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There had been some questions surrounding Fatboy Slim’s sobriety on his recent Australian tour headlining the Good Vibrations Festival, and those suspicions have been soundly confirmed with news coming through that he’s checked himself into rehab upon his return to the UK.
Otherwise known as Norman Cook, reports emerged that the colourful character entered a specialist clinic on Monday, and it has now been confirmed by his manager Gary Blackburn. “Norman’s gone in voluntarily to sort out his drinking problem,” he said. Cook has been a figure for tabloid gossip ever since his marriage to media identity Zoe Ball, so it’s no surprise that British newspaper The Sun are all over the story. “Norman decided that the only way to kick his booze addiction for good was to check himself into a clinic,” an unnamed ‘source’ was quoted. “He chose the centre in the South of England because it gets good results and is in a quiet location.”
inthemix.tv interviewed the legendary DJ and producer backstage at the Sydney leg of Good Vibes – one of his last interviews before checking in to rehab – and you can check out the conversation in part 1 of the episode here, and also the extended interview here.
Brenton_2e says...
his set sounded like 2 songs in a dishwasher at melbourne GVF
KEEK says...
bwahahaha
bj9999 says...
DRINKING problem?
Patopeaking says...
He is a sick Dj i love his music
NenadB says...
Lol @ drinking problem .. more like Drug problem!
whitey995 says...
"drinking problem".... a bit generious doesn;'t make him less of a dj
Boastie says...
Norman Cook is very renowed for dinking behind the decks....not drugs!! A bottle of smirnoff mixed with OJ is always on hand. Good on him for doing this, Zoe is prob glad too!!
matzta73 says...
Everyone has there ups and downs... I know if I was making as much money as Fatboy, I would be too professional to get caught up in all the bullshit!!!!
jamesT13 says...
i went 2 sydney.. it was wet and i had a great day.. untill fatboy. i stayed all of 1min then went and saw deadmau5 and honestly he made good vibes this year!!!
GrandMasterJ says...
in Perth I walked past 4 about 5 mins (would have stayed longer but was lost trying to find eftpos!!!)
DjTriKen says...
i agree with matzta73. i for one at the gold coast concert absolutley loved his set... it wasnt meant to be clean or a cutting edge mix. yes the rain pelted down so hard his serato charged vinyl faulted a number of times. but we didnt care, i didnt care, i was there seeing one of my favourite DJ producers ever, he played his songs and others, came out into the crowd waving around about a dozen times. thats entertainment, thats a performer, hes an icon of the dj world and i have a huge amount of respect for norman. get better soon mate, were all behind you.
bushdoof says...
i thought an international dj would actually dj, anyone can play a pre recorded song, which is what it looked like he was doing, when he wasn't prancing round the stage! wish i hadn't wasted time on him. like his music, but best to just buy the cd! (didn't look drunk either (something else?), and heard rumour he wouldn't play at perth gv if there were sniffer dogs-no drugs for his act!)
Middy1986 says...
Boastie - more like good on him for wasting peoples money
Edstacee says...
Right about now..the drunk old brother.. Checkin in now...the drunk old brother..
Chicane97 says...
I hope things work out for him - good on him for having the guts to go to the clinic and get better!
barralupo says...
Ha, if fatboy was only on screwdrivers at good vibes im going out to buy a few litres of OJ and vodka this arvo! that said i loved his set at GV in melb even if the only mixing he was doing was his drinks!!
mestiza_83 says...
He "use" to be a great dj....but lets face it, the dude is gettin old and indeed losing his grip on his career.I saw him a couple of yrs back at summerdayze...was pumped and found my spot front and centre of main stage at the beginning of the festival anticipating a mad performance from him. Verdict?SHIT!i was so disappointed!There was even a point where he was "boo'd" i will never pay money to go see him again...they get paid the big bucks for a reason and he shld live up to the expectations of his fans....alcoholic or not =P
hilekonu says...
"Drinking" problem, eh? Ha. I thought his set on the Gold Coast was great. Sure, the mixing wasn't flawless, but the tunes were awesome, he wrote hilarious signs to thank us for rocking out in the rain, and he sure put on a good show. I know that's what I pay my money for.
hamo32 says...
