Eats Everything: “A good after party depends on the people.”
As he prepares to help cut the ribbon on another Ibiza season by opening the much-loved Back To Mine event series at island institution Pikes Ibiza, British DJ and producer Eats Everything tells us about his plans for the summer, his most memorable after party shenanigans and why we can’t miss this ‘roadblock’ fiesta.
You played Back To Mine as part of IMS last year and it certainly was a memorable one!
Yeah, it was great last year – I had such a wicked time. And amazingly, it was the first time I played Freddie’s at Pikes Ibiza, although I have been going there regularly for the past ten years – and it was mental. The party caused an absolute roadblock.
The atmosphere in Freddie’s is something quite special!
And you don’t have to play ‘reactionary’ tunes, you can just roll with what you want to play all night – which is what I love. Not that I don’t always do that, but in bigger spaces you need to drop a big track every now and then to keep up the energy.
We hear you’ve prepared a special disco set?
Well… I never, ever prepared anything but I make edits all the time, like mashing up tunes and rejigging old classics. So I made a lot of different edits to pick from – probably way too many… And I’m looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces there.
Even better… the party is free!
Yes, Pikes is one of the very few places where admission is free. You just have to register yourself for the guestlist on the website, and I would advise people to do it early. I always get messages on the night, ‘Oh mate, can you add me to the list?’, but Pikes is a smaller venue and it fills up fast – so they have to be strict!
Freddie’s has one of the most legendary dancefloors on Ibiza. As a DJ, what is it like to play there?
I like playing in smaller rooms and the sound system is amazing. I’d say I’m quite an eclectic DJ and I play everything from House to R’n’B right up to Techno, Jungle and Drum ‘n’ Bass. When I’m just driving in the car, I’m mostly listening to boogie and disco. I just love to dig out old records and go down a rabbit hole of obscure playlists. That’s why I’m excited to be playing a four-hour set this time – well DJ Fat Tony is on as well, so I might not get the full four hours, but it’s just fun to not have to play all the well-known tracks, and just play some really good music.
And the Back To Mine concept encourages that, too… The freedom to play what you love.
Yeah, that’s what it’s all about. Back in the day, when people would actually come back to mine, I would generally play boogie, disco and funk – proper party music.
For the uninitiated, what makes Pikes Ibiza so amazing?
It’s the infamy, it’s the history… God, this is going to sound really wanky, but it’s quintessentially Ibiza. It still has that vibe of authenticity, and it hasn’t really changed that much over the past 20 years that I’ve been going there. It has that open-mindedness, you can get away with almost anything in there. And you just know that it’s going to be fun! I don’t know anyone who’s hat a s**t time at Pikes. It’s always wicked.
After coming to the island for so long, what are your favourite places and things to do on Ibiza?
I really like Beachouse Ibiza in Playa d’en Bossa and Salinas beach – although it gets really busy – is just amazing. Sa Capella, the restaurant in San Antonio, is another place that is quintessentially Ibiza and that hasn’t changed over the years. The food is still as good as always, and they come to the table and flambé the Crepes Suzettes at your table. I know that the island has changed over the years, but that’s part of life. And an 18-year-old coming to Ibiza now will still have as amazing a time as I had when I first went to Amnesia, Space or Manumission. Yes, it’s different, but for me Ibiza will always be the number one place to go in the world. It just can’t be beaten.
What is the secret to a great after party?
It’s got to be the people, right? Yeah the music’s got to be right but if you got all d**kheads there, it doesn’t matter. If you’ve got the right people going to the right party knowing that they’re going to be delivered good quality music, then that’s the most important thing. But you want them to be open-minded – and that’s the nice thing about Back To Mine, because there’s not the same kind of expectation as when I’m playing a big stage at a festival where the people want to hear my own productions or a specific genre. At Back To Mine, you’re not going for a particular name above the door, you’re going because you know there’ll be good music rather than a headline act.
You must have been at some memorable after parties, any stories you can share?
I mean… there’s been many, many, many… just calamity after calamity. There were some notable ones, some that went on for three days. A memorable ‘back at mine’ was when one of my friends fell through the roof of my neighbour’s garage, another one fell off my roof, another one fell in the pond… and I put my hand through a glass panel in the front door and cut off the top of my thumb! My mates and I were all ‘four sheets to the wind’ so going to the hospital was quite funny. We took the tip of my thumb in a jar and I had it sewn back on. But the party was amazing!
Last, but not least, what else can your fans look forward to this year?
I’ll pretty much be in Ibiza every week throughout the summer, playing in different places. There’s a few new residencies I’ll be playing and there’s elrow, of course, which I always do. I’ve always been happy to ‘be the bridesmaid’ rather than the bride and play a lot of different places, deliver, and then go and have a good time. I just had a new record out recently on Ministry of Sound and I have a succession of releases out over the course of the summer. I’m incredibly grateful for my career and I’m living my dream!
Also if you did not know! Entry is via the free Pikes guest list www.pikesibiza.com
Eats Everything, Fat Tony, Black Hawks of Panama, Only Jewels b2b Wonky
Catch Eat Everything at the Back To Mine opening party at Pikes Ibiza on April 27th 2023. To stay up to date on his latest news, follow him at @eatseverything on Instagram or visit www.eatseverything.com.
