If you're even slightly into dance music you will surely already have heard about Sankeys' boss David Vincent's recent serious health problems. When David got back on his feet, I went to have a quick chat with him at Sankeys HQ in Ibiza.
Hey David...you got out of the hospital just a few days ago after having an emergency surgery. How do you feel today?
"I'm feeling really good actually, sometimes positives come out of negatives and it definitely made me see a few things that have to change in my life."
Your hospital stay has already been mentioned on various media including Mixmag, it seemed you weren't particularly happy with your stay...
"Yeah I personally really didn't feel treated well at all at the public hospital in Ibiza (Can Misses). I had severe stomach pain that just wouldn't go away, so my first thought was that I had food poisoning. I went to the hospital and everything just went super slow and I didn't feel taken seriously. They did run some tests eventually, but it took ages and they wouldn't come forward with any results. So after I had spent about 6 hours in the hospital I lost patience and went back home. I slept for a whole day, but didn't feel any better so I went back to the hospital to get my results. They then said they couldn't find my results and apparently they had no free bed either! That was the tipping point for me, so we went straight to the private hospital Danny (Whittle) had suggested. At Policlinica del Rosario I got attended right away and they detected that I had appendicitis. Not just that, but it was so bad that my appendix could burst, which is a seriously life threatening situation. They operated on me straight away and saved my life by removing my appendix. So as you can see I had two totally opposite experiences in how I was treated."
"Now what I'm trying to tell people is the following: make sure you're insured when travelling. I obviously learnt my lesson the hard way - my English insurance didn't cover me because I was in Spain for longer than 30 days. So now I am insured locally and thus covered. Guys, when you're going on holiday, make sure you have a valid travel insurance so you get looked after properly and read the small print. I know it's the last thing you think about when booking your holidays, but the moment you need help you'll be damning yourself for not having sorted it out beforehand. I personally was shocked by the service in the public hospital of an island like Ibiza which lives off tourists. I know my Spanish isn't great, but at the same time in a place like this the hospital staff should be speaking a bit of English for sure don't you think?"**
Yeah I'm sure that would help. We're simply glad you're still with us! Now, let's speak about nicer things. You've told me beforehand you're not ready to announce your complete weekly line up just yet. But with people's minds now heavily being on Ibiza, is there any news you can already share with us?
"I do have a few things for you yes. Firstly, the dates for the two Sankeys opening parties have been announced a while ago, the 20th and 21st of May. Sankeys awakens for 2015. People will get to see how we have matured for this summer on all levels. I can exclusively give you the first few artists for those nights now: 20th May will see Darius Syrossian, Sidney Charles, Sante, Manu Gonzalez, Jozef K, Mandoiu, Marina Karamarko and more still to be announced. For the 21st May we have Steve Lawler, Duke Dumont, Amine Edge & Dance, Greg Vickers, Andy Baxter, Matt Jam Lamont, Sam Holt so far, with more to be added soon. If you've seen the artwork, the party has a sci-fi twist to it. I am a massive Star Wars fan and we want to see people in a 'galaxy far away' fancy dress. I'll probably dress up as Luke Skywalker myself and Danny Whittle as Yoda, the wise old man he is. Tickets are currently 35€ for one night or 55€ for the combo ticket for both nights" (see below for tickets)
Sankeys meets Star Wars, sounds great! Then today one of your weekly nights has just been announced...
"Yes, we're working with the team behind Ibiza Rocks for Friday nights as together we present a new night called Shelter. This event will attract a young crowd and will be reflective of the really thriving UK underground house scene which is emerging, bringing together exciting UK producers and more established house heads. Doorly is coming on board as weekly resident and will be opening up his little black book to help to curate the lineup. Shelter will also provide a home for some of our favourite UK record labels for one-off showcases. There's also a link-up with W.A.R! at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel, giving people access to Shelter after the event as part of the ticket price, so in effect you get 2 parties for the price of one. However Shelter isn't just an afterparty for W.A.R! but will have an entire identity of its own. We're treatening this as an independent club night that together with the guys at Ibiza Rocks we can really develop. Shelter launches on the 22nd of May, so perfect for all those coming for the IMS / opening parties weekend. Early bird tickets for Shelter are now on sale for 25€ for a limited time only on Ibiza Spotlight."
That should make for an interesting Friday night. Can you tell us what's new inside the club for this year?
"We want to upgrade our sound system again for this summer. We're exploring various options right now, but as Sankeys is about great sound, this subject is obviously always one of my main tasks. Then new lighting for both the LAB as well as the Basement."
Any chance for a better working aircon in the LAB? (I'm grinning)
"Yes Stivi, I can confirm there will be more aircon in the LAB this year (David grins too). In my opinion a good nightclub always needs a bit of sweat - there's nothing worse than a nightclub that feels like a fridge. The Basement is fine now, but I agree the LAB can do with a bit more air conditioning."
So what's the latest Sankeys news on an international level?
"We've just done a successful tour in Australia and are also doing a global 20th anniversary tour. And we'll be opening up a franchise in Italy, near Bologna in September."
The Sankeys global conquest continues! Right, we've started with something personal, let's also finish with something personal. You're writing your own memoirs?
"When I was in hospital and nearly died, I thought fuck man, I need to write a book about all this. Recently quite a few people I know have died and then there are always those obituaries. I don't want some obituary written about me. If I die, I want people to know the real story about me. As you can see I've put my life so far into 21 chapters, starting from where I grew up to where I am now, including the latest big happening in my life, the close shave at the hospital."
"I was always good at telling stories and I've already written a lot of those chapters. I really think it's gonna make an interesting read with all those people and global clubs involved in all these stories. It's going to be no-holds-barred in this book so I'm sure a few people aren't exactly looking forward to the thing coming out! My life really was a crazy ride until now and I know I am the eccentric of dance music. But right now I'm honestly simply glad I'm still here!"
**Editor's note: We highly recommend being insured whilst travelling, but must point out we are strictly reciting the interviewee's personal opinion regarding his stay at the hospital.
View this feature in the Ibiza Spotlight Magazine, Issue 008.
WORDS | Stivi
