Club Love: Space Ibiza

Image: Space Discoteca (tillate.com)

The first time I went to Space was a humbling experience. I can't even remember who I saw DJ, but that is exactly the point - it is the utter scale of the place that makes it genius, then the music follows.

I was lucky enough to catch the latter years of the original Space Terrace, when a substantial part of it was still open. To me that was the absolute pinnacle of a clubbing space.

We're not talking sound system or lighting here - we're talking about spirit and we're talking about atmosphere; that guaranteed good vibe when people are dancing in the open air with reckless abandon. And yes, it is true what they say: everybody did used to cheer and wave whenever a plane flew over.

As cliched as all that might sound, you wouldn't be having cynical thoughts if you were in the middle of it. I certainly didn't. It was the eye opener of all eye openers.

There I was, first ever holiday in Ibiza, dancing on the terrace next to a transvestite dressed as half woman, half giraffe; and to my left was an oily, camp-stereotype, wearing skin-tight 80s tennis whites, with The Ones  'Flawless' playing in the background (below).

It was one of those moments. Especially given I was wearing a smart shirt and brown loafers - a necessity for my usual nights on the hoy in Newcastle at that time, but as was to become apparent, certainly not the form for a Sunday afternoon on the terrace.

To be fair, they were merely backup glad rags - I did arrive in Ibiza with more casual caper as a first choice - but the night before, having passed out in Pacha, the next thing I remember was waking up in the reception of a hotel that wasn't mine, with one of my more club-friendly pieces of footwear missing from my feet.

How the doormen in Pacha let me back in two hours later with no ticket, no stamp on my wrist and no right shoe, I'll never know - fair play to them - but I suspected that if I walked up to the door of Space the next morning sporting a lone Reebok Iverson on my left foot, I wouldn't be so lucky again. Surely one of the biggest clubs in the world would have a draconian door policy, wouldn't they?

But how utterly wrong that was. Even though I didn't try the security's patience by rocking up to the entrance with only one shoe on, ten minutes on the Space Terrace convinced me that I could have done.

The point to all this is that the Space Terrace gave me the all-important message that I'd failed to grasp in Pacha the night before, that in Ibiza, nobody gives a fuck. No fancy decor, no dress code, no aggro, and basically, no rules. Not even a proper roof - who needs them?

And remember, back then, Space was an after party venue, open 22 hours per day. I had the privilege of doing it in the original style it was intended; partying on in surreal fashion after Pacha the night before.

As good as DC10 on a Monday afternoon became, it's worth reminding the world that Space had that formula locked down way before. Space was the original messy after party venue and industry hangout on the island.

Another thing that you would never have guessed when you look at the global musical institution that it is now, is that for a long time, it was very very British - very scouse and very London.

From 1991 - 1996, London bods Brandon Block and Alex P were residents on the Space Terrace - in fact it was Alex P's idea to turn the terrace into a dancing space in the first place, and not content with devising one of the most famous club spaces in the world, he actually built the bar with his own fair hands, brick by brick. We owe those boys a lot, as well as the founder of Space, Pepe Rosello, for having the vision to tap into the British market.

Space has certainly changed a lot since I first went (the terrace has been fully covered for nearly ten years now, but have a look above at what it was like back in the day), and no doubt it has changed even more since it was Blocko and Alex P's domain, but it is still a seriously special place.

Having celebrated its 25th birthday this year, what sums up the modern-day Space for me is the sight of Technasia in the Discoteca (the main room), absolutely tearing the arse out of the place with rattling techno. Carl Cox as well. When that main room goes off, it seriously goes off.

And don't forget the sheer size of it all: 7,000 capacity! There is just so much to explore in there. I'd been going to Space for seven years before I even discovered El Salon Bar (next to the Terrace).

It's also well worth checking out the Premier Etage right at the top. Seeing Alfredo up there, playing pretty much anything he wants, is a bit more of a hark back to the old days of the terrace and Ibiza in general.

I can only stand back, admire and take my hat off to Space for being able to move with the times and manage to somehow grow stronger in the face of increasing competition and increasing restrictions from the local authorities. Let us hope there is another 25 years in the locker.

Check out what is going on at Space Ibiza.