David McCormick: We have tickets for the Love Boat on Saturday night but are still wanting to know what's going on during the day for people? We don't want to come and cause bother during the day, but we do want to go and party so please let us know what the crack is!
Andy Parfitt: Glad you have tickets for the Love Boat. That event will still be going ahead and as you know, ticketed only. We're hoping to improve the bill with some extra DJs and a live broadcast. Details will be on Radio 1 Online.
Jayou 5: Are we getting any free events on Saturday?
Andy Parfitt: At the moment there are no plans for free events, because one of the things Radio 1 wants to do is to minimise the loss to the clubs and promoters who've been so supportive of the event. But, we can promise a really good line-up.
Debbie Paton: We have purchased tickets for the Radio 1 event at the Telewest Arena. Will there be any more DJs doing sets, or will Radio 1 be doing another free event? The whole idea of the Love Parade was to give something back to the clubber, but now it's costing more than we ever could have imagined!
Andy Parfitt: All of us at Radio 1 have been planning a free event for the past 6 months. You are right, that is the original ethos behind Love Parade. However, the council couldn't satisfy the police in the time available that the transportation arrangements could be safe and workable. You know the rest - no event. However, a number of the smaller Radio 1 OB's, such as Pete Tong's Friday night programme, are free to Radio 1 competition winners. All these smaller events will be ticketed. Just to add, the event at the Telewest Arena will be going ahead as planned. We're hoping to add to the DJ line-up. We hope to announce all our plans within the next 24 hours.
Pana: Why wait six days before the event to make your deadline for Newcastle City Council?
Andy Parfitt: The Saturday night deadline for Newcastle council, to satisfy the police, was the latest possible time that we could stage the event safely. It only became clear that there were any problems with the park and ride arrangements a few days before. The council had been aware for several months that the transport arrangements were their responsibility.
William Clarke: Why was the Radio 1 deadline for Newcastle City Council not extended until the middle of next week? Cancelling it on Wednesday (18th), or cancelling it when you did (14th), would not have made a difference and could possibly have allowed the event to go ahead.
Andy Parfitt: We had to set a realistic deadline and 6 o'clock on Saturday was the very latest that we could green light all the contractors, so that the event could be staged safely in time. Without a licence, we couldn't start building stages on the Town Moor, or put up the fences and the toilets and all the other things you need for an event of this size.
Jane Cheater: Newcastle Uni are telling us to still come to Newcastle - they are advising everyone still to attend. If everyone still attends, then what was the point in cancelling the Love Parade? Doesn't that go against everything the Council have said?
Andy Parfitt: Radio 1's advice is to only come to Newcastle if you have a ticket for one of the indoor events. There are loads of tickets still available and all the details of how to get a ticket are here on the Love Parade mini-site.
Christ: Do you think the local authorities/the police are too cynical about what 'young people' would do, if allowed to parade in a street, with dance music, booze, and possibly drugs?
Andy Parfitt: Overall, the council, the police and others have been very enthusiastic about this event and tried hard to make it happen. But I do think that some people had a very exaggerated idea of what an event like this would be like. And some people took a lot of convincing that it was going to be a peaceful and safe event.
Jim Khan: Given all the problems both at Newcastle, and the move to Roundhay from Leeds city centre last year, would Andy agree that a City street based event of this nature is not viable in Britain?
Andy Parfitt: I think the event is viable. We had put in six months of meticulous planning. It was only the final piece of the jigsaw - the council's park and ride scheme - that prevented the licence being confirmed. All the other conditions and requirements were locked down.
Danny Clacker: What is the future of Love Parade now?
Andy Parfitt: At the moment, we are not thinking past next weekend, but there's no reason for us to think there isn't a future for Love Parade in the UK.
More Andy Parfitt chat this way!
