G
groovar
Guest
It is now about almost four weeks since my return from the White isle, but entering the true Olympian spirit, I wanted to make sure that performance enhancing drugs or any other type play no part in sprucing up my Ibiza review 04.
There will be no ‘it was the best ever trip! I can’t wait to go back to paradise!’ type declarations. When you see sentences like this, it is hard not to be suspicious that supplements of some description are playing a part. Also, three or four consecutive exclamation marks in a row like !!!! at the end of a sentence when nothing much happens is a sure sign that the writer is on something.
Not here folks, so if do see me getting carried away with some of my memories, you know, hand on heart, it’s genuine.
The trip was my fifth visit to ibiza and you begin to think that you have it sussed at this stage, but you don’t really. like life itself, it’s too chaotic a place to get a handle on.
One thing I will say though is the effect Ibiza has on you. I’m 32 now and while dancing for ten days non-stop takes its toll physically and would put years on you, the island is also responsible for arrested emotional development. Hey don’t you worry, I’m doin’ fine, but when you see Ibiza referred to as a Neverneverland, you know what people mean.
Like that old guy with the Manumission crew. You know, he had his own night in a bar in Ibiza town last year. He looks about, oh, I don’t know, about 60, maybe more, maybe less. Skinniest man of all time, I’ve noticed him partying with the best of them, but two questions, how does he it? (I’m shattered after 10 days) and two, how is he still alive?
Ok, then, down to business. Dates, names and faces, though this will be a bit hazy as I don’t have the total recall possessed by some members (of which I am quite envious, but when I see it in action, it can be quite scary)
Ok, so, all year, I’ve been gearing up for the trip. There are no clubs of any merit in my neck of the woods so that only whetted the appetite even more. Also, any new nifty dancing moves would not be road-tested at the local club, but in my front room.
So, come Sunday the 18th of July, looking forward to Erick Morillo and others at Space was akin to the magic you’d feel as an innocent youngster waiting for Santa to come down the chimney at Christmas (this is not something I would confess openly, but since this forum is inhabited by like-minded types, I’m sure they’re a few who might identify with that)
So, Space didn’t disappoint. I just luv the atmosphere there, ye know where I’m coming from. The big bloke from who da funk was on around 5. he was good without being spectacular, ditto Steve Lawler and then Erick appeared and the energy levels went up a couple of notches.
the ultimate showman and knows how to play the crowd. I think though that sometimes Erick gets in the way of a good tune with his ‘teasing’ style.
Also, he plays the same set all the time. What’s that about? It is not as if he’s a musician and has to learn new chords every time? I made it to Pacha on Wednesday and he was again playing same tunes, I was talking to a bloke and he was pissed off as Erick was playing the same set to the previous Wednesday.
On the bus to the plane, I spoke to a girl who didn’t go to Erick anymore as he plays the same songs.
So the message is clear for Mr Subliminal, while clubbers’ critical faculties are sometime not that apparent with all that ‘arms in the air’ stuff, a good number are thinking with arms aloft ‘why is he playing this song again? I’m not coming the next time’
Was I thinking that at Pacha the following wednesday? No, cos I was too f**** to have any arms in the air that night.
Checked out the new terrace upstairs, which is pretty cool. You have to ask why didn’t they do it years ago.
A big hi 2 to New York’s funkiest dancer, krystle who I met during the last leg of her European clubbing tour.
Lawler and Morillo were very good inside too, but by this stage I had run out of gas.
I left at around four and was already looking forward to DC10.
I went to DC10 for the first time last year and it is the ‘pure drop’ as far as clubbing goes in Ibiza.
It was brilliant and again Cirillo was the highlight. I luv his boyish enthusiasm. When a mix comes off, he resembles a mischievous youngster looking around for approval after performing some new trick.
He shows that he has a great connection with the music, just like tim Sheridan showed at the red box in space the following Sunday.
Soon after DC10, I toddled off to r Sanchez at Pacha. The guy on before him, DJ Dove was very good and seem dead chuffed with the crowd response and took a photo of the clubbers clapping, which was nice to see and a reversal of the usual trend.
then Roger came on and blew the crowd away with with Rendez Vu. Great tune.
He was good without being spectacular, but I guess if you’re doing it every Monday night over a summer (and tonnes of other nights elsewhere) you get into a routine.
Friends arrived on Tuesday and were well up for a good time, though at this stage I was flagging.
