Maya Claughton on another week of basking, partying and - unfathomably - wussing out on the White Isle...
Last week started off pretty quiet, with a couple of lazy days at Tropicana on Cala Jondal – hands down my favourite beach club in Ibiza. So chilled, so 80s, and with that slightly-porno looking Tiki Bar, from which I’m sure you could procure a mega Pina Colada, should you be that way inclined. Amaze.
The week’s shenanigans really kicked off on Wednesday - after a meeting at Ushuaia we popped our heads into the poolside opening party for the Swedish House Mafia and that kind of set the tone for the rest of the evening. I was interviewing Mark Ronson at Ibiza Rocks at 10pm so we decided to sneak in a classic Mambo sunset whilst my great friend Eddie Thoneick was playing. 18,000 shots of hierbas later, we whizzed inland to the newly re-opened and UTTERLY rock’n’roll Pikes Hotel, now under the watchful managerial eye of the Ibiza Rocks team.
With the lovely Mark Ronson
There things started to get more than a bit excitable, running around the legendary Club Tropicana pool (from THAT Wham! video), dancing on beds in Freddie Mercury’s infamous party suite and (Kitt & Nick) putting the DJs record on loop every time he left the booth. Very VERY funny indeed. We finally made it to Pacha for Erick Morillo at about 3 am and I guess we left at 6. Not entirely sure but it was ridic good fun!
Questionable camera skills at Pikes
On Thursday I produced an event for my great friend, house-music vocalist extra-ordinaire, Duane Harden, at the Blue Marlin. We had guest vocalists drop by to sing – Shawnee Taylor & Nuwella – and the whole place went off ‘til pretty late. Awesome good vibes with great peeps.
Fridays are for QUIET times and dinner (La Bodega in the Old Town for some seeeeeerious tapas) because SATURDAY is BIG.
We hit Ushuaia for the Defected pool-party pretty early, and teed ourselves up with a blinding mojito and a swim… What a place to hang out, although I think you’d have to be out of your mind to stay there – the sound system is next-level and it’s EVERYWHERE.
The inimitable Sam Divine took over at 7.30 and the main floor was pretty packed by 8. I had to make a mad dash to the airport to collect my mini sister at 9 (moving out for her first season) but I brought her straight back to Ushuaia and dropped her right into the DJ booth just as Chocolate Puma came on – what a way to start your Ibiza life! The Chocolate guys were AWESOME – you really can’t beat the energy of 2 DJs playing at the same time – it’s crazy and we LOVED it!! The stage and booth were packed and the combination of the sunset, the planes overhead and the trapeze dancers on ribbons was total magic. There were lots of proper Ibiza moments being had!!
The Chocolate Puma boys
We finished on a mega-high at midnight and after the week’s excesses I have to say (shhhhh) that I didn’t make it to Pacha. I’m sorry, I know I let the side down, but even I have to sleep sometimes!! I heard it was insane and I PROMISE I’ll never miss another one. Promise.
(Also MASSIVE props to Kitt, Proudfoot, Nick Hadfield & Marits Roberts for making last week BEYOND ridiculous. Biggest love) xx
Maya
Defected In The House is at Pacha every Saturday throughout the season - check full line-up details here Click here for details of the Defected In The House summer residency at Ushuaia, every Saturday before Pacha
