FMIF enjoyed yet another record-breaking season in Ibiza this summer. It’s hard to build on the success of a party that sells out every night during the season, but the demand for entry to Pacha on a Thursday night this summer was such that each party sold out quicker than it has ever done before. His new residency in Ushuaia delivered much the same reaction, a scramble for tickets, like that normally reserved for a super group on its last ever tour! As more and more tickets are bought online, it has never been more important to makes sure you have them before you even considering packing your bags for the white isle, if you want to get into the bigger parties that is. It’s further evidence that Guetta has transcended the parameters of a normal international DJ, he is a bonafide pop star now and fills venues accordingly.
David Guetta is in demand al over the world, and has extraordinary offers thrown at him on a weekly basis to take his party to new and exciting venues, the fact that he maintains his presence throughout the summer in Pacha is testament to the relevance that the island still has globally. Summer 2012 saw Pacha move the DJ booth from one side of the club to the other and bring its DJs more front and centre for the dancefloor as opposed to the slightly elevated position it enjoyed before. FMIF returned to the Thursday night, the glittering neon stars illuminated the pavement outside the famous old club and special FMIF glow sticks were in everyone’s hands as the talented Frenchman delivered another season full of international talent.
From the opening party, which saw Guetta team up with Daddy’s Groove, after finishing his set at the IMS Dalt Villa location, would be the benchmark for the rest of the season as the party was an old school road-block as thousands turned up, many of them flown in specifically to catch a glimpse of their hero as he opened his Ibiza account. Pacha was packed and that’s not normally the greatest environment to enjoy a party, when you struggle to move to the bar or the dancefloor, but, a combination of it being the Ibiza opener and Guetta’s fans being super friendly, saw the famous old venue go right off! Daddy’s Groove joined David Guetta a few times throughout the season that saw him invite established and emerging stars to join him in Pacha’s brand new booth. Tommy Trash, Kaz James, Nicky Romero, Sarah Main, Arno Cost, Fedde Le Grand, Laidback Luke, Sidney Samson and Nervo were just some of the international talent that passed through the club every Thursday.
Ibiza 2012 also saw David Guetta take up residency in Playa d’en Bossa, in the outdoor setting of Ushuaia, a venue that is built for the Frenchman. He dabbled with the outdoor venue last summer with an appearance alongside Usher and Pete Tong, which clearly whet the appetite as he returned every Monday in 2012. The party opened on July 9 as Nicky Romero and Nervo joined David Guetta in the Ushuaia booth, elevated high above thousands of fans, the venue is more like a festival performance than a dance club and it fits perfectly into the Guetta routine as he moved seamlessly through a string of massive hits that are either his or that he has a hand in. It’s like a massive karaoke as all the crowd sing along to the tunes. Further proof that the Frenchman can no longer be held to normal DJ standards, rendering the constant debate about him completely pointless.
The eight week residency saw more people crammed into Ushuaia than they thought humanly possible as the world and his mate wanted to check out Guetta. If there was ever any doubt that he is the most commercially appealing performer on the planet, this summer answered all the questions, filling both Pacha and Ushuaia every week throughout the summer is a massive achievement, well over 10,000 people a week flocked to check out FMIF! As with Pacha, he did have a few friends pop in and help him out, Nervo were a constant throughout the Ushuaia residency, they actually took up the reigns in the outdoor venue and hosted some parties of their own after the FMIF camp left the island. Calvin Harris, pop star turned DJ, is another that has a sound that is perfectly matched to huge outdoor arenas, he joined Guetta in a battle of the producers. Other notable guests included Afrojack and Fedde Le Grand, neither of whom is a stranger to playing to such a big audience.
While there is no doubting the ability of the guests that appeared throughout the summer for FMIF, either in Pacha or Ushuaia, every one of them took the FMIF crowd on a musical journey that delivered some of the best parties the island saw all summer, it’s fair to say that David Guetta would have made his army of loyal fans more than happy if he played every minute of every party himself. It’s an amazing phenomenon to behold, this is a DJ who, in the not too distant past, played more underground sets, whose productions were in the box of many of the more discerning DJs. Since he discovered a sound that crossed over commercially and in turn saw half of the R&B fraternity sign him up to work with, his profile has gone through the roof. He has invented a new style of dance music that is accessible and has opened the US up to DJs in a big way, in turn making him one of the most sought after performers on the planet! Who knows how far his star will have risen by next year, roll on Ibiza 2013!
