Jamie Jones Departs Amnesia Ibiza For The Night League.
This week, the big news story in Ibiza was the departure of Jamie Jones and his Paradice party from Amnesia. In a don’t let the door hit you on the way out statement, Amnesia announced the break up of their brief two-year relationship on social media. Typically, the artist announces such developments, so the move by Amnesia to upstage Jones suggests the partnership did not end on good terms. One can understand Amnesia’s frustration and angst as, brick by brick, they are being slowly removed from the island’s clubbing culture.
From a reputational perspective, Jones is a huge loss. He added the underground prestige and star quality that Amnesia craved to compete against its main competitors. His departure would be akin to Mo Salah leaving Liverpool and signing to Manchester United. Fans took to social media to criticise the move and express shock at the development. While many are questioning Jones’s motives and reasons for his decision to leave Amnesia and join its arch nemesis, The Night League, I would trust the Welshman’s judgment on this occasion.
Few artists in Ibiza are more tuned in to the island’s shark-infested club scene than Jamie Jones. He has charted an astute career path to date, having started at the bottom and worked his way up to become one of the most influential artists on the island. However, while it may appear an ill-judged move on the surface, underneath the well-polished veneer of Ibiza clubs, other less-known factors were lurking in the walls at Amnesia. I have previously questioned the attitude management at Amnesia adopts in its public relations and how it reacts to challenges and obstacles on its path. The “for hate’s sake, I spit my last breath at thee” approach is only playing into the hands of its competitors. The club, in my opinion, is losing honour in battle.
I have no worries about Jamie Jones’s future inside The Night League stable. It was the logical decision. I remember the same doubt and ridicule directed at Tale Of Us when they signed with The Night League in 2016. That brave signing transformed the Italian duo’s Arterlife party from a stuffed crow sitting in front of the DJ box at Space into the Anyma spectacle it is today. It is a risk to move away from Amnesia, but the toxic environment at the club probably forced Jones to take one of the last remaining lifeboats on the sinking ship of Ibiza clubbing.
The Death Knell
However, my faith in Jamie Jones’s judgement and experience would negate that risk. I look forward to his voyage of discovery with TNL and seeing what the brand-new partnership can deliver on the digital stage of Ibiza clubbing. I am surprised this move did not happen earlier, but I would guess Jones wanted to be part of what Amnesia stood for and allowed them an opportunity to prove it. Alas, it was not to be, and with this defection, sadly, the death knell sounds for Amnesia.
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