Another happy wednesday with the 24 hour party people Happy Mondays. Many famous faces were in attendance to enjoy a night to remember, including old friend Paul Oakenfold (who was not only at the concert but also later on at the private after party). Curious to see the contrast between the very young crowd at the front of the stage and the more mature people in the VIP!
Reverend and The Makers played at Bar M in 2007 and at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in 2008 and 2009. Three years later and with the new album @Reverend_Makers under the belt (co-produced by Youth from the influential post-punk band Killing Joke) they were back!
The band played some of their most well known songs, admittedly mostly from their debut (only "Silence is talking" was played from the sophomore album), and new stuff from the third release like the opening track "Bassline" (a perfect kick start for the night) or "The wrestler". Apart from his usual banter, this time Rev Jon McClure asked two photographers to lend him their cameras to take pictures of the audience from the stage... top frontman!
Simon Guirao, who's been working for Ibiza Rocks for ages and DJs at the hotel in the daytime, was added to the line-up for a disco classics set. You should have seen his face, he couldn't have been happier... he DJ'd before and after his favourite band and his name appeared in all the posters next to Happy Mondays. Nice one big man!
The original line-up of Happy Mondays (Shaun Ryder, Paul Ryder, Mark Day, Paul Davis, Gary Whelan, Rowetta and Bez) reformed this year and we've been lucky enough to have them in Ibiza again, 22 years after their concert at Ku. To top it all, it was Shaun's 50th birthday!
Bez came out to introduce the band, before Rowetta began singing the intro that led to "Loose fit" with her stunning voice, and wouldn't join the rest until the second song "Kinky afro". With his crazy dancing he was the center of all eyes, as expected. The Madchester pioneers continued with classics like "Hallelujah", "24 hour party people", "Bob's yer uncle", "Wrote for luck" or the encore "Step on" (which will always be special to me as it was the first one I ever heard from them) and nothing from 2007's Uncle dysfunktional (their comeback with only half of the original members involved). They could have played a bit longer and we all missed some song but it was impossible to please everybody. Incredible vibe all night and favourite gig of the season for many!
Legendary bands like The Specials, Madness and Happy Mondays have passed through the stage of the hotel already and in three weeks New Order will do the same... undoubtedly the most eagerly awaited concert of the summer. Tickets available here in case you don't have yours yet...
More pics + setlists as always available in our forums.
