I booked up a weeks vacation to Ibiza with a friend of mine Bev - we were both curious of the Island Ibiza, not really knowing what it would be like, but thought we had to go.
We left on the Wednesday after me going with a fever illness (partially due to 2 big nights out at the previous weekend). The week that we chose was the busiest week of the year due to the UKs no 1 radio station broadcasting live from the Island for 3 days with live gigs on the beach.
Arrived at Ibiza about 10pm and whilst being on the coach transfer to the apartment, I could actually feel something different about this Island that I'd never felt before. There was something in the air that was just different about all previous sunny holidays that I'd ever had - I still didn't really know what to expect.
My assumption of the Island was that of many British on an Island that had an area full of bars/drunks, a few clubs and a few nice beaches. After settling in at the apartment, which was located right on the beach we headed out to a few bars that played quite good music (mainly tech house). With me feeling ill we went back for sleep at around 3pm in preparation for the 1st day.
The first day was typical in people on the beaches having a tour around the area we were staying at - San Antonio, this is the place to stay apparently. I knew before we went that there were so many major nights in Ibiza clubs with top DJs playing so we quickly had to decide on the evening ahead. We chose the 'Cream' at 'Amnesia' of which MTV were going to be filming the night. First thing was first - nycotics. The going rate for pills was about £3 ($4.5), and you had no trouble buying them as there were so many dealers on the street. We bought tickets earlier that day - £35 ($50). We arrived at Amnesia at 12.30am and the club was empty but wow what a club. Amnesia has a history from the early 1970s so a well established place with a 4000 capacity. This place was split into 2 rooms (1 being like a huge arena). The place soon got busy with drinks being £6 ($10) for a mere bottle of water. It soon became packed with a huge night ahead. DJ Paul Van Dyke played an awesome set in the smaller room but this was just too busy for me. I stayed with DJ Tiesto in the main room. A really good night, but being an old clubber of 14 years, I wanted more!!
We left the club at 8am and caught a bus right outside (this was lucky as this place in the middle of nowhere). The sun was blazing down already with clubbers everywhere. We got on the bus that was soon full of clubbers, everyone being totally off their heads and still up for it. The driver agreed to turn the music up which was hard house and immediately the bus was rocking!! Then came 2 old Spanish ladies who got on - the only 2 normal people on the bus. 2 clubbers gave up their seats but still the party went on and that bus really did rock. This was a real experience I can tell yeh - it was just so mad!!!
We got back to San Antonio about 20 mins later and went back for a couple of 'J s' (stuff that I brought over). Bev was quite wrecked as me but hey, it didn't matter. After waking up at 1pm we done the daytime tour of the town etc and got ready for the Radio 1 event that was going to be broadcast live on the beach to the UK that evening. This was a really cool set on the beach with the legendary Pete Tong doing his essential selection set all starting at 6pm. Broadcasting live really made that party lively I can tell yeh knowing that the UK listeners had rain and were all envious. Our first Ibiza sunset experience was happening and wow what an experience. Such a beautiful view with a live broadcast set - wow.. At 9pm DJ Fergie came on playing cheeky progressive hard house. Another wicked set with a guest DJ playing at 10. The guest DJ transformed the night, as he was an experienced guy who had remixed some old house tracks - god he blew us away. This all finished at 12am and by then we were knackered. I was still feeling at bit ill from the UK which didn't help. Bev decided to get back for a rest but hey .. I needed more!!!
At 2am I finally tracked a cab down after many failed attempts - the cues were 30mins+ for a cab. I was on a mission to Pacha. I was absolutely knackered but had to do it. I arrived at Pacha, $50 to get in and drinks being $15 - $20 a time, but hey, I was in one of the most exclusive clubs in the world!!
