First of all let me tell you what an absolutely fantastico time I had, despite the odd moan, I just had a brilliant time with old friends reliving some good times. I'll apologise now for waffling on.......sorry!
Saturday - Arrival and retracing old footsteps
Flight from manchester and already I was seeing familiar faces from Liverpool, Leeds, Ibiza.....it had started!!
Arriving at 9pm I was straight to San An to join my group, catch up with some old friends (some expected meetups and others not so expected) and visit a few old haunts. Some faces haven’t changed much and some places haven’t changed much (Viper, Mambo)...........although the truth is that most faces have changed and most places have changed quite a bit too (Bar M, Plastic Fantastic). In general I look around places like Mambo and Bar M and expect to recognise almost everyone, when the reality is that I only know the stalwarts who’ll probably still be there in 20 years time. Walking into Bar M was like going back to the Kop for the first time after they’d put seats in it.
I understand the reasons why it’s had a refurb but I still much preferred it when the DJ played up a tree and then there was that other tree which was famous for something else!! I dunno, for me the glass windows/facade of Bar M is about as far removed from what Bar M represents and means to me as is physically possible without demolishing the place. Still half expect to hear Yolanda barking out instructions from somewhere but the only face I recognised now was Stuart, not sure what his role is now in the Bar M/Manu hierarchy.
So the traditional preparation for Sundays at space (that of ensuring I had a massive resaca) went nicely and all in all I had a contented night back on the crazy paved streets of Sant Antoni. Including also meeting up with Bomba, Max, a near miss with Joonie and a load of other Senegalese from days of yore. Interestingly, Max told me that in winter they all go and work in the Canaries, which despite being better for business does not possess the atmosphere of Ibiza, how did he describe it “hay un sentimiento especial en ibiza”......a special feeling in ibiza. Yes, even the looky-looky men are not immune from ibiza’s tentacle like grasp on your heartstrings.
Sunday - We Love Sundays Closing Party @ Space
Complete with resaca, the pre-match meal was had in time honoured tradition and we were off to Space about 2-3pmish. Straight in with no queues, as is always the case at that time.......the perfect time to arrive and it was take a sharp left onto the sunset terrace for the rest of the afternoon.
What can I say other than add to and reiterate my comments of my June review about the Sunset terrace. 8) 8) THIS IS what Sundays at Space has been, is and always will be about. Happy huge smiles , feel good balearic vibes, “proper terrace music”, loads of hands in the air moments, flip-flopped/sandalled feet on terracota tiles, loads of sing-a-longs, sun beating down on you as the blue mesh flaps in the breeze and of course all the rather stereotypical but yet essential Sundays at space criterion such as cheering of passing planes, sunglasses galore8) , a true international crowd, daft costumes and acting like the person next to you from Canada/New Zealand/Argentina is your best mate in the whole world.
Jason Bye has been a permanent figure in my Top 5 Djs for the last 10 years or so and despite not seeing him that regularly these days, he is still up there for me. He is quintessentially Balearic in style and I would pick him above anyone if I wanted to guarantee a true terrace atmosphere.
Tunes
Anyway, accompanied by Oliver and Tom Novy, the sunset terrace was all systems go all afternoon. Too many highlights to mention them all but some of the more memorable moments were every single person singing to Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman, Big Love by Pete Heller, a hushed rendition of Otherside (I think) by Chilli Peppers as the sunset, the original mix of Silence by Delirium, Ghostbusters!! , terrace anthem Knights of the Jaguar by Aztec Mystic and also some more recent top notch, albeit now well worn, stuff like Tomas Andersson - Washing Up, Same Man, Kurd Maverick – The Rub, MANDY - Body Language, Simpler by Pete Heller, Atrium - In Love With You, Mason – Exceeder.
Absolute fantastic, what can I say, just happy happy good times. Forgot all my “not as good as it used to be” crap for a minute. As long as the sunset terrace exists and people like Jason Bye are playing on it, Sunday afternoons at Space will be the best club event/atmosphere in the world, no question...........and the truth is that this is one instance where it is just as good as back in the day cos its essentially the same. Sure I’d love to still be able to stand on the spec as I always did on the old terrace but that is a small gripe in comparison to amazing good times. THE TERRACE VIBE LIVES ON, JUST ON A DIFFERENT (BUT NOT SO DIFFERENT) TERRACE!!