Still went to underwater at Pacha. It’s a night struggling for any real identity I think. Darren emerson isn’t charismatic enough to carry his own night I think. Went last year and I was disappointed and this year, it wasn’t much better, though you must factor in my deteriorating physical condition, which may have clouded my judgement.
By Wednesday I was pretty much a spent force as being up the previous four nights and not getting enough sleep was taking its toll. Even a course of berocca could not prevent my downward spiral.
I was still out of my sync with my up-for-it mates and as I geared myself up for some poolside non-activity on wednesday, one of my two holiday companions uttered the question that no clubber (even part-time ones) ever wants to hear.
“ARE YOU STILL ON A DOWNER?”
My first thoughts were. “What kind of a f***kin question is that to ask? I’m not on a f***** downer, you a**hole. I never even said I was on a downer in the first place.”
Instead I responded with a timid “No, of course not” and I stewed for a while, thinking if he had said ‘are you on a downer?’ that would have shown some concern over my condition.
But what was with the ‘still?’ he was right though, I was below par and feeling a tad defensive.
Went to Bora bora for a boogie that evening and met E Morillo on dancefloor, well, didn’t exactly meet him, I went up to him and thanked him for a great night at Space.
What’s that about? I’m a bit too old going to DJs hand stretched out, while friends are having kids and the like. Time for a life-style re-think. No yet though. Also fecked up opportunity to say, ‘hey erick, what’s this bullshit playing the same tunes everywhere you go, I’m sick of it and I know a lot of others are tired of it too.’
I thought about saying all this, only after telling him what a great guy he was. And then he disappeared.
Against better judgement due to not firing on all cylinders went to E Morillo at Pacha and got sick (it’s not all hands in the air and high pitched yelps you know) as my body told me in no uncertain terms ‘put anymore shit in me and you’re for it’. I did and I was.
Too tired to go to Pacha (again) on Thursday (sorry I missed it as it was Sasha’s first Ibiza appearance), but there was no way I could have gone.
Hurrying it on, Pete Tong on friday (so-so) hed kandi on Saturday. Very forgettable. It was like a nightclub had been beamed down from Romford (as I would imagine a night-club to be in Romford without the yachts and the Ibiza town backdrop).
And who’s the DJ on the major ego trip in the box. Is it Matt Collins? Big, tall guy? His ‘inter-action’ with the crowd was all ‘me, me, me’. Remember bono dancing with the girl at Live Aid? Matt wasn’t too far away from that carry-on.
Fast forward to Space. Arrived for Groove Armada. In great spirits. I’ve read here already a couple of reviews that were not that impressed. They were slow to start and don’t seem too comfortable in the DJ box (at one stage, the two had their backs to the floor for about a minute as they went through their records, but it looked like two lads chatting ‘ busy tonight etc?’ while having a slash over a urinal and not having any idea of the crazy scenes they were responsible for behind them).
At any rate, their last hour was great. Superstylin’ and the like was lapped up by the crowd. Lawler closed and was ok, didn’t set the world alight. A word here too about space glass collectors. What an awful job burrowing their way around a room carrying their container for the glasses, where every one is off their heads.
Anyway, up to the terrace and then at around 2 headed into the red box for what I thought was the set of the holiday with Tim Sheridan and Smokin Jo. They were great, esp Tim who seemed well up for it. Always nice and re-assuring to see,
Though their effort wasn’t helped by security who were very slow to let people in even though there was tonnes of room at the back.
Saw steve lawler at the experience bar in es vive at 6 that morning. Some stamina.
I saw steve a few hours later at DC10 (around 6pm). this time he is in the DJ box showing he is a contender for Duracell man.
He ends up standing beside Pete Tong (who as usual doesn’t look very comfortable when in a DJ box) at the back wall behind the DJ (who was Tania Vulcano at the time)
You can tell, there doesn’t seem to be much chemistry between the two, but they do exchange a few words and my lip reading classes and textbook ’10 easy steps….’ give me some clue as to what they are saying to each other. Here is the conversation that I believed transpired between the two…
Pete Tong (looking ahead at the riotous scene before him): How long can this last Steve?
Steve Lawler: So long as they keep taking the drugs, Pete.
PT: They’ve made the drugs not as strong this year. Trying to enhance Ibiza’s growing family image.
SL So I’ve heard. This place is still crazy though.
PT: Music is rubbish. You would have to be on something to enjoy it.
SL: True. I’d keep quiet though, Tania is right beside you. Keep smiling.
PT: you look a bit rough, out long?
SL. Not too long, still on an adrenalin buzz from closing the terrace last night.
PT oh right. How much did you get for your couple of hours at Space, Eur15,000?
