2014 The Quietest Season in the west end

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It seems a bit drastic to say that you're done with Ibiza as there's a whole island to explore but that's just my opinion...

:)
 
As it's a debate / exchange of views and observations, I'd maybe just have added a :?: after Season for any clarification, but hey ho !

If the work dries up in San An they you have to move to PDB & v.v. simple as, and move with the shifts in demand. Andy's a good DJ and plays stuff which keeps the ladies very happy also, so I'm pretty sure no problems on that front if he wanted to ;).

As I said (or implied) before, bitterness bound to kick in when a fickle market majorly impacts your world and work and if it's terminal this Season then pull out. For others I know in PDB last year, the same outcome has arisen on account of music politics leading to their bars kicking them out for other parties. Different reason, same outcome. You can't predict this stuff at the start of a Season and hence nothing is certain.

Andy - keep pursuing your dreams and hope you find the right balance soon. Caught up in a run of bad luck is basically all it is in the end and things will turn round for you I'm certain of it, wherever you go.

Completely selfishly, and not having anything to lose from it work or income-wise, I found the atmosphere in San An preferable being quieter. More like it is out of Season but with more choices for a chilled time of it (so not a ghost town but also not heaving with lairy stags and hens). It's all a matter of what you want. No good for the bars but the jokes which are usually made about San An seemed even more inappropriate this year than ever - and the only unpleasantness in atmos or violence etc. was in PDB (as per usual). Arguably, there's never been a better time to go stay there. At less than half the price of PDB :).
 
most people don't want to come to the West End as it is a sh1t hole. I didn't when I cam over here for the first time, but I've had better nights in the West End than I've had elsewhere. I guess you have to work and live in San An to realise that, I know I had too.


But Andy, that's more about the people than the place - both workers and punters, surely ? So in a way it's more the 'scene' than the place itself - and the fact that the numbers were sufficient to support it all in previous years and provide for many as a result ? Surely the 'scene' is just as good this year if you factor takings and pay out of the equation, with just as many great people and just as much fun, even if punter numbers and takings are down in the first weeks.

As you said yourself, you struggled to get enough work some weeks even when it was super-busy in the past so I honestly don't think that much is really that different apart from a few less people drinking in West End bars and the odd venue shutting down. Just the reality that even having all the contacts in place, being respected and versatile, and having great goods to offer you're still winding up hand-to-mouthing it in the end. Without a regular residency at one of the 'Big 3' sunset bars (Cafe del Mar, Mambo, Savannah) it's hit & miss in San Antoni. But perhaps in a way it always has been, but for being lucky ?

Only a few manage to relax into a regular job for a whole Season in Ibiza without complications. And many wind up doing multiple jobs too. It's sad that this is the way it is, but nothing really new, surely ? Just a numbers game and a bit of a lottery as to as to how many people make it work overall in a way.

It's basically down to dosh more than anything - if you've a load of savings set aside and can take the time out to go to Ibiza for the Summer without worrying about having to work to survive then my guess is that a happy time would still be being had and a load of new ideas being pursued in your second home. So the beef is with income and stability being lacking ( hard to get anywhere nowadays !! ) and the fact that this just isn;t going to change anytime soon (if ever).

Ibiza is an unforgiving and 'needy' second home when it comes to money, and not a great place to be when you're struggling or things don;t go according to plan ! My only realistic option is to earn elsewhere and go visit for a few precious days at a time, which I always go all out to make the most of. The luxury of a Summer in Ibiza simply comes at too high an opportunity cost (and actual cost) to be on the cards, given my circumstances and age overall, short of winning the lottery. As long back as I can remember that equation's never changed. So I hope you can look back on the good times you've had in Ibiza fondly as something unusual and exceptional to be appreciated for what it was at the time for you, rather than something which is (or ever was) sustainable.

