Leeds Love Parade 2000 / Roundhay Park 200k+ people

[Ted Striker]

(Full essential mix*)

Did you go?

I did not . I do the blue sad face thing, but it's not really with any regret - I was raving pretty hard at the time, and house extravaganza events were right up my late-teen-early-20-something street, albeit my eyes were solely focussed on Brighton and London events.

However, I have the most whoppingest fondness of the (recording of the) event. To think of the 200,000+ people that attended, the eternal delirium/energy of the screams and horns that forms the backdrop of it. Jules (and latterly Tong) lording it up on the mike, when they were at their most credible/relative peak.

I experienced similar, with the first and second Big Beach Boutique events in Brighton, so can count myself lucky and can remember the anticipation of the build up then it all just went off the scale...

But would LOVE to hear of anyone that went to the Leeds do.

I've got little time for the non-Morillo bits of the do (musically), but...and this is as someone who fancies himself as high as anyone as an authority on late 90's/early 00's funky house, it remains THE greatest 45 minutes of house ever recorded. It pretty much encapsulates the person/style that dictated my style and encouraged me to be a DJ. I listen to it, for the millionth time, and still can't imagine how I would have coped if I were there, FULLY in the moment, with Morillo at the top of his game, banger after banger onslaught. Chopping in Bob Sinclars - I Feel 4 U...OH PLEASE

Have a listen. Remind yourself of simpler times It's the bollocks



(As it goes, just discovered this footage - to this day, I had only relied on photos and the 3hr BBC essential mix stuff - tho not sure if this is Berlin or Leeds?!)


*To confirm, I'm not advocating trance here, or of the era when the MoR house sound was trance inspired, but fair play to those that were into it

 

[Fez909]

I went and the whole thing was a disaster, tbh. The planning was shambolic and there were times when the floats were just stationary with no music.

I had a great time, from what I can remember, but I also know it didn't happen again, which says a lot.

I recall residents complaining about people pissing in their gardens because there weren't enough toilets for everyone. The park and ride was a joke. 3+ hours to wait for the bus, so we walked. It's a long trek from Elland Road to Roundhay Park!

There was another one planned in newcastle the next year but that was cancelled the day before I believe.

Piss up/brewery...

 

[Fez909]

That's defo Berlin in your video, btw.

And my last post sounded super negative, but that's maybe because I was so fucked and only remember the bad bits. My other main memory was of Norman Jay playing out of a double deck bus. Proper sunny day, good fun, funky tunes. Everyone smiling and just having a great time.

He played this and I instantly loved it:



All the cars driving around near the park were blasting out 2 step and almost everyone had this on at some point:



That I can remember what music was coming out of car stereos rather than the festival, I think, says it all...

 

[Fez909]

Some real footage

 

[rutabowa]

I went and the whole thing was a disaster, tbh. The planning was shambolic and there were times when the floats were just stationary with no music.

I had a great time, from what I can remember, but I also know it didn't happen again, which says a lot.

I recall residents complaining about people pissing in their gardens because there weren't enough toilets for everyone. The park and ride was a joke. 3+ hours to wait for the bus, so we walked. It's a long trek from Elland Road to Roundhay Park!

There was another one planned in newcastle the next year but that was cancelled the day before I believe.

Piss up/brewery...

My memory of it is exactly the same, it was a total glorious shambles. I had to jedi mind trick the bus driver to let me and my friend pile into the rammed bus on the way back and sit in the luggage rack. there was a party at Sublevel record shop after in the night, which was much better. But the whole day was pretty fun.

 

[Fez909]

Surprisingly all the comments on the video are positive....only this one chimes with my experience:

"I was there but unfortunately have to say in comparison to other massive outdoor events I went to through the nineties this has to be the most over hyped, poorly organised event I went to. I live in Leeds but afterwards was just left feeling like we'd let the clubbing community down. It always felt like everyone was waiting for it to blow up like the world famous Berlin love parade but in reality the Berlin event had run its time by 2000 and was over policed and nothing like what it was in the early 90's. No wonder the BBC never dared to try anything like this again."

 

[Fez909]

My memory of it is exactly the same, it was a total glorious shambles. I had to jedi mind trick the bus driver to let me and my friend pile into the rammed bus on the way back and sit in the luggage rack. there was a party at Sublevel record shop after in the night, which was much better. But the whole day was pretty fun.

