- Is Meganite the most underrated party in Ibiza? It regularly hosts the cream of the techno crop, tends to let workers in either for free or at massively reduced ticket prices and it's in Privilege. Which for those of you living under a gigantic Ibizan rock, is the biggest club in the world. Where the DJ booth lies above a pool.
For some unexplainable reason, though, Meganite has never climbed the same heights as Ibiza's other techno parties, be it Sven's Monday nights at Amnesia or even Monza's Thursday night parties at Privilege, which is a real pity. Is it Mauro's alignment with cheesy trance music at the turn of the century? Or maybe the fact that a club which hosts Tiësto every week can simply not be taken seriously as a techno haunt? Hard to give a definitive answer, but consider tonight's guests; Ida Engberg, Paul Ritch, Adam Beyer and ringleader Mauro Picotto all made appearances, so for those of us on a budget, it's an opportunity not to be sniffed at. To my regret I missed Engberg and Ritch, but that's the problem when you try to trek to Privilege from the Zoo Project (where a certain Swiss/Chilean moustached one was holding court till 1 AM) with €4 in your back pocket in half-an-hour.
Privilege is an odd spot though. Upon entering its grounds through its famous arch, it always seems to be eerily quiet. But walk down the bendy little footpath—toward the entrance and into its colossal main room—and it's enough to take even the most ardent clubbers breath away. And that's not just the first time you enter: The sheer scale of this club never fails to impress. To be frank, it's fucking enormous. So combine the impressive location with Beyer's aggressive techno and you're onto a winner.
If I've one criticism of Privilege, it's their marketing campaign, specifically their consistent branding of themselves as "The World's Largest Club." Since when does that make a difference? Especially when half the club is closed off on six of the seven nights it's open? To be honest, the dark and empty space behind the DJ booth always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Haven't the promoters got more in their locker?
On with the music, though: Beyer kept the crowd ticking over smoothly with his trademark spooky techno, his skinny frame lurching over the decks while he chain smoked, all the time looking like the embodiment of cool. It was an impressive set, and miles tougher than the sound of Luciano's melodic techno which I'd witnessed earlier. It can be unrelenting, though, and after dancing for ten hours straight without any mind-altering substances on board, we called it a night just before Meganite mastermind Picotto hopped on the decks, citing sheer exhaustion as our only viable excuse.
Privilege's bus was unfortunately broken down, so getting home for free was the day's second adventure. I enjoyed Beyer's set, but as I trundled home with the first sign of sunlight beating down on my face, I realised I didn't give Meganite a proper chance tonight. Don't fret though, Mauro: I'll continue to spread the word, and I'll certainly come back.