"Yousef Just The Cream"

Publication: Manchester Evening News
Date: 13.02.04

THERE was something of a buzz in Manchester when word got out that Liverpool house legend Yousef was coming to town. Invited to play at the opening night of new venture Stylus at The Music Box, it's safe to say that Yousef's reputation preceded him here by months.

We caught up with the Scouse legend on the eve of his first performance in Manchester in far too long.

"It's a very interesting time for house music," he says. "You know, it's safe to say that the house scene has been well and truly raked over and, in many ways, exploited.

"But I think that puts us in a fascinating position because it means that the people into it now aren't the chancers. It's either the people who love the house sound or a whole new breed of young kids with their unbridled enthusiasm for the scene. And that can only be good."

Enthusiastic

Anyone who's met Yousef or witnessed one of his sets will know that, in him, we have an unofficial ambassador for the UK club scene. He is without doubt one of dance music's most enthusiastic practitioners.

"Tonight, I'll be doing what I always do," he says. "Whipping up the crowd and trying my best to get everyone in the room going. The key to the success of any night is the dancefloor. If the crowd are into it then I'm all ready to give it back.

"I think that's why I really wanted to play for Stylus," he continues. "They were really keen to get me to come and play and that hunger to get a great night organised really appealed to me."

Most people will have first come across Yousef from his legendary sets at Cream before the club went to nightclub heaven. His ability to whip the crowd up into a frenzy with his own underground party house could make the hardiest cynic shake a leg to on the dancefloor. This is not bad for a guy that came to the public eye by sending his mix tape to Muzik magazine.

The fact that he's lasted longer than the magazine that gave him his first break bears some testament to the enduring quality that good, old-fashioned passion and enthusiasm can bring.

Map

Since then he's become a regular fixture as a presenter on Radio 1 as well as setting up his own club, Circus, in Liverpool a night that looks set to put the city back on the clubbing map all over again.

Put it like this, Fatboy Slim asked to play at the next Circus at the end of February because he has heard such good things about it.

"I'm just very conscious of keeping the crowd happy," Yousef says about tonight and his DJing in general. "Contrary to popular belief, there's an awful lot of good music out there at the moment.

"If you play that music with enthusiasm to a great up for it crowd then nothing can go wrong."

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