Another huge season at Judgement Sundays in Ibiza beckons
Welcome Jules to DMCWORLD. Have to say, a brilliant looking Summer at Judgement Sundays on the cards for you. When are you getting off to Ibiza?
“We kick off on June 10th but I don’t spend the whole summer there any more, it would drive me insane and it would certainly lose the novelty.”
You said recently that a lot of the success of your night is “all down to booking the right DJs and going to town on entertainment” – who are the big guests for Judgement in 2012, all sorts of rumours flying about concerning Paul Oakenfold and Ferry Corsten?
“When does this interview go live Dan?”
Erm, in about two hours…
“Ah, we are not ready to reveal the line up just yet. All I can say it is one of the strongest we have ever had. It’s great that we have Radio 1 new boy Danny Howard on board as fortnightly resident, that’s sneaked out! You’ll just have to be patient like everyone else for the headliners!”
Has there been any changes to Eden over the winter?
“Not really, it was during the first ten years that the venue needed all of the big changes. We’ve just tweaked the sound systems and visuals, nothing too major. I think that goes for the rest of the venues in Ibiza really, they are all pretty much solid for another summer.”
Another reason you cited Judgement Sundays as being so popular year after year is “not seeing the San An factor as being a negative.” Well the Counsel have certainly cleaned up the town, the Ocean Beach Club is a good addition – have you ever feared for the resort?
“We all suffered the recession of 2008 but San Antonio has started to pick up since then, last year’s numbers were great. What it has demonstrated is that a holiday is a necessity, not a luxury. The only difference is that kids going away may be going with £500 in their pockets and not £700. We have just had to ensure we feature in their plans as part of their holiday spending.”
Is there one record that epitomises the last 12 years of the night?
“I was thinking about this the other day Dan. I worked out I have done 181 Judgement Sunday shows in Ibiza, so to pick just one tune is impossible. Every year has it’s big tune, last year was the Max Graham feat. Neev Kennedy ‘So Caught Up’ – the Joint Operations Centre Remix.”
What are the big tunes you are playing at the moment?
1. Aaron Camz- Wrong Place, Right Time
2. Ben Gold & Tritonal- Apex
3. Judge Jules- Power Your Mind
4. Ben Preston- Parallelism
5. W&W- Shotgun
6. Garry Heaney- Love Shines Through You
7. Andy Duguid- I Want To Believe (Us vs Them remix)
8. Snatt & Vix- So Far Away (Leon Bolier remix)
How did you feel when you heard the news about the 123 Festival with Elton John, Sting and Lenny Kravitz coming to the island?
“It’s an unusual one isn’t it, it’s not aimed at the youth market at all but it’s great for local businesses and will bring the spotlight to San An and it’s gorgeous sunsets once again. I truly believe that San An Bay is one of the most beautiful bays in the Mediterranean. The way I look at Ibiza, is that the under 25s go to San An, the 25s-30 go to Playa D’en Bossa and the over 30s get a villa somewhere on the island.”
You have just returned from America where you did two gigs in Arizona and Los Angeles. America has just taken EDM to another level flexing it’s muscles at Miami/Ultra. There is a huge divide already between commercial and underground over there.
“Wow, I could write a whole article on this subject. Looking at America I see it in sections. Las Vegas gets the biggest amount of DJs every week and is the most commercial. I’d compare Vegas to somewhere like Magaluf in Mallorca, not the ‘get your tits out for the lads’ brigade, just the commerciality of the music. The more coastal cities and towns in North America is more developed and has more layers to them. Fortunately the places I get booked for aren’t involved any of this competition that’s going on.”
Last month saw you hang up your Radio 1 headphones after 15 years serving the nation. When did you find out a reshuffle was taking place?
“I actually went to them last year because I knew I was starting to work as an Entertainment Lawyer for Sheridans and that I was going to cut back on some of my workload. I told them that I was starting in 18 months and so they came back saying they’d like me to continue for another 6 months, which isn’t too bad as most DJs who get called into the Controller’s office for some bad news get maybe two shows notice before they are out. Looking back, I recognise that for Radio 1 to have a lawyer on their station isn’t a good look, even if he is called Judge. The news that I was starting a new career had already started to leak out so I had to tell them so as not to sour the relationship.”
So how will working at Sheridans affect your DJing around the world?
“I’m just splitting my week between the two and getting rid of the midweek gigs. Simple as that.”
What were your highlights of all of those years at Radio 1?
“All of the major festivals such as Creamfields, Homelands and Global were outstanding on the Radio 1 stages. Just doing anything in the outdoors is great by me. I also enjoyed the whole live radio show aspect of it all. The speed you get feedback from the listeners with social media is brilliant.”
You still present a weekly radio show ‘The Global Warm Up’ – you had a very swanky meeting in New York a couple of weeks ago with Sirius XM who are the biggest national radio network in North America. What was all that about?
“They carried my show on Radio 1 and I was just firming up The Global Warm Up in America. I now broadcast to over 50 countries every week, I’m really proud of it.”
And finally, I hear you have taking to using some very choice words on the microphone at gigs these days, didn’t you nearly get arrested for using the f word at a gig in the Carribean recently?
“Ha ha yes I did. I was in Grand Cayman geeing up the crowd with something like ‘come on you motherfuckers’, but the police were outside and that apparently isn’t the done thing out there.”
www.judgejules.net/
