DNA Club Munich - everything done right
Thursday 2. Oktober in Munich. The next day is a public holiday, it’s Oktoberfest and the price for that evening is 13€. Sounds tempting!
When we arrive at the door we shortly chat with the doorman. Friendly, unpretentious, welcoming. We ask if people in “Tracht” (Oktoberfest attire) are allowed and he explains us that this is generally the case, but he is very rigerous letting those people in - in terms of how they behave and drunkenness. I support his views and imo it’s a part of Munich culture that shouldn’t be denied. My friend I came with is sceptical. Fast forward 6 hours and some of the last people on the dancefloor are in Tracht - everything done right.
It’s no big line up. No prominent DJ. Just 3 local collectives that run the show. But I’ve checked them out beforehand and it could be something I’ll be into.
At the end of the day, for a price less then a beer at Oktoberfest, what’s to loose?
When we arrive at the door, we shortly chat with the doorman. Friendly, unpretentious, welcoming. We ask if people in “Tracht” (Oktoberfest attire) are allowed, and he explains to us that this is generally the case. Still, he is very rigorous about letting those people in, in terms of how they behave and their level of drunkenness. I support his views and imo it’s a part of Munich culture that shouldn’t be denied. My friend I came with is sceptical. Fast forward 6 hours, and some of the last people on the dancefloor are in Tracht - everything done right.
It was my first time in the DNA club. When I used to live in Munic,h it didn’t exist, and usually I would go to Blitz, which is in my opinion one of the best clubs in Germany. Compared to it, DNA is rather unspectacular and feels less mature, both in its style as well as as the line-ups.
Usually, harder and more bouncy sounds are played here, and this evening was no different. When we arrived Kecki from the Bass x Bussi collective set the scene and were the start to our night. At first, I was sceptical. From the beginning, the music was fast and high energy. Mostly I was afraid that if the 2 DJs afterwards take over, it will get even quicker and at some point just manifest into something my old body can’t handle anymore.
Instagram links to all the collectives and DJ's involved
But then Spanier mit Auto and Vero from katchin took over, and it was just perfect! The big Lambda Labs Soundsystem got turned up a bit, and this small room began shaking! They didn’t increase the speed noticeably, but still got the energy rising. Amazing track selection, very bouncy, lots of vocals. They themselves also added to it by partying and jumping in the booth and interacting with the crowd.
Finally, Ruby from BMZ closed off the club. Once again, there was no noticeable increase in speed. Good, because at this point we were already at my personal max. But the tracks felt more closing-like: longer breaks, more melodic and intimate. The evening musically summarized - everything done right!
Up to this point, everything is good, but now let’s talk about the greatest point: the crowd!
Every collective that was involved brought its own crew. Each of whom was out socializing, super friendly, talking about events and music. No matter if on the dancefloor or in the chill out area. At some point, it felt like we knew everyone in the club as we constantly ran into people we had talked to before. It was one of those nights where you just get the underground spirit.
Ironically, a friend was thinking about joining us but decided against it. Some of his last words were “if Somewhen would play, I would join, but I don’t know anybody and I am out of energy”. I was speechless, fuck that attitude! If Somewhen (170k+) had played, the place would have been too full to enjoy, the entry would at least have been double, and the crowd would be full of TikTok ravers instead of local organizers.
With what upside? The music was already perfect, the vibe was perfect, the crowd was perfect! Just to say that we saw a famous DJ?
My final verdict. That night, DNA did everything right. They handed it over to local collectives, trusted their sense in music/crowd, kept the entry price low, and educated their staff to welcome everyone (from selection, to cashier, to bar). This is how it should be! Otherwise, I would have most likely found this night uneventful and wouldn’t have written about it. But in my opinion, this is the only future how new places can emerge. Focus on the local scene, the underground, and make it accessible. Big names, with agencies in the back, charging big fees, are not sustainable for small independent venues. And if they try, they will become unaffordable for the regulars and will lose the crowd that makes a place special. And for what? For some hype chasing wanna be ravers instead of true connections?
It was a beautiful evening, and if the next time I’m in Munich, one of those collectives is organizing a party, I’m for sure gonna be in for it!
