Charlie D.
Google
I am giving 4 stars because I see the potential of this space if everything goes right, but the party tonight gets 2 stars (a bonus star because I love that it was definitely a gay party, 1 star if it hadn't been) because there were really easy fixes to salvage the event that I am surprised this venue didn't have ready.
So, they moved their speakers outside into the back for one of their open-air parties, which was a nice idea. The sound system was great, except for the way that it made something rattle on the building (maybe some of the slightly opened glass windows?). However, an unexpected (not even predicted on two weather apps) rain shower struck. It was very short, and mostly a small drizzle. They turned off the music and moved all of the partiers into the basement "chill area." Soon after, they turned on the lights in the chill area, which to me felt like a massive mistake - if there's no dancefloor, the least they can offer a gay party is the other attraction, which might have really started to work since we were all stuck in there already.
After the rain ended, we went upstairs again, and everyone hung out waiting until the music started (noticing that the speakers had been moved inside, wondering if maybe the party might move indoors too). Then, after a while, everyone was informed that the party was canceled because of technical concerns about the equipment being wet. We all left, with a rumored promise of a refund, which is nice. However...
I live in Berlin. Every club that ever has an outdoor garden party knows to put a roof over the DJ booth. This is a standard feature at venues in the Netherlands and New York, and at every techno festival I have ever been to. This well-regarded club is running a series of outdoor events booking major artists and didn't put up anything to protect the equipment? Really? And if that was impossible, they didn't have the backup ready of using their normal indoor space? If the party had a multiple-hour torrential downpour, OK, cancel the outdoor, but this rainstorm was so mild that I was happily dancing with a little bit of mist cooling me off until the music was cut. This should have NEVER been enough of a concern to cancel an entire party and lose the organizers this kind of money.
So, my feedback is: put a roof over the DJ booth and the speakers! It can't possibly be that difficult! Or be ready to shift gears and move inside, and at least give your partiers the full access to the rest of the space that has been allotted to them without turning on the overhead lights and destroying the mood when we all were stuck there in an unusual situation. This venue has a lot of potential, so I hope that giving it a 4-star review is a fair reflection of what it could be on a better night right now, and a call for them to do some really basic, obvious things to make it a 5-star review next time they try to host a queer event like this, because it really could have been great tonight otherwise.