Preview: A.J. Shanti

(from http://ajshanti.wordpress.com/)

A.J. Shanti
recently kicked her musical career into high gear, having just
completed her first European tour, and is continuing to plan her tour
of the United States, set to begin this spring. She’s promoting her
debut album “Baby Beau Blue”, a lyrically and instrumentally packed
album containing themes of queer struggle and liberation, heartache,
love, fun, and sex. Her live performances are raw and emotionally
charged. She has been performing as a solo artist, but will begin to
include the talents of a Croatian musician, Dora Benc, creating a rich
and harmonious depth to her performances.

A.J. grew up on Long Island, New York and spend a good part of her
adult life in San Francisco where she finished college and embarked
upon several professional endeavors (queer youth counselor, truck
driver, etc.) until last year, when she decided to dive head first into
her music. She has been enjoying all of the excitement, exhaustion, and
liberation that proceeds the pursuit of one’s dreams.

 

 

 http://ajshanti.wordpress.com/

http://www.myspace.com/ajshanti

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Eviction

 

 

The schwarzer kanal has received an eviction date for
31.12.2009. This has come from the owners of the land Hoch Tief, who
say that they need all of the land we occupy to start a huge building
project and for the access roads to the site. Hoch Tief claim that they
dont want to start the building project so soon, but unless they start
the developement in 2010 they will have to pay a large fine to the
building regulators (BIMA).
Over the last few years, our location
in the Media spree development zone in central Berlin has put us in the
firing line of an invasion of big companies, and the gentrification of
Kreutzberg-Mitte. However this is the first time we have recieved a
concrete eviction date.
Schwarzer Kanal is mobilising to resist, and maintain our unique status
as a queer political and cultural wagenplatz.
Schwarzer kanal is incomparable to just another concrete box.
Help us to resist this eviction! For information and updates join our email list:

send an email to schwarzerkanal@squat.net with the heading "verteiler"

 

A meeting will be held during UP YOU E@RS about the eviction! It’s scheduled to happen during the voku on Saturday. Stay tuned for more details!

 

 

 

Schwarzer kanal bleibt!

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About the Schwarzer Kanal

The Festival will take place at the radical queer wagenplatz Schwarzer
Kanal.

It is the BEST and ONE AND ONLY radical queer wagonplace on the
planet but it’s also an open community project, run not only by the
people who live there, but by a wider community who use it for events,
workshops, art, film evenings, bike fixing, concerts, Vöku, cabaret or
as base for political actions… and!  Schwarzer Kanal is now
threatened with eviction from 1st January 2010 and UP YOUR EARS might
be the last big event taking place there.

 

This is what it’s written about the project on http://www.schwarzerkanal.squat.net

 Schwarzer Kanal as a queer* political and cultural project

Wagenplatz Schwarzer Kanal is an open community
project, run not only by the people who live there, but by a wider
community who use it for events, workshops, art, film evenings, bike
fixing, concerts, Vöku, cabaret or as base for political actions… and!
For that we have a big stage area, a wagen for hosting workshops, an
open air cinema, a community kitchen wagen, a bike workshop wagen, a
fire and bar area.

All
events are for free of by donation. This means no one is excluded from
attending because they don’t have enough money. Any profit goes to a
variety of causes. Schwarzer Kanal project operates according the DIY
principle: Do It Yourself! The idea is that there are no bosses, no
masters and no one comes just to consume. Everyone who uses the space
helps to keep it running. Whether that be by doing the washing up after
a Vöku, doing a bar shift during a concert, helping to tidy up after a
party, doing press work, or realizing your own ideas for an event…
There are lots of possibilities! To find out how you can get involved
just ask around during an event or if you have a proposal, email schwarzerkanal@squat.net to find out the time of our next meeting.

All – apart from those promoting racist, sexist,or homophobic ideas, – are welcome to come along and take part!

The project extends beyond our physical space in Michaelkirchstr:
Schwarzer
Kanal meets to go on demonstrations together as a queer block, and
supports actions in and around Berlin and further afield. Some examples
have been around issues of no borders, antisexism, antifascism and gentrification.

Schwarzer
Kanal is also a point of contact for many international queers passing
through, part of an informal network of anti-capitalist queers. It is
also part of a wider network of autonomous spaces, squats and Wagenplatzs in Berlin, Europe and beyond.

