Pete Tong Exclusive Interview

Our gorgeous friend Cila spoke to Pete Tong recently and gave us this exclusive interview.

His name has entered the language as rhyming slang for “wrong” but things couldn’t be more right for DJ, impresario and all-around Ibiza legend Pete Tong. At the beginning of the season all the island was a-twitter over his defection from Pacha to San An gin palace Eden. And when people weren’t gossiping about his new night – Wonderland – they were discussing the inaugural International Music Summit, headed up by Tong. Now, as we survey the end of season, it seems only fitting to return to the man who defined the beginning of summer 2008 to fi nd out if it lived up to all its promise.

Pete Tong is a passionate advocate for club culture in general and Ibiza in particular, and brings to the scene a balanced, thoughtful view. He’s seen all the ups, downs and sideways moves of 20 years of rave culture. And he never stops thinking about how to embrace change and progress. We were delighted to get his views on all things Ibicenco…

You started the season with the IMS – what did it mean to you?

We dreamed it up on the terrace at Pacha a couple of years ago and the partners (including Ben Turner, Danny Whittle, et al) were
a little frustrated last summer that we hadn’t got it off the ground. We realised no one was going to come and make it easy for us, so we went for it. The months leading up to it were totally focused on getting it to happen. When we were actually stood at Atzaro the first day we thought ‘wow.’ It was brilliant. It couldn’t have gone any better.

Will it be back next year?

Definitely. It will be the same time – the Wednesday to Friday before Space opening in May. We’ll be announcing ticket prices soon
and they’ll be on sale in the next few weeks.

Will there be major changes?

The format won’t be significantly different, but there will be evolution on several levels. We want to keep it intimate, but increase the size from about 300 to 500.

This year we didn’t have the infrastructure to do follow up, to really reinforce the message, so we’d like to do more of that. Also, we’re working to make it more Spanish, more Euro-centric.

What feedback did the IMS receive from the government?

Paco Medina was impressed with the professionalism of the whole thing. He thought it promoted a good image of the industry. He
was very complimentary. We would like [the government] to embrace us, we want them to feel we’re doing something positive for
the island.

And what of your big move from Pacha to Eden? Did Wonderland go to plan?

It’s been an amazing challenge and I’m very happy. I feel almost 100% vindicated. I stuck my neck out and we’ve done well. You
just couldn’t beat the vibe in the middle of the dancefloor. It was incredible.

What are the biggest differences between Wonderland and Pure Pacha?

I find the biggest challenge is getting people to try Wonderland. I’ve been more successful than I thought I’d be at getting familiar faces from Pacha to come over. Eden has worked hard to accommodate what we wanted to do, but they’ve also taught me about
what it takes to sell tickets in San An. Pacha operates on a different plane from other clubs. They lure the boat and private jet people.

In San An it’s different. You have to work on the street level. But it’s been nice to get compliments from the Pacha people – they’ve been very sweet.

Who were your stand-out guests at Wonderland?

We had Deadmau5 doing his first big Ibiza show and Eden turned out to be a great venue for live bands like The Whip and Pnau.
That’s an element we’d like to continue with next year.

Much was made of you going ‘down market’ to San An – what is your view on the city?

My feeling is that if you give a better product this place will change. People have traded on the existing infrastructure for too long. There hasn’t been much investment, it hasn’t been upgraded. I’d love to see it evolve. It’s not so different from Playa d’en Bossa and in some respects it is much more beautiful. It is an amazing place, you’re just fighting a perception that it is dominated by the English. I just want San An to get better, to continue the regeneration that’s come with Ibiza Rocks, Savannah, Kanya…

How was the Radio 1 Weekend in August?

Fantastic. However, San An is a frustration for Radio 1 because they’ve brought an awful lot to Ibiza and it felt as if the local authorities were quite heavy handed. The Weekend went great, but we had to do it on their terms. We ended up doing most of the shows from the Ibiza Rocks hotel. We would have loved to have done something at Mambo or Cafe del Mar…

What’s your perception of the season as a whole, and the economic health of Ibiza?

No one has any control over the state of the world’s finances and the fallout to our tourist numbers. You can only pray Ibiza stays attractive enough to get our audience back next year. The reality is that it’s a very competitive island.

What can we do? Just do our best. Put on our best show. Offer better value for money. The things that have been good have been really good this summer. Cocoon has had a great year, David Guetta going weekly at Pacha worked, Space has stayed strong. It’s not all doom and gloom.

Clubs are very expensive. Do you think the prices have to drop?
I’d like to see consistency. Ticket prices seem to fluctuate like share prices. Every week it’s different, which is very confusing for the punter. Is it going to be a €40 night? Free? €70?

What about the effect of the changes in the afterhours laws?

It is hard to separate out how much of a negative the changes have been versus the natural decline because of the economy. Ibiza is expensive, for the English crowd in particular. However, people who came had a great year. Unfortunately the perception outside
the island was that it wasn’t a great year because clubs were shut and there was no daytime dancing. It’s hard to know what the fallout of that will be.

I said to Paco Medina: I think killing daytime clubbing is really, really bad. Let it happen on the weekends, or when school is out, or even just in July and August, but don’t stop it completely. It should have been allowed to continue.

