Ibiza 2006 - Not over till the midget in drag sings

Ibiza 2006 was fun and fiercely competitive. We listed up to 60 events per week in our party calendar, from San An institution Es Paradis's May opening event to Dc10's three-arena closing party on October 2. Next year there will almost certainly be fewer.

This most recent White Isle party season may go down as the last a hypothetical rave Terminator could club hop non-stop from dusk till dawn and back to dusk again.

Of course the clubs will look for ways around regulations that are expected to be enacted to curtail operations between 6am and 12. For example this year Manumission were granted a special licence to stay open later and it's possible others will obtain permission to extend their hours. However it appears unlikely that any clubs will be permitted to initiate events from dawn to midday. That means no What's Up?, La Troya after hours, In Bed With Space, Day Off! or Saturday mornings at Space with Matinée. Circo Loco at Dc10 would start at some point in the afternoon.

Is this a good thing? No. It would be better for the Ibiza party season if non-sound polluting events with proper parking and effective security were allowed to start at 8am. It's a beautiful time of day.

Most probably the anticipated ruling will drive the market for this type of event underground, thus continuing the rise and fall cycle of artistic and social movements. But rave music and its associated culture thrives on repression. The impulse appears indestructible, tho it might take a break for the winter.

Here's a look at the end of an era.

MATINÉE CLOSING @ SPACE - September 30

By the time Team Spotlight got out of bed and into Playa d'en Bossa at around eleven, the final fiesta from Barcelona boys Matinée was fully firing. The discoteca and the terrace were very full but mostly straight, with regards to sexuality anyway.

Matinée closing @ Space - September 30, 2006

Ravenous cruisers were disappointed but the atmosphere was still electric thanks in no small part to in demand diva Rebeka Brown (above).

B LIVE @ ATZARO - September 30

B Live @ Atzaro - September 30, 2006

Later that night rum distiller Bacardi threw a pre-Space closing party in the extensive and well maintained grounds of the Atzaro hotel in the north of the island. Burgers and booze abounded.

PRIVILEGE CLOSING - September 30

Privilege closing - September 30, 2006

We arrived late to be greeted by the surreal sight of a small float carrying a midget in drag performing a torch song in Spanish (above). Bubbles were blown and flowers were distributed to rapt clubbers before the beat kicked back in and we buggered off.

SPACE CLOSING - October 1

Space closing - October 1, 2006 (Photo: www.space-ibiza.es)

Tho less chaotic that the opening party, Space closing attracted many thousands including members of the Guardia Civil who frisked clubgoers thoroughly in a security crackdown that received wide coverage in the local media.

Despite the party's popularity this time there were no reports paying customers were unable to gain entry due to lack of capacity. The layout of the outdoor arena was rejigged - the dj booth was placed at the very back of the car park and flanked by glamorous dancers gyrating on podiums thus bringing everybody closer to the action at the front.

CIRCO LOCO @ DC10 CLOSING - Monday October 2

Circo Loco closing - October 2, 2006

As in previous years the guest list was slashed and many who expected to get in for free had to pay the 35€ entrance. Fair enough perhaps but a bit of warning would have been nice. However the pruning served its purpose and all of the rooms were full without being uncomfortably so. Highlights musically included Loco Dice's mid evening mosh (above).

BORA BORA CLOSING - Tuesday, October 3

Bora Bora closing - October 3, 2006

Bora Bora closing - September 30, 2006

Problems with the sound on the terrace prevented the pre-midnight session from achieving the heights of last year but there were no reported difficulties inside Bora Bora's glass-enclosed club which kicked on for several more hours.

OTHER EVENTS OF NOTE

El Ayoun's S.O.S, Blue Marlin's post-Circo Loco gig and Underground's closing party last night all received glowing recommendations.