So all the best nights seem to have a degree of spontaneity to them and when the last minute decision was made to get to Mambo just in time for sunset we knew we were in for a brilliant Closing Party night.
We scrambled into cars and after Dunmore had navigated us across the winding back roads of Ibiza in his best Colin McCrae impression, we were sat on the rocks outside Mambo’s, tripod up and camera rolling just in time for a classic Ibiza sunset.
As the sun dipped under the horizon, Mambo resident Alex Wolfenden eased us into the night with NuYorican Soul’s ‘I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun’ and Creative Source’s cover of Bill Withers’ ‘Who Is He And What Is He To You’, before handing over the turntables to Mr Bob Sinclar. Bob’s pre-party sets at Mambo have become pretty legendary now – an excuse for him to play his favourite party tunes to get everyone smiling and in good shape for the night at Pacha ahead. With tracks like T-Connection ‘At Midnight’, Bohannan ‘Lets Start To Dance’, Michael Jackson ‘Off The Wall’, Terrance Trent Darby ‘Dance Little Sister’ and a few San Miguel’s and a plate of Mambo’s tasty Nacho’s, we were all in good spirits.
After Bob finished on the decks we headed back to Casa Dunmore to shower, change, and catch up with the days football via Match of The Day and then we were out – straight onto Pacha. We unfortunately missed the warm up sets from Andy Baxter and our own Miss Divine but we were assured that both did sterling work and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, Miss Divine enthusiastically beaming about her set the day after. “The crowd were just so responsive, I could have played anything but I had to reel it in a bit”.
Bob stepped up the decks and proceeded to smash it for the next two hours in his own unique style. He’s not to everyone’s taste, but on a night where they’ve squeezed 3000 clubbing maniacs through the door he’s the right man for the job. Big dancefloor break downs and sing-a-long anthems – he even dropped Bob Marley at 5am as his last of the set before he handed over the headphones to Dunmore....it certainly had Dunmore returning to his CD wallet to re-evaluate his first tune.
Simon played for the last 2 hours; tough, consistent, funky and pumping throughout, keeping the dancefloor grooving - teasing the crowd with the dub of ‘Hey Hey’ and a nicely timed accapella before working in the full vocal version much to the crowds delight. In her (very) high heels, Rae preciously climbed up onto the table top behind the decks at 6am to perform her debut PA at Pacha, singing the forthcoming ‘Hide U’ and ‘It’s Over’ which when the beat dropped back in after the breakdown floored everyone!
The last 30 minutes or so of the night are always the most special; closing the night and more importantly the season is not an easy task – it has to be memorable, so when Dunmore played Robert Owen’s ‘I’ll Be Your Friend’ at 6:30am with a dancefloor still absolutely packed it was most definitely one of those ‘moments’. Quickly followed by D’Lacey’s ‘Hide Away’, Everything But The Girls’ ‘Missing’ and the tune of the Summer ‘Coma Cat’, the lights were up and the swarm of bodies down on the dancefloor and in the VIP were screaming for the all important “one more”. As the Sambucca shots were handed around those of us loitering, photographing, filming these last moments in the DJ booth, Simon started up Bill Withers ‘Lovely Day’. Right time, right place, right tune – hands in the air, smiles, hugs and singing...the best way to end a night and what has been another amazing Defected In The House season at Pacha.
Roll on 2011!!
Words: Simon Dawson
