Fatboy Slim unveils memoir It Ain’t Over: A candid look at four decades of chaos
A floor-to-ceiling slideshow of colour-drunk photography plays out on the walls behind Fatboy Slim at his book launch. It Ain’t Over… ‘Til the Fatboy Sings – the equal-parts memoir, photography collection and scrapbook documenting the 40-year-long career of DJ Norman Cook – is tantalisingly fun.
To celebrate its release, fellow DJ and presenter Sarah Story hosts a Q&A, encouraging the Praise You producer to share juicy backstage anecdotes. Cook jokingly suggests Howard Stern enjoyed oral sex on the balcony during the Hammerstein Ballroom show in New York, and that the second Live on Brighton Beach in 2002 was so packed, he was told: “If this goes wrong you’ve got two Hillsboroughs on your hands”.
Cook relies on his team comically often to help him answer Story’s questions, because, he reveals, nobody can quite remember the specifics from those days. That said, the snippets we do get, aside from leaving us desperate for more, paint him as someone earnestly dedicated to his craft above all else. “Those days I was pretty wild. I got in all sorts of states, but with the DJing… I could kind of lock in and it was alright,” he admits.
Recollections include the moment the electronic music icon realised he had “made it” – spoiler alert: it involves a starstruck interaction with Paul McCartney. Story asks about an arrest, mentioned in the book, to which he responds, confused, “Which one?”. The moment in question occurred at a warehouse rave he attended aged 25. When the fun was broken up by police, Cook refused to leave, saying: “Oh, go on, fuck it arrest me then”. What followed is an amusing tale of legal miscommunication, handwritten apology letters and unattended court dates.
If this preview is anything to go by, It Ain’t Over… ‘Til the Fatboy Sings promises a moreish host of raucous soundbites.
Hattie Birchinall
is published by Rocket 88 Books at the hardback price of £40, with signature and ultimate editions also available at higher price points. For further information or to order, visit here.
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