#45 Trace Harris: From Ecstasy to Club Promoter to Author
🎧 Trace Harris: From Half a Pill to the Ministry — The Rise, Fall & Reinvention of a 90s Club Promoter
“I had half a pill in the dark room at Ministry of Sound… and everything changed.”
In this explosive, emotional and often unbelievable episode, Ibiza promoter Dexter Jones sits down with Trace Harris — the original Smarty Party founder, percussionist, and author of Walking Through Doors — to relive the journey that took him from bodybuilding to Bagley’s, from the underground of London’s rave scene to the heights of Privilege Ibiza, and through the darker sides of nightlife, addiction, ego, and redemption.
What begins with a single night at Ministry of Sound evolves into a story of creative awakening, clubland chaos, gangster run-ins, loss, and spiritual transformation — a true odyssey through three decades of dance music culture.
Trace shares how a generation of ravers — once terrace-fighting football hooligans — found unity through MDMA and house music, and how those same nights birthed London’s most legendary parties. From The Cross, Bagley’s, Terminals, and Club UK, to Bora Bora Ibiza, this is clubland history told with brutal honesty and raw heart.
🌀 What You’ll Hear
The half-a-pill moment that changed Trace’s life at Ministry of Sound
How ecstasy stopped football violence
The rise of Smarty Party and London’s wild '90s club scene
Promoting at Bagley’s, The Cross, and Turnmills
Privilege Ibiza 2000 and bringing his brand to the island
Dark times: betrayal, gangland ties, losing it all
Recovery, reflection, and how Ayahuasca helped him reconnect with himself
Writing his book "Walking Through Doors" and inspiring others to do the same
🕰️ Chapters
00:00 — Bodybuilding to the dark room at Ministry
08:30 — The first “sit-downs” and Ministry mayhem
14:10 — When XTC ended football violence
23:50 — Building Smarty Party from scratch
33:40 — London clubland: The Cross, Bagley’s, Terminals
47:20 — Ibiza & Privilege 2000: The Millennium show
1:02:00 — Losing everything — and rebuilding from zero
1:15:00 — Spirituality, Ayahuasca, and the ego reset
1:25:00 — Writing Walking Through Doors
1:35:00 — Legacy, love, and life in Ibiza
📘 About the Guest
Trace Harris — Percussionist, promoter, and author of Walking Through Doors (available now on Amazon).
A true pioneer of London’s club scene, he’s lived the highs, the comedowns, and everything in between — from the early rave years to Ibiza’s millennium sunrise.
Buy the Book: Walking Through Doors – Vol. 1–3
📚 https://www.amazon.com/WALKING-THROUGH-DOORS-PART-ONE/dp/B0DGXY8DGJ
🎙️ Host
Dexter Jones — Ibiza promoter, DJ interviewer, and creator of The One More Tune Podcast, uncovering the real stories behind global club culture.
🎧 Subscribe on YouTube: @DexterJonesIbiza
UK