Das Bunker

It’s possible I should have tried to contact the promoter (John?) before posting this, but he’s not exactly listed and I’m not on Facebook any more, so… (warning: blast to follow)
As several reviewers have noted, Das Bunker is, in fact, not closed, and has moved back to its original location at 4067 W Pico Blvd, in the newly renovated Jewel (formerly «The Catch One»). I, along with a party of four others, attended the annual Star Wars night event with advance VIP tickets at $ 75 each after service fees, etc. It was unreasonably hot inside, even in the reserve VIP space, so after waiting 15 minutes for what must have been the two slowest bartenders in Los Angeles to make my overpriced drink, I went downstairs to cool off.
Bad move. The rapid transition from ridiculously hot to 60 degrees and breezy? Circulatory shock (which can be be life-​threatening). One minute I was telling my daughter I needed to go get some water, and the next someone was holding me up, asking if I could make it to a bench. (Presumably) a few minutes later, the head of security came over, asked my daughter who was driving (this was all a bit hazy, as one might expect), and told her boyfriend to go get my car so we could leave. We were there less than one hour.
Wait…no ambulance? No, «do you need medical attention?». Nope. GTFO, crazy lady, here’s my card, I’ll take care of you next time. Incidentally, I did email him (Kane, the head of venue security; no response). I shudder to think what they would have done had I been alone.
It’s worth noting in all this that I don’t have any sort of medical problems, and had only consumed the one drink from the bar that evening. No drugs, either. Anyway.
So, what are we to divine from this, kids? I’m really not sure. I do know that I’ve been dissatisfied with my experiences the last few times I’ve ventured into Das Bunker territory, regardless of where it was parked, and it’s unlikely I’ll be going back. You might want to give serious consideration before handing over your money to any business that doesn’t seem to care if you drop dead once you’re off their property.

Das Bunker is dead.
Long live Das Bunker.
Das Bunker is **NOT** closed. They were on hiatus for a while, but are operating again at the Los Globos, on Sunset in Silver Lake.
They now run events about once every six weeks, give or take. Keep an eye out for events via Facebook, or their website.

this place is great! ive never had an issue! they have 3 dance rooms and a taco stand outside in the «smoking» section. everyone ibe ran into, clubber or otherwise, has been awesome. no matter how drunk they get! the prices in drinks are fair as well as their midnight tacos!

Awsome industrial music, lively people dope security. Awsome place nice patio… not sure if it is closed now but if it is you moostdefently missed out on the vibes the lights and the tones.

Love this place! Been coming here since I was 18. Sad to see they closed down but very happy to hear it will be back for special nights! The area is pretty sketchy but not too bad. The club itself is big and fun and a great place to just dance the night away! People are friendly but drinks are a bit expensive.

Venue (The Catch One) is OPEN, DAS BUNKER (the club night) is CLOSED. Kaput. No more.
However the Das Bunker brand is working at promoting special nights (Star Wars Night, concerts, and assorted misc. nights). Keep up to date on
. You’re welcome.

This check in was supposed to be for Friday night. Closing night… :(what a great place and legacy.

Great club! I loved & will miss it! Frank was so friendly too
Tonight was the last night & it was absolutely fun & amazing!

Really the best of the best of the Rivethead community!
Biggest industrial club of the US. I had some great times here, made friends, tumbled down the stairs completely inebriated like most patrons, and danced to the absolutely best music spun by the most notorious industrial DJ’s. Not to mention the sweetheart of an owner Fraunk. He is always welcoming, approaches everyone and has excellent «customer service», but is honestly a genuine human being.
There are three bars, four rooms, and a nice in/​out door smoking area where the good goths go to mingle mostly.
The people here have been the friendliest in the scene and just the most creative with the style they possess from storm troopers to cyber girls in neon dreads and glow-​in-​the-​dark bras.
There are a few stages and poles for you exhibitionist dancers who really want to strut their stuff. I know in my hey day I did!
Drinks are super strong, reasonable, and the bar tenders can be accommodating when not having to deal with drunken shenanigans. My favorite drink red bull and vodka, an upper, downer, and florescent!
I am very sad to see the doors closing at the end of the month. So get here fast before the party ends!

My favorite club. I never have a bad time here. The music is great and you have a variety of industrial music to choose from (with the 3 different rooms). The building is really old and I really like that. The only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because the drinks are too expensive (however they are good) and because security has become super anal this last year.

Thanks for replying John,
3 years ago when I posted this review I had called your club and an employee told me you did not have such thing as 18+ nights.
Hence this review. Thanks for clarifying for other Unilocalers though!

I don’t get out here as much as I used to. The music is better now that I don’t get out that much. Most of the people are nice and there’s usually lots of room to dance, if there isn’t you can always go down to one of the other two rooms and find space. It’s a lot for such a small price. If you drink (I don’t but I do get red bull here and there) the drinks are much cheaper than some other clubs

It’s industrial, not goth, however dress any way you like. There’s cosplay, steampunk, goth, industrial, fetish crowd, and even a few of the old school 80-​s style punks.
If you’ve ever wondered about the clubs Stefon from SNL describes, THIS IS IT.
I cannot describe enough how awesome this place is. Multiple rooms, you can hang out and cool off at the bar, chill in their lounge area, or show off your dancing abilities on the dance floor.
Drinks are expensive, parking is shitty, but it’s well worth it. You will not be disappointed.
Just don’t forget to bring your big ass boots.

