Andy Manumission Takes To The Pikes Ibiza Stage.
It’s like a juicy soap opera set in Ibiza! Andy McKay, the man behind the legendary Manumission Party, is stirring up the old-school magic at Pikes Ibiza this summer. Earlier this week Andy McKay one of the four partners of the iconic Manumission Party held at Privilege Ibiza in the 90s announced that he would be rekindling the “old kind of energy” associated with that era on Monday nights. Unlike his brother Mike, Andy is not known for his flamboyance so the appearance of the stage name Andy Manumission is a new dawning as he always preferred to play a behind-the-scenes role for the past 30 years.
At the turn of the millennium a breakdown in relationships between the two sides Andy and Dawn McKay and Mike and Claire Mc Kay, ensured Manumission was mothballed, as the terms of ownership included the clause that the Manumission brand could not be relaunched unless all its founders agreed. Those differences were put to one side when Manumission came very close to being relaunched in 2014 when Pacha had signed a deal with its four joint owners to reboot the party on Monday nights. Sadly at the very last minute, one of the partners decided to renege on that deal and it was scuppered. A watered-down version of Manumission, Ibiza Rocks House became a late substitute, lasting just one season.
That failure to proceed with the Pacha Manumission reunion deepened the rift between the McKay siblings. While Andy and Dawn proceeded with Ibiza Rocks House at Pacha it was a damp squid without the creative juices of Mike and Claire who launched their party Phantamasgoria at the ill-fated Boom nightclub managed by Danny Whittle. That party also failed to ignite, due in part to the absence of Andy McKays commercial and business expertise. As a team, they were all conquering, but divided one could not thrive without the other. Manumission required both Ying and Yan to be present. I have known both Mc Kay brothers for many years and I always found Mike to be Manumissions Yin while Andy was its Yang. I also know how family politics work and while there may have been ego issues involved, I never once heard Andy or Mike disrespect each other as brothers.
That leads on to another notable statement in the announcement of the new party at Pikes this summer. In the blurb describing the event, it is stated that Andy is the new owner of Pikes. In recent years, there has been a public breakup played out on social media between Andy and Dawn McKay. Dawn Hindle as she preferred to be known, had taken over the management of Pikes and with the help of a talented team around her did a fine job creating a bohemian, Ibiza-inspired atmosphere at the venue. I enjoyed the family spirit they created at Pikes, which was true to the essence of Tony Pikes’ legacy. As with all separation of assets, a lengthy legal battle ensued but it seems that those matters have been resolved and Andy has become the sole owner of Pikes with Dawn gone. A new management team has been installed and the blog understands that ex-Cream promoter Nick “Nostalgia” Fergeson is now working with Pikes. A new professional-looking PR company, Love The Message, is handling all media assets for Pikes and Ibiza Rocks.
A New Chapter.
So it’s all changed at Pikes this season as it turns a new chapter in its colourful and eventful story. One has to pay tribute to the work and goodwill that Dawn Hindle and her team brought to Pikes, they improved the place rather than bringing it down. It’s now in Andy’s hands and he has a hard act to follow but I would never underestimate Andy’s talents as a businessman. One would hope Andy can preserve the Ying present at Pikes for the past several years to balance his Yang as he certainly needs it. If the McKay brothers could reunite then Pikes could transcend to the next level. Do I think it could happen? Im a great believer that anything is possible in Ibiza and while it is a delicate situation I believe there is a better chance of it happening under the new Pikes management than there was before,
If Pikes aims to revive the nostalgic essence of old Ibiza, it’s crucial to honour this commitment by focusing less on monetary gain and more on capturing the essence. This shift would differentiate Pikes from the many other venues on the island this summer. The blog extends its best wishes to Andy and the new team at Pikes for the upcoming season which opens on April 12.
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