the now defunct casino club night in east berlin

I was at one of these parties in 2002 with Nick Warren and Paul Van Dyk both doing 5 hour sets. I and the wife to be were still jet-lagged, having just a few hours earlier checked into one of those incredible Berlin boutique apartment rentals that's the thing to do. We enjoyed a few pre-show beers, and hit the S-Bahn to head to the East Station.

I tended to do things more by the seat of my pants, so I hadn't bothered researching Casino ahead of time. I expected a super-club of the like I read about in Muzik magazine and Mixmag, so I hadn't brung any cash. Don't forget, wise or not, American's pay for everything with debit and credit cards. When I showed up, we had just enough Euro's to get into the club. The vibe was thick, with a long line queing up at 11 PM. Paul Van Dyk was opening. Opening?

This was completely different to everything I'd experieced stateside, first for my early years in the Texas rave scene, and then the creme of the Colorado club years. I walked into what was essentially an abandoned warehouse - the bars were cinderblocks with cut wood sheets serving as counters. The lighting was incredible. The sound system blew Beta's much-lauded Function One out of the water. I didn't have enough cash to enjoy many brews, but Van Dyk opened up with a fantastic set, leading up to Nick Warren. When PVD took back over around 4 AM, the vibe was incredible - he wasn't playing so much of the cheese sound he was known for in the UK and America, but playing to his tougher, harder-to-please hometown crowd. The below video captures this vibe perfectly. One of the best nights of my life. We left around 8 AM, surrounded by party zombies and tired as hell, but with memories that will live forver. East berlin raving ruled.