SL: No, closer to ten.
PT : Your rates falling?
SL: No, I’m on the retainer with Space. Exclusive resident and all that. You know the drill.
PT: Play ‘Sweet Dreams’?
SL: Yeah.
PT: That’s a surprise.
SL: You know, Pete, when I don’t play it, my website is full of complaints from the likes of Laura in Newcastle saying ‘Steve, I was looking forward all week on my holiday to you playing ‘Sweet Dreams’ at Space and was very upset when you didn’t. Please can you play it the next time I am there.’ And then I get complaints from punters who think they know their stuff saying ‘why are you still playing ‘Sweet Dreams? I didn’t play Eur45 to hear the same old song as last year or i can hear down the pub.’ What can I do?
PT What do you do?
SL Play it every second Sunday. I get less complaints as I used to from both sides.
PT: Morillo plays it all the time as well
SL: I know! but he doesn't get any stick for it. I’m sure you’re tired of playing Flashdance this Summer.
PT Sick of it, but you have to give them what they want, don’t you?
SL: true, why aren’t you playing the Terrace this year?
PT: Oh, I wanted to concentrate all my energies on Pure Pacha.
SL: Nothing to do with your dodgy mixing there last year.
PT: (feigning incredulity) What? No, no, no, no. I told Darren (Hughes) when he asked me to come back that I had to give myself fully to Pacha and he completely understood.’
Hi, it’s me again. At this stage, I got bored of the in-house chatter between the two and it was getting increasingly hard to concentrate on what they were saying as the great Cirillo had just started and those crazy Italian and Spanish clubbers started to jump all over the place.
DC10 was much more crowed that the previous Monday and for a while it was like an ant colony as you had to stop dancing to allow the latest band of troops march past. Also, the taps were turned off in the gents. Bad form. It's quite irresponsible if it is policy and wasn't due to some glitch (which i doubt)
Home the next day. Didn’t smile for four days, laugh for six. A high price to be paid, but I’m going back!!!! (nothing to do with drugs, those exclamation marks come from a natural high)
I’m going back for the Space closing on the 3rd of October. (that’s the hope at least, nothing confirmed) For 24 hours. Is it the last performance before the terrace is closed in? I think it may be. An emotional occasion for sure.
Cheesy request time for Steve Lawler for October 3rd. No, not that one, this: No Puedo Olvidarme. Thanks.
There will be no ‘it was the best ever trip! I can’t wait to go back to paradise!’ type declarations. When you see sentences like this, it is hard not to be suspicious that supplements of some description are playing a part. Also, three or four consecutive exclamation marks in a row like !!!! at the end of a sentence when nothing much happens is a sure sign that the writer is on something.
Not here folks, so if do see me getting carried away with some of my memories, you know, hand on heart, it’s genuine.
The trip was my fifth visit to ibiza and you begin to think that you have it sussed at this stage, but you don’t really. like life itself, it’s too chaotic a place to get a handle on.
One thing I will say though is the effect Ibiza has on you. I’m 32 now and while dancing for ten days non-stop takes its toll physically and would put years on you, the island is also responsible for arrested emotional development. Hey don’t you worry, I’m doin’ fine, but when you see Ibiza referred to as a Neverneverland, you know what people mean.
Like that old guy with the Manumission crew. You know, he had his own night in a bar in Ibiza town last year. He looks about, oh, I don’t know, about 60, maybe more, maybe less. Skinniest man of all time, I’ve noticed him partying with the best of them, but two questions, how does he it? (I’m shattered after 10 days) and two, how is he still alive?
Ok, then, down to business. Dates, names and faces, though this will be a bit hazy as I don’t have the total recall possessed by some members (of which I am quite envious, but when I see it in action, it can be quite scary)
Ok, so, all year, I’ve been gearing up for the trip. There are no clubs of any merit in my neck of the woods so that only whetted the appetite even more. Also, any new nifty dancing moves would not be road-tested at the local club, but in my front room.
So, come Sunday the 18th of July, looking forward to Erick Morillo and others at Space was akin to the magic you’d feel as an innocent youngster waiting for Santa to come down the chimney at Christmas (this is not something I would confess openly, but since this forum is inhabited by like-minded types, I’m sure they’re a few who might identify with that)
So, Space didn’t disappoint. I just luv the atmosphere there, ye know where I’m coming from. The big bloke from who da funk was on around 5. he was good without being spectacular, ditto Steve Lawler and then Erick appeared and the energy levels went up a couple of notches.
the ultimate showman and knows how to play the crowd. I think though that sometimes Erick gets in the way of a good tune with his ‘teasing’ style.
