After closing for a much-needed refurbishment and name change (Sankeys Soap becoming Sankeys - how imaginative) the home of Tribal Sessions and The Redlight has finally reopened its doors to take on the might and money of the Warehouse Project.

Since the re-opening, the line-ups have rarely been anything to trouble the Warehouse, with big name DJs such as Matthew Dear and Francois K exceptions rather than the norm. So for a night only headlined by 'The Swede' Funk D'Void and ex-resident Greg Vickers, you'd have thought Sankeys would be welcoming the punters with open arms.

Apparently not however, as with a cursory glance the bouncer deemed my polo shirt "too casual" - a slightly odd assessment as my jeans and scruffy trainers brought no objection. A quick begrudging change of t shirt later and we were in though, coming face to face a plethora of clubbers wearing, yep you guessed it, polo shirts nigh-on identical to my offending item. Not to mention the glow-sticked posse who had clearly read about some new-rave nonsense in the Guardian or Times and fancied a piece of the action.

Not the best first impression then for the new "improved" Sankeys - I'd never been turned away from the club in the past five years previously - but the attitude of the bouncers was quickly forgotten as a result of the layout changes that have made a genuine improvement to the club.

Now with a bigger DJ booth and dancefloor, and an atmosphere that seems darker and dirtier than ever, the main room is no longer a place for the scarf-adorned posers to stand, strut and stare. Complimented by a new lighting system that tries (though fails) to equal the stunning set up of the Brazilian club D-Edge, the main room atmosphere was rocking throughout Greg Vickers and especially Funk D'Void's sets. With solid four to the floor techno that gets you dancing and keeps you there, Lars Sandberg rarely disappoints and tonight was no exception - with the dancefloor busy from midnight to close.

With refurbed toilets and a cloakroom that no longer takes two hours to access, Sankeys looks like it’s trying to sort its act out. Now if they can book the DJs and sort out their bouncers - it might even start to flourish in the new year, providing the Warehouse Project hasn't bankrupted every clubber in the North West…

Text: Tom Wilkins