The best nights ever
d the way it’s worldwide, to hurch. en its doors over. He had the e e he on every tive now. At oplanes or as ringing that nd at Richie Hawtin’s recent nights, everyone dressed in black – like, who died?” He recalls: “We grew up in the summer of love, where it was all about colour and having a smile on your face. “I want to walk away from it all now and just remember that we’ve had some of the best nights of our lives in this club.” Space’s final summer in Ibiza has seen record numbers flock there to experience the club’s electric atmosphere for the final time. Its closure this summer was followed by fellow superclub Pacha announcing its sale, declaring it was ready to sell up on the island for a reported £500million price tag after rumours they were disenchanted with the island’s new VIP-oriented clientele. But it is Space’s closure on the island which has shocked clubbers spanning two generations. Space was opened by Ibizan club owner Pepe Rosello in 1989, who took it from a 300capacity site to its now enormous 10,000 superclub status, attracting big name DJs and party lovers from all over the globe. The keys to Space will be handed over to the Matutes Group, the company that owns the site of the venue – as well as VIP-inclined Ushuaïa, which lies opposite Space in Playa d’en Bossa.
After months of wrangling, it was revealed that it will continue to be a club into 2017 and beyond, but Ibiza fans fear that one of the White Isle’s original rave havens will be done up in a swanky manner that means it loses its original values.
Culture
Darius Syrossian, who has played at Space for many years, says: “Personally I think losing Space is a big shame for the island.
“Recently, I was driving through Bossa with my tour manager after a commercial EDM party had finished and it just looked like people were there to buy an expensive bottle and stand around and chat up girls.
“It’s an entirely different world to the ethos of underground music and clubbing, which we do.
“It attracts the VIP culture to the island, which hikes up the price of everything, from clubs’ drink prices to accommodation. Hopefully the other underground venues on the island will continue to push forward, places like DC10, Amnesia, Underground – and I have to say I still love Sankeys as a venue. Long may these clubs continue to keep the true spirit of Ibiza alive.”
This summer London superclub Fabric announced it was closing after losing its licence following two drug-related deaths there.
Alan Miller, chairman of the Night Time Industries Association, says: “It’s obviously very sad people died, but to isolate it and say it’s down to the responsibility of the nightclub...
“If you close Fabric, you’ll have to close every nightclub in Britain, because no-one has the due diligence, extra staff and safety measures.”
Kate Nicholls, the CEO of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, adds: “We seem happy to celebrate nightclubs in our art galleries, but barely able to tolerate them on the High Street.
“Although our music venues are lauded as some of the finest in the world, they are finding it increasingly difficult to remain open.” ¬Ê
Space Ibiza 2016 mixed by Carl Cox, Pig&Dan and Mark Brown is out now.