Fatboy Slim

Wild Fruit Big Top, Saturday, August 1

“IT’S hard not to get an atmosphere going in that tent,” admits Norman Cook, aka Fatboy Slim, as he prepares to make a return visit to Brighton Pride’s Wild Fruit Big Top tomorrow.

“It’s a once in a year celebration of everything about the gay community in Brighton – and an excuse for a right old knees-up.

“For me it’s all about being proud of my community and the LGBT community which has embraced me over the years.”

Having spent several years living near Preston Park, Cook has happy memories of Brighton and Hove Pride – although he is pleased the event has now moved to the first weekend in August.

“I’ve been going for years now – we take the kids to watch the parade,” he says.

“Traditionally it was always on a weekend when I was working. The new timing seems to work – although I don’t want to jinx the weather – and it’s around my birthday now so I will be celebrating!”

Cook has just released his first retrospective compilation of dance anthems – The Fatboy Slim Collection – but fans shouldn’t fear that he will be playing an exclusively old school set.

“I didn’t want to spend the whole summer playing oldies,” he says. “As a DJ I always want to be looking forwards – I have plenty of time to look back when I eventually have to retire.

“The compilation was a great trip down memory lane – it was amazing how evocative some of the tunes were.

“I was trawling the internet looking for setlists from 20 years ago of shows I don’t remember playing. Each tune would remind me of a particular person or night – a lot of friends have said they were getting flashbacks when they heard it.

“It’s also the first time around for a younger crowd – some of the tunes are from before they were born!”

He admits he only really thinks about a set the day before a show – although he knows there is one tune he will definitely be playing on the day.

“It’s about trying to cram them into an hour and 20 minutes,” he says. “There will be tunes fighting for their spot – I generally do some kind of mash-up of Pride by Clivillés And Cole.”

The last few years have seen Cook collaborate with former Talking Head David Byrne on the hit off-Broadway and National Theatre disco-musical Here Lies Love, and release the hit single Eat Sleep Rave Repeat.

But he says at this stage in his career his main focus is on DJing, despite the massive success of his chart-topping 1998 album You’ve Come A Long Way Baby, and its follow-up Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.

“It’s never been a better time to be a DJ,” he says. “I can play all over the world – I do 70 shows a year now which takes up most of my time.

“It is total freedom – as soon as you have a record out you’re committed to promoting it, going to key cities or markets. DJing is unfettered by record companies, management or marketing campaigns.

“I’m exploring smaller places like Malta and Montenegro where I wouldn’t be able to go before as it wasn’t part of the script. And it leaves me free to do things I care about like Pride as I’m not on a promotional machine.

“I’m the purest form of DJ – a travelling vagabond getting people smiling and having a good time.”