We’re back to the more traditional rock concert setting of the San Rafael horse trotting track(?) so there’ll be no tomfoolery in the hotel pool tonight, however there are some ponds lurking in the centre of the track - Anyway we’ll see what happens tonight…

I’ve listened to this highly respected band on the stereo in the car on the way to the gig, but couldn’t sing along to any of the tracks. Then I’ve had to park miles from the entrance and fallen over a cactus in the dark trying to take a short cut in case I’m late.

“This band had better be good” I’m thinking, as I pluck cactus spikes from my palm and negotiate the guest list queue. There are no other queues, it’s just those who don’t pay that turn up late and make it difficult to get in just as the band are about to hit the stage.

I hit the bar and immediately cheer up. Almost immediately it becomes obvious that his band are different again. This isn’t a night of anthems or rap, instead the sound rings many bells inviting comparisons with a spectrum of influences from Status Quo to Led Zep and any number of others in between for good measure.

Formed in Liverpool in 2001, they’ve been around a while, but stand alone amongst the acts we’ve seen this year by delving back into a different period of music pre-dating most of this year’s acts and pulling it off in style.

They also have the advantage of Abi Harding front of stage with her saxophone. This enhances the band’s sound, as do her vocals, and she’s a lot nicer to look at than the blokes with their axes…

Dave McCabe, lead songwriter, introduced one song early on by getting the audience to vote on whether the rock chicks with the inflatable guitars on the podium were getting paid. All voted an enthusiastic yes. He counter-pointed this at the end of the set by informing us all that the band had to stop now because all of the rest of their material was shit. The crowd roared and the band played on.

Having seen them, listening to the tunes in the car on the way home it all started to make sense. I just had to leap backwards and forwards a couple of decades for each new track.
I’m still playing them in the car now and becoming more and more fond…

More and larger photos on the previous zutons at ibiza rocks blog

I think whoever was dj’ing got it spot on: “say thanks to the co-headliners The Black Kids”. They could’ve headlined Ibiza Rocks in their own right. Great band.

Once again Ibiza Rocks delivers contrast. Hot on the heels of the Mike Skinner (The Streets) approach to crowd management, and much to the relief of the local Health & Safety executive, the band charged with bettering that experience were Soulwax - masters of the remix rather than the microphone.

At times the show went so retro that older hacks in the audience could recall the days when dance culture made the decision to worship the DJ hunched over the decks rather than the front man and his axe wielding accomplices. How times change?

Soulwax, in all their guises, are fundamentally two Belgian DJs trying various different formulas wrapped around an apparently weak set of material. For no obvious reason they demoted themselves to second in the line up for the night, making 2 Many DJs (also themselves) the headline act for the night.

So first up were a four piece band with a drummer and electric guitarist doing electronic classics. Interesting we all thought as we admired their flashing light show whilst it slowly dawned on us that there weren’t going to be any vocals, just the odd sample thrown in here and there.

Then there was the problem of the white tuxedos and dickie bows, no doubt in deference to the white island but not really practical for the stage on a hot August night.

Nonetheless, there we were listening to a combination of M25 rave breakdowns with drum solos and guitar interchanges at the end of each song to the point where the crowd didn’t know when to start clapping. Or maybe there was some other reason?

Unfortunately the E’s aren’t as strong as they used to be and this audience aren’t bothered anyway, so the repetitive beats and the flashing lights were never going to work the way they did twenty years ago. On the other hand, I have to confess to not having been to Belgium for a long time.

The equipment was cleared from the stage and it looked as if that was that, but eventually 2 Many DJs appeared and it soon became apparent that the name was appropriate. Their set consisted of teasers from other people’s anthemic intros whilst two blokes reached across each other to twiddle distant knobs on the mixer as if the audience wasn’t there. The lights flashed and the audience did their bit, but this wasn’t ‘live’ music?

After 20 excruciating minutes two cuties appeared front of stage, where the band’s equipment had earlier filled the void, and the back lighting took our attention away from the two guys arguing behind the decks.

A few more Eurythmics intros swiftly followed by twiddle and squeak and the show was over. Next week should be better…

A bit of a contrast from last weeks The Streets gig. Soulwax did the usual 10pm headline gig and then their alter-ego 2ManyDJS played the stage from about 11ish - we’d love to say it was great…

Anyway, some photos and review to follow:

Click on images for larger versions.