DT
Going inside for DT, I had a big smile on my face, we’d also secured a pretty decent spot in preparation for the nu yoika and throughout the night, whilst its was really busy and there was a bit of traffic, it was actually bearable. Caught the last hour of Tiefschawrz who were ok i thought, can’t really remember, which actually probably just means I was finding it quite hard work and wasn’t in the mood for that sort of stuff.
When DT arrived, bumped into a million people off spotlight, too many to mention you all but hello anyway as well as some madrileños who were all of a sudden my best mates! DT cracked on with what was a fairly “tough New York mid 90’s sound” is the best way I can describe it. His set developed nicely but was always pretty bangin, more techno than tech, so I was only too pleased when he toned it down a bit by pitching the accapella from Love and Happiness by River Ocean at full high filter over some more techy/housey sounds, soon followed by Its Love (Trippin’) by Goldtrix and Flashback by Max Linen. Gladly this was a precursor to some more top notch tunage by DT with the best being Deux - Sun Rising Up, which was a totally amazing ‘peakin’ hands in the air/its all going off moment. BRILLIANT!! 8) 8) 8)
Bosh Bosh Bosh!!
After about 4am, I kind of lost interest a bit to be honest, the music was proper proper bangin I thought, too much so IMO and I just wasn’t quite in the mood for it being so bosh bosh bosh. I’m not sure who I was waffling on to about this (Robbie G or Robo maybe) but whenever I’ve seen Tenglia, I’ve absolutely loved him/it when he’s played a bit more housey/techy/something with a tune rather than when he has played bangin techno. And its not cos I prefer the former to the latter, solely cos I think he is better DJ when he plays with a more funky/melodic sound. So for example when he used to play on the terrace “back in the day”, the vibe would be very much Depeche Mode - I Feel Loved (his own mix) or like CD1 and the start of CD2 of his London GU album and when he’d toughen it up it would be occasionally and in perfect moderation to keep things moving and upbeat. Then he was excellent, outstanding, had his own sound, defined his own style, was imitated by millions, admired by everyone, the DJ’s DJ - all that crap. When he’d play inside and bosh it out, he became a bit samey for me, it was harder to distinguish him from any other DJ boshing it out. I remember one time in 2001 when he followed on from Reche who was filling until he arrived, hardly anyone noticed as DT took over, it could have been Reche all night as far as most of the punters were concerned.
Regardless, I really enjoyed DT, my battered dancing feet paying testament to that.
So anyway, I left sometime before the end, every muscle in my body aching and still not having worked out after all these years that flipflops and 14 hours of dancing at space don’t go well together. Last word about space and DT, what was that man doing. He’s always been quite an upbeat, happy, smiling type DJ when i’ve seen him but his antics on that Sunday were lets say........errr..........a little bizarre to say the least. Forget the bouncing around like a deranged lunatic constantly throughout his set, I’m thinkin more along the lines of pissin about with an umbrella, making a turban on his head, having a towell in front of his face for about 5 minutes, throwing flyers at people, standing up on the DJ booth, basically being a general nutter. Totally bonkers!!!
Sleep
Monday - Day - DC DIEZ
Suffice to say I wasn’t really in the mood and felt as rough as old boots but……went to DC10 early afternoon with the intention of staying until it got too busy or I wasn’t enjoying myself anymore.
My, My, My, how much DC10 has changed, most of which I knew about through friends’ comments but had not experienced first hand. Since the last time I went there is now a roof on the terrace, you can’t hear planes go past anymore cos the soundsystem is so much louder than it was, the music is distinctly harder, more pinky/ploopy than it used to be although Tania was excellent as ever I must say. I’d have killed for some funky latin tribal house.
DeStRoY DC10!
Overall the worst/most noticeable thing, from my cynical eyes, is that it is evident to me that DC10 has now become a victim of its own success. What I mean is that it has now almost got a reputation for having a reputation and unfortunately many of the people who go to dc10 seem only interested in going to help perpetuate this reputation rather than in going for the reasons why it was popular in the first place (if that makes sense!!??). Its hard to put into words if you don’t understand what I’m getting at but an example would be people who behave crazy or overact “trying” to appear crazy, cos they feel that’s what they should be doing at dc10, rather than the wacky/weirdness that used to occur there naturally on Monday afternoons as a result of everyone carrying on from space and not because they felt they had to be mad cos “this is dc10”. It is now like its the place to go if you’re a bit bonkers or worse still if you think you are a bit mad and there is nothing worse than people who think they are mad cos somewhere sometime someone once may have briefly made reference to it and now you’re living your whole life on the basis that you are an inherently loco person (“arrrrr.......I’m fcukin mad me mate, aren’t I??”....yeah nice one, jog on bell end. :x ).
