Ibiza '08 - highs/lows

Olly

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I went this summer (end of July) for the first time in many years - thoughts >

the highs

- sunrise on playa d'en bossa after Space - beautiful
- sunset outside savannah - same
- formentera
- the melons
- hierbas
- zoo project - the setting, the people, AMAZING venue
- back room at Eden - having been prepared for the worst, the groove armada room was a pleasant surprise - Cato even played some decent tunes
- generally, being with fantastic mates from Scotland and Australia, spangled in open air, the laughs, the thrills, the farce

the lows

- the music - generally terrible everywhere - soulless minimal or dull, grooveless, anonymous house, places even playing tribal again.... :confused:
- the tourists in San An - utter lowlife in the West End - I had hoped that nonsense was on the way out...
- Eden main room - airhorns FFS - I loved Pete Tong as a student in the early 90s - studying miles from London, his Friday show kept us sane for years - but he really is submerged in midlife crisis... and utterly irrelevant to dance culture nowadays...
- the cost of everything - friends being charged €55 to get into a hole like Space
- Space - oh dear, oh dear, oh dear... was at the "we love" night when woolford, chung, marky, plump djs played - only alfredo's room offered any REAL house music but the volume was criminally low... WHY????? I found the place too big, soulless, and had its fair share of twats... DC10 gets shut but Space remains open. Go Figure... I'd like to invite a member of the Ayuntamiento to explain that one... I'll bet it's a "No member of the Ayuntamiento was available for comment" :rolleyes:
- the guardia civil, searching Italian hippies on Formentera... leave the poor harmless bastards alone...
- the general feeling that Ibiza is "over" the good times are finished and clubbing is now restricted to the wealthy, the clueless teds or, right at the bottom, DJ Sammy enthusiasts
- bora bora - I felt like I'd missed out on the good times there... popped in for an hour pre-Space, what IS the fuss about that place? it just reminded me of the sparse dance space above maremagnum in Barcelona
- the sheer commercialism of EVERYTHING - everyone is connected to "the trade" - it's just rampant capitalism... at least in Shoreditch, people don't shove flyers in your face every 0.005 seconds....

of course, I missed a lot and I've heard great things about Cocoon and Underground which I didn't have time to experience - but general consensus, speaking to everyone is that it is in decline, they're screwing the island up and turning it into St Tropez V2.0

the whole point about Ibiza is that isn't any old clubbing resort, it was always unique, liberal, mad, anarchic, and now they're killing it... + I could do a lot of what I did in Croatia for a tenth of the price and maybe that is one to consider for next year?

yes, it's a whinge and not all my mates would agree - I'm also a spoilt Londoner with narrow tastes in deep house/detroit/balearic beats who's bloody difficult to please

I guess those on the underground will tell me "aah, but you should've gone to X" and they're right and I should've done my homework and maybe it would be a different story but on the back of what I saw, the overall feeling is great party but wish I turned up a helluva lot earlier...

(all comments welcome)
 
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olly, you've raised some interesting points.

to put what you've said into context for me, how many times you been to ibiza and when was the first time?
 
Before this year, I'd been to Ibiza once in my life. It was 1987. I was 12 and I stayed with my parents in an apartment in San Antonio where you could hardly sleep because covers bands from Macclesfield would stand by the pool below our balcony playing Lionel Riche and Rick Astley covers to adoring fans late into the night. I was totally oblivious to what a bunch of much older Londoners were up to elsewhere on the island that same week and how they were shaping history!

For years, I meant to go to Ibiza but was haunted by some of the total scumbags I saw in San An during that holiday - and being half-English/half-Spanish, I was acutely embarrassed and so I spent my holidays in mainland Spain - tasting house music at places like L'atlandida near Sitges, living in Barcelona, going to festivals etc

It was only when I started reading about the island and its pivotal role in dance culture - books by Bill Brewster, Robert Elms, Decca Aitkenhead, Sheryl Garratt and a million articles in the dance mags, that I decided I wanted to check ibiza out - but still I was put off by all those commercial CDs which took over woolworths in 1996. But then I gradually got immersed in the serious house scene in London and people told me there were amazing parties to be found at DC10 and elsewhere - but my organisation this year was really bad and had a lot of bad luck given the closures etc

Now I know for a fact great things are happening there, I think my wailing is mainly aimed at myself for not researching better and only skimming the surface - but I was desperately disappointed at how ordinary everywhere (apart from zoo) seemed, and I guess, spending £600 on 4 days of mediocrity leaves a bit of a sour taste...
 
i'm thinking of banning the use of the words everywhere, everyone and everything as they clearly contribute to the wrong impression of everywhere and everything being given by everyone.
 
