As far as we are aware at Ibiza Spotlight, the decision for Ibiza Rocks to make a clear distinction between their live acts on a Wednesday and the "rockstar" DJ's on a Friday has been a resounding success. Having been to both, there's a completely different atmosphere (which isn't a bad thing!).
For this week's instalment I'd earmarked a show that I'd 100% wanted to be at. Being a hardcore and avid Drum & Bass fan up until the conclusion of last year's season in Ibiza, I was hoping that the show would bring me back some memories of all the raves I used to go to in the UK. Not only that, my favourite record label in the D'n'B world was Hospital Records and my favourite parties were the Hospitality shows, so it's fair to say I was climbing the walls with excitement (Probably explained why I was there when the doors opened at 7pm!)
First off was DJ and producer S.P.Y and MC Texas who opened up W.A.R with some deep and techy Drum & Bass vibes to keep the crowd jumping along before the flood gates opened. Playing the stand out D'n'B track from late 2011 / early 2012, "Marka" by Dub Phizix & Skeptical, the already large crowd lit up instantaneously and then the atmosphere just grew and grew from there onwards. Throughout the rest of his set, the large Brazilian figure of S.P.Y regularly dropped in some classic jungle tracks as well as more up-to-date remixes of artists such as Delilah's "Go" and Emilie Sande's "Heaven".
One of my favourite Drum & Bass DJ's in terms of live performances and releases in the west country is Danny Byrd. Every time I've seen him play, he's always brought
amazing energy and his set at W.A.R. was no different.
He opened up with a huge build up, but from nowhere played Nirvana's classic "Smells Like Teen Spirit". You can imagine the crowd's reaction. Frequently throughout his set he would
drop in non-D'n'B tracks such as House Of Pain's "Jump Around" and a huge remix of Jay-Z and Kanye West's "N****s In Paris" which deservedly got a spin back. It
certainly wasn't what you'd call a standard Drum & Bass set like S.P.Y's earlier in the night and High Contrast's later on, but I'm a firm believer in playing
for the crowd that's in front of you and Danny Byrd read the crowd absolutely perfectly.
Unfortunately due to travel issues, Netsky was unable to make it to the show, which left more time for High Contrast to end the night on a huge high. I've visited the Ibiza Rocks Hotel on various occasions and honestly I can say I've never seen such an energetic atmosphere there - the energy that Drum & Bass can produce from a crowd is pretty special. It also brought back so many memories of my previous Hospitality parties back in the UK, especially when High Contrast played his timeless remix of Adele's "Hometown Glory" and other classics such as "Racing Green" and his remix of Kanye West's "GoldDigger".
For me personally, it was a very special night and I'm sure 99% of the crowd that was there thought the same. It's very refreshing to know that all genres of music can now be appreciated and welcomed on the island. Up next week is Mark Ronson and Radio 1's Zane Lowe, the hottest property in UK Bass music - Disclosure - and D'n'B artist Rudimental. We highly recommend checking out the W.A.R shows. Amazing atmosphere. Great crowd. Awesome venue. You'll be seeing me there next Friday for sure!
