TALES & TURNTABLES : BODRUM

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of returning to Turkey for not one, but two gigs. The first was in Bodrum, a holiday resort city in the south of Turkey. A bit like St.Tropez but more wild and rugged, less developed.

I was a guest of Xuma Beach Club – a more bohemian and laid back beach club compared to the other flash and tres chic such as Maca Kizi or Bianca Beach Club.

Flying in a day earlier to enjoy the sunshine and simply hang out was, ever so kindly - my hosts idea. With rain and very un-summer temperatures forecast for London, there was no way I was sticking around.


From the moment I stepped off the plane it was Turkish hospitality to the T.

38*C at 2pm there was only one place I was headed for ... the beach.

I had a quick but fresh lunch with the owner, Kamil by the water. If you ever get to go, Xuma has everything that you would need for a day out in the sun. Plenty of sun beds by the water or under large shady trees, a restaurant serving up great seafood, a cafe, a masseuse and even a gym.

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I then met the everyone who worked at the restaurant and sat at the beach bar to enjoy the local drink of the region and enjoy  sunset beats from the resident DJ. The cocktail, called Sandoz was a mixture of freshly squeezed mandarin juice, orange juice and vodka. Let’s just say, I didn’t stop at one.

As a DJ, I like to get the feel of the place before I play so that you can entertain the crowd to the best of your ability. I love to study the people; what are they drinking, what are they wearing, are they young or older?  – all these things tell you the vibe and what music they listen to. Of course, a DJ doesn’t always have this luxury and these details are usually provided to you by the promoter but it’s a bonus if you can do it yourself.

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So after a pretty relaxed day, Kamil took me out to dinner to see the ‘other’ side of Bodrum. The nightlife.

After a stroll on the Palmarina, which was overflowing with alfresco restaurants and bars, we headed in for a late meal.

Dinner at Cipriani – a homage to my former residency. (I was the resident DJ at the Cipriani Ibiza restaurant, lounge and club that opened last year in Marina Botafoch, just opposite Pacha.) Then we went to the neighboring Billionaire Club.
Apart from Monaco, I have never seen so many bottles of champagne being opened in the space of an hour. Billionaire Club’s trademark is playing the Rocky theme song every time a bottle is ordered, with a dramatic procession of sparklers and the iced bottle on a throne. You can imagine after the third time, this gets highly annoying.

We decided to call it a night – but not before a little nagile session. This particular one, just outside the Billionaire Club, had a whole apple and half a pineapple in between the pipes and coals. The perfume of the fruit and the smoke very quickly put us to sleep. Time to call it a night!

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