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OTHERS
This had started out as the page where I listed the clubs I wanted to visit but hadn't so far managed - there is a limit to both my money and my time - but for now it's going to be the venues which don't warrant their own page. Some of the listings may be out of date, purely because I don't have much contact with any of the venues concerned, but if promoters want to keep me updated, please write.
And the runners-up in 2004 are:
Angels had it's own page on here after the 2002 season, I just hadn't finished writing it! What I would have said was that I first went to the venue in 1993, when Angels opened as an alternative to Ibiza's only other gay club venue, Anfora. The venue was fantastic, with a slide down from the upper floor to the sub-terranean dancefloor, and was both the first place I attended an underwear party and the first place I took acid (whether or not the two are connected I don't know). By the following year, Anfora had successfully killed off Angels, and Ibiza returned to the dark ages of one gay club and only one gay club. In 2002, Barcelona's successful El Cel [www.elcel.net] group of clubs took over the venue, and in classic Ibiza style were closed by the police on their first night! Despite this, the venue reopened a week later and Angel's El Cel (as it was now known) persisted, doing moderately well during one of the quietest season's Ibiza had known for many years. The most successful night was Friday's gay party, Gorgeous, building on its winter success at Pacha and Lucifer. So, why did they lose their page in 2003? Because they didn't open in 2003. Another successful mainland club chain, Penelope, was due to take over the venue, and had blitzed the island with a raft of advance publicity but the promised parties, two of which were targeting the lucrative gay/polysexual club markets, never materialised. One of the promoters, Xavier, is out there somewhere, so if you're reading this Xavier, what happened? Anyone want to buy a club for 2004? It's very nice, with a terrace, a big round window, a slide, and just needs the right people to take it over!
Eden Discodance SL, Calle Salvador Espriu s/n, San Antonio, 07820 Ibiza
You can't miss this 4000 capacity venue, Eden's domes and minarets reminiscent of an Eastern palace (albeit a glow-in-the-dark one). Home to one of Ibiza's most modern audio-visual systems, Eden attracts top DJ's and huge crowds, and some nights are surprisingly popular with gay club-goers.
Dave Pearce, Radio One DJ and presenter of ITV's fantastic music show The Dance Years, has held residencies with Euphoria on Saturdays and then Dance Anthems on Fridays, but for Fridays in 2004 he's teaming up with Privilege's 2003 Friday-nighter Slinky [slinky.co.uk] for Dave Pearce + Guests. Also for 2004, two of the UK's biggest draws, Garlands and Ministry of Sound (with Big Night Out) are setting up shop at Eden on Tuesdays and Wednesdays respectively. The biggest draw for many is, however, Judge Jules [judgejules.net] playing every week at Judgement Sundays.
If you are staying in San An, and find the trek to Ibiza Town and/or Sant Rafael, too much every night, or just fancy trying something different, you might be in for a treat at Eden this year.
Puerto Ibiza Nueva, Ibiza Town, 07800 Ibiza
El Divino also had its own page until last year, but since they barely seem to promote the venue themselves, why should I bother? El Divino hasn't made much effort to draw in a fresh crowd, and is the only club outside of San Antonio not to actively court gay clubbers, coming across as a bit of a dinosaur in that respect (despite, having opened in 1992, being the newest of Ibiza's big venues). A night at Miss Moneypenny's [moneypennys.com] in 2002 has been my only visit so far, and interesting though the venue is, nothing about it got my juices flowing. It's a nice venue, with a rather fabulous terrace, and one of the best views in Ibiza (that doesn't look directly into my bathroom), but despite all this the venue lacks soul. No, not the music, just a beating clubland heart that makes you want to fall in love with the place. El Divino almost gained a touch of club credibility in 2001 by attracting Roger Sanchez as an exclusive resident, but like all good things to touch the venue - such as Trade and Matinée Group in 1999 - Roger was lured away (in his case to Pacha). In 2003, Hed Kandi [hedkandi.com] took up a Saturday night residency at El Divino, to huge acclaim, so it will be interesting to see if they stay for a second season, when they could easily move to their pick of the venues. Miss Moneypenny's remains the cornerstone to El Divino's continued prosperity, rather like Manumission's role at Privilege, with Salvación [salvacionibiza.com] giving the venue a touch of credibility with the locals. Otherwise, the only reason to go to El Divino is the funky boat ride across the harbour that takes you there! With Hed Kandi back on Saturdays for 2004, Moneypenny's now on Tuesdays (no longer head-to-head against Manumission and Roger Sanchez), Salvación still on Thursdays, and Defected In The House [defected.co.uk] on Fridays, El Divino now has one of its strongest line-ups in years. Maybe they do know what they're doing? I am, at least, always at the Salvación pre-party... Well, I'm at Bora-Bora every Thursday after the La Troya Carry-On at Space! So many clubs, so little time...