Like
millions of people all over the world Schwarzer Kanal is attempting to
build up our own structures from the grassroots while questioning and
reflecting on our inequalities.

 

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Preview: Gertrude

(from http://www.myspace.com/gertruderock )

Gertrude are a london based diy post rock/ punk band who have been
playing a wide variety of gigs from squats to art events , traditional
and non traditional venues for over 11 years. They combine mutant
electric cello, melodica and clarinet with feisty lyrics and energetic
prog punk inventiveness. They have a commitment to working collectively
and supporting grass roots diy movements. Gertrude have toured in
Europe, America and Canada. They have produced several eps and 3
albums. This year they launched their third self-produced album "
Speak, Shape, Create Time" ( Urban Missfits 2009) This has received
some great reviews see the blogs here, to find out what Organ and
Mudkiss say, and is available from CDbaby online, worldwide and from
Code 7 distribution in the UK and Europe.

 

 

http://www.myspace.com/gertruderock

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Radio workshop with Tina Tusch

Saturday 5th,  2-5pm

Want to make your own free queer radio a reality? Come to learn
about making digital radio programs: basic recording audio, making
interviews, and editing audio to make a final program that will be
broadcast online as a podcast that your friends everywhere can listen
to!

This workshop is 3 hours long and is a hands on workshop where you
will actually make a podcast for Up Your Ears that will be played
online as a part of the festivals radio programming! All experience
levels welcome, and please note that space may be somewhat limited
(depending on equipment), so show up early and for the full 3 hrs.

If
you can, bring any extra recording equipment and laptops so more people
can participate- thanks!

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Singing workshop with Lyndsey Cockwell

Saturday 5th,  3-5pm

Love singing? want to learn? want to improve? want to have fun singing in harmony with other queers?
Come
and learn some basic singing techniques including posture, breathing
and ways to find your own voice, or improve the one you’ve already
discovered.

Then find out how much fun it can be singing songs
in 3-part harmonies. We will be working on a song – or songs! – to sing
at the sunday performance for those interested. You don’t have to be
part of the performance to attend the workshop, but it will take your
singing to another level!

All are welcome – complete beginners, complete professionals and complete show-offs. No experience necessary.

Sing and smile.  

 

More info about the schedule to follow, stay tuned!

http://www.myspace.com/lyndseycockwell

http://www.lyndseycockwell.com/

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LIMP WRIST in berlin

we are thrilled to be involved with this benefit gig for schwarzer kanal.  

 see you there. 

NOTE: gig begins at 10 pm and will be over by 12.30 am!!!

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Radio project

 During the festival there is the plan to create a radio podcast so that people who have no access to the festival itself can also listen to a selection of the concerts through the internet. The radio podcast would also provide a platform for queer political radio programmes, and help to provide a voice for a diverse international queer political community. The completed radio braodcast would then be uploaded on the internet as a permenant rescource.  Queers from all over the place could also send in song suggestions or suggestions for content.

So if you have an idea for a song suggestion, please send it to us per email: upyourears@riseup.net 

and if you have a burning queer political issue that you want aired, make a recording about it and send it to us:

upyourears wagenplatz schwarzer kanal, michaelkirchstr 20, 10179 Berlin, Germany

 

 Update! A Radio Workshop will be held at the schwarzer kanal, the outcome would help to fuel this podcast!

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Introducing UP YOUR E@RS

4th-6th September 2009
Queer music festival happening 4th-6th September 2009 at Schwarzer Kanal. For more information:
www.myspace.com/upyourears

UP YOUR E@RS is taking a feminist approach to set up a three day celebration of queer music and resistance culture in some of its many forms!

Its a DIY event: Entrance to the concerts is by donation but the idea is that every attendant will take part in the festival by helping out in some way with eg. cleaning up, setting up, contributing with a workshop, performances..Please mail us with your ideas and suggestions! Plan on coming a day or two early, or staying a day after. Bring a tent and you can camp on the Schwarzer Kanal.
We are open to band suggestions and performances. Please get in touch if you have any no matter how crazy they may be.We would really like to maximize the music styles covered and the regional diversity.

More info to be announced soon. get in touch here or through upyourearsNOSPAM @ riseup.net

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