As the season is nearly over it’s time to put into perspective what has happened in the last 3 months, who I have met, what parties I have been to and what crazy memories I will take from the Island this year!
The IMS was certainly an amazing start to the season, the crème de la crème of DJs, producers and music business bods took over The Ibiza Gran Hotel to struggle through hangovers each day (and do a little business) before they went out and partied again each night! F*** Me I’m Famous! kicked things off where I got to chat to Mark Ronson and it all went from there. I met Pete Tong, Heidi and Cassius in just a few days and the whole week culminated in a huge outdoor party at the top of Dalt Villa, probably the only time you will party with such an incredible view to compliment your dancing.
I won’t forget all my walks through Dalt Villa; sometimes by myself, sometimes with family and sometimes with friends, but each time you discover something new, whether it’s a restaurant or shop. There are so many little streets it’s just a pleasure to get lost! I found my new favourite shop this Summer ‘Hu-La-La’, the vintage store next to croissant show in the square in the Old Town. I always found something every time I went in there. The are thousands of other shops of course and I can now look forward to a winter with a wardrobe full of summer clothes!
Of course the parties are unforgettable and Pacha has certainly been where it’s at this Season. The Swedish House Mafia opening was pretty incredible, and of course when they brought Kylie into town it added an extra bit of glamour to the proceedings. Cadenza has blown everybody’s expectations, Subliminal Sessions with P Diddy was an amazing night and the mayhem around Cathy and David Guetta is ever-rising. The Flower Power parties – complete with the motorbike pushing past onto the dancefloor – were a real highlight, with EVERYONE dressed up with flower garlands and incense floating through Pacha.
The terrace has been the location of many a drunken chat, a dance to something a little more lighthearted than what was being played in the main room and the place where everyone ‘industry’ would congregate.
Of course, Defected In The House has given me the most amount of pleasure. We welcomed Candi Staton who performed an amazing rendition of ‘You Got The Love’, David Morales DJing with his top off each time he played, me and Bob Sinclar wearing matching t-shirts (with his face on!) and him completely tearing the roof off Pacha three times already.
But perhaps my favourite party of the summer was last week with Simon Dunmore and Copyright. Competing with a Faithless Live concert at the ‘world’s biggest nightclub’ Privilege wasn’t going to be easy, but we did it and did it so well! Both played their best sets of the season and just as the excitement couldn’t get much higher, Shingai the voice behind ‘Hey Hey’ ALSO lead singer of the Noisettes turns up in the booth and causes mayhem with her best friend!
Unfortunately with the parties also comes the breaking of my shoes but at least it will take some of the weight out of my luggage on the way home!
Outside of Pacha I think Dyed Soundorom’s Birthday party at DC10 stands out as one of my favourite parties…there were balloons all around the place and bubbles floating over our heads and of course the music was excellent thanks to the Freak ‘n ‘Chic guys manning the decks. Thank god it’s been kept open for a whole summer season this year!
Ushuaia has become the firm favourite of those wanting to party from 4pm until midnight, with its bed loungers available to rent for the night on the beach, gorgeous sushi and super friendly staff. The increasingly popular Thursday nights with Sasha, Wednesdays with tINI and monthly Fuse parties have all been some of the most talked about on the Island. We Love Sundays…although not so much a daytime thing anymore, has been one of my favourites especially when Black Rabbit have hosted El Salon with dancing friendly music, nothing too heavy for my tired feet after a Saturday night!
The smaller parties before and after the parties are of course just as important as the main events themselves. Mambo always has the party spirit with endless bottles of hierbas on hand to keep the DJ booth entertained. The villa party in the hills one Sunday morning after Defected was an adventure just travelling to it. Turning up at someone’s house just to drop off a camera turned into an 8 hour long after party proving there is ALWAYS a party to be had in Ibiza!
On a slightly more relaxing tip; the beaches. My favourites have to be Cala d’hort and Aguas Blancas. Cala d’Hort because of the cystal clear water and view of Es Vedra beyond. Aguas Blancas for the mud lined rocks ready to be smeared all over yourself and washed off in the sea. More shopping, the carboot sale at Sant Jordi where items of clothing are sold for just €1. Anything and everything is sold there…electrical goods, clothes, homewares, the perfect walk around on a Saturday morning and not something known about by most tourists. Yoga overlooking the sea is something that must be tried by everyone- the last thing on most people’s minds on a weeks holiday but all the same..if you can do it!
A good time is always about the people you are with and I have made some amazing new friends and some people who I don’t even know the name of but who I say hello to everyday. I have bumped into people I haven’t seen for 10 years but it’s only seemed like yesterday. Here, it’s like a concentration of all the people who are nice, open minded and want to meet new people. Of course everyone has something in common- they all like to party and what better way to spend time with people! Old friendships have been sealed and quality time spent together in the sunshine rather than the rainy street of London!
Looking back over my time here, it is hard to believe that it has been 3 months (so far ;) ) I have been on about 70 nights out, drank about 100 shots of hierbas and various other quantities of things... Anywhere else I would be offered rehab but not in Ibiza! I’m still full of energy, have most of my sanity and absolutely loving it. People do ask me why I don’t go anywhere else but Ibiza has it ALL. I can relax, I can party and I can work! I have done for the past 6 years and I intend to for years to come. Viva Ibiza!
Bex
xxx
Defected Presents The Closing Party: Ibiza 2010 is out 13th September - click to listen & pre-order