Also, he plays the same set all the time. What’s that about? It is not as if he’s a musician and has to learn new chords every time? I made it to Pacha on Wednesday and he was again playing same tunes, I was talking to a bloke and he was pissed off as Erick was playing the same set to the previous Wednesday.
On the bus to the plane, I spoke to a girl who didn’t go to Erick anymore as he plays the same songs.
So the message is clear for Mr Subliminal, while clubbers’ critical faculties are sometime not that apparent with all that ‘arms in the air’ stuff, a good number are thinking with arms aloft ‘why is he playing this song again? I’m not coming the next time’
Was I thinking that at Pacha the following wednesday? No, cos I was too f**** to have any arms in the air that night.
Checked out the new terrace upstairs, which is pretty cool. You have to ask why didn’t they do it years ago.
A big hi 2 to New York’s funkiest dancer, krystle who I met during the last leg of her European clubbing tour.
Lawler and Morillo were very good inside too, but by this stage I had run out of gas.
I left at around four and was already looking forward to DC10.
I went to DC10 for the first time last year and it is the ‘pure drop’ as far as clubbing goes in Ibiza.
It was brilliant and again Cirillo was the highlight. I luv his boyish enthusiasm. When a mix comes off, he resembles a mischievous youngster looking around for approval after performing some new trick.
He shows that he has a great connection with the music, just like tim Sheridan showed at the red box in space the following Sunday.
Soon after DC10, I toddled off to r Sanchez at Pacha. The guy on before him, DJ Dove was very good and seem dead chuffed with the crowd response and took a photo of the clubbers clapping, which was nice to see and a reversal of the usual trend.
then Roger came on and blew the crowd away with with Rendez Vu. Great tune.
He was good without being spectacular, but I guess if you’re doing it every Monday night over a summer (and tonnes of other nights elsewhere) you get into a routine.
Friends arrived on Tuesday and were well up for a good time, though at this stage I was flagging.
Still went to underwater at Pacha. It’s a night struggling for any real identity I think. Darren emerson isn’t charismatic enough to carry his own night I think. Went last year and I was disappointed and this year, it wasn’t much better, though you must factor in my deteriorating physical condition, which may have clouded my judgement.
By Wednesday I was pretty much a spent force as being up the previous four nights and not getting enough sleep was taking its toll. Even a course of berocca could not prevent my downward spiral.
I was still out of my sync with my up-for-it mates and as I geared myself up for some poolside non-activity on wednesday, one of my two holiday companions uttered the question that no clubber (even part-time ones) ever wants to hear.
“ARE YOU STILL ON A DOWNER?”
My first thoughts were. “What kind of a f***kin question is that to ask? I’m not on a f***** downer, you a**hole. I never even said I was on a downer in the first place.”
Instead I responded with a timid “No, of course not” and I stewed for a while, thinking if he had said ‘are you on a downer?’ that would have shown some concern over my condition.
But what was with the ‘still?’ he was right though, I was below par and feeling a tad defensive.
Went to Bora bora for a boogie that evening and met E Morillo on dancefloor, well, didn’t exactly meet him, I went up to him and thanked him for a great night at Space.
What’s that about? I’m a bit too old going to DJs hand stretched out, while friends are having kids and the like. Time for a life-style re-think. No yet though. Also fecked up opportunity to say, ‘hey erick, what’s this bullshit playing the same tunes everywhere you go, I’m sick of it and I know a lot of others are tired of it too.’
I thought about saying all this, only after telling him what a great guy he was. And then he disappeared.
Against better judgement due to not firing on all cylinders went to E Morillo at Pacha and got sick (it’s not all hands in the air and high pitched yelps you know) as my body told me in no uncertain terms ‘put anymore shit in me and you’re for it’. I did and I was.
Too tired to go to Pacha (again) on Thursday (sorry I missed it as it was Sasha’s first Ibiza appearance), but there was no way I could have gone.
Hurrying it on, Pete Tong on friday (so-so) hed kandi on Saturday. Very forgettable. It was like a nightclub had been beamed down from Romford (as I would imagine a night-club to be in Romford without the yachts and the Ibiza town backdrop).
And who’s the DJ on the major ego trip in the box. Is it Matt Collins? Big, tall guy? His ‘inter-action’ with the crowd was all ‘me, me, me’. Remember bono dancing with the girl at Live Aid? Matt wasn’t too far away from that carry-on.
