Photo: Gigwise/La Skimal/Ibiza Rocks
Gigwise have just touched down after a brilliant week of sun, sounds and sangria at Ibiza Rocks 2013.
As we deal with our post-holiday blues (not to mention a heady hangover and some pretty sore sunburn), come with us as we look back at 10 things which truly rock about Ibiza Rocks (and one which really, really doesn't)...
1. Huge names
Where else on Earth can you watch festival headliners and stadium-fillers like Biffy Clyro, Beady Eye, Chic featuring Nile Rodgers and Franz Ferdinand in the intimacy of a poolside and from the comfort of your hotel room balcony? The concept of having a festival, a resort and a three-month-long party all rolled into one really can't be beat.
2. New talent
On our visit, we had the pleasure of catching London Grammar and AlunaGeorge down by the Ibiza Rocks Hotel poolside. If that's not a showcase of the true sound of 2013 and a glimpse at the stars of the future, then we don't know what is. Check out our full review with photos of the gig here.
3. Diversity
Leave all 'Kevin and Perry Go Large' preconceptions at the airport - there's much more to Ibiza than messy raves and house music (although there is a helluva lot of that). What Ibiza Rocks brings to the island is a breath of fresh air. Bringing the likes of Foals, Bastille and The Vaccines alongside Ellie Goulding, Chase & Status and Dizzee Rascal is really what makes Ibiza rock, as well as rave. Speaking of diversity, did we mention that we caught a DJ set from Ibris BLOODY Elba? That's right. DRIIS, Stringer Bell and Luther. What more do you want?
4. Boat Parties
The Ibiza Rocks The Boat party every Wednesday is the most fun that you can have on the high-seas (without becoming a full-time pirate). It begins with a couple of free glasses of sangria before taking to the waves with a small legion of bronzed and beautiful revellers for three hours of wall-to-wall tunes in everything from house, dance, hip hop and electro to pop, indie and rock. To put it simply - Ibiza Rocks The Boat is just pure and shameless pleasure. No matter how rocky the waves the get, you can't stop these guys from bouncing. Cap it off with mid-way stop off for an acoustic session and a dip in the clear blue waters and you've got the greatest voyage since Sir Francis Drake.
The aptly-named W.A.R. Ship with Doorly and friends on the Friday was pretty full-on as well. Balearic beats, beat-boxing, grime, garage, manic MC's and some electro insanity makes for a pretty intense start to any weekend. Being on a boat only made it way more awesome.
5. The party never stops, like, EVER
If you ever find yourself bored or at a loose end at Ibiza Rocks, then there's something wrong with you. From the moment you wake up, there's a party to be had. An electrifying energy flows around the poolside and the Ibiza Rocks Diner from dawn 'til dusk as DJs pump revellers with bass and the true spirit of the White Isle. Even those catatonic on sunbeds twitch with the potential of what's to come. This was best demonstrated by the constant carnage brought by the Rinse FM weekend takeover - three days of madness where we saw P Money bring the grime, Zinc shake the pool with some heady beats and Katy B bounce 'Beefa with glam and garage - all topped off the hedonistic sounds of Skream and friends. Sleep is for the dead, anyway.
6. Ibiza's clubs
Obvious, yes, but you can't come out here without dipping your feet in the ocean of world-famous and unforgettable clubs on your doorstep. From the iconic landmark of Esparidis and the underground flagship pilgrimage of DC10 to the utterly unreal superclub of Space, Ibiza still offers evermore life-changing ways to lose your mind until sunrise. There's a reason why some things never change and generation after generation flock to Ibiza to party.
7. Ibiza Rocks House at Pikes Hotel
Pikes has stood on this fair island for over 500 years and is renowned as a party haven, institution and a piece of history - and not just because Wham filmed the video for Club Tropicana here. The drinks aren't free, but when it comes to fun and sunshine - there's enough for everyone. This was the true highlight of our stay. With an aesthetic with more than a little in common with Tattooine, Pikes is a sprawling and lavish palace of fashionable flamboyance. The days there are lingering and luxurious, and the nights there are just...well, completely batshit mental. Expect incredible tunes, eccentric guests, a galaxy of stars and celebrities and some pretty stylish insanity. Go to Pikes for good taste and decadence in equal measure.
8. No wellies, anoraks, mud or rain
What do you prefer? Sun, sea, sand, bikinis and trunks at your festival experience, or this...?
9. Everyone is beautiful because they only came here for a good time
Yup.
10. The beauty of the White Isle
Instead of battling a hangover to take down a tent before trudging through filth to face the misery and ball-ache of forcing our way onto a shuttle bus or a train full of battered and muddied corpses, we left Ibiza with the memory of a walk through gorgeous sands and this postcard San Antonio sunset.
The one reason why it doesn't rock...
Simple: You can't stay there forever. Unlike a standard festival where you rinse a mucky weekend of everything that you can, Ibiza Rocks is 16 weeks of musical excellence. In the coming weeks you've got shows from Franz Ferdinand, Chic, Zane Lowe, Dizzee Rascal, Jagwar Ma, Ellie Goulding, Foals and more. It's awesome, but you'll have to leave eventually...
More interviews and video coverage of Ibiza Rocks 2013 coming soon
