Latest news with #FatboySlim
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Fatboy Slim: DJ ready for 'madder and noisier' Belfast crowd
Fatboy Slim still vividly remembers finding out Belfast was not a "warzone" on his first visit almost 40 years superstar musician and DJ is set to headline the Emerge Music Festival in Belfast on 23 he first played the city in the mid-1980s as the bassist in The Housemartins, back in the days when he was known as Norman Cook."All I remember is the first time we went to Belfast with The Housemartins in about 1986, we didn't know what to expect," he told BBC News NI."We're thinking: 'Are we going to be playing to a Protestant crowd or a Catholic crowd or whatever?'""There was a little trepidation because I'd grown up my whole life watching the Troubles on the telly, and thinking: 'What are we getting ourselves in for?'"Equal trepidation but also equal interest, just to see." Music 'bringing people together' The DJ said his perception of Northern Ireland had come from TV with a "very British bias"."It was very cathartic I think to actually be there and talk to the people," he added."Because I kind of got the feeling that we'd been fed propaganda about a lot of what went on, and this idea that Belfast was just a warzone and no-one had any fun and no-one was nice to each other." He said the one thing that was clear was that there was more uniting people than dividing them."Music tends to break through those barriers and it tends to connect people and people forget, hopefully, their troubles or the Troubles," he said."Not just in Ireland, worldwide, music does connect people and bring them together." Belfast gears up to Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat That is what he is planning when he plays his Emerge set at Boucher Road Playing has been a fairly regular visitor to Belfast, with his most recent gig in the Telegraph building in the city centre in October 2023."Belfast crowds always take it that bit madder and noisier and more exuberant and I love that," he said. He admits big outdoor shows demand a different approach."The production changes," he said."In the Telegraph building I didn't really bring our production.""When we do the bigger festivals I have my own lighting guy, I have my own visuals guy, we use a live camera so you can see me mugging, you know, right from the back."You also you play the big tunes."There's the tunes that work at big festivals outdoors, and then there's the ones 'these are for the clubs.'" Derry Girls cameo It is obvious he enjoys coming to Northern Ireland, a connection reinforced by Channel 4 sitcom Derry of the show Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell made a surprise appearance on stage with him during his most recent Belfast also featured in the penultimate episode of the show's final season, something he is still a little amazed by."I've been doing this for 40 years but every now and then a phone call comes along and you're like: 'Oh my lord, really?'" he said."The whole episode revolved around going to my gig."If that wasn't an honour enough then they asked me to be in it." "The only sad thing was I was supposed to actually be there and be playing the show, but because of the pandemic they were filming in a bubble and I wasn't allowed to travel over there so I had to film my bit remotely."So I never got to meet them all and hang out on set."But Derry Girls is such a fabulous series and to be even mentioned in it, let alone be mentioned repeatedly, was a very great honour." Salt, beats? While he will bring what he describes as his "arena show" to Emerge, Fatboy Slim is always on the lookout for unusual venues a recent tour of Australia he played a gig in a chip shop in are plenty of chip shops in Northern Ireland, so any is there chance he could do the same here?"There's always a chance, it's more of a timing thing," he said."Normally I'm in and out." "I'm playing Touquet in France on the Friday night, and then I'm playing Creamfields the night after so there's no real time."The chip shop in Australia was because I had gigs at the weekend and a few days off during the week."I love doing things like that."So a repeat in Belfast is unlikely, but if you call into your local chip shop for a fish supper on 23 August keep an eye - and ear - out just in case.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Music venues subject to noise complaints to get ‘greater protection'
Music venues that are subject to noise complaints by nearby residential developments will be offered 'greater protection' under new government plans. The measures, which are set to be introduced under the national licensing policy framework, would mean developers taking responsibility for soundproofing flats and apartments near existing pubs or music venues. The changes are designed to stop the kinds of rows that have seen pubs and gig venues dogged by complaints from people who live in homes built within earshot. Night & Day cafe in Manchester was issued a noise abatement notice by Manchester city council in November 2021 due to complaints from neighbours about loud music at night. The nearly three-year-long row concluded with the venue being told to impose restrictions that limited noise late at night to a reasonable level. The case has led to a growing concern among venues on new developments being built locally, opening up the opportunity for noise complaints from future tenants. The Music Venue Trust said earlier this year that one grassroots music venue closed every two weeks in 2024. Plans for a