Memories of Amnesia

Ricky Simpson fondly reminisces about his first trip to Ibiza in 1988…

I first heard about the Ibiza clubbing scene and particularly Amnesia from Danny at Shoom.  Everyone started talking about it; this wonderful open air club with multi cultural party people from Europe. 

I think the main contingent of what I call ‘family’ was made up of some 18 to maybe 25 year-old, mostly working class, kids from various parts of London. I remember going to Future, and everyone was talking about travelling out to Ibiza, for the opening party of this glorious club ‘Amnesia’ in particular. It felt like my whole family was going, and no way was I gonna miss out. 

We were young, carefree, and looked out for each other, which was a wonderful thing. I packed up my Chevignon T-shirts, Chippie tops, baggy Fiorucci jeans, and Converse, then off me and my best mate went. 

It didn’t let me down at all. We all found ourselves dancing with film and TV stars, musicians, hippies, straight, gay and trans people, obviously a lot of Spanish, plus dancers from the Far East  and South America. It seemed every person you talked to was from somewhere different to grey old London.

This  blew me away. It felt like heaven would, if it exists: multicultural and everyone as happy as can be. I can remember a German bloke who I was talking with suddenly pulled out what must of been a ten-inch long tiny spoon, then proceeded to undo a wrap of something, and sniffed up a chunk of coke. The music, from what I remember, was similar to what we were dancing to at Shoom and Future. But the ‘alchemist’ Alfredo was playing music I thought I would never dance to – and boy, did we dance. While he played Mory Kante’s Yeke Yeke I found myself dancing next to a guy with dreadlocks, rocking his head, hair flying everywhere. This couldn’t get any better. 

Didn’t want that night to end. But unfortunately it did, and I’m pretty sure the closing record was the theme from Hill Street Blues. I could have cried. Why can’t everyone in the whole world be like this? With rich, poor, straight, gay, black, white, all partying together in paradise. If only the world leaders went to Amnesia that year (if only). All I know is I would do anything to go back for that night.