DJ Yousef: The House Music Event that helped the UK Government during Covid

So going back to circus, do you think, did you, was, I understand you were going to do it sort of in Cream, but then when Cream wasn't there, do you think that filled a gap as well because suddenly people wanted somewhere to go or was there still loads out in Liverpool anyway?

Well, Shibuki was already going and bought out, was there.

But I guess so, maybe...

Not necessarily, but as I said before, the music was so far apart.

But what we did for Circus, the whole point of it was for people to come along and just have fun, listen to great music, and even come on your own.

And I like to think even to this day, that same sort of ethos where people are made to feel included, welcome, great music.

And obviously now it's gone from being my night, my residency, into basically an event company.

yeah

yeah where we've gone through various venues from like arts club and then we started another place called camp and furnace which we like basically pretty much opened ourselves and then we went on to bradley moore dock which is where the first dance was now to everett where everton's ground is okay we've got turfed out yeah and then we had to go and find um another space across the across the road called blackstone warehouse which you've developed into basically it's the best most legendary now yeah it's the most accomplished safest venue pretty much in the uk yeah um so it's an amazing space i can't believe it's ours you know it's incredible it's really good and

everyone speaking to dj's who play there everyone loves playing there you know they really do

yeah so we try to make make well i learned this very much in in the early days um If you give the DJ everything they need, like don't scrimp on the sounds, the lights, the rider, the drinks, guests, whatever they say they need, make sure it's to the letter.

And if they don't rock it, it's their fault.

Yeah, so they've got nothing else to think about but their

performance, right? So we give them an opportunity to relax, you know, and I think it's really important.

It's really important.

But even with making people feel safe and obviously the doorman, especially at Blackstone, it's just like a whole different level.

And you talked about that night, the misdemeanours night in Miami and the craziness and the party.

Did you see that that translated to circus from the start? Was it a party? It was fucking nuts.

I mean, especially like every month, obviously I'd be touring.

You know, lots.

I'd be in, like, two or three countries a week.

But then circus was once a month, and I would, like, not...

I would cancel all my gigs.

It said to my agent at the time...

That was your thing.