In recent years, the Forestry Commission’s series of Forest Live events has become increasingly a part of the summer gig circuit, with policies that allow gig goers to bring their own food and booze, easy access and car parks run with military efficiency that have you out of the venue and clear of the site in a matter of minutes, its easy to see why, so as soon as Fatboy Slim was announced for my local venue, Cheshire’s beautiful Delamere Forest, I jumped at the chance.
We were graced with a truly stunning summer’s evening, and as we made our way through the ten thousand-strong crowd gathered for the midsummer night rave, it was clear it wouldn’t be the first time many had come to rave in these woods. Whilst these days it may well be an exquisitely organised ‘Forest Live’ event, rather than some impromptu early 90’s car park rave after a night at Legends, within minutes of Norman Cook taking the stage, the whole place is having it like they did when they were kids.
Not that this was any nostalgia trip for veteran ravers…the event was as multi-generational as it was multi-media, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who has witnessed the genius of a Fatboy show.
From the opening chimes of ‘Pure Imagination’ from the Wonka soundtrack right through to The Beatles, The End, this was one hell of a show. Visually, the show is every bit as stunning as Cook’s faultless selections, and as for his technical skills as a DJ, well, this isn’t just some old bloke playing records. In a time when technology makes it ‘easy to be a DJ’, Norman Cook proves that heart and soul will always prevail. It’s one thing to be technical, but to lead the crowd as he does, through highs and lows, teasers, drops and breathers, Cook is a musician at his absolute zenith. As Jimi Hendrix and John Bonham are to guitar and drums, Cook is to turntables.
The two-hour set covers everything. Every genre is here, from 90s rave, hip hop, big beat, trance,… all of it. No genre or sub-genre is off limits…all mashed up with the relentless energy of that mad uncle who can’t play you all his favourite records fast enough. All of his own material is here and constantly teased throughout the night. But the biggest moment of the night is Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’. As the opening chords drop, there isn’t a single pair of hands not thrown skywards and to mash it up with The Killers ‘Mr Brightside’, having the crowd chant along as if Flowers et al had just walked on stage, well that is just something else altogether.
The night wraps up with the submime ‘Satisfaction Skank’ as we are sent home with the night’s messages of We came to Dance, Love will always Conquer Hate, Eat Sleep Rave Repeat, Drop Acid Not Bombs burnt into our subconsciousness. The world needs more of this.
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