the lows

- the music - generally terrible everywhere - soulless minimal or dull, grooveless, anonymous house, places even playing tribal again.... :confused:
- the tourists in San An - utter lowlife in the West End - I had hoped that nonsense was on the way out...
- Eden main room - airhorns FFS - I loved Pete Tong as a student in the early 90s - studying miles from London, his Friday show kept us sane for years - but he really is submerged in midlife crisis... and utterly irrelevant to dance culture nowadays...
- the cost of everything - friends being charged €55 to get into a hole like Space
- Space - oh dear, oh dear, oh dear... was at the "we love" night when woolford, chung, marky, plump djs played - only alfredo's room offered any REAL house music but the volume was criminally low... WHY????? I found the place too big, soulless, and had its fair share of twats... DC10 gets shut but Space remains open. Go Figure... I'd like to invite a member of the Ayuntamiento to explain that one... I'll bet it's a "No member of the Ayuntamiento was available for comment" :rolleyes:
- the guardia civil, searching Italian hippies on Formentera... leave the poor harmless bastards alone...
- the general feeling that Ibiza is "over" the good times are finished and clubbing is now restricted to the wealthy, the clueless teds or, right at the bottom, DJ Sammy enthusiasts
- bora bora - I felt like I'd missed out on the good times there... popped in for an hour pre-Space, what IS the fuss about that place? it just reminded me of the sparse dance space above maremagnum in Barcelona
- the sheer commercialism of EVERYTHING - everyone is connected to "the trade" - it's just rampant capitalism... at least in Shoreditch, people don't shove flyers in your face every 0.005 seconds....

I bet you are a barrel of laughs on holiday! :eek::lol:
 
- the general feeling that Ibiza is "over" the good times are finished and clubbing is now restricted to the wealthy, the clueless teds or, right at the bottom, DJ Sammy enthusiasts


Clueless teds? I hope you don't mean me?


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http://picasaweb.google.com/polarted/IbizaJune2008
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I bet you are a barrel of laughs on holiday! :eek::lol:

I paid up to £500 for a long weekend in Ibiza and therefore reserve the right to be critical and not suck up to the island's PR machine. Strangely, I found a lot of my views echoed in the current issue of mixmag ( :eek: ) which I was browsing through in Smiths earlier whilst waiting for a mate at a station. I never thought mixmag would agree with me on anything so food for thought all round I reckon... [If you missed it, mixmag asked if REAL clubbers are gradually being priced out of Ibiza and whether the true spirit of the place is under attack...]

am I a laugh? not for me to say - I had a wicked holiday with some very entertaining people - I just slagged off a few POOR clubs that are ripping tourists off... if that makes me miserable, then please pass me some of your super-strength prozac.

cheers/ :)
 
Olly, plenty of interesting comments and some food for thought, having spent 6 weeks here this summer and several holidays over the years, I can see where you are coming from...

However, there is still so much that is good about this place, not least some of the lovely people you can meet, the gorgeous places to see, etc and the music is out there if you take the time to ask around. Reading your review, it seems you picked some of the most "spoilt" events and places which is unfortunate. Among many highlights, Cocoon, and the afterparty on a Tuesday that doesn't happen...(!!). Wow!

Totally agree with Stephen, it is unwise to use blanket comments "everything, everywhere, everyone", especially after just few days to get the feel of the place.

Hope you get another chance to experience Ibiza in a more positive light
 
Go mince about with Bromley boy 'ravers' in London. Awful review. :rolleyes:

dunno who you are or why you're kicking off but you are, of course, quite right - it was a crap review, written when I was in a tunnel dark mood - shame you can't scramble threads on here afterwds
 
Go mince about with Bromley boy 'ravers' in London. Awful review. :rolleyes:

Its his opinion, not the greatest way of wording it but I tend to agree with alot of what he said. I haven't been this year and a large part of the reason is because last year I saw alot of the same issues he raised and left very disappointed with the way it was going.

Freedom of speech and all that ;)!
 
Its his opinion, not the greatest way of wording it but I tend to agree with alot of what he said. I haven't been this year and a large part of the reason is because last year I saw alot of the same issues he raised and left very disappointed with the way it was going.

Freedom of speech and all that ;)!

I'll chime in - the wording was not to bad & I agree with a lot of the sentiments.

Space left me cold - but that could have been the huge mixed fish grill I had before :confused: ! Just felt a bit to corporate, a cliche I know.

Bora Bora felt like a trip to the police station to go dancing.

I did feel like it's now sold as you can only really experience a great time if your vip, 'connected' etc - nb - thats 'sold', not the reality - before I get shot down in flames. Blame the media for that.

All said maybe in terms of mass market clubbing it is in decline. But maybe a few years of slow down then a re-birth is what it needs. Maybe the same thing, just a little smaller will be more of a happy place.
 
I was there the same time as Oly and went Eden, Bora Bora and Space too. Have to say I agree with him on nearly all his points. I've been three times over the past 4 years and it's losing something every year.

The music in Space was pretty monotonous, though Tom Novy on the Terraza was quality.

Ibiza has always been expensive in the clubs - we're just feeling it more this year with the exchange rate.

