REVIEW: Sankeys, Manchester Reopens!
27th Sep 2006
Something big happened in Manchester last weekend. And no, we’re not talking the start of The Labour Conference. Sankeys has re-opened…
I remember the first time I visited Sankeys Soap, the buzz was in the air, the pre bar drinking was working a treat, those that had been before knew that I would love it and those that hadn’t were just as excited as I was. We had already been turned away a couple of months before due to a friend of a friend not sorting things out properly, so this time around it was going to go off! Unfortunately though, we had made the wrong choice of music (Bugz in the Attic Live) and although the place had something about it, I left the club feeling disappointed and glad to be home.
As many of you may already know however, the Soap soon became my second home, sometimes visiting twice in one weekend to see some of the finest acts I have ever come across, whether it be the major players or the small time legends, never failing to deliver the perfect mix of music, women and nonsense in measures that were never too much, never too little and always right on time. My initial experience a distant memory, the Soap and I were brothers, arm in arm when I needed in most.
I hope then, we can rebuild what we once had. Attending the opening night of refurbished, renamed (it’s simply Sankeys now) on Friday just gone with Greg Vickers and The Plump DJ’s, I again returned to that feeling of “I know it’s going to get better I just hope it happens quickly”
The club itself is perfect. In fact, I think it’s the club I always wanted it to be. After recently reading an article with new main man Dave Vincent, who stated “it’s all about the future, we’re not looking back”, this is fantastically reflected in the entire image of the venue, now with three rooms (the old seating area at the back is now the entrance and a bar with DJ), cleaner slick décor toilets with unisex handwash facilities, and the main room, although slightly smaller is perfectly formed with some of the most simplistic impressive lighting I have ever seen. The Sound System is about the only thing that hasn’t changed, but they do seem to have hidden it better. They say pictures say a thousand words, well please visit the gallery or see for yourself to do this place any justice!
Upstairs is brighter, and more centralised, this alone would make a nice venue and I hope to be seeing a number of back room esq parties in there which I am sure to forget all about downstairs in the future. The whole place really is simply lovely, the forefront of many venues once more, with the transition from dark and dingy but brilliant to brand new in many respects not feeling any different at all. Musically though?
This is where it just didn’t work for me, and where I am hoping it’s all going to be ok in the end. The music just didn’t work for me at all. In fact, the whole place felt like a minimal wander round Alton Towers, where wherever you go, a little annoying theme tune is piped out and it all sounds the same. I normally like that, in fact I think DC10 at 7am straight after Space is a good idea. It generally is, but only in that order. It just took SO long to go anywhere, and I was bored, the whole crowd seemed bored in fact, it wasn’t the jump around chaos I was used to and wanted, it was a room of people representing Churchill, the nodding insurance dog. The only solstice lay in room number three, the bar, where a fuse of hip-hop/house/drum & bass kept me going. Unfortunately by 2:00 I was BORED, I mean Bored!? In Sankey’s, or anywhere where I am still awake at that time. Apparently the Plump DJ’s turned it all around when they finally made the stage, but I was long gone by then because it just didn’t turn me on.
I know though, that was down to personal preference and maybe those post Ibiza blues had a lot to do with it. Take my advice, buy some tickets to the opening of Tribal Sessions this weekend, go see the club for yourself and I’ll see you on the dance floor.
Sankeys is the perfect picture, and I can’t wait until its got my perfect sound track to go with it.
4.5 out of 5, because I KNOW its going to be better next time.
BUY SANKEYS TICKETS HERE
Review by RichSkiddle
Photo by Sel @ Skiddle
