HOME OF LA TROYA (the REAL La Troya party) [@ SPACE]

HOME OF LA TROYA 2007 OPENING PARTY... Wednesday 13 June @ midnight... second year @ Space.... HOME OF LA TROYA 2007 OPENING PARTY... Wednesday 13 June @ midnight... second year @ Space!

Space [2nd year]
Wednesday (nights)

Website: homeoflatroyaibiza.com
myspace.com/homeoflatroyaibiza

This is the club that changed my life.

In September 2000, I was at Amnesia to hear my two favourite DJs from the London gay scene, Heaven's Wayne G and Gordon John, play at La Troya Asesina. When the boys had finished, La Troya's resident DJ Oliver Azor took to the decks... For the hours that followed, Oliver played dozens of records that were new to my ears, and I was completely under the spell of his music. Dancing non-stop - on the spot now occupied by 'the camel' - I found that the louder I cheered the more Oliver played, and so encore after encore led to one of the most fantastic clubbing experiences of my life. That first night had to end eventually, as the heat of the sun was taking its toll, and there were only me and one or two other enthusiastic clubbers cheering for more. I left knowing that I had to repeat the experience as soon as possible.

We were due to fly home to London just a few days later, but the temptation of La Troya Asesina's closing party the next week was too much. We skipped our flight home, and stayed an extra week in Ibiza just to go to La Troya's closing party! That was the first closing party I went to, and the first time I'd skipped a flight because of an upcoming party. They weren't to be the last. The closing party wasn't the anti-climax it could have been, instead the party carried on even longer, with tracks that would eventually become part of my clubbing vocabulary, such as Rise, Keep Control, Clap Your Hands, Bel Amour and Right On Right On, and again finishing with a tune that was Flawless, absolutely flawless... And there were all those extras that make up the La Troya experience, such as the unexpected appearance in a spotlight of a violinist to accompany one of the tracks, the trapeze artist, the magical dry ice cannon, the show, the Coco-Loco bar, the trees, and 'La Troya' herself, Baby Marcelo! Going home to London that weekend was one of the bleakest ends to a holiday ever. But there was always next year!

In 2001, I was back in Ibiza for a week, for both the Amnesia and La Troya Asesina opening parties, but then I had to go back to London... Two weeks later I was back again and back at La Troya! Only this time I skipped my flight home at the end of the week, and stayed for the whole summer, not missing a single La Troya! By the time of 2001's closing party, I'd gained my reputation as the Englishman with the strange haircuts who never stopped calling for more, and La Troya, having been bubbling away quite nicely for a few years, erupted onto the mainstream Ibiza club scene, receiving its deserved accolade as one of the best nights out on the island.

In 2002 and 2003 I spent the whole summer on the island, so as not to miss any of the parties, and with another 28 parties in total, and as 2002 also saw the birth of the official La Troya 'carry on' at Space, almost all of those as well!

As interesting as the club itself is its history. Starting life as La Vaca Asesina, a terrace attraction at Privilege, it was reborn when promoter Brasilio de Oliveira packed his bags, and took himself, DJ Oliver, the Asesina crew, and the Coco-Loco bar concept, down the road to Amnesia. Like Trade and DTPM, La Troya's appeal has spread from its underground beginnings, and is now a party with huge appeal to all clubbers. If you can't get a free pass for La Troya, pay to get in and you'll see what I mean, as it is worth every cent (and you'll probably get a free pass for the after-party at Space, which will make it even more worthwhile). DJ Oliver plays his own unique brand of percussive Latin beats every week, and La Troya is about as Spanish a gay experience as you could hope to get.

2004 will mark my fifth year as a regular at La Troya, and I can honestly say that it's all Des's fault! As keen as I was to hear Wayne and Gordon play that first time, I'd never have gone without Des holding my hand! Equally, the following year, when I was hesitating about staying for the summer or not, it was Des who encouraged me to stay, making my La Troya addiction complete. I got my revenge the following year, when he packed in work in order to spend the next summer with me in Ibiza!!

Since then, I've made many friends at La Troya, especially Max and Susanna, Nicoline and all the other La Troya junkies, and Oliver and Marcelo, all of whom have contributed to making me go back for more. But special thanks have to go to Pablo, Tirri, Karl, Manuel, Maria de Los Pasajeros and Pier-Luigi, who've made sure I've never missed a party! And Carlos, one of the dancers from 2001, who was so beautiful, that I learnt Spanish in order to tell him.

Only I never did...

Meet YOU at La Troya?

You've probably spotted that the name has changed to Home Of La Troya, and the venue has changed to Space, but everything else is still the same (actually more than a little better). DJ Oliver is still DJing; Baby Marcelo is still performing and hurling obscenities at all and sundry; Karl, Tirri, Manuel, Junior and all the rest of the La Troya bar and PR crew and dancers have moved to Space as well... The difference is that La Troya has finally come of age, and has finally been given an entire club in its own right, rather than having to share a venue with a foam party. Welcome to the big league boys. Let's see if anyone can keep up with you this year.

See you at Space on Wednesday nights, for the Home Of La Troya?

Martin
xx