Love Parade founder Dr. Motte has described this year´s event as “counterproductive” and main sponsor fitness entrepreneur Rainer Schaller “a nobody” in an interview with German newspaper Berliner Zeitung."Obviously we should have let the Love Parade go insolvent. Friends from the scene are already saying that it’s a fake. A marketing parade."
The Love Parade was cancelled in 2004 and 2005 due to lack of funds, but was given the green light this year after fitness chain McFit pledged to pump a million euro into the festival. McFit boss Rainer Schaller has been praised for the professionalism of his organisation, but not by Dr. Motte, who told the newspaper:"In the electronic music scene Schaller is a nobody. Important regions will be missing from the parade. I hear that the whole of Northern Germany won’t be attending because Club Tunnel from Hamburg didn’t get a float."
In contrast to previous years, the clubs on the floats were determined by Internet voting, a selection system intended to open up the Loveparade to the entire spectrum of electronic music. Dr. Motte parted company with the organisation in May, unhappy that floats would play non-techno music."The sponsor should not control the content. Perhaps techno music knows Schaller from the radio. He’s only interested in plugging his brand, his logo, the McFit banana."
Traditionally, the Love Parade features a much-discussed speech from Dr. Motte at the Siegessäule (Victory Column). In 1997 Dr. Motte famously brought along a yoga teacher and attempted to get the one-million strong crowd to meditate with the chant "I am all quiet inside." This year Dr. Motte has not been invited. Berliner Zeitung asked Dr. Motte about when he was told about the decision."They didn’t tell me at all. I read it in the newspaper."
Dr. Motte will instead deliver his speech at the Fuck Parade on 29 July, 2006. The Fuck Parade was developed in protest at the commercialisation and high participation fees of the Love Parade proper. It has been held every year since 1997. Berliner Zeitung asked Dr. Motte if he was disappointed at the way things had turned out."The Love Parade, Berlin and Dr. Motte belong together. Mr. Schaller’s raining on my parade. I’m not going to be in Berlin this weekend. But I wish with a whole heart many conversions, many parties and many, many visitors to Berlin."
The Love Parade will take place on the streets of Berlin July 15, 2006.