Top raver, booth infiltrator and our very own AM to PM girl, Lissy Lübeck is back for summer 2023, sharing her thoughts, experiences and inner musings from Ibiza's clubland. A year older, but a year wiser? Probably not.
If you heard it from anybody else, you'd dismiss it as hyperbole, but Lissy Lü's real life is like that.
Partying as a profession is a hard life... but somebody's got to do it!
Tuesday 22 August
Stephen's day off, so it was down for me and Hayley to keep the party afloat. It was time to put our sailor hats on, take to the Med and set-off on only our second boat party of the summer. A little apprehensive, as I know how wild these things can get, I had to hype myself up to get in the groove for this one.
It was Pukka Up's 20th anniversary boat party, which meant this was a special one for its team.
We met Lucy and Joshua at Rio and walked over to the boat, where there were a good hundred or so people eager to get on board. From afar, I spotted a few pals of mine already on the top deck, which put me at ease. Hayley, on the other hand, seemed to know everyone onboard!
The crew really pushed the boat out with this one (excuse the pun), with a bongo percussionist, podium dancers and at about six different DJs, including the original Pukka Up residents to celebrate the last two decades.
Lucy and Josh were very accommodating and made sure we had everything we needed. One thing I've learnt from boat parties is that you just have to throw yourself in. Brace yourself for getting sprayed with a lot of drinks and disembark a very sticky mess.
Upon arrival back to shore in San An, it was clear that Josh had enjoyed his last few hours on the boat. Worse for wear, but ever so grateful for our attendance, he invited me down to play at House In Paradise at O Beach next Wednesday. I'm going to hold him to that!
Maybe boat parties aren't so bad after all?
Wednesday 23 August
Today I got to catch up with my beloved friend Krissy, who you might know better as Melé.
He was here to play both the pre-party for FISHER at Café Mambo, as well as Hï Ibiza's Theatre before the man himself. Last summer we went for drinks in Playa d'en Bossa and he went to meet a girl, who today is now his girlfriend. They are so in love - cute! It was lovely to see Maddie, a Miami girl, and we had a great catch up.
We ate dinner together at Mambo, before Krissy went on the decks after sunset. By "dinner", I mean some chicken tenders and half a dozen cocktails. Liquid, solids - it's all calories.
The last song I expected him to play was a remix of Who Told You by J-Hus. The young kids at the front sang word for word. That's what I love about Melé, his versatility.
Afterwards, we went to his hotel for a few drinks. He was complaining of a sore ear throughout the night, as he'd bombed into the pool last week on holiday. When he was playing, I had to ask for ear plugs myself. The monitors were so loud! No wonder he's having trouble with his ears.
When FISHER arrived, the first thing he said to me was, "Is this c*** deaf?!" I couldn’t help but laugh. If FISHER thought it was loud, then it must have been!
Who needs impersonators when you have the real deal?
Highlight of the evening was a dude in the green room dressed head-to-toe as Fish in a wavy shirt, bucket hat and quirky shades. He was even doing the classic tongue-out pose.
Friday 25 August
Unsurprising after a 24 hour snooze session, I woke up naturally and feeling like a new woman. This new lease of life felt like the start of a new chapter, which included an early morning dip to get my body moving. Check me out.
In the afternoon, we got invited down to Ryans Lola's in Cala de Bou for the Hedkandi pre-party and to chill by the pool. Super modern with quirky interiors, you can see its self-styled Poolzone area from reception. You'll find giant pool inflatables, DJ booth and lovely lounge area.
Life is better when you're riding a unicorn
The temperature was pretty intense, so I was straight in the pool for a cool-off. We each ordered a different burger from the spooky-themed menu, as well as a cocktail each. Ryans is the perfect place to chill, but equally you can tell it has the potential to get a bit lively later on.
One thing I did notice, is that it's a great place to meet new people, with different groups intertwining and socialising - and that's exactly what Ibiza is for.
Saturday 26 August
This morning I took it upon myself to tick one off my 'must visits' for the summer, by driving to Sant Jordi for its famed Mercadillo flea market and car boot sale.
Having grown up being taken to them since the age of four, I've a real soft spot for them - and an eye for a bargain. Me and my Mum would wake up at the crack of dawn, load the car up, get our flasks with hot tea, head down and get selling till around lunch time. Combining my own clothes and toys with my mum's bottomless wardrobe cast-offs, our stall always proved popular.
This time, I was not the vendor. Playing customer is always more fun.
Mercadillo was a maze of rows lined with cars and vans selling everything you can imagine. From custom jewellery to old CDs, up-cycled furniture and knick-knacks, you could find just about anything there. I was there for a good two hours rummaging, in spite of the midday heat.
Although a rewarding trip, to my horror, I managed to return empty handed. This is unheard of.
My initial plan of heading down to Ushuaïa for ANTS where Marco Carola was the surprise guest was thwarted by Mitch going to bed late and thus waking up even later. As it turns out, I'm not the only one who can sleep and sleep and sleep some more.
As we finished dinner, there were signs of the incoming storm brewing on the horizon. Eek! In the end, we decided to meet Mitch for drinks at Urban Lounge (who knew it had a hot-tub?), as it was right next to his apartment. (Let's face it, the mountain had to come to Muhammad!)
After watching the controversial end to the Usyk fight on the big screens, knocking drinks over myself and enjoying the resident DJ belt out old school Trance, me and the rest of the clubbing team ventured onto Es Paradis. Hedkandi was in town for "One Night In Heaven".
Okay, so maybe it wouldn't usually be my number one choice for a Saturday night out. But it was handy being right on our doorstep and Hedkandi brought the vibes. Highlight of the night was the live performance from Barbara Tucker who sang some soulful renditions of our favourite House hits with gusto. The girl's still got it!
Sunday 27 August
Throughout the morning, the storm was in full force, so movement from the fort was minimal. Although too treacherous to go outside, it did cool the air down significantly and was therefore highly welcomed.
My friends Mia and Morgan, a couple I've known for years back home, were over on holiday. I met them in Ibiza Town for some drinks and we spent a few hours catching up at Paradise Lost, over some of its signature homemade lemonade with vodka.
The night would take us to Glitterbox. While we were pleasantly surprised at not having to queue at the taxi rank, the same couldn't be said for outside Hï. It was colossal.
If there was a weak link, it was Morgan. Me and Mia knew we were in for a task getting him into the club, as he was sparking up a convo with every randomer in the queue and was like a new born foal on his feet. Luckily, we could escape to the rooftop in peace, to pull him together.
Every room was packed to the brim, as we weaved between the Wild Corner, Club Room and main room across the night. Melvo Baptiste and Paul Reynolds killed it in the toilets, Fat Tony did the business in room two and Jayda G delivered an epic closing set in The Theatre.
I stayed with Mitch (who was technically working) until the very end, before we basically got kicked out the door. That's a sign of doing a night properly, right?
Thirsty for more misadventures in clubland? The next entry from Lissy Lü's dancefloor diary is online now.
Read previous weeks' capers here:
Party non-stop
Casa del Spotlight hits full occupancy
Girls on tour
One night in Magaluf
For daily insights, you can keep up to date with the life and times of Lissy Lü by following our TikTok channel here.