Do you think DC10 will be open next year?
From what I hear, it won’t be. But it continues to defy everything. I don’t think anybody wants to see it go. It’s part of the history of the island. Everybody supports (Circoloco promoter) Andrea.

Every year some city or night spot is branded ‘the new Ibiza’ is there a new Ibiza?

Maybe it would be good if there were. Competition could be a good thing. You can’t rest on your laurels. That being said, I can’t
think of any other place that has the infrastructure Ibiza has.

For the first time in a long time there will be direct flights to Ibiza during the winter months and various island insiders are working to promote winter tourism. Are you involved in that?

No. But I would be if they asked me. Anything that promotes Ibiza and brings people here in the winter is a good thing. Ibiza is a stunningly beautiful place. There is a lot to enjoy during the winter.

What are your plans for the winter?

I’m off to America for two weeks in October, then India, and at the end of the year Central America, Columbia, Miami, and Brazil for carnival. I’d also like to play more in Europe. I want to do things that will help set up next year [in Ibiza]. I’m a fidget. I’m impatient. I want everything to be brilliant! Wonderland was busy, but we can squeeze in a few more people next year.

What word would you use to describe summer ’08?

Wonderful. It’s been a great year. When you’re doing well it’s hard to challenge yourself, but sometimes it’s good to change. Five years of Pure Pacha was fantastic, I want it to remain as a great memory. But I’m not getting any younger and I want to do new things. I want to make a contribution to Ibiza. Everyone close to me thought I was insane, but I’ve pulled it off. It feels great.

Interview by Cila

August in Ibiza means one thing: clubs, clubs, clubs. It’s the month of blazing sunshine, beautiful people and parties that roll into the wee hours of the morning.

Make no mistake, the Ibicenco economy is close-hitched to the success of its clubs. The Diario de Ibiza recently reported on a survey which showed nine out of 10 British tourists come to Ibiza specifically for the nightlife. So, how are we doing?

At Amnesia their highlight events are going strong. Cocoon’s Monday night party is pulling a huge international crowd, its
usual popularity given an extra boost by the closure of DC10. The price of their “friends & family” concession guest-list tickets has shot up from €20 to €30 so it’s a safe bet anyone involved in this techno powerhouse will be laughing all the way to the bank this autumn.

Thursday night’s ‘Cream’ party is perennially popular with the British market and despite the economic hardships they
are still pulling full houses on the strength of their heavy duty DJs like Paul Van Dyk, Sasha and Ferry Corstan. Also wooing the trance crowd is Armin’s Tuesday night ‘Armada’ with guests like Sharam from Deep Dish and Laidback Luke.

However, another Brit standby, ‘Manumission’ (Fridays) has struggled to cope with heavy competition from Madrileno night ‘SuperMartXe’ which has been filling Privilege to capacity thanks to a canny mix of competitive door-pricing and mind-blowing production.

It seems Privilege has realised that its strength lies in making the most of its vast space as the other big night is Tiesto’s ‘In Search Of Sunrise’ party every Monday. Eager kids (mostly British, Dutch and German) are happily shelling out €60 or more for a peek at Tijs’ staggering, rock’n'roll style audio-visual trance extravaganza.

Filling out
the roster of big hitters at Privilege are two nights of techno: ‘Meganite’ and ‘Monza’.

The former has found success with a mix of classic tough techno and live acts, while ‘Monza’ is making a strong showing with its Berlin-orientated line-ups (Magda, M.A.N.D.Y. and Guido Schneider among others).

It’s not all smiles though, as local
favourite ‘La Communidad’ – which moved to Saturdays at the World’s Biggest Club after losing its Friday nights at Space – flopped and was quickly replaced by a new night called ‘Soldiers’.

Space, having ruthlessly culled its promoter roster after losing half its opening hours to new laws has still sometimes struggled to fill its six rooms. ‘Carl Cox and Friends’ is having another fantastic season, and long-running gay night ‘La Troya’ (Wednesday) is still packing them in despite squabbles with authorities over their colourful parades and artwork.

Danny Tenaglia’s first Ibiza residency, ‘Be’ on Thursdays has wooed fans of classic house but faces tough competition from its glamorous opposite ‘F*** Me I’m Famous’, fronted by Cathy & David Guetta at Pacha. In any case, Space’s undisputed flagship is still ‘We Love Sundays’, which pulled crowds and column inches with the return of the Chemical Brothers to Ibiza for the first time in 14 years (for a reported six-figure fee).

Other island big spenders include Eden, which has been rewarded for splashing the cash on Pete Tong with his muchtalked-
about ‘Wonderland’ party on Fridays. Along with Brit faves like Groove Armada and Rob Marmot the night has brought the
likes of Tania Vulcano and Deadmau5 to San An for the first time.

Tuesday night’s ‘Koolwaters’ party has kept Eden jumping with a mix of breaks and electro. Night-by-night, Eden is probably the most eclectic club on the island with events for garage (Twice As Nice), hard house (Advanced Vs Tidy), house (Garlands Vs The Hacienda) and electronica (Mondo Loco). Though it is still easy to get free or reduced entry to most nights, a sure sign they’re working to pull in the punters, the club has maintained a good atmosphere and Judgement Sundays is still hugely popular with the San An crowd.

