JANUARY COVER: TORTURE GARDEN BERLIN

“While walking,” he explains, “I came across the Metropol venue and I knew TG needed to happen in this venue. I asked about the venue with the idea of mentioning it to TG, but true to German form, I was unable to get very far. So this idea reached a dead end. 

“For two years after that I participated in various discussions and proposals about events happening as collaborations in Berlin, but grew increasingly frustrated that these discussions seemed to just go around in circles. 

“Sometimes if you want something to happen you do have to do it yourself. But equally you might not know how to do it, so then the challenge becomes getting involved with people capable of making it happen.”

So he formed a partnership with Berlin designer, event promoter and Hard Rub founder Stevo Spahr, and together they put together a network of other local talents. With those elements in place, he was able to pitch a proposal that piqued TG’s interest. 

“Amazingly quite soon into the process of us trying to locate the right venue, we learned that Metropol would be re-opening,” Mark says.

“We were able to get a meeting with them and they said yes, and importantly we were able to negotiate a fair deal for the venue.”

And getting a fair deal in Berlin for an ‘outsider’ event is no small achievement, it seems.

“In Berlin there are issues with how people do business,” Mark explains. “Partly there are issues associated with ‘trust’, so with few exceptions you cannot get access to a venue unless you have an association with it.

“Berliners and Berlin venues are tired of international event promoters turning up and charging €45-plus for a party. This excludes the Berliners. So networking has been essential to overcoming these challenges, which had not been overcome previously by anyone.”

With his dream venue secured, and Torture Garden Berlin now much more than just a concept, what did Mark aim to achieve with the first event?

“We wanted to avoid either replicating or competing or passing judgment in regards to what else is occurring in Berlin. The scene here is rich and diverse and it’s my home for large parts of the year, so I don’t really want to upset my neighbours!

“It is beyond dispute that Torture Garden is the world’s largest and leading fetish club, but this means you cannot behave arrogantly or disrespect other promoters or scenes that exist, or threaten what they are doing. 

“For me it is essential for TG not to compromise on its standards and high quality productions. But it’s equally important not only to make this accessible to Berliners but to get them to be a part of it. We want the TG crowd to meet the Berlin crowd but neither to dominate the other.

“I think on the right night TG is the best place to be. It can be incredibly special because it is the people that make it so special. I think it’s the emphasis on the word ‘special’ but it’s difficult to really define without sounding silly or cheesy.”

So what does Mark think it was about his proposal that persuaded Torture Garden HQ to green-light it?

“I would like to think they trusted me, hahaha. They listened and offered me great advice but never said ‘you must do this’ or ‘don’t do that’.