FIX’ed!

Fix Ibiza is one of the most reknown PR and Event Management – Agencies on the island, so it was more than time to finally welcome them in dub ibiza network – we spoke with Jill, one of the creators of Fix Ibiza:

Finally….. Good things take a while, no?

They most certainly do. I guess we’ve both been busy getting our shizzle together for summer. Here at FIX IBIZA HQ, we’re already knee deep in campaigns for Ibiza Rocks, Ibiza Rocks House @Pikes, Urban Spaces Art Hotel, Urban in Ibiza, Rock n Mola, Boutique Hostal Salinas, DJ Antz , Ibiza Delivers, The 1st Ibiza Charity Polo Cup and Sushiya Aoyama amongst others.

Anyway, everything for a reason! We’re here now! Lets Do This, Dub!!

Let’s start with you as person, when did Jill Canney arrive to  Ibiza and why?

Canney can hardly believe that she has been here since 1997. That’s 16 years!! I guess we (me and my GBFF Alan, RIP) just came for an adventure really; one-way tickets, hardly any money whatsoever (spent it all in the airport) and the chance to take part in a reality show in the sun… what more did we want at the age of 24?! I had bigger balls and less sense in those days plus, I’d had enough of London by that stage, so on a bit of a destiny’s call, we ended up here for the long run…

And how long did it take you to stay for good?

I think I decided after my second season that I would stick around for more than the summer months but first, I spent one more winter back at home taking my TEFL course- a great plan for any winter resident so inclined- teaching English on the island saved my bacon manys a time-and it’s the easiest way to learn Spanish (take note, newbies). But by God, that first winter, and in fact quite a few after that were killers… I have a friend that still calls me 50cent, because that’s what I had to live on per day. On a good day…I definitely advise winter residents to have a few tricks up their sleeve…

What was your first job on the island?

I had a few ‘first jobs’ in my first week in San Antonio, including being a prop for a bar in that fired me after one night (no one told ME I wasn’t allowed to participate in the shot-drinking), go-go dancing and flyering for Extasis (but that’s another story) and selling crazy coloured clip-in hair extensions on the beach (way ahead of my time) but my first ‘real job’ was working as a waitress in Bar La Biela in Ibiza Port; I stayed there for three more years after that and I have a LOT to thank Carlos, Dani & Agnes for…I was just about to go home when I landed that job. Oh, the fun we had on that frontline…best time ever?!

When you look back, which Ibiza do you like more, the present one  or the past one? Are they in any way comparable?

You know, everything changes and we have to change with it. My formative years here were most definitely the most influential. They were easier, more carefree times when all that mattered, to me at least, was to earn enough to get by and have a great time with my newfound friends and clubbing allies. It was probably the most eye-opening learning curve of my life and it paved the way for my future, even if I didn’t know it then.

Now, of course, having decided to settle here, things have had to change. It’s in our nature to compare the past with the present; for me it was great then and it’s great now. Just different.

As for what I see going on around me, I’d rather observe than speculate but I do have a certain feeling of foreboding about some of the changes I’m hearing about on my rounds. They just seem a million miles away from my good old days. Then again, as far as electronic music is concerned, I’m all but over it anyway (there, I said it…) and so a lot of these big exciting disco rumours go in one ear and straight out the other. But I don’t want to see the island go down the pan chasing this vulgar VIP celebrity DJ money-making machine. It can only end in tears for the majority. Keep it real, Ibiza, por el amor de dios…

How did Fix Ibiza come to life?

Being a bit of a Jill-of-all-trades, there came a time when I had to formalize to some extent the work that I was doing. Elena Sanchez, my Ibiza sister and partner in FIX, was thinking along the same lines and because we’d already been working together for several years, mostly on our Girlz Skool parties, we decided to get some advice on how to start a small business and go for it. Our backgrounds and experience complimented each other very well and we took the plunge and set ourselves up officially as FIX IBIZA S.C about five minutes before Spain plunged headfirst into its ginormous crisis but, in spite of that, we’ve managed to cling on so far, six years and counting…

What services do you offer?