Calle Salvador Espriu s/n, San Antonio, 07820 Ibiza
One of Ibiza's oldest clubs (after Pacha), Es Paradis celebrated its 25th anniversary in Y2K. Slightly smaller than Eden, with a capacity of 'just' 3500, Es Paradis (a.k.a. Es Paradis Terrenal - 'Paradise On Earth') deserves an award for the way it dealt with the noise-prevention laws, by building an enormous glass pyramid on top! Viva Las Vegas! Now famous for Agua, Es Paradis Terrenal's twice-weekly (Wednesdays and Saturdays) water parties - I dread to think, but I've got this picture of trying to light the last fag from the packet after it's been reduced to a soggy crumpled mess (much like most of my nights out...). Wednesdays used to be Euphoric (not to be confused with Eden's Euphoria), with top name guests such as Danny Rampling and Dario G, and the venue also used to attract the likes of Craig David, Artful Dodger, Brandon Block and Mr C for PA's and as guest DJs, but aside from Agua the only established party these days is Twice As Nice [twiceasnice.co.uk] on Thursdays.
As quick as Pin-Up was fucking-up in 2003, La Diosa ('goddess', see I do know some Spanish) was cleaning-up! Modestly promoting itself as the most beautiful club in Ibiza, when I finally got there to check it out for myself I could only agree. Not as accessible as most of the other clubs, being located at KM3426 on the road to Santa Gertrudis (maybe not that far, but it's a distance), La Diosa is probably how clubs would be if Carlsberg made them... La Diosa picked up first Zenith and then Dance Valley from Pin-Up, and looks set to be the success story of 2004, providing local objections to people enjoying themselves don't meet with any success...
Once upon a time, there was a club called Konga, one of Ibiza's many tacky little discos. In 2002 somebody must have waved a huge fucking fairy wand over the top of it, because it was reborn as the amazing beach-side venue Pin-Up! Despite being the most beautiful club on the island, and cheaper than everywhere else, a lack of tourists pretty much buggered up this relaunched venue's first year. Nevertheless, with a blaze of publicity, and promoters including Zenith, Garlands and Dance Valley lined up for the season, Pin-Up returned in 2003 ready to finally take Ibiza by storm! So what do they do? They manage to upset everybody - including me, you don't make the only gay member of staff redundant when he's (a) your hardest worker, and (b) the object of my affection - losing Zenith before they opened, Garlands within a couple of weeks, and Dance Valley by closing before the Dutch promoters had even arrived on the island! That's two years in a row that they've got everything lined up perfectly and fucked up spectacularly. Doing a Pin-Up will forever be associated with pissing off all the right people. The opening party was good, however, I'll grant them that!
Thanks to Underground for giving me an excuse to wipe off the entry for Summum (why do I promote these places I've not been too? I mean, the biggest thing to hit Summum were live PAs from Jason Donovan, Tony Hadley and Rick Astley)... Sorry, back to Underground. Opened a couple of years ago... passed me by.... met one of the promoters on top of a podium at Pin-Up's opening party who asked me to come along... then a friend, DJ Daniele, got a residency there and I wanted to catch her set... none of which helped as work and other parties kept getting in the way. It wasn't until October 2003, and after Bora-Bora's closing party that me and 90% of the island's clubbing population (nothing else was open) finally made it down to Underground! On the road to San Antonio (a kilometre or so past Amnesia), this is rather a nice venue, with a fantastic terrace, a funky interior, friendly staff (including Amnesia's legendary Roberto) and good music (okay, I'm saying that based on hearsay, as after 12 hours at Bora-Bora's closing party I can't really remember too much about the music at Underground). Providing this place doesn't do a Pin-Up, expect it to do well in 2004.
There are a few other clubs, but this page is getting way too long!
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