I was disappointed with his set at Melbourne, although I had fun, it could have been any dj up there, there was absolutely nothing special about his set. Still had to see him though, never had before.
carissa84 says...
hahahaha to Edstacee's comment- gold!! look, i went to the GC GV and he was to say the least, disappointing! i was that excited to see him play- i was that over excited puppy that runs around the house jumping on all the furniture, redlining and sliding over the tiles, pissing itself!! haha i have loved his work since the start but seriously when ur getting that sort of money and being put up all over the world with people bowing down to ur feet you could probably get off ur high horse for 20 minutes and do what ur bein paid to do..his vinyl was playing up like a 2 dollar watch and the set he played was totally random! not impressed FBS!!! man up son, rehab's been done!!
aangee says...
he was always overhyped and old and BORING. good vibes itself was a massive disappointment - after the roots pulled out (for a crap reason too) they should have offered refunds. $100 for an old man who has now confirmed he is a druggie, and the presets who would play shopping centre openings if they had the chance. not worth it, good vibes!
msle9083 says...
He is washed up, Just like the weather that day at Good Vibes
SLIDINGDOORS says...
We were at the Gold Coast gig and honestly up until the flash flood he played really well. we had a ball unfortunatley we had to float back to the bus as the rain was rediculous and the water half way up our shins. needless to so we were disapointed with monther natures efforts rather than Norman Cooks. life turns in funny cicles and if a stint in re-hab gets my DJ up and running again I'm all for it!!!!
Stasia84 says...
He was a total disappointment. I stood in the rain for hours waiting for him and he could barely get his S*%t together. He is totally dead to me.... he played 'love is in the air' then pranced around the stage like a ball bag...what the F**k??? We paid to see him play an awesome set not to be a joker! DEAD TO ME!
Jenabean says...
I was appalled. Honestly - his pathetic performance (Syd) was money-back worthy. He may be a party boy, but he is still an 'artist' who is paid big bucks to be a professional. His set was worse than when my Dad has a few too many sherry's and decided to play some of the old fave's - complete with the deafening silences inbetween. He could get a job on 2UE radio station! I don't wish him well in his recovery that WE are paying for..he's been in the game too long and needs to man up and be a professional - and give the audience what we paid to see. I am still furious. He was off chops (did he forget the enormous screens that showed every nuance of his face/behaviour?) SHAME!
siamese1 says...
I went to the melb gv and have to say I thought he rocked it! The crowd were all clearly having a great time, yea he looked trashy but who are the ppl judging him for this? Patrons of these festvals who get trashy too!? I wish him all the best for his rehabilitation
kimberleigh says...
We have renamed him Shit Boy Slim. I will never make another attempt to see him again. Thank god The Pharcyde rocked it... Peace
Kerri Jones says...
I believe the promotor is responsible. We paid for a ticket to see a show and I, inparticular, bought the ticket purely to see FBS. Now, if he is incapable to completing his set, surely we should all be refunded a portion of our ticket price or given a discount to next years festival. Take any other situation where you buy something and it is not delivered....a refund, credit or compensation is always offered - by law! The promotors should then be able to get back their HUGE amount of $$$ that they then paid FBS to perform (or not perform in this case).
bonzarelli says...
I've seen him a few times over the years and as a GV headliner it was a very average show. And to top it off, what's this with not being allowed to bring in bottled water and then having to pay through the nose for it?! Good Vibes organisers can go f--k themselves, won't be wasting me hard earned $$ next year.
Bognashavin says...
Fatboy was just the excremental icing on a cake of clusterfark. Goodvibes is no longer good or vibey, and much better is expected for a major summer festival with an allegedly world class DJ, it was beyond crap it was insulting.
RickJamesBitch says...
booze.......and all the other crap that he takes!!
Deception says...
I dont care that his set went to shit at Sydney Good Vibes and that i paid good money to see him. I've seen him a few times now and have never expected to see brilliant mixing skills or a set that went with glitches and faults, I've always gone for his cheesy character and to watch him have fun and get drunk... thats what i find entertaining in Fatboy! Old and over it or not, the man is a legend who i respect for all he has done in music, i wish him well!
