Rob da Bank's Blog #11

Robby's been to Ibiza

United Kingdom | by Rob da Bank | 03 June 2009

Just landed from Ibiza. I’d forgotten how beautiful the White Island is, and even the more commercial bits of San Antonio have been spruced up a treat. Two days wasn’t really long enough to immerse myself enough in the nightlife/sandy beaches/gallons of sangria that I’d like to have got stuck into but a welcome breather all the same.

I was over there for the International Music Summit, the brainchild of my manager Ben along with Pete Tong and a few others. Now in its second year IMS is rapidly taking over from Miami as the place to do business whilst floating on a lilo in the pool. The great and the good of the music industry were there alongside a healthy number of us festival promoters from around the world. I was talking on a panel entitled Festivals: Feast or Famine, and we had a good banter with Martin Gontad who runs Creamfields and loads of other shows in South America, Chris from the Big Chill, Enric Palau from Sonar, and the legendary Pino Sagliocco from Live Nation in Spain who put on the first and pretty much last festi in Ibiza with Freddie Mercury amongst others. Wish I’d been there!

Anyway it was an enlightening hour of debate on the state of the world festi scene – I’m glad we don’t rely on sponsorship in the UK like the rest of the world seems to – up to 50% of many of their budgets comes from sponsors and in these times that’s worrying. I’m still feeling very upbeat about this year. It’s strange seeing the weeks roll by and many of the festivals that should have sold out by now still haven’t but that’s the reality of 2009 – promoters need to get through this one and keep things tight for 2010.

Getting very excited about Glastonbury, especially now with the full line up announced – never thought I’d see Status Quo, Manu Dibango and the ace Fucked Up on the same bill and that’s why Glasto is still the one!

Rob da Bank