Bunker is the only club I enjoy! It’s hit and miss, but all in all, this is the best industrial/​goth club around. No matter how bad you think you dance, I guarantee you will find someone that dances worse than you, most likely me ;)
One thing I miss is the old stuffy, foggy noise room. Now it is more appealing to the masses, but I really liked it when you felt like you might pass out from the heat.

Old school original 1980s+ Goth here. Went to Das Bunker last night to check it out. My conclusions:
Large and spacious. Staff attitude friendly and welcoming. Guests attitudes: elitist, arrogant, not friendly or welcoming. Music too trendy, not Scene enough, and very… shall we say… «Youthful»… but the sound system was best in the city. Seriously.
Parking questionable (there’s a huge parking area behind the building but they cone it off so patrons cannot park there). So you have to park many blocks away and do the Goth Walk of Shame to and from the venue. Le sigh. But, good exercise. And some do it in boots, which is insane, but… I can’t criticize it, since I did that too.
The following Examiner article explains why as an Old School Goth I probably won’t be going to Das Bunker again. Das Bunker is too full of paragraph three.
So, if you’re 18 – 21 and think black clothes are so alternative and you need a place to show off, man is this ever the place for you. Do not hesitate to come here. Strip to naked. Dance your ass off. Take lots of selfies. Post them on Facebook. Don’t forget rave glowsticks. Done. But if you’re over 35 and know what Goth really is… avoid.
Hit Ventura Boulevard instead in your big black boots and scare the locals. LOTS MORE FUN GUARANTEED: D
Updated to add: I did exactly that last Friday and it was a smash. The Ventura Blvd Bronze Age Golden Calf Strip slowed to the speed of amber the moment I stepped onto it. Traffic literally stopped and allowed me to pass. Townies in Axe Body Spray, douche attire and tight, minced short slut dresses stared in jawdropped fear and awe. Sushi and drinks were had. Other Goths winked from the parking lot. Twas magic :)
Going back there to do it again this coming Friday. No cover charge! Just do it! And you can smoke cloves freely and eat whatever you like!

I first started coming to Das Bunker about 5 years ago. For the first year I went pretty much every Friday with a buddy of mine. We would get crazy drunk! Good time in deed. The crowd was a bit different from the crowd that is going during these latter years. It was crowded every Friday and that seemed to have died down a bit, now it really only gets crowded when they have theme events or bands playing. It still gets crowded but not compared to how it was when I first started going.
The people that go are no strangers to the industrial scene, they go all out on their wardrobe and you can see some really awesomely dressed people. It is a good friendly environment and you get a lot of regulars who pretty much all know each other. It’s a great little community of club people. And you can wear anything you want and you won’t get scrutinized, you might get complimented though… You might run into your occasional douche bag but it’s rare.
The neighborhood isn’t the best but they do have a parking lot, I have never parked there myself. I’m not sure how early you have to get there to get parking though. I have always parked on the local streets.
Entrance is $ 5 before 10:30 every Friday, unless there is a show, and after 10:30 it is $ 10. Best prices in town in my opinion. Drinks are relatively inexpensive at least compared to other L. A clubs. J. D and Coke goes for about $ 6 to $ 7, depends on bartender.
Music: 3 rooms. The big room on top floor is industrial and towards the end of the night they might play a little electro. The bottom floor is a little more on the gothic side and the smaller room is for the more hardcore fans. The big room is nice and big and they have two stripper poles and those are fun to watch at times. :)
Overall it is a great place to hang out on a Friday

One of the best clubs I’ve been to in the world.
This place has a cheap cover, cheap drinks, an awesome atmosphere, and a great crowd. The music is amazing, and there are even stripper poles on podiums and mirrored walls for the more adventurous among us. ;)
They have three different rooms with different music, and the place is usually pleasantly packed (which means lots of people, but not to the point of you being unable to move around).
I love Das Bunker and have been here many times. They never disappoint!