Fast forward to Space. Arrived for Groove Armada. In great spirits. I’ve read here already a couple of reviews that were not that impressed. They were slow to start and don’t seem too comfortable in the DJ box (at one stage, the two had their backs to the floor for about a minute as they went through their records, but it looked like two lads chatting ‘ busy tonight etc?’ while having a slash over a urinal and not having any idea of the crazy scenes they were responsible for behind them).
At any rate, their last hour was great. Superstylin’ and the like was lapped up by the crowd. Lawler closed and was ok, didn’t set the world alight. A word here too about space glass collectors. What an awful job burrowing their way around a room carrying their container for the glasses, where every one is off their heads.
Anyway, up to the terrace and then at around 2 headed into the red box for what I thought was the set of the holiday with Tim Sheridan and Smokin Jo. They were great, esp Tim who seemed well up for it. Always nice and re-assuring to see,
Though their effort wasn’t helped by security who were very slow to let people in even though there was tonnes of room at the back.
Saw steve lawler at the experience bar in es vive at 6 that morning. Some stamina.
I saw steve a few hours later at DC10 (around 6pm). this time he is in the DJ box showing he is a contender for Duracell man.
He ends up standing beside Pete Tong (who as usual doesn’t look very comfortable when in a DJ box) at the back wall behind the DJ (who was Tania Vulcano at the time)
You can tell, there doesn’t seem to be much chemistry between the two, but they do exchange a few words and my lip reading classes and textbook ’10 easy steps….’ give me some clue as to what they are saying to each other. Here is the conversation that I believed transpired between the two…
Pete Tong (looking ahead at the riotous scene before him): How long can this last Steve?
Steve Lawler: So long as they keep taking the drugs, Pete.
PT: They’ve made the drugs not as strong this year. Trying to enhance Ibiza’s growing family image.
SL So I’ve heard. This place is still crazy though.
PT: Music is rubbish. You would have to be on something to enjoy it.
SL: True. I’d keep quiet though, Tania is right beside you. Keep smiling.
PT: you look a bit rough, out long?
SL. Not too long, still on an adrenalin buzz from closing the terrace last night.
PT oh right. How much did you get for your couple of hours at Space, Eur15,000?
SL: No, closer to ten.
PT : Your rates falling?
SL: No, I’m on the retainer with Space. Exclusive resident and all that. You know the drill.
PT: Play ‘Sweet Dreams’?
SL: Yeah.
PT: That’s a surprise.
SL: You know, Pete, when I don’t play it, my website is full of complaints from the likes of Laura in Newcastle saying ‘Steve, I was looking forward all week on my holiday to you playing ‘Sweet Dreams’ at Space and was very upset when you didn’t. Please can you play it the next time I am there.’ And then I get complaints from punters who think they know their stuff saying ‘why are you still playing ‘Sweet Dreams? I didn’t play Eur45 to hear the same old song as last year or i can hear down the pub.’ What can I do?
PT What do you do?
SL Play it every second Sunday. I get less complaints as I used to from both sides.
PT: Morillo plays it all the time as well
SL: I know! but he doesn't get any stick for it. I’m sure you’re tired of playing Flashdance this Summer.
PT Sick of it, but you have to give them what they want, don’t you?
SL: true, why aren’t you playing the Terrace this year?
PT: Oh, I wanted to concentrate all my energies on Pure Pacha.
SL: Nothing to do with your dodgy mixing there last year.
PT: (feigning incredulity) What? No, no, no, no. I told Darren (Hughes) when he asked me to come back that I had to give myself fully to Pacha and he completely understood.’
Hi, it’s me again. At this stage, I got bored of the in-house chatter between the two and it was getting increasingly hard to concentrate on what they were saying as the great Cirillo had just started and those crazy Italian and Spanish clubbers started to jump all over the place.
DC10 was much more crowed that the previous Monday and for a while it was like an ant colony as you had to stop dancing to allow the latest band of troops march past. Also, the taps were turned off in the gents. Bad form. It's quite irresponsible if it is policy and wasn't due to some glitch (which i doubt)
Home the next day. Didn’t smile for four days, laugh for six. A high price to be paid, but I’m going back!!!! (nothing to do with drugs, those exclamation marks come from a natural high)
I’m going back for the Space closing on the 3rd of October. (that’s the hope at least, nothing confirmed) For 24 hours. Is it the last performance before the terrace is closed in? I think it may be. An emotional occasion for sure.
Cheesy request time for Steve Lawler for October 3rd. No, not that one, this: No Puedo Olvidarme. Thanks.