The other example is of people constantly pissing about with their cameras and videoing people and the falseness this creates in people then performing/doing something crazy in this attempt to perpetuate dc10’s craziness and people wanted to somehow capture this on camera. The whole point is that truly mad/crazy/out there places can’t be represented by an image or a video, they can only be understood if you are there experiencing it in context and normally with your own eyes and not through a lens. Does that make sense to anyone?? Therefore I repeat what I said the other week when I was kind of part joking, I think the destruction of dc10 would be a positive thing for the memory of it as a classic Ibicenco club. The island, clubbing wise, needs some new blood, a new envigoration, naturally this will evolve with the destruction of dc10.
The other thing about people messing about, being crazy/wacky kids, out there whilst in a club is that generally this involves taking up a lot of room or throwing drinks around or doing stuff in people’s faces whilst they are trying to dance.
By 6ish, I had made my excuses and departed for Bora Bora to have a few cold ones.
Monday - Evening Release Yourself Closing @ Pacha
We walked the scenic route to Pacha and arrived just in time for our 11pm table. Roger and a familiar face from the Release Yourself Promotion team were sat next to us, presumably Roger’s treat for a season of hard work. The food at Pacha was excellent, big portions for a big price, although the wine was average I thought (I’m no connoisseur mind).
TE QUEIRO PACHA
We wandered around the club for a bit, and just like the old days I spent a bit of time early on in the night exploring the nooks and crannies of my favourite club to see what changes had been made in the 2 years since my last visit. I LOVE PACHA , for those of you who know then you’ll know what I’m like with Pacha, for those of you who don’t really know me then here it is. Monday to Thursday at Pacha between the hours of about 3 - 8am over the past 7 or 8 years have been amongst the happiest times of my life, best nights out, best laughs, most tears, best friends made, etc, etc. I just love it there and despite the critics, I defy anyone to spend a night with me there Monday to Thursday and not have a good time in one at least one of the rooms. To list what it means to me would be impossible, suffice to say lo quiero to bits.
For the record the only major changes to the club I seemed to notice are the blocking off of the stairs behind the Dj box into a VIP/AAA area, which was always inevitable due to the amount of hangers on you’d get around there. Also, the rather treacherious and not for vertigo sufferers route over the DJ box from the funky room side of the main room to the door to the terrace is no longer in existence. I’m sure there is good reason why Pacha feel the need to constantly change the club, maybe one of the Urgells is closely associated with an architect or somethin. Regardless, as a club venue it is still streets ahead of anywhere in Ibiza, I reckon it has more character than all the other major clubs put together. 8)
Anfield Rap
Before I describe the rest, at one point during the night at about 3am Roger’s band “The S-Men” (a bit of shameful self-promotion no doubt) performed some Roger produced tunes which was decidely average. That is until Roger himself took to the stage to perform a track , dear oh dear , Mr. Sanchez is clearly surrounded by too many Yes men or else he needs a reality check. The song itself “Up, down, turn it around?!?!”
, was ok in a chart/pop type way but Roger’s performance was like a theatrical version of John Barnes’ Anfield Rap with some Locomotion/cheesy uncle at a wedding style dancing thrown in to boot. Don't give up the day job, Roger!
The crowd couldn’t wait to see the S-Man take his place on the decks soon enough. The rest of the night itself was typically pacha, that throbbing house sound, soulful vibes and haunting vocals, classic trips down memory lane and hands in the air anthems of recent times. I absolutely loved it. Roger kept the pace up all night and the bass poundin but there was no let up on the tunes and it was accapella after accapella, vocal after vocal...........”that Pacha sound”.8) 8) 8)
A proper closing fiesta
The crowd was awesome too, perfect mix of Pacha lovers and international jet setters only too happy to get down, bounce around and have their hands in the air as well. In fact, I have never seen the main VIP at Pacha so animated. The best thing about the crowd and importantly too, was that there was a definite “closing party” atmosphere, which is usually always the case at Pacha closing parties. I always feel a little let down when the closing party is, essentially, like any other party that summer except they charge more or whatever. Release Yourself most certainly went out with a bang!!