We walked back from Rounday to Elland Road. Got lost a few times on the way and probably did more drugs in those 5/6 hours than we had at the festival itself.

It's actually my best memory of the night!

 

[rutabowa]

these photos capture it pretty well Leeds love parade, 2000

 

[Fez909]

Holy shit I remember this guy!!

Leeds love parade, 2000

 

[rutabowa]

my main takeaway from the day was "ahhh This is the reason why this kind of thing never happens in England"

 

[Fez909]

I hope his garden was one of the ones that received a load of piss

 

[rutabowa]

 

[rutabowa]

I hope his garden was one of the ones that received a load of piss

jesus

 

[Fez909]

jesus

 

[cybershot]

I was in my clubbing prime then but didn’t go and I was massively into trance at the time. Still do like the older stuff. The more progressive deeper stuff seems to be having a bit of a renaissance at the moment.

 

[rutabowa]

this isn't strictly relevant but talking of leeds and sublevel records reminded me of this tune/video... good times

 

[pinkmonkey]

My memory of it is exactly the same, it was a total glorious shambles. I had to jedi mind trick the bus driver to let me and my friend pile into the rammed bus on the way back and sit in the luggage rack. there was a party at Sublevel record shop after in the night, which was much better. But the whole day was pretty fun.

Never went to the Leeds one, sort of knew it would be a shambles, but I went to the Berlin one (1999?) and it was a glorious shambles in that the city didn't really prepare for it, it was bonkers and the city erupted in huge squat parties that went on afterwards, folk bringing their campervans into the city and camping there on the street. Can't imagine the British 'not allowed police' allowing that. - I don't recall there being any toilets laid on for it, for instance. The council eventually shut it down a year or two later, saying they were stopping it because all the piss was killing the trees in the Tiergarten. Just found this on Wikipedia ''After the 2001 arrangement, veterinarians at the Berlin Zoo blamed the parade for giving more than half of its animals diarrhea. ''

 

[Djs]

I went and the whole thing was a disaster, tbh. The planning was shambolic and there were times when the floats were just stationary with no music.

I had a great time, from what I can remember, but I also know it didn't happen again, which says a lot.

I recall residents complaining about people pissing in their gardens because there weren't enough toilets for everyone. The park and ride was a joke. 3+ hours to wait for the bus, so we walked. It's a long trek from Elland Road to Roundhay Park!

There was another one planned in newcastle the next year but that was cancelled the day before I believe.

Piss up/brewery...

 

[Djs]

Well I was definitely there! We had the first float out coz we could fit under the bridge. So yes - some may say it was a shambles - but by default - the underground.went forth. Our float had proper underground DJs - and it rocked - I'll dig out photos if anyone's interested

 

[Fez909]

Well I was definitely there! We had the first float out coz we could fit under the bridge. So yes - some may say it was a shambles - but by default - the underground.went forth. Our float had proper underground DJs - and it rocked - I'll dig out photos if anyone's interested

Yes please

 

[Mattym]

We came up from Notts. Some good floats with decent techno, but having to listen to Sasha play track after track of turgid shite whilst the rain started to come down was too much.
It was an occasion though, where although poorly organised, I remember with some fond memories. Seem to recall a few freebies being handed out, like a Masters at Work promo mix CD.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Never went to the Leeds one, sort of knew it would be a shambles, but I went to the Berlin one (1999?) and it was a glorious shambles in that the city didn't really prepare for it, it was bonkers and the city erupted in huge squat parties that went on afterwards, folk bringing their campervans into the city and camping there on the street. Can't imagine the British 'not allowed police' allowing that. - I don't recall there being any toilets laid on for it, for instance. The council eventually shut it down a year or two later, saying they were stopping it because all the piss was killing the trees in the Tiergarten. Just found this on Wikipedia ''After the 2001 arrangement, veterinarians at the Berlin Zoo blamed the parade for giving more than half of its animals diarrhea. ''

We were due to go to the first one they cancelled. In the end we went anyway, touristed it up and then went to Tresor. I think I enjoyed it much more than I would have enjoyed the Love Parade tbh.