Read more on the Sankeys changes with our preview of Tribal Sessions in 2007.

The new look Sankeys has been open for three months now, and all eyes have been on the Radium street club. They had the unenviable task of relaunching their venue a week before the mammoth Warehouse Project began, and with the knowledge that it would be almost impossible to compete with the line-ups. It was never going to be easy, but the club appears to be going strong and more importantly it has a new outlook and a new policy: No longer will they book the £20,000 DJs every week. The comparisons between Sankeys and the Hacienda have no doubt been flattering for them, but they don’t want to end up in the same financial situation as the infamous 80s ‘Madchester’ club.

That’s not to say that their DJ choices have been poor. The return of the undoubtedly talented Greg Vickers has been a boost for the club, and he get’s to pick the line-ups once a month and spend some time on the decks. Mr C, Seb Fontaine Loco Dice, Chris Duckenfield, Mark Knight and Jon Carter have all played. Still to come in December is Matthew Dear, Sebastian Ingrosso and the clubs link up with In Bed With Space.

Whether the end of the Warehouse Project (see: ‘Warehouse Project: It’s Over’) will make a different to their bookings remains to be seen, but we know what the club is up to in January, (also see: Tribal Sessions 2007 Preview) and they’re going with the girls on Saturdays.
If our math is correct then there are no less than three new female residents being installed, and one very lucky man. Let’s get the male out of the way first: Jon Carter played at the opening weekend, he put on a great set and now he’s being installed as a monthly resident.

Now to the ladies, headed up by Kate Lawler. Yes the Kate Lawler. She took over at the club a few weeks ago and the crowd took a liking to her. It’s an interesting (and to some controversial) choice, but music is music and if she plays the right records at the right time then the crowds should be happy. Next up is Mistress Da Funk, already with a few gigs under her belt, and with a decent reputation they’ve been wise to install her. Although we gave Kate a mention first, Mistress was actually the first person to be informed so she wins the award for the first female resident at Sankeys ever award. Third out of the blocks is Scarlett Ettienne, another regular who’s been working hard and is well deserving of a residency.

Alongside the changes at Tribal Sessions, the new Sankeys line-ups are looking pretty good. Back in the day the club was famed for its team of residents, the Tribal Sound System and the various spin-offs from that. The return of Bugged Out , more Vickers and the ever-read Bucky and Migs have put the venue in an even stronger position. Let’s see how 2007 shapes up for the Sankeys.