Miguel Ramirez
“We would like to thank the Melbourne Trance Family for the all the support thus far, you really keep us going,” Evolution Events tells The Trance Project.
Melbourne’s Trance Family came out in full force last Saturday for Sanctuary’s highly anticipated re-opening, with Trance hero ReOrder and a stellar line-up of local acts bringing countless of great memories.
Together, clubbers united and became one, spreading their support, love and passion for a club night that means so much to the scene.
Evolution Events, organisers behind Sanctuary, caught up with The Trance Project to discuss what the future holds for the club night, and revealed it’s weekly return to Room 680.
“At the moment, Sanctuary is back every Saturday. But it is hard to tell what could happen in this industry. Only time will tell. Whether or not it’s back permanently, we will put every effort for each week to be positive and memorable,” they told The Trance Project.
“We will also look to move towards a broader music direction, not primarily focusing on Trance but introduce some similar genre’s with themed nights also playing a part in our new and improved club night, placing heavier focus on the party itself.”
“While our roots began with trance, we intend to branch out and seek fresh acts from the same tree of deep and energetic electronic music. This will be a “progressive” endeavour that we will roll out as the weeks go by.”
There will also be a major focus on local talent and clubbers can look forward to seeing new rising acts on the weekly line-ups.
“In the scene currently, there are some unbelievable local talent that we would like to focus on and help build them to a national and then international level.”
Sanctuary continues its new journey this Saturday with another massive night featuring Psy-Trance act Vini Vici on December 3, who are sure to fire up the crowd and please the ears and hearts of Melbourne fans.
It’s a new beginning for Sanctuary.
Grab tix to see Vini Vici here and read the full exclusive interview with Evolution Events below.
How has the community’s involvement supported sanctuary’s comeback?
In the beginning, we lost confidence in the longevity of our club night because we felt that we had lost their support. This was one of the major factors which led to the initial closure – though we were dead wrong.
The community showed that they cared and demonstrated this with their kind words and public outcries online and off. Even a petition was opened by a visitor from Sydney to “Save our Sanctuary” because she was convinced that we radiate a vibe like nowhere else in our beloved city. So a sincerely grateful shoutout to Sarah SK from Sydney for keeping the faith with us! These really gave us the confidence we needed to keep going.
How did mainstream media affect sanctuary?
It has affected us the way most mainstream media has influenced festivals, venues and the likes. However at the end of the day, Sanctuary is built on a community. As long as we have the community’s love and support, that’s all we are after.
How is Sanctuary going to stop this from happening again?
We will continue to build a positive and proactive culture within our community to reinforce the ideas of responsible behaviors and hope that the media and general public recognises these efforts and support the forward thinking movement.
Changes within the scene require a collective change.
Did you ever think Sanctuary might not bounce back?
We were honestly not sure. Especially as we had known that Room 680 was being put on sale, the future seemed bleak. However we remained on good terms with Dave Christenson (Owner at Room 680) and after the final Sanctuary night, he saw the community support, he suggested we look to running events at Room 680 until the time of sale.
What sets Sanctuary apart from other club nights? Is it the vibe? The people?
The vibe of Sanctuary is very different to most, this is set by our staff and local artists who bring about a homely and family culture to our club night.
We are known to bring a different set of patrons. Our community have continuously proven to be the friendliest and most welcoming crowd in the scene to the point where one can head out to Sanctuary alone and return home with new friends.
What’s its role in Melbourne’s Trance scene?
Sanctuary has been the place where trance and electronic music enthusiasts, punters and artists alike connect for a party.
In the Trance scene – it’s self evident the moment you walk through our doors. We provide a safe and inclusive space for all to forge beautiful memories in passionately enjoying the music we love together.
For Melbournians – it’s been a weekly destination to meet with all their friends. For the Trance scene – it’s introduced the trance genre to over 900 patrons a week for just under two years whilst also exploring new and underground sounds.
For the local music scene – it has put Melbourne talents on the world map, artists that have started their progressive careers with us such as; Sensualise, Exis, Digital Dreamerz and Serjan have all received worldwide acclaim.
Will there be any major changes made when it reopens this weekend?
We are especially thrilled because while our roots began with trance, we intend to branch out and seek fresh acts from the same tree of deep and energetic electronic music. You could say we are turning over a new leaf – the beginning of an exciting an innovative expansion for all involved. This will be a “progressive” endeavour that we will roll out as the weeks go by.
Is it back every Saturday?
At the moment, Sanctuary is back every Saturday. But it is hard to tell what could happen in this industry. Only time will tell. Whether or not it’s back permanently, we will put every effort for each week to be positive and memorable.
What does the future hold for Sanctuary – are there any exciting acts coming up?
Exciting acts are always on the table for Sanctuary but for the future – we are looking at building a club night that not only has international acts. In the scene currently, there are some unbelievable local talent that we would like to focus on and help build them to a national and then international level.
We will also look to move towards a broader music direction, not primarily focusing on trance but introduce some similar genre’s with themed nights also playing a part in our new and improved club night, placing heavier focus on the party itself.
What is the core passion for you in doing this? What drives the team behind Sanctuary?
There are a number of things that drives the team behind Sanctuary. The community, our local artists, the music, and the passion for entertainment are some of the key aspects of what keeps us going.
It may seem a little corny to say community or patrons to the readers, but that has always remained a true fact. Hearing the roar of the crowd when Vini Vici drops ‘Free Tibet’ in our Sanctuary to hearing the crowd sing to MaRLo & Jano’s ‘Haunted’. There’s no feeling better than that.
Do you have any final words for Melbourne’s Trance Family?
For our Melbourne Trance Family, we would like to ask them to trust in us with the new movement for our Sanctuary – we have some radical ideas, some may work, some may not. But we are keen to test it out with you.
And we would like to thank the Melbourne Trance Family for the all the support thus far, you really keep us going. Much Love.
Join Sanctuary on Facebook here.