It’s hot and sweaty at the Ibiza Rocks hotel, particularly on the counter where I’m sitting with my back to the grill to get a view, whilst people aren’t ordering hot dogs. Others would rather stand under the stream of unidentifiable liquid from the VIP balcony upstairs in order to get a decent view of their heroes, The Streets, live on stage.

The kids are loving it - almost all are pogoing their way through the early numbers despite their sweating. A sultry evening indeed…
As the pace slows down so does the pogoing, but rap is all about the lyrics and can be hard to dance to, so in between the new stuff the band throw in a few of their anthemic successes.

This has the desired effect and the assembled throng get back to waving at the stage, rather than the TV cameras, for the benefit of their mates at home.

Mike Skinner, the vocalist, is an accomplished showman and knows to work an audience.

At one point he insisted that everyone in the crowd sat down on the floor, until the rhythm section kicked in and the whole crowd erupted into the air in true breakdown style. Those in prime positions on the balconies and in the VIP missed out on that experience…

He introduced the next song by asking everyone to gaze into the eyes of someone in the crowd who they’ve never met before. Satisfied that all are participating he instructed “Now tell them that you love them”. The audience, with no need for ecstacy, were completely won over.

The air guitars being volleyed around the audience finally burst and, as if by magic, a pink lilo appeared to take its place in the air above the heads of the audience. Eventually this was confiscated by one of the security team without an explanation, but no one cared.

Perhaps, after all, these beautiful young people do respect a father figure? Could this hotel actually be a finishing school of sorts, exerting an example on kids who might otherwise fall foul of dance music and its legacy of drug abuse…

The set ends, but the band come back for an encore. I’ve seen encores before, but never anything like this!

First Mike clears a gangway through the crowd, then runs to the back of the audience and bodysurfs back to the stage over the heads of his ecstatic fans.

Then he instructs them all to jump into the hotel pool. Fifty immediately follow orders and another security guard appears waving his arms. Someone tries to push him in as the pool approaches capacity and glowsticks rain down from the balconies above.

Lilos, beach balls and toilet rolls follow them as ingredients into this extraordinary soup.

The security man called in assistance, presumably in the interests of public safety, but they were overwhelmed. I didn’t notice any of them give up and jump in with the crowd, but it would have been fitting if they had.

Click on images for larger versions

Sorry we’re late with these but we stayed at Ibiza Rocks Hotel due to a family sibling 40th birthday and we’ve only just got back home…

After supporting the Arctic Monkeys last year, Reverend And The Makers headlined Ibiza Rocks this year. Matt Helders from the Arctic Monkeys did a DJ set and as is their want, (like last year), their management didn’t want any photos being taken of their precious commodity - so there are no photos of some bloke from the Arctic Monkeys…

However Jon McClure et al were more than accommodating. At one point he wanted one of the photographers camera to take a photo from the stage - sorry Isabel you sholuld’ve said yes - I was at the other end of the pit at the time otherwise we’d have a piccy from stage view…

Anyway - it was another good gig - plenty of beer and bog rolls flying around and I think i got a request played at the after party but I can’t quite remember…

Tonights Ibiza Rocks gig with The Automatic and The Courteneers - as usual a top night…
Click on images for larger versions

the automatic have just played a great set - someone decided to throw a toilet roll from their balcony in response to the football being tossed around - cue loads of bog roll from everywhere

Pikes Breakfast Club returns this Sunday with the Launch of Ibiza’s first ever drive time programme broadcast LIVE on Sonica Radio. Along side Pikes resident legendary DJ Jon Sa Trinxa, Andy Wilson, Sonica’s main man will be interviwing live on air from the hotel, international super star Dizzy Rascal and international acclaimed Roots Manova plus more star guest interviews from island figures and the people behind the brands and parties.

10am to 2pm This Sunday 3rd August. Call 671909815 to reserve your tables and beds.

Complimentary cocktail on arrival

It was a different gig than normal - but that didn’t make it any less fun - on the contrary…

As usual click on images for larger versions - review to follow…