Brighton Beach, 27th September 2008

Question: How many people can be crammed into the narrow space that is Madeira Drive? Answer: Too bloody many. Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, don’t get me wrong, but not when extreme pushing and shoving from the 20,000 crowd is the price to pay. Like fenced-in sheep the best thing to do was take the rough with the smooth and enjoy the show.

Support acts The Whip, Layo & Bushwacka! and particularly Danny Tenaglia did a great job of getting the crowd going and there was a genuine buzz in the atmosphere to complement that of the chest-thudding bass. Beardyman and JFB were simply amazing – I’ve seen some MCs over the past few years, but I couldn’t quite believe that what I was hearing was coming directly from one person’s mouth. The sun was shining, the drinks were flowing and the party was starting.

When the opening keys of a remixed “Praise You” came blasting through the speakers and a unanimous cheer followed, it was clear that Fatboy was here. During the set he threw in classics like “Right Here Right Now”, “Gangster Trippin”, “Star 69” and “Fucking in Heaven” as well as remixes from other artists such as The Chemical Brothers “Hey Boy Hey Girl” and “Block Rockin’ Beats”.

Although the screen was mostly used for gimmicks – such as a naked portrait of the iconic obese bloke – it was also used to escalate the atmosphere. Footage of Brighton & Hove Albion’s victory over Manchester City got the crowd going and a screening of the remixed Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip’s “Thou Shalt Always Kill” got a respectful silence and full attention.

Despite the crowd admiration, Fatboy didn’t quite live up to the hype and to be honest I started to get a bit bored. Predictably, House of Pain’s “Jump Around” was sampled and a new track featuring Iggy Pop dragged. A finale including “Love is in the Air” came across as laughable and I began to feel like I was being subjected to a drunk uncle taking the mic at a family wedding reception. Sorry Norman, but this was one beach party that started well and went slowly downhill and to be honest I’d have rather seen Beardyman as the closing act.

Words by Amy Rutter
Photographs by Sam Hiscox