Pacha is like a huge Spanish villa with all white walls and tiled flooring with many many rooms and a beautiful terrace. There were candles and huge cushion everywhere and a huge presence of class without a snobby money presence - a truly beautiful club. The people are all of a different class with most being over 25 and dressed smartly and the most beautiful women in the world dressed to perfection. Seb Fontaine played the main room but I spent most of my time just soaking up the whole Pacha experience - it was just about music - it was another world that no other club could ever create.
I got back at 7am after leaving early due to feeling tired and still a bit ill. I woke up a mere 4 hours later and felt great. You somehow don't need much sleep there as the whole Island is relaxed and non draining. We were then planning our next night - Manumission live.
Forget the daytime diary - this is about Ibiza nights. We again went to the Radio 1 live on the beach broadcast - didn't enjoy it as much, as the previous night just couldn't be topped. Left there at 9pm and went to a few bars. In Ibiza you can do the beginners kids stuff as I call it and hang out at loads of bars, get drunk, find a women - sleep by 3 or 4am. Not me!! The bars we chose were a little less mad but more about the music - all bars being open air with dance floors being the open surroundings and beach. We chose to do Manumission this night, which was having Radio 1 doing a live set from 12 - 4am. Manumission is a weekly Tuesday event held at the worlds biggest club Privilege, but on Saturday once a year due to radio 1.
Privilege is a club again in the middle of nowhere but truly something else. It started in the 1970s as an open-air club with a full size swimming pool. As the years went on eventually a roof was put over the lot. You could fit an entire football stadium in this place it was so big. It was all too much for Bev for a while ultimately because of the sheer scale, at a packed 10,000+ capacity. The DJ booth was right in the middle of the pool with a bridge to it. This place was so major, truly earning it's name Privilege. The live set was incredible, with the Manumission bit being a whole circus of acts as zombies were crawling on the walls trying to eat each other, trap-ease acts with safety nets, fire acts, live sax, naked women on the DJ booth bridge and Jamiroquai running around in a feathered hat (as he does). Other rooms had Danny Tenaglia playing, Sasha, Pete Tong, Seb Fontaine and others. We sat down in an out door chillout globe room amongst 100s of other to sit a chat to a couple that were also from Brighton UK - how mad was that!!
We left there at 7am and got talking to some guys from the U.S. and convinced them to come to Space with us. Sunday at Space is the place you must not miss we were told. We got to Space, which is a club in a remote beach town. It was really bizarre as no one was there, but soon cars started arriving on this already hot sun blazing morning. We went to a cafe to grab a drink waiting for the club to open (9am). Soon many cars arrived and we queued up for 40mins before getting in. This place was a single level with 2 rooms. The main room I can only describe as being in the film 'Blade' - yes exactly that, a chilled dark place very high tech but very homely somehow. The other room hadn't started yet but was the Terrace - famously know as 'Space on the Terrace'. This was a large area with netting as the roof keeping the direct sunrays out, and people dancing for sheer enjoyment to be happy. I danced with a huge grin and just couldn't believe this place - there really is nothing on earth like Space on the Terrace, so many have told me that but man there are so right.
Groove Armada came on at 10am - now this was really something else. The DJ booth was small and on the same level as the dance floor - really keeping the DJ with the people and not making a big stage set out of it - this really made a difference to the set and the personal involvement of the DJ. It was like having your best friend playing who really participated with his friends. Everyone was absolutely wrecked, but all smiling and totally re - energised by this amazing place. I just couldn't believe this place and Groove Armada just really connected with everyone. This experience totally hammered home what Ibiza is. The drunks back in town that go to bed at 6am and lay on the beach have absolutely no idea about the true Ibiza. The club itself is less than a mile from the airport with jets flying directly over nearly shaking the place every time - you just gotta get here somehow in your like. Space was due to shut at 6am the following morning with everyone then going to DC10, a club at the end of the runway that really does shake when the planes go over so I'm told. We danced and danced, met so many people, all hammered, happy and glamorous.
