Latest news with #NormanCook
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- 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
The Guardian
13 hours ago
- 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 engineer 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
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Brit DJ surprises Glastonbury crowd as he performs exclusive secret set with his son after playing his 100th show at the festival
A beloved English DJ performed a secret set with his son for an intimate crowd at Glastonbury over the weekend. Fatboy Slim - who played his 100th set at the epic festival just over the weekend - treated lucky fans to a vibrant B2B act. The music legend, 61 - whose real name Norman Cook - was joined by his son Woody, 24. An Instagram clip shared by the BBC Radio official account, captured the veteran dad doing his moves behind the deck while Woody bounced around a platform. The internet star - who the singer shares with Zoe Ball - beamed to the cheering crowd and waved his arms cheerfully. Meanwhile the British DJ celebrated a unique milestone after playing his 100th set at Glastonbury, continuing to stun crowds with his tunes. The electronic legend was seen taking on an energetic set at the Luna stage as he lifted his arms in the air inciting the masses. Earlier in May, Woody insisted he has 'sweated his way through the industry'. He said that while he has followed in his famous parents' footsteps and become a DJ, he still put in the work rather than relying on his parents too much. He told new! magazine: 'I definitely felt that way [pressure] at the beginning, but my parents have been really good at putting me out on my own and letting me do it myself. 'I've sweated my way through the industry, I think people started to see that.' Although the ' nepo baby ' name tag has been thrown around, Woody argued it doesn't bother him, and credited his parents' support for his success rather than their jobs. He explained: 'I don't mind. I can't tell you who I'd be without my parents. They gave me the best education ever from them. The electronic legend was seen taking on an energetic set at the Luna stage as he lifted his arms in the air inciting the masses 'They are the most generous, loving, kind, hard-working people on earth, and that's what they've given me. I feel like I owe it all to that.' Woody previously pointed out it's 'not his job to care' what people think about him or his family ties. He told Bang Showbiz: 'Throughout school I was bullied and stuff, sometimes at parties people would say 'Shut up Fatboy's son'. 'It's opened up more doors, people always remember me. 'I'm quite eclectic, I'm quite weird. I share DNA with my parents. I'm always gonna be a bit like them in the end. 'Genetically I'm mildly similar but it's not my job to care. 'I cater to the people who love my music, they f****** love it. My music speaks for itself and I do not have to prove it to anyone.'
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Brit music star surprises Glastonbury Festival fans by playing secret set with his son
GLASTONBURY fans were treated to a surprise double act today as a father and son duo performed a secret set. Playing to just a few dozen people, the pair brought plenty of energy to a tiny stage away from the hustle and bustle of the main arenas. 4 4 Glasto regular Fatboy Slim, 61, and son Woody Cook, 24, went B2B in the blazing sunshine and revellers lapped it up. Scene veteran Fatboy - real name Norman Cook - did his thing behind the decks as hype man Woody bounced around a platform. The young Cook, who previously insisted he isn't a nepo baby, beamed as he waved his arms and leapt up and down. Writing on Instagram, one fan wrote: "Well done lads x." Another said: "The best duo." A third shared: "Awesome!!! X." Adding to the family vibes on Worthy Farm this weekend, Woody's mum Zoe Ball, 54, debuted her new man, and he looks very similar to ex-husband Norman. The Radio 2 DJ was seen walking hand in hand with her new bloke in the hospitality area, a month after she hinted she'd met someone. An onlooker said: 'Zoe is down at Glastonbury as a punter and has brought her new boyfriend along for the ride. 'They seemed blissfully happy and were strolling along holding hands. EXCL Zoe Ball finds love again with Fatboy Slim lookalike as new couple are spotted holding hands at Glastonbury 'She was really smiling at him as they walked along and he was very protective of Zoe and put his hand across her back. 'People were doing double takes at her bloke though because he looks a lot like Fatboy. It's so great to see Zoe smiling again.' Last month Zoe hinted she had met someone new amid rumours of a reconciliation with Fatboy. During an interview with Roisin Conaty, Zoe mentioned 'my fella' as they were chatting between songs. This is Zoe's first serious relationship since the end of her five-year relationship with Michael Reed in 2023. 4
