Ocean Beach club Ibiza has been open for a couple of weeks and already it has played host to some of the finest talent on the electronic scene. Daytime parties from the likes of Hed Kandi and Vintage have opened in the last few days and now it’s the turn of Deep Flight as German superstar Tom Novy returns to Ocean after his opening party performance, bringing with him a few friends in the shape of Jamie Lewis of Purple Music fame, Oliver Lang, Thailand’s finest DJ Nakadia, oh and a live performance from Sister Sledge!
Ocean Beach is an oasis of glamour and luxury, located on the promenade, overlooking S’Arenal with an uninterrupted view of the famous San Antonio sunset. The white loungers and day beds set around and in the magnificent pool are all occupied, as the cosmopolitan crowd enjoy the heat of the Ibiza sun. The impressive Void sound system delivers a cool afternoon set of slightly downbeat house with a bit of a disco twist. Jamie Lewis I in charge of the elevated DJ Booth and Sonica is delivering another one of their now famous outside broadcasts. Just another typical day in Ibiza! Purple Music has been responsible for numerous cooler house cuts over the years and Jamie Lewis is a man who can span musical genres with ease, no matter where he plays. The Ocean Beach concept was built for days like this.
One of the many features of Ocean Beach is the performers, from the dancers to the flexible acrobats, there is always something going on to catch the eye and today is no different. Glamorous hostesses walk around in huge heels carrying parasols, dancers in sexy outfits move along to the music and every now and then the giant crane that is positioned to the side of the pool stretches over with five acrobats hanging from various hooks who deliver a synchronised show in time to the music. Tom Novy has taken over duties behind the booth and is taking us on a slightly chunkier house trip. The German DJ/ producer has enjoyed a love affair with Ibiza over the last decade and a half, playing at numerous events and venues around the island. His prolific studio schedule has produced numerous global hits and as he starts to lift the tempo slightly, people are starting to dance by their loungers, on their beds and in the pool.
Next up in the star studded Deep Flight opening party is Oliver Lang. Oliver is very much a part of the international touring set these days but he cut his teeth in Ibiza, playing on the island regularly in his formative days. He takes things down just a notch and drops a couple of cool accapellas on top of chunky beats, as well as dropping an odd classic or two, getting us I the mood for Sister Sledge, who will be taking the stage very shortly. The sun has gone down now, as it disappeared the acrobats performed once again, high above the Ocean Beach pool. The area between the stage and the pool has now become the dancefloor as people start to make their way across to get in position for the forthcoming live performance and Oliver completes the warm up as the announcer delivers an appropriate build up before inviting disco legends Sister Sledge to take to the stage.
Ocean Beach then transforms yet again into an amazing outdoor live venue. The five-piece band that accompanies the sisters bursts into life and hit after hit washes across the crowd. ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’ prompts some audience participation as some of the crowd is invited onstage to strut their stuff in an impromptu dance off, much to the entertainment of the rest of us. There are performers that are clearly good at what they do and then there are performers that were born to do exactly what they are doing, there’s no doubt which Sister Sledge are. One of the biggest cheers of the night goes up when the distinctive opening bars of ‘Lost In Music’ kick in and an extended version, during which we are introduced to the band, who in turn deliver solos, driving the crowd crazy. Sister Sledge live in Ibiza is definitely another one of those ‘moments’, summer defining performances, and no one that witnessed it will be forgetting it in a hurry. All that’s left is to finish the performance with a massive karaoke version of ‘We Are Family’. Priceless!
The Deep Flight party doesn’t end there though, Ocean Beach has an amazing little inside venue where the after party will take place and Thailand’s finest musical expert Nakadia is in charge of proceedings until the very wee small hours. Ocean Beach is a multitude of venues all rolled into one, every one of which operates at an extremely high level allowing its clientele to enjoy a variety experiences during their visit. From the giant pool and everything that goes with it, to the DJ booth and the talent that it regularly host, to an outdoor venue and an after party, there really is nothing that it can’t do. The Pearl restaurant has also been a huge hit since it opened, more on that very soon…