Donny69 says...
I don't know why everybody is so surprised at how awful he was at GV - he's been doing crap shows for years. I've seen him a couple of times and each time I've been left disappointed. Its like he doesn't give a damn about the punters who pay for his lifestyle. Anyways I hope he gets better in every way
djal says...
promoters shouldn't pay these dj's if they go on stage drunk or drug f#%ked. if i rocked up to work drunk i would get fired so why not him. Sick of paying good money to watch these events and the acts not performing simply because they are drunk or on drugs. eg last years headline act for gvf , you would'tn see armin or teisto playing off their chops..
adamphetamine says...
c'mon guys. He's a DJ in the classic sense. If you want to see mad skillz then go somewhere else, what you should expect is a lively show, great track selection and little or no beat mixing. I have no idea if you got that because I wasn't there, but I did see him about 20 years ago in a pub in Parramatta, when he was in Beats International. So that must count?
Pinky is da Brain says...
I went to Perth GVF and I thought fatboy was amazing... Everyone in Perth had oviously heard the stories about his performance in the other cities but he really cleaned his act up in Perth..... Deadmau5 and Stanton Warriors also topped the day......
thebeerbaron says...
fatboy slim was a big beat legend, he should never have turned himself into a crappy electro house dj.... of course he was messed up u have to be to enjoy that crap music, hopefully rehab cleans him up..... either that or he should change his name already an f@!* off
elmonkeyboy says...
Fatboy Slim was brilliant at GVF Perth. Obviously stayed sober for that one.
djschultzy says...
what a fucking tossa. total waste of space..........
PokRdoT says...
I did not see him but wish him all the best in his recovery. Addiction of any kind is a hard thing to admit and do something about, especially with the international music scene watching and judging your every move.
TashaLosan says...
From what I heard on the Gold Coast as I was leaving in the torrential rain, Fatboy was average. Nothing new and exciting. So didnt bother me so much that it was raining. Fatboy has had his days.
nearly_ says...
left deadmau5 for 5 min to go see fatboy who has been a hero of mine in the DJ world since the early 90s. heard him drop "Jump Around" - the most overplayed, trite bollocks of a song and decided quickly to go back to the mau5 house. That song is what you pull out when you play a wedding reception for 50 guests NOT A F'ING $200-a-ticket FESTIVAL!!! Asshole!
mattmcshane says...
I find it amazing a dj that managed to pull off one big gig (Brighton) years ago, is still headlining festivals around the world! The Brighton gig made him famous due to the huge numbers of people that showed. The main reason being it was free of charge! Since then he's been traveling the world headlining gigs, putting on awful shows - jease he played Xpress2 - Lazy at summerdayze 2 years ago. If any other dj played that tine (which was 3 years old by then) they would have been boo'd off the stage - but for some reason its ok for him?! And whats with all that knob twisting!! Sorry if this is a bit harsh, but its twice now he's headlined over here - and he's been shite both times! RETIRE!!
lottsmike says...
I've been following his releases for over ten years, this was my first chance to see him, apart from the dramatic down pore at parklands, he was as good as I thought he would be...still a hero
blokeism says...
Yeah deadmau5 should have played main stage. He killed Fat boy! Was a way better set! the organizes should of spread the internationals set times out better they really stuffed up. Disappointed!
yanixs says...
fat boy slim playd an epic set.my problems is with the gvf.sort ur fucking set times out dick heads!
amz_mac says...
I loved his Sydney set most people who kept saying he was bad were 18 year olds who wouldn't know a good Dj from a bad one the new generation of electro lovers are use to seeing Dj's press play on a cd and they think they are good simply because they are playing the songs that everyone plays after being at the fest all day and hearing MGMT 6 times it was nice to hear a dj who was still so in touch with music enough to use turntables and anyone who has dj this way would know its not as easy as pulling a song from a laptop! I loved his set and his behavior made me realise how much he loves being in front of a crowd dancing to his music!! he also loved the tracks he was playing and thats what makes a Dj PASSION and the LOVE OF THE MUSIC! I don't know any Dj's who don't drink or take drugs the problem was there are too many people who go to these fests to take drugs not for the music!! Wish you all the best Norman Xx
bongboy28 says...