DAS BUNKER …IS… Industrial Music in Southern California (and the NATION)
SITREP
DAS BUNKER is the foremost and longest running Industrial Club in California. No matter what venue it has ended up in, it has ALWAYS proven itself loyal to it’s fan base — and they to it — and because of this DAS BUNKER continues to succeed because it stays current, it re-​invents itself and evolves with the Industrial-​movement, and it continues to bring the best in NEW Industrial Music to it’s loyal fan base.
Change? Yes. Evolution? Yes. Compromise? NO. Through it all, DAS BUNKER has never compromised in it’s music format: INDUSTRIAL as LOUD as you can get it.
MEDIA SHOUT-​OUT
As the L.A.WEEKLY said about DAS BUNKER, «Industrial kids are a committed bunch, and we’re not just talking about the fashion: painful colored contacts, scalp-​stretching cyber-​dreads or 8 inch high stacks that make some of ‘em tread like Herman Munster on the dance floor (though these looks are ominous and impressive)…Das Bunker… arguably [is] the biggest and best Industrial night in LA (some say all of the U.S.).» L.A.WEEKLY — April 5, 2011.
VENUE SETUP
DAS BUNKER is found @ THE CATCH ONE on Pico Blvd, and it is a HUGE venue with a huge Industrial BALLROOM upstairs, a large Retro-​Room downstairs, and a large Power Noize room which has been going strong here since 2003.
Whether promoting the talents of Industrial DJs in the L.A. or from elsewhere, DAS BUNKER creates a tight, synchronized format that patrons, fans and dancers can rely on to enjoy Industrial music from around the world.
DAS BUNKER MUSIC GODS & GODDESSES (The DJs)
But DAS BUNKER would be nothing without it’s DJs. Like a STEEL framework that everything depends upon, they are the heart & soul of this Industrial movement and have included over my patronage these very talented individuals:
* FRANCK H-​BOMB
* AMANDA JONES
* GERBER
* REVEREND JOHN
* THE OPERATIVE
* TRAUMA
«FLUX CAPACITOR OVER-​DRIVE!»
DAS BUNKER capitalizes upon it’s connections in the Industrial-​scene and brings incredible talent to the Los Angeles. DJ Franck HBomb and the team brings many talented bands (or their members) to perform and/​or DJ. VNV Nation, Aesthetic Perfection, Rotersand, Imperative Reaction, CombiChrist, etc. etc., are always moving through DAS BUNKER.
And many other talented DJs will come and join the DAS BUNKER CREW. For example, from the their website coming up on January 20, 2012: «ESTROGEN NIGHT! Once a year Das Bunker assembles a crack team of DJ commandos and invades the Los Angeles Industrial Underground — and they all happen to be girls. This year’s line up is:
— EBM ROOM —
DJ Amanda Jones (Das Bunker — Los Angeles)
DJ: EYG: (Pandemic — Chicago)
DJ Starr Couppis (Deathwish — Denver)
— RETRO ROOM —
DJ Amanda Jones (Das Bunker — Los Angeles)
DJ Blk Rainbow (Stalker — Los Angeles)
DJ Sally (Perversion — Los Angeles)
— POWER NOIZE ROOM —
live performance by Zenderender
DJ Plastic Disease (Sanctuary — Tuscon)
DJ Etheraum (Das Bunker — Los Angeles)
PROMOTIONS
DAS BUNKER also is responsible for promoting incredible music shows outside of their venue. Speaking of VNV Nation, I will be checking out their March 15 show at the Mayan Theatre that the team from DAS BUNKER is putting together.
THE LOWDOWN
DAS BUNKER will rock you like an INDUSTRIAL HURRICANE!

I’ve been a fan of Bunker since first stepping in, many moons ago.
Unlike a lot of goth clubs, people here seem way more outgoing, friendly, and down for whatever. They have different rooms for all different styles of dark music. Each main room comes complete with a bar and a dj. They also have an extensive outdoor patio, and a couple lounge rooms in between. When you get too hammered, they even have a little area to get some tacos. Try the vegetarian tacos are so good, you won’t even miss the meat.
Prices are reasonable, when you watch at just how much liquor they are pouring in your mixed drinks. Even after all these years, Bunker still holds the key to my heart.

Das Bunker: true industrial club.
I’ve been here several times for live shows (Combichrist, C/​A/​T, Nachtmahr, etc.), and this place never disappoints.
First off, free parking. GET HERE CLOSE TO WHEN DOORS ARE SUPPOSED TO OPEN! They have a private lot, which makes me really happy because I don’t believe in paying for the privilege to park somewhere for a set amount of time. Meters are one of the reasons I hate major cities.
Secondly, the lines aren’t too bad. It used to be unbearable (I once had to wait out here for 2 – 3 hours before being let in), but DB has really improved their system. I do however think the metal detectors are a bit ghetto.
As for entry, you hand the lady your money, she lets you in. Simple as that. Make sure to bring cash, since some events are cash only.
It’s sort of amazing how big this place is. You’d never think it’d have this many floors/​rooms just by looking at it from the outside. The main dance floor where the live acts perform is quite dark, spacious, and always thumping. Exactly how I like it.
The acoustics are okay here. Plus, there’s no barrier between you and the stage. Very convenient for me, since I like squishing right up there.
Here is the fundamental difference between an industrial show and a metal show: the people.
At metal shows like Summer Slaughter, I have to fuck people up (usually pushy assholes) so they don’t fuck me up. Don’t get me wrong, I love the adrenaline rush, but it can get exhausting after a while.
At industrial shows, I get standing AND breathing room. No other fellow freaks touch me; there is no pushing, crowding, surfing, douchery, etc. It’s a completely different atmosphere – not as a charged and exciting as a metal show but still pretty nice and definitely a good change of pace in that I don’t constantly feel the need to defend myself.
Other than that, bathrooms are somewhat clean, lighting is good, couches provide respite, and stripper poles are readily available for brave/​drunk souls.