In the final instalment of our overly hospitable hospitality series, Buckley manages to avoid being hospitalised. Bull-riding photos below.
Hotel Es Vive
You may know Hotel Es Vive is on the outskirts of Playa d'en Bossa proper. But as the conclusion in the Ibiza Town bar guide it was a good candidate to be the starting point for our scientific study into the most fluid route to Space. At 8.35pm on a Sunday night there are around 30 people relaxing in the outdoor area. An older crowd, some are still clearly partying on from the previous evening. Others, looking more rested, are chatting about last night's work. We spot James Barton from Cream, their Radio One Weekend special having smashed Amnesia a few hours ago. Es Vive head honcho Jason Bull is also present as is Dub Pistol Barry Ashworth, fresh from his performance in Es Vive’s Cabaret Lounge, again the previous night. Our drinks are delivered swiftly and the bill doesn’t induce the sort of palpitations this hotel’s reputation might make one fear.
Bull Bar
Strolling along the promenade from Es Vive towards Playa d'en Bossa, we are drawn like moths to the flame that is Bull Bar, one of the chain spanning the Balearics. Each boasts, you guessed it, a mechanical rodeo bull. Shrugging aside our disappointment that the bar’s 2 for 1 deal isn't as flexible as we’d like (they won’t serve us our order of exactly half of what we want doubled, if that makes sense), two thirds of our party take their turn on the beast. The remainder complains of a bad back, quickly creating an implausible story about a fall at Space to mask his fear. Perhaps we can agree, however that his non-participation is caused by spine problems.
Bull Bar - August 2006
Dan-x @ Bull Bar - August 2006
Spotlighter Dan-X (nee X-Amount - above) puts on a valiant showing managing to hang tough for almost half as long as the far more athletic Buckley. Well done sir!
Bull Bar - August 2006
Buckley, utilising an illegal horn grip. Penalty - disqualification
Dan-x wins!
Big Ben's
Continuing our accidental theme of family fun, next up is Big Ben’s, which boasts all manner of pastimes to keep the kids amused. We’d love to bring you more photo evidence of ’Andie Fields Live Hypnotic Show’ but our camera wasn't wanted.
Feeling a little like dirty raincoated papparazi, we slink off elsewhere.
Kopi
Kopi - August 2006
Kopi - August 2006
Kopi next to new club Love is far more welcoming. Unsolicited free shots appear on our table along with some nuts. We order our drinks and when they're delivered we find there's a 2 for 1 deal here too, meaning we've ended up with two bottles of Henieken and four long herbias for the princely sum of €16.
As this year's lookie lookies say 'that's Asda Price!' We like Kopi!
Murphy's Irish Bar
Murphy's - August 2006
Murphy's - August 2006
Walking along the main road to Space we decide to pop into Murphy's Irish Bar. The outdoor area is perfect for people watching, post Bora Bora casualties and pre-Space preening being most entertaining. Inside, downstairs, a live band, unimaginatively named the Murphy Brothers, are belting out 'A Whole Lot of Shaking Going On'. Murphy's also has numerous screens and was the choice of much mid-Space session football watching during the World Cup.
Murphy's - August 2006
Tantra
Tantra - August 2006
Over on the other side of road, Tantra is more clubber orientated. Selling tickets for Space among other clubs, it’s useful if you’ve somehow committed the cardinal sin of failing to buy your Space tickets online from the ticket shop. The staff are very friendly, barring their attempts to lever a hapless member of our group out of the photo above, somehow mistaking him for *gasp* a random punter. Tantra is open all hours so can be a good staging post for those insatiable robots who need somewhere to hang out post Space, pre-Bora Bora daytime session.
Bora Bora
Bora Bora - 2006
For many the ultimate pre-Space watering hole is, of course Bora Bora. Our visit finds it at its best. Like Muphy's there’s a whole lot of shakin' going on, here it’s resident DJ Alex Miles who has the crowd enthralled. Considering the quality of aural entertainment here and the lack of a cover charge the €6 tariff for a bottle of San Miguel seems a bargain. The Italians humming the White Stripes phenomen has yet to pass and we’re treated to a rendition lasting a good three of four of Alex's tunes.
If you would like to comment on this phenomenon, feel free to get involved in this forum thread:
http://www.spotlight-forums.com/showthread.php?t=39616
Zanzibar
We decide that on this particular day Bora Bora will in fact be our penultimate pre-Space spot as we need to wait for a friend at Zanzibar, on the corner almost directly across from the Space car park entrance. Similar to Tantra in atmosphere, though a bit smaller, it has djs playing in the outdoor area you enter through. Your writer has often used this as a post-Space place to *ahem* reflect on the evening’s entertainment before the journey home.
You’ll have to search the forums for what happened after we left Zanzibar to go to Space. That’s not me in the photos, it’s some imposter!
Space - August 2006
SPOTLIGHT PRODUCT HIGHLIGHT: see more shots of the blow up Buckley doll pictured here with Formula 1 speedster Jenson Button. On sale now from the Space shop