Essentially, we are a PR agency, specializing in a wide range of events across the creative spectrum. From the initial consultation to the execution of a PR campaign to everything in between, we strive to fit both the client’s needs and his budget. Amongst some other specific services, social media campaigns, institutional liaising, product placement, proofreading, copywriting, translation, consulting, hook-ups and the like also fall neatly in to things-we-do on a daily basis. On the event side of things, again, and we love nothing more than getting stuck in and getting a project off the ground and we like to think we can fix the majority of all related logistical requirements under that particular umbrella but, if we can’t, we’re sure to know a wo/man who can…

There are many agencies led by women, do you think this has a  special reason?

Now, I may be biased but maybe it’s because we ladies were born to juggle twenty things at once and so, dealing with several projects and clients at a time comes naturally, in fact, we kinda get off on that. I think we also have a very nurturing way of looking after our clients; we as FIX especially love helping to raise something from its conception–Ibiza Rocks is a good example, Urban in Ibiza another, two projects that FIX have worked on since their humble beginnings- I love seeing them grow and we love helping them to do so.

This year, on the same tip, we’re also working on the new Urban Spaces Art Hotel in Ibiza Town, a very exciting art project cum boutique hotel with collaborations from the likes of artists including Inkie, Nicolas Dixon, Lauren Baker, Solo, Jerom, Hosh, Yo UKnow, William Worrell, Chapter, Yas Mina, Raul Moya, Zsar all already involved in the transformation.

Tell us about your other passion, music :)

If it wasn’t for the music, where we would be?! I most certainly wouldn’t be here. I’m one of those types who never got it together to play an actual instrument, who thinks she can sing better than she does and secretly yearns to be a country & western star but instead has had to turn her hand to playing other people’s records in order to express herself musically. Nothing wrong with that, we all have our vessel etc etc.

I come from quite a musical background, as do most of us Irish, and so, it’s in the blood to carry on that tradition. And whilst I live on an island of electronica, my passion is rock n roll. I play a combo of all kinds of everything that’s not house but my alter-ego Stray Kitten really loves the old stuff most of all. That’s why, for the third year, my dream project, Rock n Mola RetroFest will take place on 17-18th May, this year in San Jordi. Amongst other special treats, I’m bringing The Caezars over from the U.K and they just have to be seen to be believed. A band described by Time Out magazine as “Vintage styled Rock’n’Roll that Tarantino would be proud of’.

If you had a magic wand and could change three things in Ibiza,  what would that be?

Hmmm. I could give you a different answer to this question every day, but today I’ll say: Greed. Greed is not good and there’s a lot of it round here, down with greed!

Time- It just goes too fast round here. I’m sure it’s to do with the magnetic and magical powers of Es Vedra…

My last magic wand wish goes out to all the autonomos out there…and God knows, we need a miracle. May someone in power come along that helps us, not hinders us.

What advice would you give to somebody who wants to come down to  Ibiza to make a living?

Just do it. My standard answer is that everyone should give Ibiza a whirl even if it’s only for one summer out of the rest of their life. Amazing things can happen, life-changing things, mind-opening and mind-blowing experiences. You’ll most likely never be the same again. Come on down…

What does your perfect day look like?

I can honestly say that every morning, waking up with the sunrise, starting the day on my balcony with my glorious view- that’s already a perfect day. Going to bed satisfied you’ve done your best, that’s a perfect day. My natural instinct is to think myself so privileged and blessed with my gorgeous life here that by default, every day can be a good one. That might sound cheesy but, just like the question itself, it depends on how you look at it…

Jill Canney in 20 years?

Heavy metal, man. As if I’m not already traumatized by the thought of my upcoming milestone birthday, now you want me to think about being 60!! Who the flip knows? I could be dead in the morning but if I am still around here in 20 years, all I hope to be is happy and comfortable and to be proud of what I will have achieved until then. I plan to be reasonably batty, wearing suitably outrageous fashion combos to the end, kickin’ back with my old Ibiza buddies and probably talking about the good old days…

What do you think of dub Ibiza network?

The thing about DUB is that it’s been a constant and respected reference to the island ever since I can remember and believe me, I’ve seen a lot come and go. The Dub team members are no fly-by-nights, quite the contrary, they are old hats round here and that counts for a lot. Conscientous, ethical, direct- Dub speaks its truth without making a big song and dance about it. If only there were more like them…