Sankeys New Year Day Review

With Sankeys Manchester reopening we sent our rave chanteuse Amber Haque to see if the new era was set to live up to the club’s heritage.

Jimmy Coultas

Date published: 13th Jan 2014

Image: Sankeys

No news in the 2013 Manchester house scene was bigger than the return of prodigal club Sankeys to its rightful home soil in December. It was a successful comeback for the club to its Beehive Mill home in Ancoats with their series of 'Rise of the Phoenix' parties over Christmas, welcoming giants like Seb Zito, Andrea Oliva and Dyed Soundorom to all play their part in the homecoming celebrations.

And it was crystal clear that the Sankeys crew had no intentions of easing us gently into 2014 as we headed down to experience a mammoth six hours of Yorkshire-grown talent in the form of Hot Since 82 and Darius Syrossian on New Years Day. Entering the club sodden from that oh so familiar Mancunian downpour, we were hit by a wall of heat as the Hot Since 11pm brand-spanking new open plan main room was already swarming with bodies. 

By the time we'd battled our way through to the bar to manage a double vodka, the clock struck midnight and it signaled the arrival of VIVa Warrior and Sankeys stalwart, Darius Syrossian. Anyone who's heard Syrossian in action knows this man isn't generally swayed towards crescendos and slow-building in his sets - and it was full steam ahead from the word go.

It was exactly what we all hoped for when we signed up for the Syrossian-rollercoaster. One of the most sincere and down to earth DJs in the game, his powerful work ethic and relentless energy was relished by each and every one of the Sankeys faithful as he unleashed knock-out upon knock-out of vintage, 90s house and slick vocals under the thumping red and blue flashes of the infamous Sankeys system.  

Brassy, deep tracks layered upon his signature snare bass drops, the man who claims all he needs to make him happy in his sets is a smile and a bottle of tequila, proved exactly why he has earned all his stripes as a true artist with a simple and honest passion for music and why he is adored by his like-minded fans so much. Highlights included a cheeky re-rub of Kelis and ODB's 'Got Your Money' duet and his own classic 'Who's the Douche' (above).

With not a glimpse of NYE fatigue at play in the crowd, 2am welcomed Daley Padley aka Barnsley boy, Hot Since 82, to take his position to continue on the Northern talent showcase. 2013 saw Hot Since 82 explode into the spotlight, with dancefloor favourites 'Knee Deep In Louise' and his remix of Green Velvet's mighty 'Bigger than Prince' gaining him huge international recognition from the likes of giants Pete Tong and Richie Hawtin.

Cycling through crowd favourites from his Little Black Book collection whilst also flawlessly driving the sounds to the darker crevices of thick, deep techno, it was an unpredictable yet satisfying two hour journey, showcasing the Yorkshireman's real talent for breaking the mould of specific labels of music, transforming upbeat deep house to layers of darker, more diverse sounds.

The beats rolled into the early January hours as he delighted the basement of Sankeys to an Ibiza style close with the smasher EBTG vs Soul Vision - Tracey In My Room that had everyone soppily grabbing the mate next to them for a nostalgic summer flashback. Big up to both Darius and Daley, you definitely proved why Northerners clearly do it better...

The next Sankeys event is a celebration of their club in NYC with Syrossian once again back at the helm alongside Sidney Charles. Head here for further details.

Hot Since 82's next event on Skiddle is at for Get Loose @ TAW.

Tickets are no longer available for this event