We Tried To Find Out Exactly How Clubs in Ibiza Really Work

Despite the huge amount of club tourism filling the island's coffers, it's reportedly very difficult for new club-based enterprises to set up shop in Ibiza. Over the years numerous new ventures have fallen foul of local policies, or rival clubs, shutting them down one way or another. But one venue that seems to have not only integrated into Ibiza's clubbing landscape with relative ease, but also become a major success, is Sankeys. The British clubbing institution is currently enjoying its fifth, and already most successful, season on the white isle and THUMP were privy to inner workings of the club during a recent visit there.

To give you a brief history of Sankeys, in case you didn't already know, it originally started out in Manchester –—after the demise of the Hacienda, the northern city was crying out for a new electronic music hub and Sankeys Soap (as it was called in those days, due to being built inside a former soap factory) was the perfect remedy for all those who yearned for the heady days of Tony Wilson, Mike Pickering, and the arrival of the Madchester crew. From 1994 up to the present day it has remained one of the jewels in Manchester's clubbing crown, bringing in some of the world's biggest underground stars on a weekly basis. Owner David Vincent has been intrinsic in the club's continued success and inspired by many years spent partying and working in Ibiza, he set about exporting the brand over to the magical island in 2010. The transition from transition from Didsbury to the Dalt Villa was, happily, a relatively smooth one.

Going behind-the-scenes at the venue really brings home just how professional the team who run Sankeys Ibiza really are. Under the leadership of David Vincent they've gone from strength to strength. Walking into the empty club at 7 PM on a Thursday evening is definitely a bewildering experience: it's sparse, well lit up and almost eerie. Just four hours later it will be rammed with sweaty bodies having it at a new addition to the calendar this season, Redlight, where everything from grime to garage is played.

We're taken on a tour of the club by assistant manager, Janirez Perez Dominguez, who explains the upgrades that have been implemented during the off season. In the lead to each of its five seasons in Ibiza, Sankeys has had its soundsystem, lighting, interior and exterior all modified and improved to give its clientele an improved experience every summer. It's something that owner David Vincent prides himself on, and we're are definitely impressed by the huge Pioneer-branded speaker stacks in The Lab room. Staff have nicknamed them the 'Power Towers' such is their audio ferocity. The Basement has also had its Void system boosted and reconfigured, much to the pleasure of head sound engineer Sol Kara. He's been a soundsystem obsessive for over 25 years, starting out during the illegal rave days and still completely rooted in the quest for perfect sound.

With a gleeful smile he told us, "Every room has had an upgrade, every year we're trying to make it better and better and this year we're really going for it and taking it to the next level. New kit for a sound engineer is like a dream!" Later that night we felt the full force of the Sankeys system and it's definitely quite an experience, lending itself perfectly to the box room vibes in The Basement in particular. It's powerful, though not oppressive, clean and a real physical experience. We watch as Sol sets up the booth for the first DJ, who'll be arriving in a few hours' time. He's meticulous in his preparation, treating the equipment delicately and doing a very thorough job of configuring everything so it's just right. A quick test of the system proves Sol's worth as it sends tingles down our spine, the bass rattling our innards and sparking that familiar adrenalin rush we get when the music takes over.

On a par with Sol in terms of that level of attention to detail and genuine passion for his craft is Francesco Taglevea, AKA Tidi, who is in charge of the lighting. His focus is the myriad of lights that are used throughout Sankeys, and the projection screens, all of which, just like the sound, have been tweaked and upgraded this season. It's like Christmas has come early for both Sol and Tidi! Even though Sankeys is a relatively dark space, lighting still plays an intrinsic part in the general ambience of the space. Anyone who's encountered the Spektrum will attest to that. In case you didn't know, the Spektrum is famed for its LED ceiling installation, which sends pulses of multi-coloured light over your head as you dance away. It's something THUMP has never tired of, despite spending countless night raving underneath it in both Ibiza and its counterpart back in Manchester. Elsewhere, the Basement room benefits from Tidi's expertise in timing strobe flashes perfectly in sync with big breakdowns and so on. With the freedom to really explore his light-based creativity, Tidi gushes about his future plans, "I'm looking to do some video-mapping on the new towers in the Lab — very excited about that!"

Dotted around the club, all the bar staff are unloading boxes of booze and water. A lot of the people who work here are locals and Sankeys has always made an effort to connect with islanders, treating the business not as an exclusively British franchise that only hires people from back home, but as a part of the community in Ibiza, respecting local laws and contributing to the local economy. As David Vincent says, "If you look at the street we're located on, all those bars were closed or dodgy sports bars, and now it's one of the trendiest streets in Playa D'en Bossa." He's not wrong. Only a few years ago, before the club opened, that road (Carrer de les Alzines) was pretty grim, almost like a little pocket of San Antonio. Now it's a decent pre-Sankeys spot, with good bars and a nice vibe.

We grab one of the bar staff, Carlotta Cau, who is nothing but enthusiastic about her job, to get some insight into her experience of working at the club. After two years of service at the club, she's still buzzing with excitement about her role there, and the addition of We Love to the Sankeys party schedule –a night which was previously held at Space – has intrigued her. Her upbeat attitude is matched by all of the bar staff, in fact every person we speak to at the club has a genuine love and passion for the brand, and for music itself. There's a strong sense of unity, professionalism and a desire to ensure that the ravers who attend, week in week out, have the very best time possible.

With just a couple of hours to go, we hole up in the main office, watching as the team there prepare guestlists and so on. In the belly of the beast is where the running of the club really takes place. It's a hive of activity and a real interesting situation to be able to observe. Out on the dancefloor, when you're locked into a groove, it's not often that you ever consider that there are people who are sat, stone-cold sober, in an office, speaking through a walkie-talkie and giving instructions to security staff,or whoever, making sure everything is running smoothly. Definitely something to consider in future, these are the people who work their arses off to make sure we're safe and enjoying ourselves. It's really not easy either. Running a guestlist alone is hard enough, then when you consider that they have to maintain that fine line between allowing people the freedom to indulge themselves and let their hair down, while also keeping them in check and making sure no one takes the piss — it's a very tough job. To do all of that and not blow a gasket is very impressive.

As opening time approaches we leave the Sankeys team to carry out their last few tasks before the doors open and the party starts once again. There's a buzz in the street outside the club as the surrounding bars start to fill out with eager ravers. If only they knew just how much work went into making their nights into lifelong memories. Perhaps they will now, and they'll appreciate the club that little bit more…

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