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Fatboy Slim aka Norman Cook chats with Heart's Toby Anstis about reinventing himself over the years, writing his new tell-all book and what the future of music looks like for him and his family.
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0:00
I'm not ashamed to say I cried when my son finally played, you know
0:04
Got to play Lego to now he's like rocking it. Now he's actually playing that
0:08
Norman, thank you so much for coming in. Well, thanks for having me. It's a real pleasure and actually a real honour
0:12
because I've seen you perform in so many places. To get to talk to you just is a really..
0:16
Oh, bless you. I can only disappoint after that. No. Well, let's jump straight in and talk about the book
0:21
Yes. It Ain't Over Till The Fat Boy Sings. Genius. Great title
0:26
I mean, and you are this sort of, you're this person that kind of proliferates
0:29
the whole idea of going on forever, essentially. And you're still going strong
0:34
And now you've got to 40 years in the business and you've decided to put pen to paper
0:38
Why have you suddenly decided to do that? I just wanted to celebrate. At the beginning of the year
0:43
I sort of realised that this would be the 40th anniversary of me quitting my day job
0:47
running off to join the circus. And I thought I should mark it in some way. And while I was thinking about that
0:52
I got this offer to do the book. So I was thinking the book could be a good thing. I was going to throw a big party or, I don't know
0:58
It was just something to market. Yeah. But then my kind of management and everything, I was like
1:02
no, no, you do books when you're finished and you're not finished yet. So that, in the title, there's the kind of, you know
1:07
but let's have a little reflect of the first 40 years. Absolutely
1:11
And let's pick up on some bits in the book because you pretty much unearthed everything. So, I mean, oh, a lot
1:17
Well, I can't oversell the book and say there's all the salacious stuff. If there's one thing about the book, a few people have said
1:23
oh, you're going to have all the bad stuff about it. Come on, tell us what you didn't put in the book. Well, no, I can't tell you
1:28
That's why it couldn't be in the book. Yeah, exactly. No, I mean, while my parents and my children are still alive
1:32
there's so much I can't say. There's an awful lot I can't remember because of my behaviour
1:38
And so it was, yeah, that's the only criticism. And I don't want people to go out and buy it
1:44
expecting to have lots of salacious stories about drinking and debauchery. It's more factual
1:50
It's more factual. And it's more kind of... I've collected over the years
1:55
I've collected so many things I didn't realise until I started going there were just these bins and bins
2:00
of photos and flyers and studio tapes and things like that and I've collected
2:06
every single backstage pass I ever had No way Was there anything I mean there must have been things you forgotten you went oh my god but are there any real standout there the share incident right i managed to talk to me about that well someone said are you going to put the share thing in i was like what
2:20
share thing you and share i've never met share they went oh you had and then when i dug through the photos it turns out i had um yeah there was things like that where
2:32
it's like there was you know like i said back in like you know back before i got sober sweet i was
2:37
was living quite a wildlife and yeah one of the the pitfalls of that is you forget a lot of it so
2:43
yeah there was a there was there was a there was a few just facts i mean i i definitely had to go
2:47
through and like google when things happened right and to put a time frame on it and and it's quite
2:54
difficult doing the time frame of the book because it's fairly much in chronological order but there
2:58
was sometimes i was in three bands at once so it's like where do we put that and it was it was it was
3:03
a long but very thoroughly enjoyable process. Yeah, no, I bet. And I think probably my favourite times of all times
3:09
have been at Glastonbury. And you've played there how many? Over 100
3:13
102, we reckon. But due to the nature of Glastonbury, we don't actually know
3:17
Because certainly there's no paper trail that we can remember exactly how many. But I do between four and six shows every Glastonbury
3:23
Yeah. And you've got your kids involved as well now. Yeah, yeah. Woody and Nelly, you know, Fat Girl Slim
3:28
Fat Girl Slim, I love that. And Woody's out there as well
3:32
Woody's out there. My daughter's actually, her first boyfriend is a DJ. Like we did another DJ in our family
3:38
And do you ever know what you're going to play? I've got to ask you that as a sort of bit of a DJ geek myself
3:44
Do you know, you have an idea or not? I have an idea. I always know the first three tunes in my head
3:49
Because if you walk on and you just kind of go, your mind goes mulch. And you look at this list of tunes like, I don't know any of them
3:55
You know, you can freak out. So I always know the first three. Normally know the last couple
4:00
What happens in between is kind of up to the crowd and the night and the mood we're all in
4:05
