Fatboy Slim's world tour landed at Glenelg Beach in Adelaide (1 February) amidst a weekend of stormy weather that nearly threatened cancellation or change of location.
The rain caused flooding across the state, but dissipated enough on the day to give event organisers the confidence to go on.Playing a day rave in stormy weather is a tough gig, but it’s one that Sydney’s Love Deluxe leaned in to despite having techs on stage sweeping away pools of water. He rolled out a mix of good-time lounge tracks and solid house music that on a sunny day would’ve set the scene for picnic blankets and ciders on the sand.
Instead, the majority of ticket holders were waiting out the weather at local bars while a hardcore 20 or so people stood to dance at the front of stage. Among them, local icon Johnny Haysman was bringing the smiles and loving the sounds in his trademark hula-hoop, shorts and bright vest.
By the time Icarus hit the stage hints of blue skies pushed through the storm clouds and the crowds started to come out of the woodwork, a little boozed and ready to party. Their set delivered the goods, with a smooth groove and a nod to the 'older' audience bringing in ‘Wrong’ by Everything But The Girl mid set.
It’s been a while since I lived the ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’ lifestyle, but this show was one that hit just right with the older party crew. Gen X of Adelaide had locked in babysitters and came out in full force to re-live the adventures of their younger days.
2manydjs were always going to be the perfect warm-up to the main event. Their skill in putting together a mix that hits the right vibe is notorious.
With the skies clearing and the crowd building they rode the wave of anticipation with non-stop bangers, taking us through solid house tracks like ‘Pump Up The Jam’, the cheesy as hell ‘Love Is In The Air’ and the solid groove of Talking Heads ‘Once In A Lifetime’ which drew more than a few cheers.
Bringing things a little closer to the present they ended the set with a long play of the Soulwax remix of Tame Impala’s ‘Let It Happen’. Radio Soulwax and 2manydjs mixes have been a staple of my listening over the years, so it was a highlight to see them in action wearing smooth lounge suits and working the peaks and troughs of the music with ease.
Just after the sun set, on what had become the perfect evening for a dance party, it was time for Fatboy Slim to deliver a masterclass in crowd control.
From the first beat drop and manic flash of crazed clownish eyes on screen, Norman Cook had us in the palm of his hand and didn’t let go. The heady mix of the pounding bass of ‘Eat Sleep Rave Repeat’, pulsating and manic imagery, and Cook himself singing along was mind-meltingly good and set the pace for the ride we were on for the next hour and a half.
He quickly checked off classic tracks, teasing and blending samples and videos seamlessly, reminding the crowd of the sheer volume of breakthrough songs he has to his name. All the while, the energy that he brought to the stage was beyond impressive. He didn’t falter for a minute and clearly fed off of the crowd’s energy, who in turn were soaking up the vibes he was giving out.
The hit records kept spinning with the unforgettable ‘Star 69’ transitioning into Run DMC’s ‘It’s Like That’ and back again.
A moment of absolute genius and my musical highlight was blending Childish Gambino’s ‘This Is America’ with Fisher’s ‘Losing It’. All the while, the visuals showed morphing faces, ecstasy pills, Norman Cook’s bare torso and much, much more while lasers and strobes flashed out across the beach.
It was a hallucinatory and all-encompassing experience. Exactly what we came for.
Time stood still while time flew. Nearing the end of the set the screen lit up with Greta Thunberg’s UN Climate Action Summit address, which morphed seamlessly into ‘Right Here, Right Now’ with the crowd shouting the words to the sky.
This was quickly followed by ‘Praise You’, with Cook praising the crowd and saying his goodbyes before picking us up with the grooves of ‘Rockefeller Skank’ and The Rolling Stones ‘Satisfaction’ to wrap up the night and leave the crowd wanting more, but simultaneously feeling very, very satisfied.
There’s no doubt that Fatboy Slim is still at the top of his game. He re-defined the experience of a DJ set while doing the thing he’s been doing best for decades: playing expertly chosen records, controlling the rise and fall of energy and emotion, and creating an atmosphere of pure joy.
