Rock-in Ibiza

Ibiza Rocks was the brainchild of Andy McKay of Manumission, who decided it was time to introduce live music to Ibiza's almost exclusively dance scene.

"I've always been passionate about live music," Andy explains, "and Ibiza's an island with a real live music past. It's not always been about dance, it's about partying and hedonism as well." Variety is the spice of life, they say!

Initially the event came under criticism from people who thought it would detract from Ibiza's reputation as a dance island, but the concept has worked so well that a number of other clubs are jumping aboard the rock band-wagon. Eden, for example, offers the chance to hear Franz Ferdinand on the decks over the summer.

Despite running Manumission at the colossal Privilege Club in the centre of the island, Andy decided to keep Ibiza Rocks in the much smaller Bar M, on San Antonio bay.

The reasons were simple. "Where else are you going to get to see The Kaiser Chiefs at a 500 capacity venue, on a beach?"

Bringing the event to such an intimate bar might have brought problems were it not in Ibiza.

"We're just not capable of paying the large fees some of these bands expect, but they love the event, and the island.

"Plus we offer them a sort of holiday from their touring. They come and spend five days in a beautiful villa, we show them the island - hidden beaches, fantastic restaurants, the secrets of Ibiza, and I guess that's worth more than money sometimes.

"Once they've sampled it they get very tempted and in many cases bands have overruled their management because they just want to come. We won't work with them unless they're into it. We don't need to take just anyone."

And the line up for this year is evidence of the fact. Franz Ferdinand, CSS, Kasabian, The Streets, LCD Soundsystem and the legendary Arctic Monkeys have all signed up, though Andy's most wrapped by the return of the Kaisers.

"We took them to dinner in September 2005, at Bambuddha Grove, a lovely out of the way Thai restaurant, and they just kept saying how nice it was. I think the promoters normally just pay them and end up eating McDonalds.

"But they were a band about to turn the corner into superstardom. At the time they were enjoying the luxury of the villa and now they could buy the villa. Ten of 'em! But they're still coming back to play"

If the hospitality shown to the bands is what brings them to Ibiza, it is just a part of Andy's overall mission.

"Our agenda is still to run the biggest weekly party in the world, and Ibiza Rocks is a real part of that."

You can buy tickets for Ibiza Rocks with Sony Ericsson from ibizarocks.com, and a limited number are available on the door.

We'll be bringing you full details of the opening night, which featured Rumble Strips and The View, later this week

SL