I’d be here all night telling you everything Roger played in his 7/8 hour set but some of the more memorable moments were Pete Heller Simpler, Electro by Outwork, Stand Up by Love Tribe (“ass is shakin....laws are breakin….queens are freakin, etc…throw your hands up to the sky” ), Diamond Life by Louie Vega...... as well a fantastic interlude by the Samba band, which was in perfect context with the night.
The last hour at Pacha was truly special, like on so many other occasions before, which is probably why I loved it so much. For the record and to those of you who now what it means to me, the ‘7am in the centre of Pacha’ moment was Jaydee - Plastic Dreams, quickly followed by a haunting version of EBTG - Missing and one which will be a classic of years to come if its not already, Red Carpet - Alright. The last tune of the night was what is for me a quintessential Pacha track, if only cos Oakey played it several times a night for a 6 weeks on the trot at Perfecto in 2000, regardless it reminds me of Pacha whenever and wherever I hear it. Anyway, it took the roof off and there was hardly a dry eye in the house and more than a few lost voices to boot...............Rui da Silva - Touch Me.......no need to say anymore. (Thankyou to Nancy and friends for sharing in that moment with me!.......”I need you sooooo much, I need you so much”) 8) 8) 8)
The final installment of the night was a beautiful sunrise over Talamanca, which followed me as I walked down Macabich.........perfect!8)
Tuesday – Emotional Wreck
When I awoke on tuesday….err…….afternoon, my mate had hired me as translator for the most incredible wild goose chase you have ever seen in your life. Suffice to say the whole of our last day, aside from a few hours at Bora Bora, was spent pounding the streets of Eivissa including walking the entire length of Macabich and back in search of such things like bubble wrap and hallowed prints on canvas in secret locations. It was like an unglamorous Da Vinci Code on a comedown with the main Post Office in Eivissa as the Louvre and KFC as Rosslyn Chapel.
Anyway, by the time my friends departed late that evening, I knew the holiday was over and as I said goodbye I was close to tears. With all my friends gone I was alone in Ibiza, which felt much lonelier than I ever wish to experience again. I missed Alexis and Sol and Isla more than I ever imagined I could but I was determined to make the most of my last few hours on the island. So I retraced some old footsteps, I love getting lost in Dalt Vila……..I had forgotten how impressive the scene is at Baluard de Santa Lucia whose dimly lit expanse is eerily awe inspiring. It is the essence of the proverb “empty vessels make most sound”. Please go there if you’ve not been before, after dark is best I reckon but take a friend cos it can be a bit spooky not being able to see anything! Best way to get there is to go up the ramp from placa de la constitucio and turn left when you enter placa de la vila going past can den parra, ventana, bistro, the isidoro macabich statue, etc until you get there.
It was whilst I was here all alone that that weight of overwhelmingness (is that a word?! ) that Ibiza exerts on me really kicked in. To continue (tediously) the Da Vinci Code analogy, the best way I can describe it as how Robert Langdon feels when he works out where the Holy Grail is at the Pyramide Inversee and he is just totally struck down by some overwhelming unimaginable power.
It sounds a bit OTT but when I have time to think, that’s how I honestly feel………its like Ibiza has influenced my life more than anything I thought possibly could…….my past…….it was where now I was reliving those same emotions that made me fall in love with the island……….my present………and most weighty of all, it was where I knew soon I would be spending the rest of my life……my future. I dunno, I suppose its cos my dream of living in Ibiza seems so near yet so far, it’s almost within touching distance yet 2 years seems like such a long time to wait.
Wednesday – Going Home
Had the worst nights sleep ever and saw some of the usual suspects (Basics’ posse!) at the airport/on the plane!
When I arrived home I danced about the kitchen to Alright and Touch Me again and brought all those good memories back. Then my living, constant, daily reminders of Ibiza walked straight through the front door and I hugged Alexis, Isla and Sol like I hadn’t seen them for years, which is what it felt like. The most important things in my life put everything back into context for me…….the clubs – great, the music – amazing, the vibe – unbeatable, the culture – much envied…..but not a patch on what is really important to me – my family. Why have I got a family??? Sure there are other reasons but ultimately its cos I decided I had to spend my summer there again in 2001 as did Alexis after a 5 year break. Whilst it is crude to break it down like this, the inescapable truth is that without Ibiza I would not have the things in my life that I cherish most, my debt to the island is immeasurable……..the repayment begins in just under 2 years! 8) 8)
Muchas muchas gracias to mem, pale rider and Africa anelka for making it one to remember.
