OT: FatBoySlim at Virgin V Festival

2kilo · Post by **2kilo** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:27 am

This weekend I saw FatBoySlim DJ'ing on the TV for the fourth or fifth time... I've never experienced him live or ever wanted to after seeing him on the TV the first time...

BUT
-I have never seen him beatmatch
-I've heard him trainwreck blendable tracks/intro's
-Seems to just snap the next track across [most mixes]
-He waves his hands around the whole time
-Sometimes there are no monitors
-Plays 5yr old tunes no one spun when first released [bad enough then]
-Yet certain newspaper's call him a "SuperStar DJ"
-He makes me angry

I have no respect for him as a DJ, I've never seen him show any of the skills a good club DJ would have/need. Yet he still gets top billing...

I would have more respect for him if he rolled up, with a few laptops, some bongo players, backing singers, etc and played his own material... Or if he stated "FatBoySlim Presents" and showcased DJ/musical guests that actually had some DJ talent...

His present "superstar" status blocks others from coming to the fore, others with talent, with skills that took years to acquire. I don't include myself [just a hobby] but there are real performers out there, known and unknown... I'm not into hip hop but some outfits like the Scratch Perverts would give a performance...?

People need to be educated, he needs to be told that his "act" only fools a few [all of the time]...? His "performance" is damaging to the DJ genre...?

ct43 · Post by **ct43** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:32 am

Skill is percieved but popularity is fact.

I wouldnt let it bother you mate... the people that want something differant/better/more will always seek it out.

Having said that... one of the most enjoyable sets I ever heard was by FBS about 7 years ago...

forge · Post by **forge** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:36 am

I've always taken his trainwrecking thing to be a quite deliberate thing so as to take away the emphasis on mixing and just play the big up an attem tunes

I saw him at that brighton thing when there was a quarter of a million people there - that was an awesome experience to be had just for the event - the after wards whn all the beach fires and thousands of people still around and the welsh guy with the big bag of yummy pills

I somehow managed to accidentally bump into people I knew in that huge crowd

fun day, and night

ct43 · Post by **ct43** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:39 am

yeah when i heard him play... it was just pure party tunes all the way... was more interesting to me then hearing the same techno record for 2 hours I can tell you that!

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 10:45 am

As a musician/producer hes brilliant. Ive seen him live at bestival and was really dissapointed but he plays party tunes for sure which isnt all bad. The 'on the floor at the boutique' mix cd was ace though I loved that and still do!!

For me though if you want party DJ's it would be 2manyDJ's for me all the way! Hmmm or DJ Yoda, or coldcut or Mr Scruff or Kid Koala

2kilo · Post by **2kilo** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:36 am

yeah I just get annoyed by the coverage he gets...?
He has a chance to bring new/old talent forward...?

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:41 am

DJing ain't exactly rocket science. It's all about playing somebody else's music.

Put on a decent track, wave your hands in the air, and the music does the rest.

IMO, lack of beatmatching is basically irrelevant to everyone except the other DJs in the crowd.

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:41 am

I wondered for ages why he didnt do a live set of his material, his setup is very bedroom which is cool, but he uses atari st's still he has old ones he buys when he sees them so that he has spares. A ludite really but if it works for him then I understand

I wonder if this is why? I mean performing shouldnt be an issue hes performed as beats international and was it the house martins he was in?

One thing I would say he doesnt treat the fans badly, at bestival he was walking around chatting having photos taken and not being a twunt at all.

bensuthers · Post by **bensuthers** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:42 am

were people dancing?

THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.

fatboy is awesome. I've seen people play the same music and have boring, aweful nights. I've also seen him play it, and watched people dance all night.

nothing wrong with that.

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:46 am

bensuthers wrote:were people dancing?

THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS.

fatboy is awesome. I've seen people play the same music and have boring, aweful nights. I've also seen him play it, and watched people dance all night.

nothing wrong with that.

its horses for courses for sure but when you hear train wrecks and people do stop dancing thats a problem. I dont doubt the music is more important but playing to the crowd is important no doubt!

I think for me I dont mind a dj in a club and watching them etc, but centre stage is a bit odd it seems like a worship thing

AOnline · Post by **AOnline** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:55 am

But i have to mention that he does not consider himself to be a good skill dj. I read in several interviews that he sees himself as the entertaine, a party dj. When he was remixing Timo Maas and Maas did a remix of bird of prey, he said literally that he was the party man and maas the DJ.

So it is more with what attitude you go to such event. I like seeing and hearing him, nice and oldskool... whereas the focus is sometimes too much on droping the latest track... I consider it a treat to hear a few golden oldies from time to time.

I was at extrema last month and it was great to hear Timo Maas (his Shapeshifter track and hemical brothers' Hey Boy.. Hey girl) and Kleinenberg (Seb Fontains remix of Prodigy - Smack my bitch up) dropping some older tracks which are recognisable!

Thats just my point of view!

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 11:59 am

AOnline wrote:But i have to mention that he does not consider himself to be a good skill dj. I read in several interviews that he sees himself as the entertaine, a party dj. When he was remixing Timo Maas and Maas did a remix of bird of prey, he said literally that he was the party man and maas the DJ.

So it is more with what attitude you go to such event. I like seeing and hearing him, nice and oldskool... whereas the focus is sometimes too much on droping the latest track... I consider it a treat to hear a few golden oldies from time to time.

I was at extrema last month and it was great to hear Timo Maas (his Shapeshifter track and hemical brothers' Hey Boy.. Hey girl) and Kleinenberg (Seb Fontains remix of Prodigy - Smack my bitch up) dropping some older tracks which are recognisable!

Thats just my point of view!

absloutly , I love his choices and his mentality I think I'd rather go to a club for that than watch a man on the stage spin records though.

RePeter · Post by **RePeter** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:04 pm

His AV shows are awsome.
At glasto' last year he gave out these psychadelic specs and had his decks set up right in the middle of a HUGE monitor.

If it wasn't so muddy i would have had the time of my life.

Nav · Post by **Nav** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:09 pm

RePeter wrote:His AV shows are awsome.
At glasto' last year he gave out these psychadelic specs and had his decks set up right in the middle of a HUGE monitor.

If it wasn't so muddy i would have had the time of my life.

Sounds cool Ive only ever seen a camera pointed on him, again giving more focus to him and him doing his writing on record and holding them up to the camera whilst drinking a vodka and orange

djarum · Post by **djarum** » Mon Aug 21, 2006 12:15 pm

if you find yourself Dead and hearing slogans like...

* WAR IS PEACE
* FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
* IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

...its likely Fat Boy is at the controls.