Whanganui expats locked down in Berlin

Former Whanganui residents Brodie White and Peter Mangan have lived in Berlin, Germany, for more than a decade, and now find themselves hunkered down together in an apartment in Prenzlauer Berg, on the eastern side of the city.

Late March and April is usually the time Berliners get back out into the streets and parks after long, cold winter months, but this spring the city has remained in hibernation.

Mangan and White moved to Berlin in 2008 with their band The Have, which quickly became Sun and the Wolf on arrival in Europe. Since then, Mangan has become the owner of 8MM Bar, a key part of Berlin's underground music scene. White is a music teacher at the Berlin Cosmopolitan School and bass player for local indie artist Laura Carbone.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, both of their careers have been put on hold.

"Obviously the bar is shut," Mangan said.

"At the moment it's a matter of getting the right paperwork together to try and get assistance from the German Government and see what funding we're able to get.

"We still need to pay our staff and at the moment the future is really uncertain."

Mangan, son of Whanganui GP Alan Mangan, said he felt "really lucky" that 8MM had a "loyal community of people" around it, and hoped that the bar could continue after the Covid-19 threat had passed.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help with costs, something Mangan said most of the bars in his area had implemented.

As well as teaching, White has also created a series of children's educational songs and videos under the guise of Skeleton Steve.

He said he'd been teaching guitar online and providing regular video content for the kids in his classroom.

"Obviously schools are shut," White said.

"Every day I share songs and little music lessons online and keep connected with the kids in my classes.

"I'm lucky to have my job at the school, but these are really wonky times all round."

Recording of the upcoming Laura Carbone album, which White has been working on, has also been put on hold.

White said the current Government restrictions in Berlin "didn't seem quite as strict as in New Zealand".

"At the moment you're allowed out in groups of two, or to visit family or a partner, and restaurants are still doing takeaways and stuff.

"I think the laws are constantly changing at the moment.

"It's so hard to enforce as well."

However, Mangan said their dogs Bobby and Zuko were "having the time of their lives".

He said "older people and 20-somethings" seemed to be ignoring the local Government's restrictions on gatherings.

"I've read in the news that some younger people have been having 'corona parties' out at lakes and they've been shut down by the police.

"A lot of older people seem to be ignoring the rules as well, although maybe they just don't have all the latest information available to them."

Both White and Mangan hoped "everyone was doing okay back home".

"Stay inside, and don't you dare have any corona parties," Mangan said.

The 8MM Bar's GoFund Me page is at www.gofundme.com/f/save-8mmbar.

Mike Tweed
Whanganui Chronicle 28/3/20