Steve Williams

Steve Williams was a key player in the early House Music scene in the North West. Mike caught up with him last year and asked him some questions. Since the interview Steve has been a great contributor to the board and also played the Boxing Day Extravaganza. Check back soon for a more up to date interview soon.

How did you become a DJ?

In 1983 I heard a tape of Grand Master Flash live and thought how is he mixing the tracks together? so I started mixing using tape decks “pause button mixing� Then in 1984 I heard about a night organized by John Mayo at the Millionaires club in Manchester. I went down and saw a Swedish guy mixing using SL1200’s, I knew I had to have some. So the next day I rang Technics and they said if you can get to Hull there should be a shipment of 200 coming in from Japan, if you miss these you’ll have to wait 6 months for the next shipment. So I went to Hull met some guy on the keyside and bought my decks.

What was the first club you played at?

Well I had the decks and started mixing Kraftwerk, Devo, Devine anything with a beat. I would ring clubs up and ask “would you like me to DJ?�, and their response was “What?! You don’t talk over a microphone? you mix records? what’s that all about? good-bye� so for ages I stayed at home mixing then hip hop came along and I was years ahead so I started a night at the cherry tree in Runcorn mixing hip hop.

What was it like being one of the UKs pioneers of House Music?

You just do something you love doing which for me was playing House Music. I had decks and would mix and eventually start to play it in the clubs.

Was the Hacienda as good to DJ in as it was to dance in?

I would have said yes if that dB led was not constantly flashing in your face from the mixer! When Peter Hook’s (New Order) wall of sound was replaced with directional cubes it lost a lot of atmosphere, especially in the dj box as you were hearing the club through the monitors more than before. The delay on sound when mixing was also horrific.

How did you come to have a night with Laurent Garnier?

I don’t really know! it was Paul conns fault ! He gave us Zumbar and he’s never wrong and he wasn’t!

You did a night with Sasha and you were the big name as he was just starting out, how does it feel to know that he is now rated as one of the worlds best?

That’s what the Music industry is all about I suppose, If I was truthful Sasha wasn’t involved in the early American House scene in Manchester, he rode the music industry to get where he is.

Why did you retire from DJing in the early 90s?

How bigger question can you ask? I think the family tree of House Music had become so diverse even by 1991 that it had lost its roots and lost the plot. In 1987 I would go into spinn Inn records and buy every House record I could. By 1991 the stuff was a Joke. As I wasn’t in it for the money I thought bye bye, crap music and walked away.

Where were your favourite places to play?

• Thunderdome - Warrington & Manchester
• Anywhere I shouldn’t have (see Police files)
• Anywhere with Laurent Garnier
• Roxy - Amsterdam
• Frenzy - Blackpool

Who are your favourite DJs?

• Laurent Garnier
• Joust van Bellen
• Demitri (Holland)
• Jon da Silva
• Mark Auberbach
• Zammo

Name your all time favourite track?

I don’t yet own my favorite record so if I told you my chances of finding it would be even slimmer. I will tell you when I’ve found and bought it.

Does House Music play a part of your life anymore?

Not a day goes by when I don’t think of driving into Piccadilly radio in 1987, arriving at the studio and hearing Stu allen playing some great records out. Of course it was my life always will be. Mike Woods recently told me people are really into the early stuff which is nice to hear.