Death in the Love Parade

Something went terribly wrong in the last edition of the Love Parade which took place in Duisburg (Germany's Ruhr region) on July 24. Massive crowds bottlenecked in one of the entrances, and 21 people were crushed to death and 500 injured.

Over the years, safety warnings have been issued, although only minimal incidents have been registered. The main problem has always been the huge mess and logistical chaos resulting from a concentration of up to 1.6 million revelers each year. In the early 2000s, Berlin curtailed its public services support (police, garbage collection, traffic control), and the Love Parade was moved to the post-industrial Ruhr region where its towns, looking for a new look and tourism, take turns in hosting the event.

But this year's Love Parade took place in an apparently compact area of a relatively unprepared town, as the venue was occupied by a long line of trucks with DJ music systems, whereto hundreds of thousands of people, as usual, concentrate. The safety controls collapsed against the massive crowd, which could not be hold back. Authorities could only pray for that the worst would not happen, but it did. More information can be accessed in the press, such as UK's The Economist.

As repercussions - it is unlikely that the Love Parade will be forbidden. But tighter regulations and professional organization will be certainly demanded by public authorities (- remember, this is Germany). The encroachment of public controls/commercial interests begs the question of whether the Love Parade remains a political carnival, a movement of critique of mainstream society. Certainly not.

Let's face it, an event that attracts 1.5 million young people and is sponsored ("co-opted") by a gym chain, structured nightclubs, and local mayors is by no means countercultural. That doesn't mean that it has no value, or that people can't have fun. Enjoying and taking it lightly is something that several countercultural subcultures have forgotten... In any case, minimal organization and safety must be provided, particularly at such massive levels of attendance.

History of Techno in Germany: a Video Review

"We Call it Techno!" is a great documentary about the history of club scenes in Germany. Produced by H. Wich and M. Sextro, it focuses on Berlin and Frankfurt scenes of 1980s and 1990s. It depicts Berlin's eclectic taste for dance/Euro pop in a post-Cold War era, whereas Frankfurt hosted wild underground parties which gradually evolved into a highly competitive and commercialized club industry.

These were not isolated sites, as the film shows a wealth of artistic exchanges across cities, as DJ traveled with their entourages in crazy bus caravans. This ritual eventually led to the rise of the Love Parade in Berlin 89 - four months before the fall of the Wall.

The film also provides a great methodology for anyone interested in documenting their own rave/club scene. It aptly carries out the pedestrian task of registering artistic genealogies (who did what and where followed by whom). Yet, it goes beyond, by investigating local scenes within wider issues of technology, lifestyle, counterculture and popularization. In particular, I was curious to see their narrative of "decline". I was gladly surprised with how smart and reflexive the scene producers were in pondering about the ironical and unintended consequences of Techno’s massification in Germany.

As a minor critique, the documentary was limited to a strong geo/urban-centric bias. It remains stuck in a few cities, and totally neglects important transnational exchanges between German Techno artists and the rest of Europe and the world. For example, it is important to note events such as, Sven Vath's winters in Goa, his Coocon/Amnesia project and beach parties in Ibiza, besides the rise of global club legend Space located in the German resorts of Ibiza.

All in all, an excellent video. Watch it below:

[UPDATE July 19: The film was removed from Google movies, but you can still watch a short trailer]:

Bar 25: Disco Cabaret in Berlin

The greatest attraction in Berlin's club scene these days is Bar 25, self-fashioned as an “entertainment park for grown-ups”. Comprising a nightclub, cabaret, restaurant and hotel by the river Spree, Bar 25 is renowned for its uber-eccentric multi-day parties spearheaded by an arts collective who resides in the property. Mixing 80s, house and minimal Techno, its dance floor has seen DJs such as Richie Hawtin and Ricardo Villalobos. Opened in 2004, it regularly attracts 2,000 plus revellers who line up outside, against the venue's 400 maximum capacity. The door staff is thus very selective in picking the most upbeat, eccentric and accessorized people from the crowd. For veteran Ibiza clubbers, Bar 25 may resemble a mix of open-air Amnesia and VIP Manumission Candy Bar...

For a taste of Bar 25, check out this video and the lyrics below:





"12345und20" (The Bar 25 Song)

Rough translation from German
(- thanks to dr0fn0nothing at “The Shituationist Institute”!):

The doctor said I am crazy and I have to go to a hospital in Danzig
But I only listened to a bit to techno at Bar 25
The doctor prescribed me some pills I shall take every day
But I stayed with the old ones, because I simply like them better

1 2 3 the sauna is burning, party party no one sleeps
1 2 3 4 5 and 20 no i will not go to Danzig!

The doctor said I am senile and I have to go to the lake for a cure
But I am only partying a bit too much in my garden at the river Spree
The doctor said that I need structure, a clear line, if you know what I mean
And he’s right, the only problem is that the therapy is pretty exhausting

1 2 3 are you also hartz 4*? All is right but the piano
1 2 3 4 5 and sex, with my girl OK but not in my car
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 where has the last gone?
1 2 3 4 5 and 20 no i will not go to Danzig!

The doctor said I am crazy and I have to go to a hospital in Danzig
But I only listened to a bit to techno at Bar 25
——

*Hartz 4: unemployment benefit that forces the person to take hard jobs, technical training, and relocation to cheaper locations.

1.6 Million at Love Parade 2008

The Love Parade attracted 1.6 million people this year. With the theme "Highway to Love", it featured 37 floats and 250 DJs from 15 countries. The massive crowd crammed along a 2km road in the city of Dortmund this last July 19.

The Love Parade is the largest outdoor electronica event in the world. From a single float with 150 people in Berlin 1989, it quickly became a mega spectacle amassing 1.5 million in 1999. It also inspired like-minded parades in Paris, Sidney, San Francisco and Rio.

However, the event has recently suffered some setbacks. It didn't happen in 2004 and 2005, due to financial problems. In 2006 it reappeared in Berlin with a 600,000 crowd. But city authorities denied permission for a future edition, as organizers failed to reach an agreement over sanitation and security issues. Are you planning on attending the Love Parade? You might want to get some cheap health insurance first. All those people mean good times but also a good headache perhaps.

The Love Parade was thus moved to the Ruhr metropolitan region, near the Dutch-French border. In 2007 it took place in the city of Essen, attracting 1.2 million people. Dortmund hosted the Love Parade this year. The next edition is scheduled to take place in Bochun town. With the new geographic location, the event may benefit from an extra influx of revelers for neighboring Netherlands, France and UK.

A change in the crowd demographics has been noticed over the years. Originally, the Love Parade congregated artistic, deviant and countercultural segments of metropolitan Berlin. Gradually, it started attracting more teen, working-class and small-town strata, which now make the mainstream of the Love Parade. (Watch the video).

In comparison with North America, Techno has achieved a truly popular status throughout Europe. Its popularity creates great opportunities for electronica artists and events. It also provides a source of entertainment, escape or enlightenment for millions of aficionados. By the same measure, mega events do require a good deal of coordination with urban authorities, to secure some safety and order.

Yet, it is odd to see official mayors formally and explicitly welcoming electronica events, in the hopes of boosting local tourism and bar sales. In the case of Dortmund's Love Parade, check the city-hosted website for the event, as well as the official Dortmund city website.

Is this one example of the cooptation of electronica? What do you think?