Now if he just sorts out his raging Coke problem he might produce some decent music again. Cause he was fucking terrible at Good Vibes grinding off his chops.
bennine123 says...
I went to GC Vibs just for Fatboy Slim, I'm well
lisapaterson says...
I absolutly loved fatboy slim and as for the problems, what could you expect when his whole record collection got stolen from backstage at sydney .. for the rest of the tour he did the best he could given the circumstances and i thought he did a brilliant job!! Most entertaining dj i've seen!!
gennaiafebbraio says...
Poor Fat Boy Slim. Alcoholism is a progressive disease and it's obviously his time to turn his life around now. It's a hard road. God Bless 'Im!
claritus888 says...
If he did get his full collection stolen backstage at the sydney show, that would explain the Perth show I guess. He may have appeared a bit below average, but was not anywhere near as bad as Prodigy at the Perth BDO. Now that was dodgy!
wazwaz says...
well he better come back to the gold coast and finish the set that the rain destroyed at good vibes 09!!!! that rain was insane in the membrane ;)
natty91 says...
i went to the syd GV, rained all day but still managed to have a great day until fatboys decks fucked up, i felt so sorry for him but i couldnt help feel disappointed and quite frankly pissed off, i was standing there in my feral poncho hopeing it would get better but it didnt, i wish i bailed when he played the beach boys to catch deadmau5...GV is a shit festival i've been many times b4 and said to myself i wouldnt go again but the only reason i did was for fatboy and it wasnt worth it.
Livenup says...
Went to melb GV, and never intended to see fatboy, especially with his set clashing with deadmau5. After summadayze a few years back which was fairly dissapointing... The man is a great producer though, i'll give him that, but his dj sets aren't much chop, even if the visuals are sick... For anyone who didn't see Deadmau5, you truly missed out, the atmosphere in that tent was electric and I'm sure he lived up to everyone's expectations... Deadmau5 in da hau5
mapedrini says...
Look at this, hon!!!
Beckstar77 says...
his melb set was the most disappointing part of my day even though I'd lost all my friends and my phone! I stayed, met a really nice guy who took me to dance to presets and they were just as bad as fatboy! I then lost the nice boy who looked after me and stayed to see fatboy play a completely self indulged set! His dvd of his concert free on Brighton Beach is one of the best I've ever seen and his set didn't even resemble any of that! He didn't even play my favourite songs, just little snippets of good songs and the rest was crap! He was too busy looking fucked up into the camera to play a good set! Good Vibes in general was crap, future wasn't much better and I'm now out of raves forever! I've been partying at raves for 8 years and they are so commercial and everyone is out to get more fucked up than the next that they are so not worth the money anymore!!!!!!!!!! Bring back the little intimate raves at altona etc they were rocking! Never again for me unless I take my little sister as her 18th birthday present in a year and a half!!!!!!!
Paul L says...
This just proves that Good Vibrations has to some extent lost it's way much in the same way Vibes on a Summer's Day lost it's way with overpriced big commercial acts that do stuff like this and disappoint. I am just glad that the Roots stage provided proper musical quality that celebrated art aand all that is good about music. Dwele (despite his DJ's laptop crashing [Perth show] [perhaps his DJ needs to go back to the roots and use two turntables and start doing Hip Hop properly], then the Pharcyde demonstrated that an act despite alleged issues can still produce a stellar performance, followed by the legendary Q-Tip which was something to behold and something that will never be forgotten by those who saw it. It's a shame that the rest of it was generic MOS rubbish that is undefinable in genre. Finally if I hear another DJ play Jump Around by House of Pain or an AC/DC track just because we are from Australia it is just BORING. So yes Fatboy Slim I hope you get better soon because it at least means I can watch those acts that are genuine in wishing to express their musical artforms in peace knowing that every musclebound meathead in a tight fluro pink shirt and little denim shorts is off watching you with the rest of those who don't know no better.