Big Beach Boutique 4

United Kingdom | by Daniel Fahey | 29 September 2008

A stage erected next to the curb of the club where Fatboy Slim's career was launched is, in a way, testament of how far he's come. From playing to around 200 people in the sweaty Big Beat Boutique for little cash and the odd half a pill, the 45-year old has grown to earn superstar status and can afford to splash out on a stage the size of two houses and a full afternoon of entertainment for 20,000 of his native fans.

It's a far shout from the infamous Big Beach Boutique in 2002, when an estimated quarter of a million revellers swarmed, partied and pissed all over Brighton, four times the amount of people that were expected. Now a ticketed event, and not quite on the beach, the event is Fatboy Slim's last gig of the year and the one where he’ll play to his most loyal crowd.

After playing nearly 40 shows already this summer, the DJ has obviously picked up a few tips about throwing an outside gig with food and drink concession stands spread out for fans along Madeira Drive. The one-time free party is rapidly stealing the overtures of a festival, portaloos and obligatory battered bloke included.

With early afternoon sets from electro pirates The Whip, house supreme Danny Tenaglia and intermittent performances from UK beatboxing champion Beardyman, the crowd are fully warmed up as darkness falls and Layo & Bushwacka! take to the stage.

Their blend of solid house and chopped breaks is topped off nicely with an epic slice of their own 'Love Story' and Radiohead's 'Street Spirit (Fade Out)' both echoing out to sea. Then Beardyman jumps back onto the stage for one final turn on the microphone with the help of Brighton DJ JFB.

After doing an impression of He-Man in German backed by some funky breaks from JFB, Beardyman sings: "Norman says get the fuck up," over the top of Pharaoh Monch's 'Simon Says', exciting the crowd about Mr Cook's imminent arrival. But before he hands over the deck duties, Beardyman asks the crowd to make "the largest tune ever." That means all 20,000 fans screaming and shouting into a mic before its played back over a dance beat.

Then its show time as a big ticking clock appears on the large screen and Gene Wilder's 'Pure Imagination' from Charlie And The Chocolate Factory murmurs hypnotically out of large speakers dotted in the back of lorries. It bounces quickly into Fatboy's 'Praise You' and the seafront explodes with excitement as it merges into the Redanka remix of 'Right Here Right Now' with highlights of Brighton's win over Manchester City played on the screen behind him.

A reworking of Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' loses it’s momentum after the hook before Cook drops 'Star 69' with the screen reading 'Fuck' in huge luminous green letters. With the crowd fully on his side 'Hey Girl Hey Boy' by The Chemical Brothers gets an outing with a snippet of 'Out Of My Head' mixed in for Fatboy Slim geeks to spot. But for anyone that's caught the superstar DJ this year they may start to recognize the set - song for song.

An accapella version of Dan Le Sac saying "Fatboy Slim, just a band, the BPA, just a band…" preludes BPA's 'He's Frank', which includes Iggy Pop on vocals, before Cook plays his own remix of The Stray Cats' 'Rumble In Brighton' last heard at the New Year's Eve Big Beach Boutique. That evening Cook reportedly received 15 electric shocks, which can't have been nearly as painful as his mixing was. But tonight, his well-rehearsed set is nearly beat perfect.

The Rolling Stones' '(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction' and a hollow cut of Arcade Fire's 'No Cars Go' gives the set a rock stance while House Of Pain's 'Jump Around' and DJ Kool's 'Let Me Clear My Throat' are crowd-pleasers. A mash-up of The White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army' with Public Enemy's 'Bring The Noise' is rewardingly chunky before an ethereal version of 'Love Is In The Air' by John Paul Young proves hauntingly perfect.

Finishing on 'Praise You' worked in with the warbling horns of The Cha-lites 'Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)' the curtain is brought down in a flurry of funk. Another year, another great party – Norman just needs to do some record shopping…