new office block next to the Prince Albert pub in Brighton were approved on appeal in January, after being refused in November 2023. A petition against the scheme garnered more than 22,000 signatures, claiming the pub was at threat of permanent closure, with DJ Fatboy Slim performing at the venue in 2023 to highlight its cultural importance. George Taylor, a co-landlord of the Prince Albert, said that he saw restrictions imposed on the new offices as a 'win', including a requirement for them to close at 8pm when music typically starts at the venue next door. He said he wanted to see more independent monitors in place to support venues in the UK, including within the new soundproofing measures being introduced. Taylor said: 'With the soundproofing, in theory it sounds great but to manage and look after it, it's supposed to be an independent person. If it's the company that built the building that hires the person to do it, they could be biased as they are on their payroll.' He added: 'Our point is that once the building goes up and if they haven't done the soundproofing, the council won't make them rip the walls down and put it in.' London-based gig venue Moth Club has also seen support from a 20,000-strong petition against two separate planning applications for new blocks of flats beside it. The venue said the blocks, which are due to be considered by Hackney council in the coming months, would have 'devastating consequences' for the future of the club. The new protection will be ushered in under the 'agent of change principle', with the Department for Business and Trade saying it will consider further options to support established venues under the new framework. Other measures in the overhaul include simplifying the process of opening and operating hospitality venues, scrapping local rules that delay small businesses from opening. The business and trade secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said: 'Red tape has stood in the way of people's business ideas for too long. Today we're slashing those barriers to giving small business owners the freedom to flourish.' New 'hospitality zones' are also envisioned, with more leniency on permissions for street parties and extended opening hours to usher people back on to high streets. Speaking on the new changes, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, said pubs and bars were 'at the heart of British life'. Reeves said: 'For too long, they've been stifled by clunky, outdated rules. We're binning them – to protect pavement pints, alfresco dining and street parties – not just for the summer, but all year round.'
Stuff.tv
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
The Atari ST hits 40: we remember Atari's 16-bit micro and six of its best games
Break out the birthday cake and your MIDI cables, because the Atari ST turned 40 this summer. Launched in 1985 as Atari's answer to what was next in home computing, the 16-bit micro was part games machine, part serious workhorse, and part accidental rave enabler. Wait, the Atari ST? Isn't that what people had when they couldn't afford an Amiga? Oh, that's what Amiga owners wanted you to think. But while Commodore's machine beat Atari's on specs, the ST was no slouch. The GEM interface set it up for work as well as play, there were loads of top games that blazed far beyond anything anyone had seen before on a home micro, and built-in MIDI ports made the ST a synth player's dream machine. If you spent the late '80s dancing in warehouses, a lot of those songs were made on the Atari ST. Hang on… you're telling me Atari's beige box invented techno? Well, not the machine itself – the artists did have to do some of the work themselves. But this is where Cubase and Creator (which later evolved into Logic) were born. Because of these apps and the ST's rock-solid MIDI implementation, everyone from Depeche Mode and the Pet Shop Boys to Fatboy Slim used it to smash out hits – and all without sacrificing their bank accounts to the Apple gods. Those MIDI ports took things even further too, being responsible for the rise of deathmatch gaming. Huh? Is there some oddball musical version of Quake I don't know about? Not quite. The pioneering MIDI Maze used those ports for its 16-player mode, so you could play with all your ST-owning friends. It wasn't Quake, just a simple maze game where you blasted 3D smileys that looked like Pac-Man rejects – fitting for the acid house era. Sadly, it couldn't last: the ST was soon eclipsed by PCs. But it's nice to imagine that, every now and then, Fatboy Slim gets his Atari down from the loft and murmurs into its MIDI input: 'I have to celebrate you, baby. I have to praise you like I should.' Six of the best: Atari ST games The ST arrived before the Amiga hit the mainstream. Its games initially bridged 8- and 16-bit fare, before quickly becoming far more ambitious. Although the ST lacked the Amiga's muscle, it kept pace until piracy kicked Atari's ambitions in the MIDI port. But for those initial glorious years, the ST pumped out hit after hit. Our six slots are geared towards what really gave the ST its swagger. That means exclusives and firsts rather than cloning our Amiga list. (But all those games were great on the ST too.) Play Oids (1987) mashed up Thrust, Choplifter and Asteroids, and had you juggle gravity, inertia and laser fire while rescuing hapless slave droids. This tense, twitchy arcade game was also an ST exclusive until some scallywag reversed engineered it for the Amiga decades later. Tsk. Play Starglider 2 (1988) was sold on a