Club Rocker 33 in Stuttgart was one of the most famous discos in Germany in the noughties. Art, music, fashion and self-presentation merged in this place, which was style-forming for the Stuttgart subculture. With numerous photos from that time showing guests and artists as protagonists of the night, a kaleidoscope of the Rocker 33 club world develops. The authors Christian Schiller, David Spaeth and Matthias Straub capture the symbiosis of art and economy on which nightlife is based, as well as the magic that has developed from the space released for conversion and the adjacent social and cultural microcosm.
Christian, how andwhen did you get the idea for Blood, Sweat & Tears ?
From 2005 to 2011 I was co-operator of the Rocker 33 club in Stuttgart. Right from the start of the project we wanted a format that, in the best case scenario, depicts and records the excess of those nights, but above all a feeling as chronological events. We wanted photos, interviews, texts and personal anecdotes to merge. We wanted to talk about legendary club nights that became key moments for us.
After the project was on hold for a long time, I developed layouts with a design studio friend from Berlin, which I then discussed with the co-editors. With David Spaeth, whose pictures are an integral part of the book, and with Matthias Straub, who is responsible for the text of the book.
What fascinates you most about nightlife culture?
I'm interested in the conditions under which this culture emerges, which elements have to come together in order to breathe life into a place. If the social and aesthetic dimensions are correct, ideally a place is created where everything mixes with everything. You let yourself drift, lose yourself in the music and experience, at least for the duration of the night, a collective sense of togetherness.
What are the biggest challenges in making books?
I think the challenges in book making are very individual. Therefore do not want to generalize here. With “Love, Sweat & Tears” the difficulty was to tell a story in addition to the selection of the pictures that does not sink into nostalgia, but describes one's own emotions and experiences appropriately. At the same time we wanted a design that transports the vibe and aesthetics of the noughties.
And how did you master them?
Because we managed to give the book a lightness. When choosing the pictures, when writing the texts and when designing. The result is an authentic story about a section of our lives.
Do you have a favorite double page in the book?
One of my favorite double pages shows the recording during a concert by the band 'The Bloody Beetroots'. The picture was taken with a camera that hung over the stage and photographed the crowd. You can see a mercilessly overcrowded club room full of sweaty people. When looking at the picture you can feel the incredible energy. At the same time, you feel uncomfortable when you see all the people in the much too narrow space.
CHRISTIAN SCHILLER is the creative director and owner of the agency Gold & Wirtschaftswunder in Stuttgart. He worked in well-known advertising agencies and design studios. As art director, he worked for clients who value progressive, content-motivated design. His work has received numerous international awards. As creative director he develops interdisciplinary concepts for international brands and companies. He lives and works in Munich and Stuttgart.
Poto: David Spaeth