Also flying the flag for San An eclecticism, Es Paradis has a mix of classic and new nights. Its flagship ‘Fiesta del Agua’ has expanded to two nights a week (Thursdays and Saturdays) and is the biggest pull with local youngsters. Their ‘Bassline Vs Garage’ night angles to grab some of the urban crowd away from ‘Twice As Nice’ while ‘Clubland’ woos fans of commercial house and trance.

Possibly the most interesting night is Wednesday’s ‘Rogue DJs’ party which brings DJ sets from bands like Utah
Saints, The Subways and The Mystery Jets.

Meanwhile, the glamorous Ibiza Town clubs are still locked in a fierce rivalry. Louie Vega’s ‘Soul Heaven’ night at El Divino has taken the club back to pure house music with lots of live PAs and support from the likes of Erick Morillo (whose Wednesday night ‘Subliminal’ party at Pacha has been a bit quieter than previous seasons), while its busiest night remains Saturday’s ‘Hed Kandi’ party – a firm favourite of the stylish British crowd.

Competing
for their cut of the pie are ‘Fashion TV’ & ‘Miss Moneypenny’s’ on the Friday, Tuesday’s ‘Salvacion’ bash, house heavy hitters ‘Kinky Malinki vs Kidology’ (Thursday) and ‘Mn2S’ (Monday).

Minutes away is Pacha, which has stuck with a tried and tested line-up for summer 2008, beginning with Roger Sanchez’s ‘Release Yourself’ party on Monday (which started at El Divino, some years back). According to insiders the focus on traditional US house has given the club a long-in-the-tooth feel, with staples like ‘Def Mix’ (Saturday) and ‘Defected’ (Tuesday) relying too heavily on older acts.

Undoubtedly the most exciting night of the week is Friday’s ‘Pure Pacha’ which responded to Tong’s move to Eden by booking some of the biggest names in dance: Sander Kleinenberg, the Swedish House Mafia, Basement Jaxx and Faithless. The new acts have energised the night. “The atmosphere is brilliant and our guest-lists are full till September,” reports press manager Jasmine Elias.

Overall, it seems the club scene has stratified. The biggest, longest-running nights are as packed as ever with loyal fans.
However, less established parties are struggling as clubbers economise by making safe choices rather than exploring new
events. Numbers for the season may look roughly similar, across the board, but the true story is of a handful of big successes and a host of strugglers.

Of course, Ibiza has almost lost one of its most renowned clubs entirely – DC10. For the full story on the rise and fall of this underground institution see DC10 – club closure?.

By Cila Warncke

July’s edition of Ibiza NOW magazine went to the printers yesterday so here’s a sneak preview of the cover:

This editionis now 116 pages with 12 pages on Ibiza beaches and beach restaurants, we got 8 pages of music reports including the International Music Summit, Space opening weekend, Pete Tong at Eden, Ibiza Rocks Hotel opening and the start of this summer’s Ibiza Rocks gigs as well as a follow-up to last month’s article about Lenny Ibizarre and a look at Lovehouse.fm.

There’s also a follow-up to the report we did about diving to the Don Pedro sunken freighter and we’ve also a report on the state of tourism here and interviews with many of the major players involved.

It’ll be out as usual on 1st July.

its just started and its very interesting so far !

posted from iPhoneSlide.com

This mornings 1st panel was about synchronisation – or as i used to know it: 3rd party exploitation – I have to declare an interest since my job used to be to clear and authorise UK owned Polygram (Universal) repertoire for use in TV ads, Radio commercials, premiums (giveaways) etc worldwide, so for me it was fascinating to see 6 serious players on the panel discuss synch’ing.
We also did a short video interview with Danny Whittle which we’ll put up as soon as we can.

This afternoon’s panel should be interesting with nearly all the club owners on the same table as the Consel….:

IBIZA: THE YEAR OF CHANGE? HOW IBIZA WILL RE-INVENT ITSELF IN 2008. OR NOT
Moderator: Samuel Guetta, Ibiza Voice
1: Paco Medina, Ibiza Consel Insular
2: Andy McKay, Ibiza Rocks
3: Juan Arenas, Space
4: Andrea Pelino, Circo Loco
5: Isaac Hidalgo, Eden
6: Marisol Aguirre, Es Paradis
7: Daniel Magdalena, Amnesia
8: Francisco Ferrer, Pacha
9: Manuel Lopez, Privilege

Some more photos from this morning

	Pete Tong introduces the IMS founders: (himself) Ben Turner, Steve Hulme, Mark Netto and Danny Whittle

The Panel. Neil Barnes, Randy Reed, Adam Wolf, Kerri Mason (Billboard Magazine), Jason Bentley, Bruno Roussel, Adam Bradley	Neil Barnes from Leftfield (left)

	Adam Wolf, Pig Factory Publishing

Bruno Roussel, Editor Six Feet Under, Las Vegas	Lenny Ibizarre

	Danny Whittle