Some more photos to follow soon............
Saturday - Arrival and retracing old footsteps
Flight from manchester and already I was seeing familiar faces from Liverpool, Leeds, Ibiza.....it had started!!
Arriving at 9pm I was straight to San An to join my group, catch up with some old friends (some expected meetups and others not so expected) and visit a few old haunts. Some faces haven’t changed much and some places haven’t changed much (Viper, Mambo)...........although the truth is that most faces have changed and most places have changed quite a bit too (Bar M, Plastic Fantastic). In general I look around places like Mambo and Bar M and expect to recognise almost everyone, when the reality is that I only know the stalwarts who’ll probably still be there in 20 years time. Walking into Bar M was like going back to the Kop for the first time after they’d put seats in it. I understand the reasons why it’s had a refurb but I still much preferred it when the DJ played up a tree and then there was that other tree which was famous for something else!! I dunno, for me the glass windows/facade of Bar M is about as far removed from what Bar M represents and means to me as is physically possible without demolishing the place. Still half expect to hear Yolanda barking out instructions from somewhere but the only face I recognised now was Stuart, not sure what his role is now in the Bar M/Manu hierarchy.So the traditional preparation for Sundays at space (that of ensuring I had a massive resaca) went nicely and all in all I had a contented night back on the crazy paved streets of Sant Antoni. Including also meeting up with Bomba, Max, a near miss with Joonie and a load of other Senegalese from days of yore. Interestingly, Max told me that in winter they all go and work in the Canaries, which despite being better for business does not possess the atmosphere of Ibiza, how did he describe it “hay un sentimiento especial en ibiza”......a special feeling in ibiza. Yes, even the looky-looky men are not immune from ibiza’s tentacle like grasp on your heartstrings.
Sunday - We Love Sundays Closing Party @ Space
Complete with resaca, the pre-match meal was had in time honoured tradition and we were off to Space about 2-3pmish. Straight in with no queues, as is always the case at that time.......the perfect time to arrive and it was take a sharp left onto the sunset terrace for the rest of the afternoon.
What can I say other than add to and reiterate my comments of my June review about the Sunset terrace.
8) 8) THIS IS what Sundays at Space has been, is and always will be about. Happy huge smiles , feel good balearic vibes, “proper terrace music”, loads of hands in the air moments, flip-flopped/sandalled feet on terracota tiles, loads of sing-a-longs, sun beating down on you as the blue mesh flaps in the breeze and of course all the rather stereotypical but yet essential Sundays at space criterion such as cheering of passing planes, sunglasses galore8) , a true international crowd, daft costumes and acting like the person next to you from Canada/New Zealand/Argentina is your best mate in the whole world.
Jason Bye has been a permanent figure in my Top 5 Djs for the last 10 years or so and despite not seeing him that regularly these days, he is still up there for me. He is quintessentially Balearic in style and I would pick him above anyone if I wanted to guarantee a true terrace atmosphere.
Tunes
Anyway, accompanied by Oliver and Tom Novy, the sunset terrace was all systems go all afternoon. Too many highlights to mention them all but some of the more memorable moments were every single person singing to Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman, Big Love by Pete Heller, a hushed rendition of Otherside (I think) by Chilli Peppers as the sunset, the original mix of Silence by Delirium, Ghostbusters!!
, terrace anthem Knights of the Jaguar by Aztec Mystic and also some more recent top notch, albeit now well worn, stuff like Tomas Andersson - Washing Up, Same Man, Kurd Maverick – The Rub, MANDY - Body Language, Simpler by Pete Heller, Atrium - In Love With You, Mason – Exceeder.
Absolute fantastic, what can I say, just happy happy good times. Forgot all my “not as good as it used to be” crap for a minute. As long as the sunset terrace exists and people like Jason Bye are playing on it, Sunday afternoons at Space will be the best club event/atmosphere in the world, no question...........and the truth is that this is one instance where it is just as good as back in the day cos its essentially the same. Sure I’d love to still be able to stand on the spec as I always did on the old terrace but that is a small gripe in comparison to amazing good times. THE TERRACE VIBE LIVES ON, JUST ON A DIFFERENT (BUT NOT SO DIFFERENT) TERRACE!!
