Extending the season by an extra week was clearly a good idea as this season's closing parties have attracted the most serious ravers and made only the most hard core workers stick it out until the very end. The clubs were perfectly busy leaving us enough room to play with - and dance, run around and cut some crazy ass shapes on... and Sankeys 24 Part 2 was no different.
Hosting not 1 but 2 closing parties - just like their memorable opening fiesta, Sankeys pulled out all the stops and even decorated the smoking terrace in a beach theme with bamboo stick walls and thatching creating a Hawaiian escape. There was also a side section open that I had never seen before where films and documentaries played which were based on sex, drugs and dirty house. Smart old Sankeys even played docudrama 24 Hour Party People starring Steve Coogan (2002) which went hand in hand with the party's name and explored Manchester Mecca, The Hacienda - ironically also the name of a 5-star hotel which sits on the cusp of an untouched, peaceful nature reserve in the North of the Island... Oh the irony!
Admittedly the club was providing almost a little too much dance-floor space at times but seeing as part 1 was hosted just hours before and DC10's popular closing hours before that it was hardly surprising that the crowd was smaller than during the season. However, that did mean that only the truly resilient were left standing and with all rooms open in full glory and playing home to huge headliners the atmosphere was fun throughout. The Box was taken over by Acid House and its icon, with the Spektrum hosting a Wolf and Lamb Experience whilst the Basement had some of this season's favourites tearing things up.
OK, so I was little disappointed that my personal fave Heidi couldn't make her set because of slipped discs... No not those ones, but with H.O.S.H and Solomun playing b2b solidly from 4am who could complain? Bouncing from H.O.S.H's track Woohoo to summer hits like Ben Pearce's What I might do and Solomun's remix of Kraak & Smaak's Let's Go Back (feat. Romanthony) the room was exciting to say the least making sure that everyone was letting go for one last time. Taking us back to his Diynamic Neon Nights with deep and bouncy disco basslines Solomun, as per usual, had the crowd in the palm of his hands.
Venturing into the Spektrum was like walking back in time and an untouchable buzz was created for the crowd to dance to. Queen's Another One Bites the Dust and Sharon Redd's Beat the Street went down a treat with the seventy-odd dancing legend who put anyone that wasn't there for part 2 of Sankeys' party to shame. The happy floaty vibe of Sankeys last night shot straight from room to room and landed us in an adrenaline fuelled acid house dream decorated in wild graffiti aka. The Box. Sneak took centre stage and smashed out some of Chicago's finest jackin-house to which the room's hyped up revellers two-stepped uncontrollably to. That's Real Mutha f**kin Talk - Jesse Perez, did a good job of smashing the room to pieces with its Miami-booty sound and ass grinding bass.
Later Cajmere took over sounding us into sunrise with his remix of Freak's track Black Shoes White Socks and as The Box's party came to a close the crowd happily filtered into the Basement to enjoy Solomun's seemingly never ending set. Bliss. Although Sankeys was quieter than usual and most definitely home to a very powerful air conditioning system there was no denying each room pulled in a strong and passionate crowd last night and actually changed what I predicted to be an awfully (but fantastic) messy night into a social and most importantly memorable season finale.