I am absolutely certain that right now, others working in San An are feeling exactly what you did last round and they are having the time of their lives there right now, today. Things change, you change and everything moves on. As you said above, you'll wake up in another dream soon enough, but next time you'll likely have gone at it differently. That's the benefit of experience ... after you get over the knock, you get back up stronger and go about it all differently next round :). One thing about life for certain - nothing stays the same for long and you spend your whole life getting knocked down and getting back up again one way or another. That doesn't take away the good memories and they stay with you forever so no regrets. Ever. :cool:
 
Been a good thread this. Shame to see it go off tangent a little. I think Andy is annoyed and probably a little upset seeing something obviously he cares about change. He, like the majority of us on spotlight love this island and change sometimes is a little hard to take. I remember my toys coming out of the pram when daytime clubbing was stopped but it prompted me to start doing and seeing more. Andy there is so much to see and enjoy out of the bar and club scene. If i where a DJ id love an afternoon slot at sa trinxa or something alike, maybe worth some thought.
 
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All very sad...I have seen things change every year I come (18years). Something's for the worse personally (for others it is the opposite), but generally for the good. I guess I have grown up from being the pilled out clubber to the loon who appreciates other things. I've said and noticed before that I thought generally people in the clubs are getting older. Whilst once when we had less cash we'd be happy slumming it, now we have grown up with our careers etc and like a bit more quality. I do think andy makes a good point, if you don't have punters coming through at the lower end of the market, then there could be a gulf in a few years when there isn't the people wanting to experience the quality.
 
A lot of the clientele of the West End are the likes who'll have followed Calvin Harris in ditching Ibiza I'd imagine. Last few seasons it was very much the 'in' place to go, it seems to have gone down the rankings in these peoples thoughts, whereas those who visited the island for other reasons are still out there and enjoying it year on year.
 
I was in the west end for a bit last night before we went to the clockwork orange anniversary.

it's certainly true it's quieter than it normally is around these dates. but I found it far from dead, the main westend bit was definitely busy. and again, let's keep in mind there were a lot of parties going on last night. I still think this is one of the main reasons why the west end suffers - more night time events happening than ever.

clockwork orange was perfectly busy (and good fun) and on the way back I quickly went to pacha too. definitely the busiest insane i've seen this season so far. this is also logical though - we are getting into peak season now.
 
My two penneth on this debate I have the following thoughts......

I did think that the west end was quieter than i expected at the end of June......
Possible reasons:
More all inclusive options from hotels means less in the bars
Saturation of bars means that a lot of bars are well under capacity and can soon leave a negative vibe
Excellent transport links mean that it is very easy to have a night out at another resort
More investment in some of the bars is required......a lot do look grotty and not inviting, so they need to up their game
Because of the prices of the super clubs punters are staying at their apartments and getting fully loaded before they go out

I have seen comments about arrivals figures being up this year....whilst this appears to be fact, has the visitor changed, is their a large influx of people just stopping for a couple of nights rather than a couple of weeks???
 
I wouldn't even want to imagine how much would be needed for a full 2 weeks of clubs every night!!! :eek:

I'm happy with heading out for 1 - 2 weeks and spending half the time in clubs (this years budget trick will be to drop the vodka's in favour of hierbas as i heard it's 6e a shot) and the other half just taking it easy (hiring out a bike/quad/scooter/car and touring the island or going to Formentera, only having maybe 1 beer a day with my food if even that)....

:)
 
I'm going in September with about 10 Ibiza virgins so hope it's not too quiet or they'll think I've been lying about how good Ibiza is :D

The problem is when people think Ibiza they think expensive. And it is. There are two markets that Ibiza attracts.

Type A - The repeat customer who is usually mid twenties but has been before, by now has a good job with plenty of disposable income and is really in to their music and has their favourite DJs. Then there is Type B the "just finished their A Levels" skint-ish student types who just want to get pissed every night, doesn't matter where it is or what events they go to.

