Review: Danny Tenaglia at Sankey’s 1st Birthday Party, 23rd September

Danny Tenaglia

Sankey’s 1st Birthday Party

23rd September

I HAD been told by friends who had seen him at his last UK performance five years ago that Danny Tenaglia was a legend. I’ve been told that before about multitudes of DJs. I went to Sankey’s with curiosity and openness. I came out of Sankey’s a changed woman.

After a guest list slip up and a 45 minute wait outside in the rain, I didn’t much feel like dancing up a storm for hours on end. In fact I just wanted to be warm and dry. Earlier, I had luckily got a tip off that Tenaglia was not starting at the stated 2 pm but rather a more reasonable six.

Nether-the-less it was a very strange feeling to be at Sankey's with hordes of clubbers filing past you in broad daylight. Once in side however, the concept of time seemed to vanish. Not knowing what to expect from the New York DJ recognized for his 12 and 24 hour sets, I entered Sankey’s main room to find Tenaglia about to start his set. He yelled out to the audience with his heavy New York twang, ‘I f***in love Manchester. Been here since 430 this afternoon. Got prepared for it in my hotel room. Yes, I’m on a Sankey’s diet.”

At just barely 10 years old, his love affair with vinyl began in the early ‘70s. A decade of collection and admiration later and 1985 sees him leaving New York to launch what would be the beginning of a very successful DJ-ing career in Miami which would later move back to New York and then span the entire world.

Though his music spans many electro genres, the most fitting would be progressive and tribal house. His originality comes from his ability to keep clubbers on their toes by dropping soul, disco, and Latin artists in between, creating a combination of what has become to be known as his trademark Hard and Soul house music. His magic is letting the song explode after just the right amount of tantalizing build up causing frenzy amongst the crowd.

Two hours into the set he grabbed a mic and hollered “Manchester! Are you ready to take it to the next level?”. And that’s exactly what he did. At one point, a clubber leaned over and whispered in my ear “Ya know what? This is a like a journey. He’s taking us on a journey, over hills and mountains…” I found it a perfect description because although he played for over 10 hours straight, the music kept on reinventing itself, warming us up at the start, working us up in the middle, and ending with some chilled classics.

Putting aside his incredible musical talent, Danny Tenaglia proved himself to be quite the entertainer. Donning a fitted baseball cap and a black and white chequered shirt that resembled a chess board, he pulled out hand held flood lights which he used to shine on the crowd and swing in patterns around the stage. At one point I looked up and a massive blue light sabor was in his hand. He began conducting the clubbers in what became a momentous orchestral affair. He later used it to knight front-row enthusiasts. A massive cardboard cut out of a moon was passed through the dancing mass to Danny which he used to strut about with. Though just when I thought it couldn’t get anymore outrageous, a zebra appeared out of nowhere. Animal rights’ activists would have been on the case if was real, no, rather it was a man dressed in a massive furry zebra costume parading through the clubbers. Baffling and delightful - just what you need to mix things up.

The crowd was different from the usual weekend Sankey’s crowd. With few students, probably due to the steep 18 quid a pop on the door and its unusual Sunday programming, the clubbers were typically a bit older and many of them had work the next day, just showing they were in the know and were committed to such an prodigious DJ.

I felt rough the next day, because, as anyone who has been knows: Sankey’s and a school night don’t mix well. However, I don’t regret a single minute of those ten blissful hours. I feel like an enlightened clubber and after 8 years enjoying the scene, I can honestly say, Danny Tenaglia is the most incredible DJ I have ever seen.