DT
Going inside for DT, I had a big smile on my face, we’d also secured a pretty decent spot in preparation for the nu yoika and throughout the night, whilst its was really busy and there was a bit of traffic, it was actually bearable. Caught the last hour of Tiefschawrz who were ok i thought, can’t really remember, which actually probably just means I was finding it quite hard work and wasn’t in the mood for that sort of stuff.
When DT arrived, bumped into a million people off spotlight, too many to mention you all but hello anyway as well as some madrileños who were all of a sudden my best mates!
DT cracked on with what was a fairly “tough New York mid 90’s sound” is the best way I can describe it. His set developed nicely but was always pretty bangin, more techno than tech, so I was only too pleased when he toned it down a bit by pitching the accapella from Love and Happiness by River Ocean at full high filter over some more techy/housey sounds, soon followed by Its Love (Trippin’) by Goldtrix and Flashback by Max Linen. Gladly this was a precursor to some more top notch tunage by DT with the best being Deux - Sun Rising Up, which was a totally amazing ‘peakin’ hands in the air/its all going off moment. BRILLIANT!! 8) 8) 8)
Bosh Bosh Bosh!!
After about 4am, I kind of lost interest a bit to be honest, the music was proper proper bangin I thought, too much so IMO and I just wasn’t quite in the mood for it being so bosh bosh bosh. I’m not sure who I was waffling on to about this (Robbie G or Robo maybe) but whenever I’ve seen Tenglia, I’ve absolutely loved him/it when he’s played a bit more housey/techy/something with a tune rather than when he has played bangin techno. And its not cos I prefer the former to the latter, solely cos I think he is better DJ when he plays with a more funky/melodic sound. So for example when he used to play on the terrace “back in the day”, the vibe would be very much Depeche Mode - I Feel Loved (his own mix) or like CD1 and the start of CD2 of his London GU album and when he’d toughen it up it would be occasionally and in perfect moderation to keep things moving and upbeat. Then he was excellent, outstanding, had his own sound, defined his own style, was imitated by millions, admired by everyone, the DJ’s DJ - all that crap. When he’d play inside and bosh it out, he became a bit samey for me, it was harder to distinguish him from any other DJ boshing it out. I remember one time in 2001 when he followed on from Reche who was filling until he arrived, hardly anyone noticed as DT took over, it could have been Reche all night as far as most of the punters were concerned.
Regardless, I really enjoyed DT, my battered dancing feet paying testament to that.
So anyway, I left sometime before the end, every muscle in my body aching and still not having worked out after all these years that flipflops and 14 hours of dancing at space don’t go well together. Last word about space and DT, what was that man doing.
He’s always been quite an upbeat, happy, smiling type DJ when i’ve seen him but his antics on that Sunday were lets say........errr..........a little bizarre to say the least. Forget the bouncing around like a deranged lunatic constantly throughout his set, I’m thinkin more along the lines of pissin about with an umbrella, making a turban on his head, having a towell in front of his face for about 5 minutes, throwing flyers at people, standing up on the DJ booth, basically being a general nutter. Totally bonkers!!! Sleep
Monday - Day - DC DIEZ
Suffice to say I wasn’t really in the mood and felt as rough as old boots but……went to DC10 early afternoon with the intention of staying until it got too busy or I wasn’t enjoying myself anymore.
My, My, My, how much DC10 has changed, most of which I knew about through friends’ comments but had not experienced first hand. Since the last time I went there is now a roof on the terrace, you can’t hear planes go past anymore cos the soundsystem is so much louder than it was, the music is distinctly harder, more pinky/ploopy than it used to be although Tania was excellent as ever I must say. I’d have killed for some funky latin tribal house.
DeStRoY DC10!
Overall the worst/most noticeable thing, from my cynical eyes, is that it is evident to me that DC10 has now become a victim of its own success.
What I mean is that it has now almost got a reputation for having a reputation and unfortunately many of the people who go to dc10 seem only interested in going to help perpetuate this reputation rather than in going for the reasons why it was popular in the first place (if that makes sense!!??). Its hard to put into words if you don’t understand what I’m getting at but an example would be people who behave crazy or overact “trying” to appear crazy, cos they feel that’s what they should be doing at dc10, rather than the wacky/weirdness that used to occur there naturally on Monday afternoons as a result of everyone carrying on from space and not because they felt they had to be mad cos “this is dc10”. It is now like its the place to go if you’re a bit bonkers or worse still if you think you are a bit mad and there is nothing worse than people who think they are mad cos somewhere sometime someone once may have briefly made reference to it and now you’re living your whole life on the basis that you are an inherently loco person (“arrrrr.......I’m fcukin mad me mate, aren’t I??”....yeah nice one, jog on bell end. :x ).The other example is of people constantly pissing about with their cameras and videoing people and the falseness this creates in people then performing/doing something crazy in this attempt to perpetuate dc10’s craziness and people wanted to somehow capture this on camera. The whole point is that truly mad/crazy/out there places can’t be represented by an image or a video, they can only be understood if you are there experiencing it in context and normally with your own eyes and not through a lens. Does that make sense to anyone??
