Article

This is an original article as printed in the Guardian Weekly which is suitable for advanced comprehension classes written by Alexandra Topping.

Recession-hit dance island fights to lure clubbers back

For decades the Spanish island of Ibiza has been a byword for unbridled hedonism, a place where thousands of clubbers flock every summer for a never-ending dance party. But last year its most notorious club Manumission - with its performing dwarves, fire-eaters and trapeze artists - closed its doors for the last time. For some it marked the end of an era, and with the world in the grip of recession and many holiday makers expected to stay at home this year, the Mediterranean isle faces testing times.

So it is fitting that dance music moguls, promoters and up-and-coming DJs gathered on the island recently to discuss the future of electronic music, at the grandly named International Music Summit (IMS).

Ben Turner, one of the founding partners of IMS, said the gathering was a way for the industry to go "back to business" and tackle its challenges head on.

Although the dance music heyday of the late 1990s is long gone, the genre is in a healthy state to ride out the storm, Turner said. "There was a time that we thought we were going to take over the world ... now electronic music is back where it is most comfortable, just under the mainstream."

The expected drop in tourism on Ibiza - estimated to be around 10% this summer - is more likely to come from a dip in family holidays, rather than clubbers staying at home, according to Danny Whittle, brand manager for super club Pacha.

The club has so far remained unscathed, seeing record numbers last year and VIP ticket sales up 15% in 2009, as the rich and famous downgrade from more expensive resorts on the French Riviera, he said.

"People talk about the death of Ibiza but we are seeing twice as many people come through the doors now than in the peak in 1996."

With entry to the island's most famous clubs costing up to $70, some venues have responded to the new economic climate with sweeteners such as free bus transfers, discounts on pre-booked tickets and drink offers.

Nick De Cosemo, editor of dance music magazine Mixmag, welcomed the move towards a less expensive experience. "Clubs are having to get their act together and not take the punters for granted. A little bit of competition for the average clubber has to be a good thing," he said.

Glossary

unbridled

(adjective) not controlled

hedonism

(noun) the belief that pleasure is the most important thing in life

notorious

(adjective) famous or well-known for something bad

unscathed

(adjective) not hurt or affected by something

sweetener

(noun) something given to somebody in order to persuade them to do something

Questions

The questions below are divided into three groups - before, during and after reading the above article.

Before reading

Work in small groups and discuss the questions below.

1. Is there anywhere in your country that is famous for its nightlife?
2. Do you ever go to nighhtclubs?
3. How much do you think it costs to go to a nightclub in your country?

Verbs and expressions from the article. Complete the definitions below from the following words/phrases

1. If people ___ somewhere, they go there in large numbers.
2. If you try to ___ a problem or situation, you make a big effort to deal with it.
3. If people ___ somewhere, they come together in one place to form a group.
4. If you ___ a person to a place, you persuade them to come by offering a reward.
5. If you decided to ___, you choose to do something cheaper or at a lower level.
6. If you ___, you don't recognise their true value because you are used to them.

Look at the headline, photo and caption of the article. Work with a partner. Decide if the following sentences are true or false. Which word in the headline or caption helped you find the answer?

1. The article is about night-clubs on the island of Ibiza.
2. More and more people have started going to the island.
3. The night-club industry is doing well in the current economic situation.

While reading

Read the first four paragraphs. Use the words below to complete the questions, then find the answers.

1. ___ used to flock to Ibiza every summer?
2. ___ was the closure of Manumission so significant?
3. ___ are many tourists expected to do this year? Why?
4. ___ did music promoters go recently? What did they discuss?
5. ___ was dance music at its most popular?

Read the rest of the article from paragraph five. Complete the sentences.

1. Tourist numbers are expected to fall by ...
2. The fall in visitors will probably come from ...
3. Up to now, the Pacha club has been ...
4. Some rich people are going to Ibiza instead of ...
5. At Pacha there are double the number of clubbers compared to ...
6. Clubs want to attract customers by offering things like ...
7. Nick De Cosemo is pleased that clubbing will become a ...

After reading

What do the emphasised words from the article mean?

1. It is fitting that dance music moguls ... (para 2)
2. ... promoters and up-and-coming DJs ... (para 2)
3. Although the dance music heyday ... is long gone (para 4)
4. ... seeing record numbers last year ... (para 6)
5. Clubs are having to get their act together ... (para 8)

Vocabulary - economic problems. Complete the summary with the words below -

Activity - Discussion

The state of the economy. How do you think the difficult economic climate ...

1. has affected your country in the past year?
2. will affect your country in the year to come?

Work with a partner and make notes about the areas listed below. Use vocabulary from "After reading" exercise 2.

• unemployment
• business failures
• inflation
• government spending
• housing market
• income from tourism