VIENNA
CITY LIFE
Against an elegant backdrop of Habsburg palaces, the Austrian capital hosts a
uniquely bohemian party scene. Come for the exceptional yet affordable wine,
and stay for the off-beat cabaret, secret techno and arty bars
WORDS: ELLEN HIMELFARB. PHOTOGRAPHS: STEFAN FUERTBAUER
I can’t remember the last time I saw live
music, but I can guarantee it wasn’t half as
much fun as watching Inéz Schaefer, the
German technopop star who’s on stage right
now, currently shooting green lasers from
her fingers. One half of the Dresden duo
Ätna, Schaefer radiates the writhing artistry
of Lady Gaga, the haunting vocals of Sinéad
O’Connor and the persona — with her gravity-
defying plait and gloved catsuit — of Blond
Ambition-era Madonna.
I’ve found myself this evening at Fluc
Wanne, a strobe-lit club in a disused subway
that draws many fine specimens of Vienna’s
music-loving population. There are women
with lush tresses and zodiac tattoos, and men
with ironic moustaches and body-skimming
singlets who audibly hail from a broad mix of
nations east. “Vienna’s still a bit ‘Habsburg
Empire’,” says my Viennese friend, Stefan.
All eyes are fixed on Schaefer and Demian
Kappenstein, taking turns at the keyboards
with virtuoso ease while the other vamps for
the crowd. As Schaefer’s melodic whisper
erupts into operatic wails, it seems apt that the
duo’s name sounds like the world’s most active
volcano. She has the crowd in the palm of her
spandex-covered hands.
I, a middle-aged mum, am in love with
them. I want to be them. Or maybe it’s Vienna
128 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL
