed to go.
It is not often the case that I immediately realize that I do not fit in somewhere. This was an exception. The fact that I was wearing a white T-shirt already made me an outcast. I immediately needed a beer to try and normalize the situation. I felt very much like I just couldn't categorize anything that was going on
The bar had two rooms and the one that we were in had a "tree" in the middle of the room, which was really just a decorated support column. The rule there is that when you dance, you face the tree. When we first arrived they were playing "medieval metal", like metal lord of the rings music. Slowly it progressed into all sorts of different types of thrash and it seemed to almost be like a cult, because everyone would kind of move backwards and forwards in unison around this tree and it looked almost like swelling. It felt though, as though the tree was there so that people could avoid actually having to make eye contact with others.
What made everything more terrifying is that it was a halloween party and Ina and I were in the 4% of people that were clearly not wearing costumes. The rest of the people it seemed were all pretty dressed up, like what would be dressing up for me. I think however that a lot of people simply added some fake blood, or painted their faces because it seemed like they were wearing the clothes that they would wear normally. They just perhaps went one step further down that road.
For me the highlight of the evening was watching people dance. It was all very intense and aggressive. I have never watched multiple people headbang in public before in a serious manner. I saw a nun headbang. I also have the feeling that the type of people who were in attendance were misfits to some extent, but it was nice that they have a place like this to come.
For me I was just happy to hear some music.
