DJ Roger Sanchez requires ‘full’ Ibiza nightclub cellphone ban
Ibiza holiday makers should get ready to put their phones away if they want to go clubbing, so says a legendary DJ who wants a ban
Roger Sanchez spinning tunes while punters take pics(Image:
GETTY
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Legendary DJ Roger Sanchez wants a ban on all phones in Ibiza nightclubs, starting this summer he hopes.
The chart-topping house aficionado has complained punters would rather spend the night filming on their phones than actually dancing these days. Sanchez said: “People are too busy documenting the moment than living the moment, and it’s a hard thing for a performer to then look at a very static audience when there’s just a phone. And I’m like, ‘Have you guys forgotten what the purpose of us being here? We’re here for you!’.”
DJs are finding phones increasingly off-putting, and some nights – like those featuring David Guetta – clubbers spend the night stood still just waiting for the moment he arrives clutching their phones.
Sanchez told Heart Dance Breakfast: “We want to make you dance and connect, and that’s the way we share the energy. So, I’m glad that there are some nights and some parties that are like, ‘Right, phone gets put away.’ It’s all gone very Berghain, which is great. Put it away. You don’t need it right now.
“And in some places like Glastonbury, your phone signal doesn’t work anyway. So, put the bloody thing away! Forget about it, you don’t need it. Focus on here and now, and who’s in front of you, and that’s it.
Several Ibiza clubs and specific parties now enforce, or have announced, strict no-phone policies on the dancefloor to foster a more immersive, “in-the-moment” atmosphere. Key White Isle venues include the new Nocturna and Tomodachi, along with Pikes Ibiza and select nights at Hï Ibiza.
Sanchez, back with new album Spectrum next month, is on board with more clubs doing it and added: “I do fully say, ‘Hey, listen, if there’s a possibility of us putting the phones away completely, let’s do that’.”
However, Sanchez is aware the halcyon days of clubbing are probably over so people have to adapt to a new way of partying: “I try to be a little bit more forgiving of some of the young crowd,.
“(But) nobody can get into it properly if all you’re worried about is… And I can imagine people want to get a picture of you up in the booth and all that. But when there’s like 10,000 of them doing that in unison or whatever, it takes a bit away from the whole vibe, doesn’t it?”
Roger Sanchez has pulled out all the stops for ‘his Spectrum’, album out in June.
He has called on big names from the worlds of house and electronica, such as Fedde Le Grand and Low Steppa, topline queens and vocal talents Karen Harding, Kelli-Leighand Leo Wood along with big names from other genres (Melanie C, Chico Castillo, Kele Le Roc and Donae’o).
The record also provides a platform for talented newcomers and underground artists to reach a bigger audience. Roger said: “I’m delighted to announce the release of my forthcoming album SPECTRUM! A body of work 6 years in the making and something I am truly proud to finally see out in the world very soon!”
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