Stepping off the plane at Berlin’s Tegal Airport I really had no idea what to expect from 2003’s Love Parade. Yes I knew there would be floats, lots of music and possibly a million people, but that doesn’t really prepare you! I knew that it started 15 years ago with 1 float, 150 people and one man’s principle – the man being Dr Motte, the principle being “music…speaks in thousands of languages and is understood by all…it has no boarders and no nationality”. What I didn’t know was that Dr Motte intended Love Parade to be a “housemusic demonstration” but it has come to embody so much more: peace, love, respect, tolerance and understanding between nations. No protests. No speeches. Just music.

Friday afternoon saw Berlin already buzzing, the vibe infectious and no more rooms at the inn! My hostel full of people that were there for Love Parade, people that had stumbled across it by accident and those that had no idea it was even on or what it was. Already the music had started, every corner, every bar, every space utilised and decks were everywhere, even mobile on the backs of bikes! Sprinkled with the magic that is Love Parade somehow the music blaring from all the speaker stacks meshed together creating an entirely pleasant sound, and you could not escape it, putting an eternal spring in your step as you grooved your way through the streets. (The music continued through the night, stopped for half an hour at about 7am (presumably for breakfast?!) then started again!)

Friday night and the place was pumping, people were wandering about, congregating wherever their musical preference was, with friendly faces and a melting pot of languages. Having met some mad Dutchies I was dragged to Joe’s Bar for some club classics, big cups of beer and the biggest shots of tequila I have ever had! Here I encountered the only slightly negative moment, the bouncer yelled at me for not speaking German, but once I told him I was from Australia everything was AOK. Reluctantly I dragged myself homeward at 1am, as I wanted to be 100% ready for Love Parade. Trying to get to sleep with a constant beat in the background and so wanting to be out there proved quite difficult but eventually sleep found me.

8am Saturday morning had the reviewer up, ready to go and about to burst with the excitement. Pre-drinks were consumed then off to Brandengurg Gate for the parade start at 2pm. The Parade goes along the Strasse des 17. Juni, starting at opposite ends at the Gate and Ernst-Reuter-Platz and eventually ending at the Siegessaule (the very ethereal Victory Column Statue) for the “rally” at 6pm. Arriving at the Gate a couple of hours before the parade started meant that we could people watch and boy did we see some sights!! The predominantly European crowd meant that anything went, from the skimpiest outfit (sunflowers on nipples anyone!) to head to toe leather and fur. Amazing costumes, people of all ages (babies to granddads), all nationalities, all there for the same reason. The first float brought a massive cheer from the crowd and the fun began. It was non-stop dancing as each float stopped for about 15 minutes every few metres and somehow they all seemed to stop right in front of us! My 2 favourite floats were Teknosushi and Electric Kingdom for their wicked music, but other floats included Space/Ibiza Combination, Delirium Love Float, Ravers United, Generation Europe and Axis Red Records. Eventually we picked one to walk behind so we could make it to the Siegessaule in time for the DJ’s. As we positioned ourselves we were welcomed to Love Parade 2003 and 800,000 people applauded as DJ Umek took to the decks. I still could not tell you where the DJ booth was actually placed as I have no idea but it didn’t matter, hearing them was enough. Talking to people around us was quite comical, involving lots of sign language and broken English but ultimately our matching smiles said it all! Up until now the weather had been perfect then it started to rain and quite heavily, but it just added to the atmosphere of it all. Each DJ did 20 minutes only and after Umek, Ladida, Chrysler and Moguai followed. Unfortunately my fellow Love Parader got into a spot of trouble with the very strong “Love Parade cocktail” the bars were churning out and he had to be carried home, thus meaning I missed the main body of DJ’s which included Felix da Housecat, Chris Liebing, Pete Tong, Tomcraft and Roger Sanchez (not happy jan!). I did however get back in time to hear Paul Van Dyk and Dr Motte, who more than made up for it. After Dr Motte’s set, they played the Love Parade anthem, some fireworks were released and then precisely at 11:30pm the music stopped and Love Parade 2003 was officially over. Some very annoying wave-sounding music was put on (you couldn’t even dance to it, which I think was the point!) so everyone started filing out….slightly bewildered but deeply satisfied.

Not wanting to admit that Love Parade was indeed over, I joined the mad Dutchies and headed to a club called Columbia for the Electric Kingdom party with Chris Liebing, very cool, great music but our legs were refusing to dance any longer and at 4am we called it a night. Walking back to the hostel you could have been mistaken for thinking Love Parade had not even been on, the streets had been cleaned, only the truly loyal were still standing and the constant beat that had surrounded the city for the duration was softened and barely audible.

Love Parade 2003 would have to go down as one of the most amazing weekends of my life thus far, not only for the fact that I was AT Love Parade but for the people I met, the things I saw and the general feeling that engulfed Berlin for 3 days. I implore each and every one of you to go to Love Parade 2004, it will be an experience you will treasure forever and you will come away with a deep sense of happiness. Who would have thought that a parade inspired by techno music would become one of the biggest annual events in the world…

LOVE RULES!