Exclusive Ibiza - fab photos plus full report below.
Saturday's used to be a quieter night in Ibiza. But with Hed Kandi at El Divino, Def Mix at Pacha and now Balearic People & Gorgeous at Space this is no longer the case.
Also on the schedule are less regular, more spontaneous events. Your intrepid reporter was wandering home at the early-for-Ibiza hour of 3.30am. As is the norm rather than an exception on this wonderful island, events were to unfold in a manner unplanned. Two blocks from home a jeep pulls up, a darkened window buzzes down and a friend asks where we're headed. Unimpressed with the answer given, he soon has two new passengers on board and we're on the way to the Pushca/Diamond Club (formerly Dirty Diamonds) villa party.
Pushca/Diamond Club - July 1, 2006 (Photo: Marc de Groot)
We pull up at the allotted transfer point and after a couple of minibuses full of fellow revellers have been transported away, we're up next. It's only short journey and before we know it we're standing at the bottom of and illuminated stairway. At the top of the stairs, there's a couple glamorously attired folk search for names on laptops, but unsurprisingly, given the last minute nature of our attendance, we're not on the list. A couple of phone calls, however, and we find that on the day that England again crash out of a major football tournament, there is a truism in the only genuinely good football song (New Order's 'World In Motion', obviously). There is indeed 'only one way to beat them, get around the back.'
Pushca/Diamond Club - July 1, 2006 (Photo: Marc De Groot)
Following instructions, we find the unguarded secret door, and are taken aback by the scene. There were dancers with toned bodies, naked in some instances excepting some strange face decorations, fire eaters and all manner of weird and wonderful Ibiza folk. Best of all there was EastEnders' Martin Fowler, resplendent in a navy Ralph Lauren polo shirt!
Pushca/Diamond Club - July 1, 2006 (Photo: Marc De Groot)
More illuminated stairs led down to a huge clear swimming pool, with floating candles and flowers adding to already impressive scene. The action was here, clearly, the dj set up being on the far side of the pool and every inch of surrounding area is full of people throwing shapes. A quick wander around revealed a Funktion One sound system, a great big screen displaying visuals, plus asssorted friends, acquaintances and the odd half remembered face from sometime, somewhere. The word from our friends was that our timing was good - it had been quiet early on. Typically, everyone had tried to be fashionably latest.
Pushca/Diamond Club - July 1, 2006
(Photo: Marc De Groot)
Pushca's own Rob was on the decks when we arrived, banging out some electro-house with a funky edge, apparently having been preceded by Rob Marmot and Joe Le Groove. You couldn't say the music was cutting edge, innovative or even that interesting, but Pushca's style has been to entertain rather than educate. In that sense you might allude to the Ronseal slogan, "does exactly what it says on the tin". Pushca's music is what it is and you can't imagine anyone parting with the £60 ticket price without knowing that. With drinks at €10 too you'd need to have a great night for the whole thing to represent a worthy use of your cash, but those we chatted to seemed happy enough. The only complaint regarding costs we heard was the €12 packets of cigarettes and the fact that you this was payable with one €10 drinks voucher and two euros. The more suspicious in our party considered the possibility that the two euros may have been added to the tariff by the cigarette girl.
The only other possible whinge was the two toilets available for the 800-odd attendees, but it's not a problem there's an obvious solution to. Would the spectacular, extravagant decadence of the event have been spoiled by portaloos in the grounds of the villa? The answer must surely be yes.
We lasted until around eight and the party was still in full swing and not a hint of police intervention, which is good news for this type of event on the island. Overall, we'd had a good time, production values had clearly been at the forefront of the promoters mind and as we left the place was full of smiles. I'm fairly sure they weren't just glad to see the back of us!