They say that music is the universal language – so whether or not you got a good grasp of Deutsch, the Battle of the Startup Bands will still hit the right note. And a international mix is exactly what the event’s creator is hoping for.
Entrepreneur and musician Christoph Raethke told Silicon Allee that the Battle – which is taking place on October 2, the night before the Tag der Deutschen Einheit (the Day of Germany Unity, the country’s national holiday) – should be a unifying party.
“This music competition is an excellent chance for foreigners in Berlin’s startup scene to mix with the local crowd. Because it doesn’t matter if you can speak German, if you can pick up a guitar and team up with others and play some songs, that immediately unites people no matter where from,” he said.
The idea for the Battle of the Startup Bands first surfaced three weeks ago, when Raethke was inspired after a night spent playing music with friends. “I realised that basically the people I was jamming with were all from the Berlin startup industry. The next morning it dawned on me that it might be a cool idea to simply set up a music contest for the many people in the startup industry that play instruments. Nowadays [in Berlin] it’s the startup industry where so many creative people work, where people both want to work and play, so this is a great way to play and have fun, and to develop something like a common project outside of working together.”
Christoph described the event as the perfect chance for startup folk to live out their rock star dreams – we know you all have them – even if your enterprise has yet to receive a single cent in funding. He added: “The only pitch you need to give is your submission video. And from the submission videos a celebrity jury from Germany’s music industry will select the best 12, and then you’re on your way to the stars!”
So can a band impress the all-star panel? “No one expects the people onstage to be pros and to be perfect, what we expect is that they’re being fun. The band that win might be the one that’s freaky enough, the one that’s just loud and crazy onstage – and that just might win over the audience!”
To sign up, submit a video of your band on the Battle’s website – where you can also find info on hiring instruments and places to rehearse – by July 31.