Therefore I repeat what I said the other week when I was kind of part joking, I think the destruction of dc10 would be a positive thing for the memory of it as a classic Ibicenco club. The island, clubbing wise, needs some new blood, a new envigoration, naturally this will evolve with the destruction of dc10. The other thing about people messing about, being crazy/wacky kids, out there whilst in a club is that generally this involves taking up a lot of room or throwing drinks around or doing stuff in people’s faces whilst they are trying to dance.
By 6ish, I had made my excuses and departed for Bora Bora to have a few cold ones.Monday - Evening Release Yourself Closing @ Pacha
We walked the scenic route to Pacha and arrived just in time for our 11pm table. Roger and a familiar face from the Release Yourself Promotion team were sat next to us, presumably Roger’s treat for a season of hard work. The food at Pacha was excellent, big portions for a big price, although the wine was average I thought (I’m no connoisseur mind).
TE QUEIRO PACHA
We wandered around the club for a bit, and just like the old days I spent a bit of time early on in the night exploring the nooks and crannies of my favourite club to see what changes had been made in the 2 years since my last visit. I LOVE PACHA
, for those of you who know then you’ll know what I’m like with Pacha, for those of you who don’t really know me then here it is. Monday to Thursday at Pacha between the hours of about 3 - 8am over the past 7 or 8 years have been amongst the happiest times of my life, best nights out, best laughs, most tears, best friends made, etc, etc. I just love it there and despite the critics, I defy anyone to spend a night with me there Monday to Thursday and not have a good time in one at least one of the rooms. To list what it means to me would be impossible, suffice to say lo quiero to bits. For the record the only major changes to the club I seemed to notice are the blocking off of the stairs behind the Dj box into a VIP/AAA area, which was always inevitable due to the amount of hangers on you’d get around there. Also, the rather treacherious and not for vertigo sufferers route over the DJ box from the funky room side of the main room to the door to the terrace is no longer in existence. I’m sure there is good reason why Pacha feel the need to constantly change the club, maybe one of the Urgells is closely associated with an architect or somethin. Regardless, as a club venue it is still streets ahead of anywhere in Ibiza, I reckon it has more character than all the other major clubs put together.
8) Anfield Rap
Before I describe the rest, at one point during the night at about 3am Roger’s band “The S-Men” (a bit of shameful self-promotion no doubt) performed some Roger produced tunes which was decidely average. That is until Roger himself took to the stage to perform a track
, dear oh dear , Mr. Sanchez is clearly surrounded by too many Yes men or else he needs a reality check. The song itself “Up, down, turn it around?!?!” , was ok in a chart/pop type way but Roger’s performance was like a theatrical version of John Barnes’ Anfield Rap with some Locomotion/cheesy uncle at a wedding style dancing thrown in to boot. Don't give up the day job, Roger! The crowd couldn’t wait to see the S-Man take his place on the decks soon enough. The rest of the night itself was typically pacha, that throbbing house sound, soulful vibes and haunting vocals, classic trips down memory lane and hands in the air anthems of recent times. I absolutely loved it.
Roger kept the pace up all night and the bass poundin but there was no let up on the tunes and it was accapella after accapella, vocal after vocal...........”that Pacha sound”.8) 8) 8) A proper closing fiesta
The crowd was awesome too, perfect mix of Pacha lovers and international jet setters only too happy to get down, bounce around and have their hands in the air as well. In fact, I have never seen the main VIP at Pacha so animated.
