No Guns, No Gats – Big love only at Galaxy weekender

UK radio brands are once more focusing their overseas aspirations on the biggest little island in the Med, Ibiza. This weekend Galaxy pre-empt their (British taxpayer-funded) rival Radio One with five days’ worth of parties from beaches to West End bars to super clubs and back again.

Friday, July 29

In three days from now Galaxy join Hed Kandi for a special beach party that will hopefully slip under the radar of the ever-watchful Ibiza fun Nazis. Weirdly enough the disaffected progenitor Mark Doyle is still listed as a dj on the press releases, but he informs us that he most certainly isn’t playing and is hoping to take half the HK staff with him on his new venture, Tokyo Project.

(Gossip hags might like to make their way to the forums to check out the commotion when the “exhedofkandi” logged on. This is indeed “Spotlight gold”.)

Also listed are Tom De Neef and David Dunne with live PAs from top acts.

The evening’s entertainment (or ruck) kicks off at 6pm local time and will continue till midnight. Meet at Es Vive Hotel (left) in Ibiza Town at 5pm and Savannah on the sunset strip at 5.30pm where there’ll be an opportunity to get tickets. They might even lay on complimentary coaches to take you to the party from Savannah and Es Vive. We’re not sure exactly what will go down, apart from the free beer courtesy of Sol.

- if you’re in the UK, they’ll be broadcasting from 7-11pm as a DAB Digital Radio special and from 9pm-11pm across the Galaxy Network

Saturday, July 30

Andi Durrant and Paul Kershaw will be live from Savannah on the sunset strip in San Antonio, with special guests from 6pm till midnight. Meanwhile from 8pm till midnight bargrooves resident Ben Sowton takes to the decks with a special sunset mix featuring “the best in laid back sophisticated deep house”. For your chance to receive a ticket, be at Savannah on San Antonio’s sunset strip at 5.30pm

- Broadcasting across the UK across the Galaxy Network: 5-7pm with Andi Durrant and Paul Kershaw; 7-9pm bargrooves

Sunday, July 31

Steve Sutherland (right), MOBO award winner, Pacha resident and philosophy graduate, will be live from San Antonio from 10pm-2am.

Also on the billing will be newly discovered unsigned talent supported by the Arts Council England and Music Matrix: Nana, Fumin and Baby Blue performing their track, ‘One Night Stand’, This will be a ticket only event. To be there, locate Andy at Plastik in advance and ask him nicely to get your chance to see some fine flesh up close and sweaty.

Steve Sutherland: I’ve got Kano (left)doing his thing there, who is one the new breed. He initially was a grime artist. I’ve had him on the show. I always have people that I want, not people that might be hot for a second. People I believe in. Also we’ve got Nana, the singer on the Architects’ ‘Make Your Body Groove’. And Carmen Reece, who’s a hot r’n’b senstation back in the UK. I’m a firm believer in giving the UK lot a chance. I support the cream of the crop.”

Are you more of a San An or Ibiza Town kind of guy?

At the moment I’m a Gatwick kind of guy.

What do your r’n’b mates say when you tell them you’re off to Ibiza?

I haven’t got any r’n’b mates. The good thing though is in the industry, when I say ‘Pacha’, the perception of me changes. I’ve got three MOBOs, and all that bullshit, and a couple of other awards, but it’s a totally different scene. They actually stand back and look at me with more respect.

How did you get the Release Yourself gig?

Funnily enough I did the Pacha in Sharm el-Sheikh last year, unfortunately they’ve just got bombed haven’t they, that’s bad news. Did Pacha there last year which was good craic. I got asked to do another Pachas but the only cool club really is Pacha Ibiza. The last couple of years I’ve done Twice As Nice, which has really been good to me, but it’s time to do something a little bit different. Next year I might be back there. But now I'm proving that I can play with the big boys. I just want to play a good set and not bore ‘em. I have to say a lot of djs are really friggin' boring at the moment.

How’s Ayia Napa these days?

I don’t touch it with a barge pole. I haven’t been there for two years. When I started there with Twice As Nice eight, nine years ago it was really good. It’s incomparable with Ibiza.

How would you describe the kind of music you play at Pacha?

You gotta understand I’m a dj first. Not an urban dj, or a garage dj, or an r’n’b dj. I play everything. I’m a great supporter of people like Masters at Work, Little Louie and Kenny. They’re eclectic. I started off playing r’n’b and hip hop, but now I play anything that the crowd has paid to see. The gamut from classic cuts, new stuff. I play a little bit of, I can’t say funky house ‘cos that’s such a naff word. I play old school stuff, old school garage. I’d feel a bit pissed off if I had to play the same kind of music all night. Also being at Pacha, I have to battle against another room which plays the popular music. The opening at Pacha was apparently one of the busiest opening nights ever in Pacha. Andy B (above right) did a wicked job, I came on, myself and my MC Lync. At the end of the night they wouldn’t bloody go.

Have you been to many other places in Ibiza this year?

Last year I did. But now by the time I finished Pacha, I’m knackered. I love places like Mambo and Savannah, they’re the best pre-party places going .The guy who runs it, Rob, really looks after ya. He knows what people want.

How do you like the beaches?

Don’t go to ‘em mate. If I’m staying in a good hotel, what am I going to a beach for?

How do you like the bitches?

At Pacha (left) they’re all high maintenance birds. You need a black Amex to shake their hand. I’ll be honest with you, I really don’t look at women when I’m djing. It sounds a bit boring but I’m concentrating on what I’m doing. It can really distract ya. But as long as everyone on the dance floor’s dancing, then I don’t care. Especially when I see what’s happened to other djs now, I’m very careful of what I do and where I do it. Women and alcohol and all the stuff, I don’t take any notice. It’s a business now. It’s work.

What’s the most fucked up question anybody’s ever asked you?

Have you had sex with your boots on.

And what did you say to that?

None of your fucking business.

Have you ever got a date from doing an interview?

I have. I saw her for a couple of months after.

You can’t tell me who she was?

Nah, she might be a colleague of yours.

Has anybody ever really stitched you up?

I did this thing a couple of weeks ago. I did a really good interview, I thought. But obviously the guy wanted to spice it up, and he started talking about guns and gats. Which was really funny because on my show I don’t encourage that, beefs like 50 Cent and Jah Rule. I actually ban it. On the Saturday my show is the biggest on Galaxy. Then on Sunday we’re the biggest urban show in the whole of the UK. We have all the artists. We had Miss Dynamite last night. We’ve got Lemar next, Craig David a couple of weeks after. Kayne West is a regular on my show. If we haven’t got ‘em them we don’t particularly like the music.

- Broadcasting across the UK across the Galaxy Network 9pm-1am

Monday, August 1

Galaxy will be joining Roger Sanchez for the official ‘Release Yourself’ pre-Party at Café Mambo. Moving on to Ibiza Town, they’ll be broadcasting Mr Sutherland's set live back to the UK from the Global Room in Pacha.

- Broadcasting across the Galaxy Network: 7-8pm with Roger Sanchez and 3-6am (Tuesday) with Steve Sutherland.

Tuesday, August 2

Galaxy’s Slammin’ Boys play at the glamorous El Divino with their mix of funky and soulful house. Join them live from 12 midnight.

- Broadcasting across the Galaxy Network: 11pm-1am