We weren't on a mission to still be doing shows 10 years later

HANNAH ROBERTS and KERRI-ANN ROPER talk to superstar DJ Pete Tong as his Ibiza Classics returns to The Royal Albert Hall to celebrate a 10-year anniversary

- HANNAH ROBERTS and KERRI-ANN ROPER

THE first conversation between Radio 1 presenter and superstar club DJ Pete Tong and conductor and composer Jules Buckley was “kind of a bit of a blind date”.

That’s how dance-music pioneer Pete, 64, recalls their phone call 10 years ago.

The brief at the time had been to merge classic and electronic music for a BBC Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, to celebrate BBC Radio 1’s 20-year association with Ibiza.

The result was a resounding succession of hits including Fatboy Slims Right Here, Right Now, Eric Prydz’s Pjanoo and Lola’s Theme from The Shapeshifters, all re-imagined with Jules conducting and Pete on the decks.

Now, to celebrate that night a decade on, Pete’s Ibiza Classics returns to the Royal Albert Hall for four dates (three in May and one in June).

“I never got to hear what he (Jules) could do because I was sending him the music that I wanted us to perform, and he was obviously writing the score for all the parts in the orchestra,” recounts Pete. “But it was literally not until a couple of days before the show that I’m actually in the room with the players. So it’s fascinating, I learned a hell of a lot.

“The first show was an appointment, we weren’t on a mission to still be doing shows 10 years later. We just thought this was fun.”

Demand soon soared after clips were shared on Youtube and social media. But for Pete, the music has always been the mission.