Big Beach Boutique 4

Fatboy Slim rocks 22 000 strong crowd

28 September 2008 - Last time Fatboy Slim played his hometown he got electric shocks off the decks from the rain, but yesterday felt like summer had finally arrived.

A cloudless blue sky line enveloped the 22 thousand strong enclosure Fatboy had deliberately encased with steel fencing this year, to keep the numbers down.

Six years ago 250 thousand people turned up for the party, but this year Norman was taking no chances, with only the yachts moored up at sea getting a free show.

Fatboy told 6 Music this is his last live date of the summer and it’s the perfect end to a busy summer: “I’m not sure if we planned it, or whether it just turned out like that, but this is our 38th of the season. It’s very fitting to end in your home town, this is kind of like our end of term party for the crew.”

"It's very fitting to end in your hometown" - Fatboy Slim

Local Brighton hero Beardyman hosted the event, comparing in between artists, and Fatboy’s fellow label mates including The Whip, who kicked the event off.

The band wrapped up with their signature tune, Trashed, which set the tone for the day. Inflatable fish, beach balls, and fatsuits bounced around the crowd as New York house legend Danny Tenaglia stepped things up a notch.

His new tune The Space Dance was strangely absent from his two hour set though, but he got much love as Norman joined him on stage before he handed over to Layo and Bushwacka.

Beardyman then hooked up with former DMC scratching champion and BattleJam buddy, JFB to warm up for Fatboy, and got the crowd in the mood with some comedy visuals of him on Brighton beach.

Beardy told us he’s a big fan of Norman’s: “ I went to Big Beach Boutique 2, which was the big return, which was obviously massive, and it was just so awesome. I love it,it’s Brighton, it’s my home town and it’s a good mood city, by the sea, everyone’s happy. A lot of hands in the air, smiling faces and it’s a good send off to the summer, ‘cos it’s been a pretty muddy summer.”



Jo Youle