I mean, it's based upon a crate of things I intend to play and of which you play probably half of them
4:10
So it's, no, I just, I like to meander. It's nice to go with the crowd
4:16
I mean, it's hard to do on the really big shows because I've got production people going
4:20
when do you want the Cavetti hit? And I was like oh well when I play that when will you play it I like I don know When it feels right So I have to have a little bit more structure when we do the really big shows But when I playing in a club I literally just follow my nose
4:34
I follow my nose, which is led by the crowd's nose. Right, I got you
4:38
Or the crowd's ears, eyes. We communicate. There's a weird instinct where I kind of think
4:44
all right, I think I know what you want next. But you do have a brilliant connection with people. When you do your gigs, you're right into it
4:49
They absolutely buy into that. It's a show. It's not just a person out playing records
4:53
It's a show, but also it's a conversation. I think it should be, yeah
4:59
I mean, the crowd, I always say to everyone, you know, the crowd is more important than me in terms of the show
5:03
If the crowd aren't having fun, there is no show, it's just a bloke playing records. So the magic happens in the communication
5:09
And, you know, when people say, oh, you know, what's your tips for an aspiring DJ
5:14
Or just say, look up. You know, it's not about the buttons you're pressing and clever things you've learned in the bedroom
5:19
It's all about you trying to read the ground and know what they want next
5:24
See, we take heart club classics and heart dark. We go to a booth where we play Café Mamba every year
5:28
I'd love it if you go and play for us. I'd love it if you go and play for us. I'd love to come play for us
5:33
But it's spring. I don't know. I don't know what I'm saying. You're the only person that can go in
5:37
and play at Café Mamba whenever you want. Am I? Yeah, that is..
5:41
I thought everybody could. No, no, no. No, because you are officially the only person
5:47
Javier told me that. You're the only person. Oh, bless him. ever just rock up whenever you want and play it man but you're the only dj in the world that anyone
5:54
that is your that is that is you and i know that i love that from the i just assumed everybody could
6:00
no it doesn't work that way it doesn't work that way oh fabulous oh no that's really touching i
6:03
mean i i i love my money for me like you said it is you're close enough to the crowd you've got
6:09
proper communication you've got the people right on your shoulders that you can actually talk to because music's not that loud yeah uh woody my son grew up in that booth like we used to take him
6:17
when he was like three because it was this we couldn't get a babysitter and so he would play
6:22
Lego he would sit in the corner of the DJ booth and play Lego and then when he got to be six or
6:27
seven he could see out the top of the DJ booth and then one day he went dad I can see why you like
6:32
your job the music loud and everyone shouting at you he said yeah and so he kind of grew up and then there was there came a moment where played in Mambo He doing it And I not ashamed to say I cried when my son finally played you know
6:48
From him being playing Lego to now he's like rocking it. Now he's actually playing now. That's a beautiful thing, isn't it
6:53
Now, there's a game that we play every morning, just quickly. I will play you one beat of a club classic
6:57
You've got to tell me the name of the song. If you get all five right, you will officially be a one beat legend
7:02
Another chapter in the book. This is pressure. I'm not sure I'm enjoying it. Are you ready? Yes
7:06
Okay, here's your first one. Can I have it again? Nah. Arma Van Halden
7:16
I want yourself. That was one. That was that? I've got a feeling I'm not really good at this
7:22
Here's your next one. Oh, oh, I know this. You should. Is it Renegade Master Remix
7:29
Yes! Your tune. Thank God you got that one. Yeah, it's a wise man can recognise his own tunes
7:36
Here's your third one Again Come it through Is it Kinetic? Golden Girls
7:43
I'm going to give you another go I remember you playing it on Brighton Beach
7:47
Oh, is it coming in? It just won't do Tenderlucks Yes Yes
7:53
Okay, that's maybe a half because you did kind of give me a rather large cue
7:58
No, do you know what? I'm going to give you the full point Oh, you're blessed I will give you the full point You're too generous
8:02
Okay, here's two more to go Pump up the jam, Technotronic Come on
8:08
Let's do it I think I'm warming up You are warming up We need another five really
8:12
Okay here's your final one Gangster tripping by the way Did you just say
8:19
I'm swipping by me I love that Oh yeah What else you're supposed to say
8:24
There you go It is Fat boys Four out of five Four out of five
8:27
Four out of five It isn't bad at all Well done You're not a one beat legend But if I tell you
8:31
That Craig David got two About three years ago And Fat Tony got one So you're way out in the lead
8:36
you're way out four's a brilliant score oh thank you it was only three and a half
8:40
because you did no no I'm giving you the four and the book as well
8:44
it ain't over till the fat boy sings go out and bite it's out now this is hot
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