Concert review: Point No Point in 8MM, Berlin

If you come to Berlin for a one-nighter and have only one shot at catching the city’s indie scene, I think what I did was nail it.

Let me stir the perfect cocktail of what a Berlin indie concert looks like. Let’s connect the dots, starting with the venue. A dark, hazy, cigarette smoke-filled bar in north Berlin that locals have called home for the city’s underground music scene for more than 20 years. When you enter, you get it instantly. It has just enough for a raw indie gig to happen and pull you into its vibe: a one-step-high platform called a stage, a bar, and a room quickly filling with faces from both locals and travellers. Not more, not less.

The stars of the night, Point No Point, entered the playground as promised, sharp at 9 PM, throwing a few friendly jokes straight away. The tone for the show was set. It was going to be an intimate one. They launched into the setlist without fuss, and soon the audience started nodding along.

So who are Point No Point, and how do they sound? They describe themselves as artists drawing influence from experimental pop, krautrock and post-punk, tackling topics such as underwater sex or having an identity crisis on the moon. With multi-instrumentalist Jana Sotzko as frontperson, the band confidently delivers exactly that: a serious-sounding post-punk revival flavour, mostly lengthy songs packed with changes and variations within a track, but with enough humour at times to keep things loose.

Honest take? Did they shake the roots of Berlin’s underground that night and scream next big thing? Probably not. Can they take your Saturday night walk through Berlin streets to another level by giving you a taste of the real local scene? Very much yes.

And now the cherry on top. After the gig I stopped by Jana to say thanks and ask a few questions for IndieWave FM readers. Here they are.

How is it to play in your hometown compared to other places?
It's nice because we always have friends coming out, but we also like to play in other places for sure. And you still have places like this where it's very low-key, it's just a tiny stage and a bar.

For new listeners, if it had to be one song, which one of yours would you recommend first?
Funny, because I just got the feedback from people who came to the show that we don't sound like live, we sound really different from recordings, which is a problem. I think people have different expectations. But I would say maybe something from the last EP, because we recorded that as a band, so it's a little bit more vivid. So I'm going to say this song called Grau Schneck.

Some of your songs are in German and some in English. How do you decide which language to use?
I used to only write in English because German is a tricky language to sing in. But then I realised I'm German, and I actually can speak German better than English, so what am I running away from? It also turns out that Karen (the band’s bassist and backing vocalist) likes to sing in German and is happy about it. So it's relatively new to write in German, but I'm enjoying it. German is very direct. English is a little bit like a security blanket because I can speak about more personal things and feel a bit freer. But I also think it can be fun to sing in German and I can express myself better, so I think there might be more of that.

Your song “Are You Okay” - who are you referring to?
At that time, I was not in a good place when I wrote the song, so it was really out of concern for maybe a particular person. But I think nowadays, years later, in general, people should ask each other that. Are you okay? It's a good question, and not sarcastically, like are you okay, but more like hey, are you okay? So yeah, it's become more of a positive meaning. Just ask people. I mean that in a very nice way.

What’s your favourite drink before the show?
I try not to drink before a show anymore, but if I do, my favourite is Sekt (German sparkling wine), because it's a positive pick-up. But I try not to drink alcohol anymore, so I would say just water.

And after the show?
Usually I swap to wine. And here they have really good cocktails in this bar, so I think I might have a cocktail now. Though there's a lot less drinking these days now in the band. We used to drink more, Karen doesn't drink at all anymore, Robin never before a show, hardly ever. So we're a bit more tame now, and it's good. It used to be more chaotic.

Thank you.

Point No Point in 8MM Bar, Berlin, 25 April 2026

Point No Point in 8MM Bar, Berlin, 25 April 2026

Jana Sotzko, frontperson of Point No Point