disk designed to work on the ST and Amiga. Sometimes it even did. Fortunately, the game itself was reliably amazing, providing hours of gobsmacking shooty space action that held up pretty well when compared to the Amiga version. Play Llamatron 2112 (1991) was an early shareware title that found seminal games creator Jeff Minter revelling in the power of a 16-bit machine, reimagining Robotron in his own inimitable style. Cue: noisy levels packed full of very silly foes and numerous furry beasties to rescue. Play Dungeon Master (1987) was a flagship title that became the ST's best-selling game, along with laying the groundwork for all manner of 3D dungeon crawlers. It lacks the Amiga port's sampled sound, but, hey, you can always make those noises yourself. Play Vroom (1991) started life on the Sinclair QL but roared on to the ST in fine form. Blisteringly fast and fun to play, it wrenched Pole Position into the modern day, leaving other ST racers in its dust. (Well, apart from Stunt Car Racer. We still love you, SCR!) Play Speedball II (1990) didn't start out on the ST, but its futuristic punchy take on handball held its own on the Atari. It even managed to smoothly scroll that massive metal pitch in a way that made ST footie games seethe with envy – until they got a metal ball to the face.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
All you need to know if you're heading to Latitude Festival
Tens of thousands of music fans are descending on Suffolk as the gates to this year's Latitude Festival annual arts and culture event, which was first hosted in 2006, is taking place in its usual location, the grounds of Henham Park, near will be entertained until Monday, with a handful of artists providing an initial soundtrack before big-name acts take to the site's eight stages from if you're heading to the festival this year, here's everything you need to know. What is Latitude Festival? Well, according to festival director Melvin Benn, it's where "culture comes alive with a diverse, bold, and inspiring line-up" which can accommodate around 40,000 people each festival says weekend tickets have sold out."This year's demand proves that people hunger for experiences that spark creativity, curiosity, and connection," Mr Benn added."We're proud to bring so many artistic voices together and can't wait to welcome everyone to Henham Park for an unforgettable festival." What artists are performing? This year's event will be headlined by Sting, Fatboy Slim, and Snow Patrol, with special guests Basement Jaxx and Elbow also performing on the main Clean Bandit, Kaiser Chiefs, Air, Feeder, Public Service Broadcasting, Doves, Pale Waves are also on the bill, among a wide array of festival also offers theatre, a science forest and poetry, as well as a comedy tent with a line-up featuring the likes of Greg Davies, Reggie Watts, Bridget Christie. Are local artists performing? Yes. In fact, there's arguably more local acts performing than ever before. More than 20 independent performers from the region have been selected by BBC Introducing and First Light Festival to will perform across the BBC Introducing Stage, the Alcove Stage and in The Sunrise Arena, as well as in the Lavish Lounge. The full line-up of local artists can be viewed here. How can I get to the festival? Latitude Festival can be accessed by car, shuttle bus, bike, taxi, or by booking the Big Green Coach, providing tickets are still you are looking to spread the cost of travelling, you could also consider car sharing by offering up your empty seats as part of the Latitude Liftshare the train might also be an option, with the most convenient station being in is no pedestrian access to the festival site but there is a drop off and pick up point at the site's yellow routes and information on where to hop on a shuttle bus can be found here. Will I need a brolly and some wellies? Highs of 19C are expected on Thursday, but there is a chance of light rain during the afternoon, according to BBC however, will be brighter, with sunshine and temperatures hitting 25C. Saturday promises to be similar, with "sunny intervals and a gentle breeze", while Sunday will potentially mirror the opening day, with the forecast showing "light rain with a gentle breeze".Thankfully, by Monday morning, the weather is predicted to have cleared up, with sunshine expected as festivalgoers pack-up their camp and head home. Can I still get tickets? While weekend tickets have sold out, a "limited number" of day tickets for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday remain available, at the time of day tickets cost £110 while child tickets are priced at £18, plus fees. Will BBC Suffolk have a presence at the festival? Well, of course! BBC Suffolk will be opening the festival with a performance from children's poetry competition winner Myles, from Wymondham, Norfolk, and runners-up Zara, 11, from Gorleston, and Eleanor, 11, from Louise Hulland, Wayne Bavin, Sarah Lilley, and Angelle Joseph will also be broadcasting live from the site across the weekend. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I genuinely love this place so much!' Fatboy Slim's 100th Glastonbury set
