Fatboy Slim plays Brighton gig to back Pipeline campaign

The DJ, whose real name is Norman Cook, played a sold-out show on Sunday at The Pipeline, a 60-capacity venue under threat but now earmarked for purchase by Music Venue Properties (MVP).

MVP, described as the “National Trust for music venues,” plans to bring The Pipeline under community ownership to secure its future.

Speaking ahead of the gig, Fatboy Slim said supporting small venues was a cause close to his heart.

He said: "There’s a lot of DJs in my family, we all feel the same, it’s a nice thing to do. They are really important [for] preserving."

The event was the closing show of the inaugural Everywhere At Once festival, which saw more than 2,000 artists perform at over 400 grassroots venues nationwide.

The headliner said he had expected an “intimate” show, but the night turned into what he described as a “fun house party” atmosphere.

Crowds danced and sang along to hits including The Rockafeller Skank and Right Here, Right Now in the packed upstairs room.

Fatboy Slim’s son, Woody Cook, also took part in the festival, supporting hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks at Patterns on the seafront.

His support act at The Pipeline was Jacobi Knight, boyfriend of his daughter Nelly Cook.

Elsewhere, acts such as Tinie Tempah and Becky Hill featured in the star-studded lineup.

Everywhere At Once was designed to remind audiences that live music isn’t limited to big cities or major festivals.

The festival coincided with what would have been Glastonbury weekend.

Mark Davyd, chief executive and founder of Music Venue Trust, addressed the crowd before Fatboy Slim’s set and emphasised the importance of supporting these spaces.

Mr Davyd said: "These venues are absolutely essential. We are a music nation. We should be demanding the government do more to support them."

The festival was backed by the National Lottery, which has invested £1.3 billion in music-related projects since 1994.

Thomas Evrenos, owner of The Pipeline, welcomed the event and praised the festival’s vision.

Mr Evrenos said: "It’s a great idea. We usually compete with Glastonbury, and a lot of people, bands, are going away during this weekend, and suddenly we have a really good festival for everyone. We’re honoured to have a pretty cool lineup, so we’re happy."

Mr Evrenos opened the venue nine years ago after being made redundant from a banking job in 2008.

The proposed MVP purchase would offer long-term security for The Pipeline through a “cultural lease,” guaranteeing affordable rent, contributions toward maintenance and stable tenure.

MVP has acquired nine properties since 2022 as part of its Own Our Venues campaign, supported by around £7 million raised through crowdfunding and fundraising.

Mr Evrenos said: "If it happens, I think for me it will feel really good to know that this place will continue to be a music venue even when I give up and I will have better support."