Bora Bora is definitely a shadow of what it was 4 years ago. That was the most disappointing thing for me. I'm off in a few weeks for a weekend with several people who haven't been before, and hoping they're not going to be disappointed after I've built Ibiza and Bora Bora up so much in the past.

And before the moderators wade in and say that this is only one small part of what Ibiza's about - I agree. I'll probably come back in a few years for a more relaxing holiday as I love the island. But as for house music in the sun, Ibiza's not what it was and the door's wide open for some other island else to steam in...
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The people that moan about how Ibiza is now are those that are unable to adapt to changes. If it were evolution, you'd be extinct!

In Olly's case, seeing as it's his first adult visit, sounds like a case of either the wrong expectations or lack of information.

To go point by point:

- the music - generally terrible everywhere - soulless minimal or dull, grooveless, anonymous house, places even playing tribal again.... :confused:
Purely a matter of taste. That's what's popular now. I like some of it, so yay for me!
- the tourists in San An - utter lowlife in the West End - I had hoped that nonsense was on the way out...
- Eden main room - airhorns FFS - I loved Pete Tong as a student in the early 90s - studying miles from London, his Friday show kept us sane for years - but he really is submerged in midlife crisis... and utterly irrelevant to dance culture nowadays...
Both points, old news. Your fault for going!
- the cost of everything - friends being charged €55 to get into a hole like Space
Really sick of people whining about the cost. That's how much it costs! Deal with it! Not a significant difference from how much it's always cost.
- Space - oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...
Obviously a matter of taste. I like Space, but it's not my favorite club.
- the general feeling that Ibiza is "over" the good times are finished and clubbing is now restricted to the wealthy, the clueless teds or, right at the bottom, DJ Sammy enthusiasts
The general feeling that Ibiza is "over" is being perpetuated this year by people whining about how things change (see note above about Darwin theory). Guess what? Ibiza is far from over. It'll be back next year. Something else will change. And thousands of people will still visit and have the times of their lives!
- bora bora - I felt like I'd missed out on the good times there... popped in for an hour pre-Space, what IS the fuss about that place? it just reminded me of the sparse dance space above maremagnum in Barcelona
Haven't been yet this year (3.5 weeks to go!) but guess what? I'm going to guess it's still a great place to dance to tunes by the seaside... which is all it ever was.
- the sheer commercialism of EVERYTHING - everyone is connected to "the trade" - it's just rampant capitalism... at least in Shoreditch, people don't shove flyers in your face every 0.005 seconds....
It is, first and foremost, a holiday resort. Of course it's commercialized. Did you expect an island full of underground holes-in-the-wall?? (the island has those too, by the way... shame you didn't look for them if that's what you wanted!)
the whole point about Ibiza is that isn't any old clubbing resort, it was always unique, liberal, mad, anarchic, and now they're killing it... + I could do a lot of what I did in Croatia for a tenth of the price and maybe that is one to consider for next year?
Firstly, if you hadn't been to Ibiza before, how do you know how unique, mad and liberal it was?
Secondly, I was just in Croatia (Dubrovnik, specifically). It was not cheaper at all and the clubbing was crap.
I should've done my homework
Yep!
 
I've said it before and I'll say it again. The people that moan about how Ibiza is now are those that are unable to adapt to changes. If it were evolution, you'd be extinct!

In Olly's case, seeing as it's his first adult visit, sounds like a case of either the wrong expectations or lack of information.

To go point by point:

Purely a matter of taste. That's what's popular now. I like some of it, so yay for me!
Both points, old news. Your fault for going!
Really sick of people whining about the cost. That's how much it costs! Deal with it! Not a significant difference from how much it's always cost.
Obviously a matter of taste. I like Space, but it's not my favorite club.
The general feeling that Ibiza is "over" is being perpetuated this year by people whining about how things change (see note above about Darwin theory). Guess what? Ibiza is far from over. It'll be back next year. Something else will change. And thousands of people will still visit and have the times of their lives!
Haven't been yet this year (3.5 weeks to go!) but guess what? I'm going to guess it's still a great place to dance to tunes by the seaside... which is all it ever was.
It is, first and foremost, a holiday resort. Of course it's commercialized. Did you expect an island full of underground holes-in-the-wall?? (the island has those too, by the way... shame you didn't look for them if that's what you wanted!)
Firstly, if you hadn't been to Ibiza before, how do you know how unique, mad and liberal it was?
Secondly, I was just in Croatia (Dubrovnik, specifically). It was not cheaper at all and the clubbing was crap.
Yep!

Morbyd (for once ;)) I agree with most of what you're written there.........and yes 8742306527 things have changed over the years I've been going to Ibiza and 99% of the time I just embrace those changes...........but you're not telling me that you think the change of no daytime clubbing is a change for the better.

Every other change I can go with the flow, things change, so I do, but when the supposed clubbing capital of the world has some of them most outdated and backward clubbing laws then I don't personally think that's a change for the better and people who won't adapt to it are in the wrong :confused:
 
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