Rock on in Ibiza

The White Isle is a haven for clubbers, but did you know it all started with a little rock’n’roll? We look back at the island’s musical heritage – and ahead to what’s hot this summer

Island records: Find hits from your fave decade in Ibiza

50s
There’s a rumour that Elvis is alive and living in Sant Josep de sa Talaia. If you don’t spot the King himself, try the Elvis impersonator at San Antonio’s Old Smugglers Inn. ibizaelvis.com

60s

Pacha’s psychedelic Flower Power nights feature music from Ibiza-loving rock legends including Pink Floyd, Mike Oldfield, The Rolling Stones and more. pachaibiza.com

70s
Put on your widest flares and highest platforms and make your way to Carwash Ibiza at Alter Ibiza for the funkiest disco, groove and soul on the White Isle. carwash-ibiza.com

When you think of the world’s most influential rock’n’roll destinations, what comes to mind? Memphis, the home of Elvis? London, maybe? Or New York, the city that spawned Blondie and the Ramones? Well, here’s a twist for you. From the moment that the first pulsating bass lines and firecracker guitar riffs hit global airwaves, Ibiza (today better known as a dance mecca) became one of the most influential rock destinations in the world – not only for providing inspiration to the genre’s greats, but also for the part it played in helping the genre evolve throughout the 20th century, right up until today.

But 50 years ago, this sleepy Balearic isle was in for a rude awakening. The first rock invasion was led by London hippies who were drawn to this cheap and sunny refuge in the Mediterranean as somewhere they could let down their hair and take off their clothes. Among the earliest arrivals were Pink Floyd, who were introduced to Ibiza and Formentera, its diminutive neighbour,
in the 1960s. Visiting members included bassist Roger Waters, keyboardist Rick Wright and singer Syd Barrett, who lived for months in an isolated farmhouse on Formentera. In 1969, the band’s experiences helped inspire their soundtrack for the cult movie More, which was set among Ibiza’s cosmopolitan hippie community. The film celebrated the back-to-basics lifestyle that was drawing more musicians to the islands, among them American songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, who wrote Carolina In My Mind on Formentera. There’s even a rumour that Bob Dylan spent months living in a 200-yearold windmill here (although he denies it).

Another rock legend who sought inspiration from Ibiza’s shores? The great Jimi Hendrix first came here in 1968 with photographer/ designer Karl Ferris, the original Ibiza hippy. It wasn’t Hendrix’s first trip to the Balearics. He had previously performed at Sergeant Pepper’s, a new nightclub in Palma, Majorca, named in honour of the Beatles’ historic LP. This psychedelic disco was owned by Hendrix’s managers, and he played the opening party. The night ended spectacularly when Hendrix stuck his guitar through the new ceiling while playing Wild Thing – almost literally bringing down the house.

By the 1970s, hippie culture was firmly established on Ibiza, and the prevailing mood of fun, freedom and music had spread into a growing disco scene. In the 1980s, this developed into the unique Ibiza club culture that made the island an international magnet for DJs, party animals and music lovers, as well as pop aristocrats such as Freddie Mercury and Wham!, who filmed the video for Club Tropicana in Ibiza in 1983.

By the mid 1990s, everything had changed. Ibiza had become the centre of the new clubbing phenomenon, and DJs such as Paul Oakenfold and Danny Rampling had created the Balearic sound and were starting to export it. As the club scene took hold in the UK, its connection with Ibiza caused the island’s popularity to rocket.

But in 2005, rock came home. Ibiza Rocks – which started out as a few live gigs in the back room of Manumission – reunited the Ibizan club scene with its rockier past, making its name as the music event for a new generation of islandgoers. By 2008 Ibiza Rocks had a permanent base: a hotel in San Antonio that could hold concerts in its courtyard. And over the past 12 years it has hosted some of music’s biggest names, including Arctic Monkeys, Ed Sheeran, Florence And The Machine and the Kaiser Chiefs. Although we can’t confirm the line-up just yet, rest assured this summer’s Ibiza Rocks will be bigger and better than ever.