Vainglorius: The Story Of A Classic Ibiza Worker.
One of the more pleasurable aspects of writing the Blog is that I get to meet the people who work, live and play in the music industry in Ibiza. I have always respected those soldiers of Ibiza because working and surviving on the island is a Herculean task, given the shark-infested waters that make doing business there so challenging. I tried it myself for a few years, and the temptations and fast pace of life can really test your mettle and endurance. To survive in Ibiza is a test of character and resilience, and it takes a specific type of person to achieve it. There is no stereotype; they can be from all different creeds, religions, tribes, and beliefs, but they all seem to share a love of music and partying. A new book, Vainglorius: A Punk In The House, is an autobiography telling the story of one of those island workers, ex-Pacha music director Steve Hulme.
I had the pleasure of meeting Steve Hulme in 2012, when he took over as musical director at Pacha following Danny Whittle’s departure. I recall breaking the news that Danny had departed Pacha suddenly after a disagreement with Ricardo Urgell, who was growing disillusioned with the industry’s development and the role of Pacha within it. The fallout from the Urgell/Whittle bust-up was seismic for the island. Sides were taken, and several DJs walked with Danny from Pacha, including Pete Tong, Luciano, and Erick Morillo, leaving the club with a massive hole in its programming for the 2013 season. Tiesto had also departed for Las Vegas; gone was Defected, too. It was a baptism of fire for the Leeds man, as Steve was tasked with trying to piece things back together again.
Steve had one of the most coveted jobs in the world, but it came with immense pressure and political intrigue. Steve’s prime directive was to find five new parties to rebuild the clubs’ programme after the 2012 meltdown. The eyes of the world were watching closely, and speculation and gossip were rife. I recall receiving a call from Steve, asking if I would be interested in an exclusive interview with Pacha to discuss the logic behind the new signings and the departure of some iconic names from the club. I jumped at the chance. I had just interviewed David Vincent at Sankeys, who was in the middle of trying to keep the club afloat after two investors had pulled out. Vincent was also fighting to keep the then unknown Solomun at Sankeys, as the Diynamic Neon Nights DJ was high on Hulme’s wish list to replace Luciano at Pacha.
Steve had noticed Solomun’s potential early and was the man who signed him to Pacha in 2013 on an exclusive three-year contract with the Solomun + 1 concept, which remains in situ today, a testament to Steve’s judgement and musical ear. There was also the Manumission affair when Steve came agonisingly close to reuniting the Manumission McKay Brothers for Monday nights at Pacha. The Boom saga and the battle over its ownership were another chapter in Ibiza’s rich clubbing history, which Steve had an up-close and personal role in. ‘Vainglorious’ charts Steve’s career from his Punk-Rock’n’Roll years and his ‘cosmic shift’ to the House Music Scene, from promoting the legendary parties of The Corn Exchange to running Subliminal Records in New York and then becoming a Director at the legendary Club Pacha in Ibiza.
One Of The Good Guys
His autobiography, Vainglorious, will launch at Brundenell Social Club in his hometown of Leeds on Sunday, November 2. The launch starts at 7:15 pm with a Q&A session and some acoustic numbers from Stevie. The entry fee is £15, which includes a copy of the autobiography and a donation to Macmillan Cancer Support.
I look forward to reading the book soon and will post a review when I do, but as Ibiza books go, this is one for the Balearic purists.
If you would like to support one of the good guys in the industry, tickets for Steve’s book launch are available here
To preorder the book, visit The Vaynes Facebook page or email Steve direct [email protected] for guaranteed reserve.
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