Ibiza wants to attract type A but because club tickets and club drinks are so expensive they will only go to 3-4 big nights a week to see select DJs and would rather do something productive during the day time than sleep off a hangover like they used to. This means pre drinking in their hotel/villa and not visiting the local bars much other than for food. The VIP/all inclusive experience that Ushuaia are doing brilliantly are catering for 1% of tourists who have the cash but also have the cash to go anywhere else in the world and for the VIP experience, Vegas can't be beaten (in my opinion) and ironically 50% of space in Pacha are catering for this 1%.

Ibiza wants and doesn't want the Type Bs. It wants to remain THE party island destination for further generations but for the cost they'd rather go to Magaluf/Malia etc where your Euro goes further. In order for the smaller bars to stay open, they need people to visit who aren't going to the big clubs every night, yet drink prices are still sometimes high which defeats the whole object. This is probably why Gatecrasher isn't doing so well. Why pay 25-30E to go to a mediocre club night and spend 10E+ a drink when you can get smashed in the West End for the same price? The type As won't give Gatecrasher a go because it attracts these Type Bs and a Type A would rather spend more money to segregate themselves away from the riff raff in VIP sections or "VIP only" places such as Ocean Beach that attracts the TOWIE type (even if they're putting a bottle of champagne on a credit card they're going to struggle to pay off!)

The truth is its not about the music for a lot of people anymore, it's just about looking good and taking selfies to show everyone how rich they are. Come next year a lot of people are put off the idea of another week in Ibiza because they are fully aware of the costs involved and are probably still paying off last years holiday. Why spend £3k in Ibiza again when you can try something new and travel Thailand for about the same price? Flights and hotels are relatively cheap, it's purely down to the cost of alcohol in the clubs. Surely if vodka redbulls were around 7E they'd sell an awful lot more? Surely if they removed large VIP only sections full of posers holding the same glass of champagne for 3 hours they'd make more money?
Sorry if I rambled I'm really hungover lol. Bottom line is, I'm really looking forward to visiting again in September but hope I don't end up paying an arm or a leg to listen to some good music and get a bit tipsy.
 
quick recap from tonight...

coxy @ space: VERY busy everywhere

fuse & next wave @ sankeys: VERY busy in both rooms, plus ricardo villalobos in top form (this comes from a non-fan, but he seems to have found his bearings again; third time I've heard him this year, three times good!). only thing to be sorted is the aircon in the lab...sauna!!

flower power @ pacha: VERY busy too
 
quick recap from tonight...

coxy @ space: VERY busy everywhere

fuse & next wave @ sankeys: VERY busy in both rooms, plus ricardo villalobos in top form (this comes from a non-fan, but he seems to have found his bearings again; third time I've heard him this year, three times good!). only thing to be sorted is the aircon in the lab...sauna!!

flower power @ pacha: VERY busy too

Caught a bit of nic fanculli's and Heidi's sets and both we're playing great with good vibes.

Shot over to sankeys right as raresh passed the decks over to Ricardo and he played great.

Any word on afters?
 
a lot of people are blaming the price of drinks in the clubs as the main reason 'budget' holidaymakers aren't going to the clubs.

If the clubs halved the price of drinks i wonder if people would last the night? Or would there be a procession of people being kicked out for being too drunk/sick/asleep?

The club owners aren't stupid, if they could increase their profits by dropping drink prices i think they would..
 
a lot of people are blaming the price of drinks in the clubs as the main reason 'budget' holidaymakers aren't going to the clubs.

If the clubs halved the price of drinks i wonder if people would last the night? Or would there be a procession of people being kicked out for being too drunk/sick/asleep?

The club owners aren't stupid, if they could increase their profits by dropping drink prices i think they would..

Exactly! How many people do you see vomit or too drunk to walk in Pacha? Hmmmm not many! The business model works, and quite frankly the likes of the accountants at Pacha know what they are doing! And drinks being expensive in 2014 is not new! 7/8 years ago a Vodka was close to 15€.....
 
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