Ibizan Nights.... Review on Ibiza

Ibiza, what does that word conjure up? The high life, hedonism, and house music…..or club 18-30, cheap alcohol and package tourism, well the time had come to go and to see for myself what all the fuss was about.

From all the things that you hear about the place, if you really think about it they don’t quite tie together, on one side you get the media and awful programmes like “Ibiza Uncovered” portraying it as a place of drunken debauchery by groups of young Brits getting up to all sorts with anyone they can get their hands on and consuming anything remotely alcoholic; and then you also hear that the best clubs on the planet are there. Now ask yourself are a bunch of drunk teenagers really going to need the likes of Sasha, Roger Sanchez or Timo Maas to entertain them? You would think some cheap alcohol and a bit of a boogie would suffice for them…..and you’d be right, Ibiza has got two faces and they are like different planets although they are only 10 miles apart, the coolest pocket capital in Europe Ibiza Town and the unashamedly unglamorous San Antonio.

We arrived on a Sunday evening after a few days in Barcelona, and were only going to stay for three nights, hotel accommodation is best booked from home as things can get very full in summer, we stayed at the Royal Plaza just off the main marina, not our first choice as that would have been the art deco Ocean Drive on the other side of the bay, however it made it more interesting that Timo Maas and Mr C (the owner of the End nightclub in London) were also staying there, they were quick to inform us where and where not to go, ie don’t go anywhere near San Antonio!

The first thing you notice about Ibiza Town are the yachts, I had to double check that we weren’t in Marbella or Puerto Benous! I’m talking serious yachts in the £10 million plus category moored all around the bay, the biggest having “tommy” in massive letter on its hull, now I wonder who owned that?! (Tommy Hilfiger). You then notice the people (who only come out at night), wall to wall cool hip Europeans and international clubbers, designer boutiques, and endless cafes and bars, this place seems to have built around decadence. Now if you thought people went out late on mainland Spain, they go out even later here, dinner was normally around midnight and then a few drinks at the numerous bars on the marina, prime spots to find out what was going on that night, to get tickets and generally chat with other clubbers. One particular place really stood out, the Mao Rooms, a venture by London’s famous China White, judge for yourself, what must the people here be like for China White to put their name to bar? The atmosphere and red decor have a Moroccan feel, you sit on Turkish beds (remove your shoes first), and the very beautiful waitresses serve you finely mixed cocktails - also its not as expensive as it should be a vodka redbull is about £6 (cheaper than Fire N' Ice!). Around 12.30 the processions start, the dancers and promoters from the various clubs move through the crowds promoting the events of the night, this really is a sight to be seen, the dancers both male and female are invariably stunningly good looking with figures to match dressed in outlandish futuristic costumes, one particular “tribe” had one guy in a predator suit with weapons and full armour and the girls as Amazon warriors - you use your imagination!

The island has 7 major clubs each hosting a different event each night of the week, catering for any brand of house you wish to listen to from sexy house of Roger Sanchez, through the deep house of Sasha and Digweed all the to way to the banging techno of Sven Vath. Each club has its own style and appeal, among them Space, a daytime venue, and voted the best club in the world last year and Privledge which is the worlds biggest club and hosts the previously infamous Manumission parties.

Our night at El Divino was probably the best clubbing night of my life, Roger Sanchez played a stunning and deep 8 hour set, that and the crowd, who were well dressed, twenty something and very cool all were loving it, the vibe in the club was very friendly, no attitude in evidence at all something that is getting increasingly rare in the British clubscene.

I saw what Ibiza was about, Ibiza town one of the best kept secrets in Europe, Ibiza has it all and does it better than London. There is something about that place, the hype, its eminence as the clubbing capital of the world, the incessant 24 hours a day partying, its smouldering melting pot of cultures and people, all united under the ever growing global religion of house music, one of the most powerful forces drawing together the youth of 21st century Earth.