Fatboy Slim’s aural postcard from the Brighton Beach is a pearl amidst pebbles

Live albums are strange kind of asylum, the most effective are simply reminders of individual experiences. No gripes about enjoying live albums of concerts we were not/couldn’t be at, such as The Who’s ‘Live At Leeds’, David Bowie’s ‘Stage’, Bauhaus’ ‘Press The Eject Button And Give Me The Tape’, Prince’s bootlegs, but mostly it is a nearly-new exercise, a vicarious enjoyment.

Fatboy Slim’s ‘Live On Brighton Beach’ is a fine example of his decknique, beats working insistently, topped with samples, sounds, noises, talk-bytes, fusing in others’ songs… Quentin Norman Cook is operating his decks skilfully, mixing diverse sounds into one aural entity that needs no Red Bull. He’s championed club culture for long, heralded it into the mainstream and his commercial success is richly merited in spite of the low-profile approach. ‘LoBB’ might also be instructive to all budding decknitians on how to pace-da-fadahs.

The last year’s show at the Brighton Beach attracted 35 thousand souls who apparently had grand time. Rare pauses between choons are equally shared by applause and boos, for variety of reasons like a safety announcement for people to move away from the sea edge, supposedly due to an incoming tide. (Ready to drown for pleasure as if there is nothing else?)

The selection on the night included Norm mixing Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ with his own ‘Right Here Right Now’, or Leftfield’s ‘Phat Planet’ with ‘Sunrise (Bird Of Prey)’, or Basement Jaxx’s ‘Where’s Your Head At?’… After the show FBS claimed it to be “the best gig ever”; it was so peaceful that it’s been nicknamed ‘Normstock’ and will become an annual event.

In essence Cook’s opus is no more than a deck-take of what Jean-Michelle Jarre used to do in the 1980s (requiring different substances); the FBS’ version has a function and it is not ‘(faux) art’ only, it is engaging and infinitely more enjoyable… But, unlike the Frenchman’s pretentious keyboard noodling, it can in no way stimulate narcolepsy… As far as live discs, the PBS’ one is easy to dig and jig to...

7.6/10

(SashaS)