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Zoe Ball goes live from Glastonbury in BBC Radio 2 return alongside Brandi Carlile after being spotted looking 'blissfully happy' with mystery man
Zoe Ball returned to BBC Radio 2 live from Glastonbury this weekend after she was spotted looking 'blissfully happy' with a mystery man. In snaps shared on the official station's Instagram, the presenter, 54, posed with American singer Brandi Carlile, with the pair in hysterics together. Another photo showed Zoe with BBC Radio 6 DJ Matt Everitt, as the duo cosied up for a snap. Zoe wore a Beastie Boys top and seemed in high spirits as she enjoyed downtime backstage with fellow stars. It comes hours after she appeared to be holding hands with a man who strikes a remarkable resemblance to ex husband Norman Cook whilst at the music event at Worthy Farm. In snaps obtained by The Sun, Zoe cut a casual figure in a black ensemble while shielding her eyes behind shades. Her companion, who was tall and boasted salt and pepper hair just like Fatboy Slim, 61, held her hand as they made their way through Worthy Farm's VIP area. An onlooker told the publication: 'Zoe is down at Glastonbury as a punter and has brought her new boyfriend along for the ride, they seemed blissfully happy and were strolling along holding hands.' 'People were doing double takes at her bloke though because he looks a lot like Fatboy. It's so great to see Zoe smiling again,' they added. MailOnline have contacted Zoe's reps for comment. Zoe and Norman, who share son Woody, 24, and daughter Nelly, 14, announced their split in 2016 after 17 years together, before finalising their divorce in 2020. Zoe continues to have a close relationship with Norman and is thought to have sold her £2million country home in Sussex to move to a townhouse between Brighton and Hove, close to where he lives. Both Zoe and Norman are now teetotal having admitted issues with alcohol and both had stints in rehab. Norman previously credited his former wife for keeping him down to earth when he was at the height of his fame. He told the Changes podcast: 'One thing I did have to keep a lid on during that crazy time was my ego. 'While you've got licence to break rules, you've always got a lot of people who'll let you get away with murder. 'Zoe was really good for me for that, because she knew the fame game and we would sort of check each other. 'If I wasn't respectful to people, she'd go: ''Oi, come on, that's not how we behave! Go back and thank them for that''. 'We were both quite good at keeping each other's feet on the ground. Because it's hard when everyone's saying: 'Here, have this, take this, drink this, you're brilliant.' 'It's hard to keep some kind of limit and say: 'I am actually a human being, not a superstar.' I think we probably saved each other a lot of bother.' In 2016, Norman said he was still mending his 'wounded heart' more than two years after his break-up with Zoe. At the time, Zoe had moved on with boyfriend Michael Reed and the DJ at the time ruled out dating as his 'heart's not ready' to find love again. 'I'm single, I'm definitely not on Tinder,' he told the Daily Star at the time. 'It's been 18 years since I was in this situation, I've forgotten what the rules are. My heart's not ready. My heart is still wounded to be honest.' Norman and Zoe began their romance in 1997 after they met in Ibiza and they married two years later at Babington House in Somerset. They split briefly in 2003 when it emerged she had an affair with a close friend of her husband's DJ Dan Peppe. Following the revelation, Norman said he still loved Zoe and would take her back, as long as she promised never to see Peppe again. The Praise You hitmaker confessed at the time: 'I still love her. If you love someone you'll forgive them. 'I've spoken to her today and she is genuinely remorseful.' In September 2016 they announced their separation for good, nine months after Zoe was seen embracing Franklin Lake singer Tay Tay Starhz, 22, at the December 2015 festive wrap party for Strictly Come Dancing's BBC2 spin-off show It Takes Two. In a joint statement, the pair wrote: 'With great sadness we are announcing that we have separated.' Following the breakdown of her marriage to Fatboy Slim, Zoe found love again with her partner Billy Yates, who took his own life in May 2017. After a long battle with depression, Billy, 40, took his own life in May 2017 at his home in Putney, London. The Radio 2 presenter previously told how she felt 'really grateful' he had said goodbye to her the last time she saw him.
