NEWS
EVENTS
A Week on the White Isle
Other | Friday 3rd October 2014 | Christina
We all know dance music is taking over the world right now – dedicated dance festivals have sprung up from England to Australia, and EDM has erupted in America, turning Miami and Vegas into party capitals. Yet despite this global takeover, Ibiza is still the big dog of dance music. We surrendered to the spiritual home of dance and spent one hell of a week on the White Isle.
Fatboy Slim at Ibiza Rocks was the first night up and it did not disappoint. I’m normally indifferent to warm up acts – they're never who you pay to see and sometimes they’re just a little bit shit – but when the warm up acts are Doorly and Maribou State, that all goes out the window. They set the vibes perfectly, and got us suitably sweaty and ready for the main man. At the ripe old age of 51, Norman Cook has definitely still got it. I didn’t think he could top the storming set he played at Glasto this year but his Eat. Sleep. Rocks. Repeat show blew the roof off Ibiza Rocks (or it would have done if there actually was a roof). He was clearly loving it as much as we were – I imagine the sight of the entire crowd crouching down and jumping around ‘Praise You’ style was pretty entertaining from up behind the decks.
Next up was Zoo Project, which has quickly become an Ibiza must-do for all serious party animals. I mean if the prospect of body paint, glitter and running riot in an abandoned zoo doesn’t excite you then you need help. Hundreds of people dressed as animals, live performances, acrobatic dancers and DJs spinning house and techno across 4 stages – Zoo delivered pure festival vibes to San Antonio. The finer details of the night have been lost on us but we were picking glitter off ourselves for the rest of the holiday. That shit gets everywhere.
Even the most party-hardened people need a breather now and again, and let me tell you, nothing eases a comedown like the crystal clear waters and blue skies of Formentera, Ibiza’s chill neighbour. Look how happy those toes are.
After a boat ride back over to Playa d’en Bossa, we headed to Sankeys for Duke Dumont. Having gone to uni in Manchester, home of the original Sankeys, I was particularly keen to experience its Balearic cousin, and I was not let down. The club had the same Sankeys vibe, except it was hotter than the surface of the sun in the main room - with all the sweating, shuffling and gurning, it looked and felt like people were actually melting. Scary. Temperature aside, Shadow Child got things going with a solid house set, a perfectly judged mix of deep cuts and dancier tunes. His remix of Hot Natured’s ‘Reverse Skydiving’ got a particularly massive reception.
He took his time taking to the decks, but sampler extraordinaire and king of the summer anthem Duke Dumont, dropped tune after tune, including his own huge hits ‘I Got U’, ‘Need U 100%’ and ‘Won’t Look Back’. His set showed exactly why he had been given a residency.
Chase & Status at Amnesia was our final stop. The super club was absolutely packed out, and the crowd was definitely on one.
The duo hit us with all the Chase & Status bangers – early tunes like ‘International’ and ‘Eastern Jam’ were still sounding super fresh, through to ‘Blind Faith’, ‘Hypest Hype’, and onto their newest hits ‘Lost & Not Found’ and ‘Count On Me’. Amongst all that lot they also managed to squeeze in the biggest tunes of the summer. Smoke cannons and confetti, plus the hype man – “It’s Chase and fucking Status!” - gave the set the atmosphere of a live show. Will and Saul ensured that everyone, even those not chemically assisted, ended the night on massive high by closing with ‘Alive’. And as if that wasn’t enough, they were followed by Pendulum, who turned up the bass for all the hardcore boys and girls.
Amnesia to apartment to airport with no sleep was a fitting end to a week of madness. Ibiza, we will be back.
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