The best thing about the crowd and importantly too, was that there was a definite “closing party” atmosphere, which is usually always the case at Pacha closing parties. I always feel a little let down when the closing party is, essentially, like any other party that summer except they charge more or whatever. Release Yourself most certainly went out with a bang!! I’d be here all night telling you everything Roger played in his 7/8 hour set but some of the more memorable moments were Pete Heller Simpler, Electro by Outwork, Stand Up by Love Tribe (“ass is shakin....laws are breakin….queens are freakin, etc…throw your hands up to the sky”
), Diamond Life by Louie Vega...... as well a fantastic interlude by the Samba band, which was in perfect context with the night. The last hour at Pacha was truly special, like on so many other occasions before, which is probably why I loved it so much. For the record and to those of you who now what it means to me, the ‘7am in the centre of Pacha’ moment was Jaydee - Plastic Dreams, quickly followed by a haunting version of EBTG - Missing and one which will be a classic of years to come if its not already, Red Carpet - Alright. The last tune of the night was what is for me a quintessential Pacha track, if only cos Oakey played it several times a night for a 6 weeks on the trot at Perfecto in 2000, regardless it reminds me of Pacha whenever and wherever I hear it. Anyway, it took the roof off and there was hardly a dry eye in the house and more than a few lost voices to boot...............Rui da Silva - Touch Me.......no need to say anymore. (Thankyou to Nancy and friends for sharing in that moment with me!.......”I need you sooooo much, I need you so much”)
8) 8) 8) The final installment of the night was a beautiful sunrise over Talamanca, which followed me as I walked down Macabich.........perfect!8)
Tuesday – Emotional Wreck
When I awoke on tuesday….err…….afternoon, my mate had hired me as translator for the most incredible wild goose chase you have ever seen in your life. Suffice to say the whole of our last day, aside from a few hours at Bora Bora, was spent pounding the streets of Eivissa including walking the entire length of Macabich and back in search of such things like bubble wrap and hallowed prints on canvas in secret locations. It was like an unglamorous Da Vinci Code on a comedown with the main Post Office in Eivissa as the Louvre and KFC as Rosslyn Chapel.
Anyway, by the time my friends departed late that evening, I knew the holiday was over and as I said goodbye I was close to tears. With all my friends gone I was alone in Ibiza, which felt much lonelier than I ever wish to experience again. I missed Alexis and Sol and Isla more than I ever imagined I could but I was determined to make the most of my last few hours on the island. So I retraced some old footsteps, I love getting lost in Dalt Vila……..I had forgotten how impressive the scene is at Baluard de Santa Lucia whose dimly lit expanse is eerily awe inspiring.
It is the essence of the proverb “empty vessels make most sound”. Please go there if you’ve not been before, after dark is best I reckon but take a friend cos it can be a bit spooky not being able to see anything! Best way to get there is to go up the ramp from placa de la constitucio and turn left when you enter placa de la vila going past can den parra, ventana, bistro, the isidoro macabich statue, etc until you get there. It was whilst I was here all alone that that weight of overwhelmingness (is that a word?!
) that Ibiza exerts on me really kicked in. To continue (tediously) the Da Vinci Code analogy, the best way I can describe it as how Robert Langdon feels when he works out where the Holy Grail is at the Pyramide Inversee and he is just totally struck down by some overwhelming unimaginable power. It sounds a bit OTT but when I have time to think, that’s how I honestly feel………its like Ibiza has influenced my life more than anything I thought possibly could…….my past…….it was where now I was reliving those same emotions that made me fall in love with the island……….my present………and most weighty of all, it was where I knew soon I would be spending the rest of my life……my future. I dunno, I suppose its cos my dream of living in Ibiza seems so near yet so far, it’s almost within touching distance yet 2 years seems like such a long time to wait.
Wednesday – Going Home
Had the worst nights sleep ever and saw some of the usual suspects (Basics’ posse!) at the airport/on the plane!
When I arrived home I danced about the kitchen to Alright and Touch Me again and brought all those good memories back. Then my living, constant, daily reminders of Ibiza walked straight through the front door and I hugged Alexis, Isla and Sol like I hadn’t seen them for years, which is what it felt like. The most important things in my life put everything back into context for me…….the clubs – great, the music – amazing, the vibe – unbeatable, the culture – much envied…..but not a patch on what is really important to me – my family. Why have I got a family??? Sure there are other reasons but ultimately its cos I decided I had to spend my summer there again in 2001 as did Alexis after a 5 year break. Whilst it is crude to break it down like this, the inescapable truth is that without Ibiza I would not have the things in my life that I cherish most, my debt to the island is immeasurable……..the repayment begins in just under 2 years!
8) 8) Muchas muchas gracias to mem, pale rider and Africa anelka for making it one to remember.
Some more photos to follow soon............