Bev got chatting to a guy involved in the Radio 1 broadcast and before we knew it we were off to some villa up in the hills at 2pm in the afternoon. We got there feeling absolutely f*cked, but hey, this was Ibiza. We met up with a record label owner, a guy who runs the Mayfair club in London and a band (Intenso Project) that were going to perform a track live on Radio 1 that evening. One of the band members was quite a famous guy from another group he used to be in. This was very surreal. We got on very well with them and were invited to VIP entry at the Radio 1 gig that evening. This holiday was just getting better and better !!
We got to the event that we'd been to two nights previous but this time VIP and not one of the audience. There was a free bar and many well known people/DJs from the UK. We watched the sunset, which was the best ever - probably because Bev & I dropped another half a pill. You didn't need many drugs really as Ibiza keeps you high.
The group played their set and I got chatting to the drummer for over an hour whilst we both got pissed. Not a good idea as he had to do a live TV appearance at 6am the following morning on a UK breakfast show. We left there at 12am and despite being up about 36hours, with much dancing, drugs and alcohol, I decided we should go clubbing. Bev was now experiencing true hardcore for her first time - I was really getting into this now.
Despite Bevs apprehensions, I chose a Spanish club called El Divino which had Soul Heaven as the theme. We could have done a trance night but clubbing isn't all about house and trance stuff - I wanted to go here for 1 big reason. New York DJ Little Louie Vega was going to be playing and if you know who he is - you'll know what night we had. It was sheer perfection, control and in another class of what he played - the best set of my life and Bev taken back by the ecstasy of this different but somehow better music. I went right back to the first ever time of being on my first pill. A feeling that I thought was long gone, I really just couldn't believe it and now still cannot. This and Space are just higher than anything I've ever done - and it's not a highest high like taking loads of pills, but a more incredible unbelievable high (just like the first time). I was no way tired at all and before we knew it, it was 7am and time to go. We got back and slept for about 20 hours. We deserved it I think. During the whole holiday I kept seeing t-shirts saying 'fuck the tan' - a true clubbers thing I know and soon realised we had no tan either. Not my intension at all - but the Island just swallowed me up - I had no choice - honest..
On the last night we went to Pacha where it was Perfecto night (Perfecto being Paul Oakenfolds label). Bev was really taken back by the place - and the drink prices. Then it was 4.30am, and the Perfecto himself came on - Paul Oakenfold. I can still feel the tingles as I write this of that moment. It's actually getting harder to write now because this journal is really bringing back what an incredible experience we went through. I really cannot put words to what happened on that vacation - ....
Pauls set blew everyone away and just done something that no other DJ can do. I won't say he is the best DJ in the world, but he really can play God if he wants to. I still hadn't bought a 21st birthday souvenir for my Niece yet as got an idea. Oakenfold is her favourite DJ so I bought a Paul Oakenfold live in Ibiza CD from the Pacha shop and got Paul to sign it. She still doesn't know as she is touring Europe - but for her - that is a top top present. I can't wait to see her next.
The cab back to the apartment was sad but satisfying - we crammed such an amazing experience in such a short time - And with getting on the plane home I noticed a familiar character sitting at the very back wearing sunglasses. - It was Oakenfold ... Seeing him at Gatwick Airport London waiting for his luggage with us - a very surreal experience I can tell yeh. A few hours previous he was God at Pacha.
To sum it all up.. Ibiza has actually changed my life, I had no idea a vacation could do that, but visiting the best super clubs in the world, I'm hardly surprised. I foresee no reason to have a summer holiday anywhere else again as my kinda people are there, my kinda air, my kinda understanding of life, my ideal world. It's not all nightlife as we visited many day time bars on the beach and a brief insight to the Spanish way of life, whilst walking the streets and chatting to locals. We met the workers of the Island and they all seem so settled. Everywhere else there just seem so much more hassle and stressful and with what purpose really??. These are obvious symptoms of a guy back from vacation, but I believe now what many others and celebrities have said who now live there - 'nothing is like Ibiza..'
Thank you for taking the time to read this