Loveparade: Now it's getting gross

Well, in the past months messages like "DJ xxxxxxx seriously ill" unsettled both, music industry and fans. Finally it often turned out that artists, who are said to be close to death, just caught a cold and thanks God and to his curative hands quite soon they travelled the world again, were quickly and fit as a fiddle "back" in business.

Well, Pope Benedict XVI. would be extraordinarily busy if music industry would be such a regular subject of miracles. Obviously such messages are just a subliminal trivial marketing action to keep the discussions "alive".

Apparently Loveparade's recent memorandum about it's 2007 cancellation is one of such attention generating attempts as well, but let's get on the bottom of everything.

Every year the Loveparade got Senate's official GO quite short termed, which means 2-3 weeks prior then event itself. In late February 2006 Schaller took over the parade; less some time to get acquainted with the facts, in 2006 he had much less time to apply for the event than he still has to meet demands in 2007. In 2006 there was a parade, in 2007 Loveparade head says: Senate lets no time left...

The conditions to get a permission are subject to a framework contract. This frame contract between city of Berlin and Loveparade company expired in 2006. The Loveparade is saying they applied in time to get a new contract. On the other hand there are Senate's files, which testifies that Berlin authorities didn't get an application from Loveparade company yet.

Loveparade's legal department recently stated that they tried to get in contact with the Berlin Senate, but finally got rejected. Berlin Senate (speaker Mrs. Damianakis) negates that while referring to a meeting protocol, stating there was a meeting with Loveparade officials, everybody had been informed about all boundary conditions and of course about what to do to get the permission (by the way: the application procedure didn't change much in the past years).

Right, under Dr. Motte Loveparade often suffered from Berlin's fluctuating decisions. Though, in times of a recession (Berlin debts are about 60 billion Euro) Berlin Senate quickly detected Loveparade's financial potential and possible income. That's the reason why in past times the parade didn't experience that much hassle. Further more, whenever there was some member of Berlin Senate speaking to the public, the alliance and friendship between city and parade had been emphasised.

Major Klaus Wowereit recently answered in a public hearing: "I cannot give you an answer if Loveparade 2007 will take place or not. That is only a decision to be taken by Loveparade company and its officials. Even if the Loveparade is of public and our (Senate's) concern, it is still a commercial and privately held event. [...] I would love to see its continuation. Today I cannot give you an answer on questions about its continuation as this is solely depending on decisions of Loveparade officials. [...] When I have a look at the Christopher Street Day, which is in things like people count comparable by all means, I cannot understand that Loveparade is not able to host a similar event. Christopher Street Day is even not financially backed, Loveparade is. That's beyond comprehension."

Loveparade spokesman Björn Köllen insists on city of Berlin being the bad guy. Recently he again confirmed Loveparade's cancellation to be irrevocable and that right now different cities are being asked to offer conditions for an event relocation.

This story is by far one of the strangest and most humiliating moments in the parade's history and due to Berlin Senate's coherent argumentation Loveparade officials are standing in quite a damning light now.

Primarily having its finances in mind, Loveparade officials complain about missing planning reliability. In fact fitness chain McFit (owned by Loveparade owner Schaller) is the only major sponsor. Talking about an financially unsafe situation, but being his own sponsor though sounds off-key; in case of cancellation due to whatever reason any investment or expense could be stopped quickly. Just to remember: "[...] in the past all major expenses/investments had been placed and paid just some weeks prior event only [...]", states a Loveparade client, renting tech gear like f.e. PA.

It is quite sad to see one of Berlin's and electronic music figureheads going down the drain this way and being used for personal power games. It seems as if the brand Loveparade is only just good enough to open the club doors for all djing Loveparade employees and to serve as an interim solution to generate quick profits.

Of course to get a permission to hold a commercial open air event costs a fee. Experts presume this fee (constantly being the same, maybe maximum 10% higher) is "too high" for Schaller's team as after seeing last year's success now they are more into making a killing.

Either way, since Schaller took over Loveparade Berlin's club scene backed out from supporting as in the past years the parade appeared more like a donnybrook than like an institution of electronic music.

But let's see how this self-glorification will end up: cannibalising or partying....