“Ibiza, put your hands up!” demands an excited Calvin Harris to the jam-packed dance floor below him. It's the night that welcomes back clubbing royalty Cream to Amnesia, with this season marking an impressive twenty-year reign.
The disco bus dispersed a giddy, eager crowd to the Amnesia ground and even then the anticipation in the air was electric. As an island virgin it was my first time at the event which is legendary for showcasing stellar trance, house and electro all under one roof. Although I had heard many tales about the club, nothing could have prepared me for its sheer size and magnitude. The red bus decorated with the Amnesia logo outside acts as a backdrop for everyone getting photos as way of testimony for being there; “eeee that's going to be my cover photo on Facebook that!”. It's an unwritten rule.
Inside, both the Main Room and the Terrace could easily pass for separate venues in their own right but when conjoined they create a gigantic superclub that will make your favourite club seem like a Butlin's Holiday Bar. With resident Paul Van Dyk serving up a tasty helping of trance, the energy in the Main Room never dropped. The acid green laser lights sliced through the crowd and the enormous speakers at the edge of the dance floor pumped out a beat so aggressive it rattles in your chest.
But it was clear Calvin Harris was the main attraction for many clubbers as a tidal wave of partygoers spilled in to The Terrace eagerly anticipating his set just before 3am. The familiar vocals from his smash Under Control chimed in and the atmosphere soared. The Scottish DJ and producer weaved together his commercial dance favourites such as I Need Your Love, I Feel So Close and Bounce with razor sharp beats, neon-toned trills and slinky synth lines. Commas such as his collaboration with Florence Welch Sweet Nothing and Keisza's Hideaway gave the revellers chance to catch their breath before being catapulted back in to electro euphoria. As the sea of blue and lilac ravers clambered on to each other's shoulders and sung along in unison, it reminded me of the atmosphere more at home at a festival (minus the stinking portaloos, guaranteed thunderstorms and swamps of mud).
As the night reached fever-pitch, the heavens (ceiling) opened and showered us in streamers. And don't they just love an ice cannon at Cream! Although it is premium drink prices, it's no different from the other superclubs in Ibiza and you just can't put a price on the experience.
Thursday's are set to be the Cream of the crop now and Amnesia is not a club you'll forget in a hurry...
WORDS | Francesca Evans PHOTOGRAPHY | Marc De Groot
