It had been a whole winter since I'd barged my way through the almost warehouse doors of Sankeys. At the opening of Do Not Sleep, I was instantly welcomed by its familiar vibrating floor and contagious energy.
Alan Fitzpatrick had already set the tone in The Basement. Behind him the usual trippy visuals paid a tribute to Manchester after the harrowing events that have recently occurred. 'I <3 MCR' shone behind Fitzpatrick. It's common to get emotional on the dance floor, but this was a whole different kettle of fish. With Sankeys regularly being full of Brits, every face shone with pride.
I continued my journey of familiarity and checked which Sankeys characteristics were still in place. To my extreme pleasure, the cinema was still in action, cult classic Back to The Future was projected onto the walls as buzzing ravers settled into their club for the night.
Ibiza troublemaker Jamie Roy opened The Lab with drop-fuelled beats such as MANT's Cragged and Eli Brown's Tech This Out. Not even the bouncers could contain their shapes. Back in the Basement, Fitzpatrick had reached new frequencies with Paul Morena's Aggress and introduced a darker atmosphere, giving the crowd a Skream flavoured taster with his remix of Leftfield's Open Up.
This opening was a little more special for us at Spotlight, as Sankeys stuck to their role of treating us well, which found us dancing away in VIP. Now I'm not usually a fan of the whole VIP malarky, but this particular area had Jackmaster strutting a comedic catwalk as the Solardo boys recorded and wAFF showed support to the team of DJs. Let's just say the night was an interesting one.
For a club to venture from Manchester to Ibiza, it takes strength and a huge following. Whilst I was deep in thought about how successful Sankeys had been with this move, Darius Syrossian took over from Fitzpatrick. His team of friends and family right behind him as he continued to blend the best of tech-house. Latino Brothers' The Muzik filled the room just before Skream did his thing with Route 94's House & Pressure.
There's a reason Do Not Sleep holds its name. Looking around it was clear no one in the club would waste his/her time on sleep. The opening got things started with a bang. Keep your eyes peeled for more to come.
PHOTOGRAPHY | David Holderbach