Irreverent, bouncy and as suitable at 4am in a club as it is at 4pm in a field, the music of Fatboy Slim dovetails perfectly with Glastonbury. And the man himself, Norman Cook, seems to know it. This year's festival marked a big milestone: Cook has now played 100 Glasto sets – or thereabouts – over the years, popping up everywhere from vast stages to tiny tents. To document the occasion, Guardian photographer David Levene bedded in with the DJ for the weekend, while Cook explained why it holds such a special significance for him. Cook tries to find his daughter for Burning Spear at the Pyramid Stage Bumping into Chris Moyles, and right, having his photo taken with Charley and her son Remi, 7 months, from Somerset Cook checks out the scenes outside Lonely Hearts Club stage in Silver Hayes, where he's due to play that evening at 10.30pm Feeling it at his son Woody's DJ set at Scissors Bar Cook's dressing room at Lonely Hearts 'We're not doing a kind of 100th show extravaganza on the grounds that we don't actually really know which would be the 100th. It's not an exact science, it's a guesstimate. Thing is, I play so many shows, and so many of them are just like impromptu that we really don't know. So I think it'd be a bit much to really get the bells and whistles out. We think it's the Block9 show in the afternoon tomorrow – we think! But no candles, sadly. 'I'm very, very proud of my relationship with Glastonbury and my history with it and I'm lucky, because as a DJ, you can play multiple sets. Obviously, there's probably people who've been to more Glastonburys, but they've only played one show per festival – that's not going to get you into big high figures.' Fire it up! Fatboy Slim at Lonely Hearts Club 'My first Glasto show was on the Pyramid stage in 1986 with the Housemartins, and we didn't know anything really about Glastonbury or festivals. We'd never played in daylight before – we only ever played in clubs – and also we thought that Glastonbury was full of bearded hippies who would probably throw mud and bottles of piss out at us. So we went on quite nervous and quite agitated, but that was quite good in the Housemartins, channelling that aggression – we had the nice tunes, but there was a lot of aggression. We made an awful lot of friends, and it changed our view about Glastonbury. The only weird thing was me and Paul [Heaton] have both had fairly successful careers, but neither of us had managed to get back on the Pyramid stage for 38 years. Last year, Paul played the Pyramid stage and he phoned me up and said, 'Will you come on and do a song with us, just to celebrate?'' Fatboy Slim prepares before performing at Lonely Hearts Club stage Dropping bangers at Lonely Hearts Club, with Stella McCartney backstage 'My favourite Glastonbury moment was playing for [Rob da Bank's label] Sunday Best. I was four days in at that point, my mind had been expanded, altered and distorted, as was everybody's around me. So I decided if I played a record backwards, would people dance backwards? And it was a good theory. Obviously with CDJs, you can press reverse, but with the record, you have to physically rewind it. So I played Block Rockin' Beats, by the Chemical Brothers, pretty much at the right speed but backwards. And it worked. Everybody got the joke. It was just after Twin Peaks too, so everybody was like, dancing backwards to the music. What I forgot was that Ed from the Chemical Brothers was in the DJ booth with me, and he went, 'What are you doing?' I'm like, 'I want to see if they can dance backwards.' He's like, 'Oh, great!' That's probably the most out there I've ever been.' Fatboy Slim performs at Lonely Hearts Club stage at Silver Hayes 'I loved the Rabbit Hole. It was never the same [after it closed]. Absolutely anything could happen, and sometimes it did. I much prefer the smaller stages to the big ones, but having said that, when we did the Park the other year, that felt pretty much like the perfect gig. We brought Rita Ora on – I don't normally do showbiz-y things like that. It's probably my favourite set.' Another set, this time at the Genosys stage Tweaking the faders at Genosys 'My son Woody is playing here this year, and it's just fabulous. My daughter's here, my ex wife [Zoe Ball] is here. We're all hanging out. It's beautiful. Woody came to Glastonbury when he was about eight, and it didn't go well for him or for me and Zoe. But when he started coming under his own steam, it's weird, because we didn't teach him anything, he just assimilated himself into the fabric of it and made all these friends the first year he went. He was built for Glastonbury: he's just got that energy, he wants to talk to everybody, he wants to change the world. Everybody keeps telling me how cool my son is or how mental my son is, sometimes both.' The crowd at Genosys, Block9 'As a festival, Glastonbury never sold out to the man. The Eavis family have kept it independent, which means they're in charge of the way it feels and the way it looks, and people respect that. There's nothing corporate that interferes and dictates, you know, and it's not about making money. The music business, especially when money comes in, it distorts your creative ideas and the feel of it and it becomes a money-making machine. But the Eavis family never sold out. They don't do it for money. They do it because they love watching this going on on their farm every year.' Next up: Shangri-La Having his stage wristband put on before performing at Shangri-La, by his video director Bob 'I genuinely love this place so much. I feel proud if I'm promoting the Glastonbury brand, or just being part of the furniture or just wandering around saying hello to everyone. Michael Eavis can't get around so much any more, but I was always so impressed about the fact that he would just spend the whole festival wandering, saying hello to everyone.' Cook bids farewell to the festival for another year at Shangri-La
