Fatboy Slim is a Glastonbury veteran, with more Worthy Farm appearances under his belt than any other artist. The reason he keeps coming back? Because, he argues, Glastonbury is like no other festival.
The British DJ and producer, 60, made his debut at the storied event as under his real name, Norman Cook, playing bass with his former indie band, The Housemartins, who performed on the Pyramid Stage in 1986.
Ten years later, he adopted his Fatboy Slim moniker and achieved critical and commercial success with his debut album, Better Living Through Chemistry. This was followed by a string of hit records including You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby, and Palookaville.
Since his first appearance as Fatboy Slim in 1996, Cook has performed at every single Glastonbury festival, meaning this year will mark his 26th appearance.
Speaking to The Independent, Cook praised Glastonbury for retaining its independence and building up a devoted clientele of music lovers.
“I just really love it,” he said, “it’s as close to my [vision of a] utopian society [as I’ll get] because it hasn’t been tarnished by money.”
He continued: “It’s the same organisers and they’re not in it to make a profit like other festivals. If they do, they give it to charity”.
Last year, organisers revealed that Glastonbury Festival donated a record breaking £3.7m to good causes including charities Oxfam, Greenpeace and WaterAid.
Inside the festival’s programme, Cook is billed as a “big beat pioneer turned much-loved eclectic disc spinner... a regular Glastonbury treat”. Each year, he plays at least two or three sets, and once delivered a staggering six shows over four days.
Listing his favourite aspects about the legendary Worthy Farm event, he explained that it’s a place where people can live in the moment and look after one another.
“You get that glimpse of how beautiful the world can be if it wasn’t tainted by money, violence and ego,” he said.
Another perk of being an artist at Glastonbury, he said, is the fact that there are so many other acts all in one place, meaning it’s a rare opportunity to socialise and reconnect with old friends.
The festival is the birthplace of one of his most recent collaborations, “Praising You”, with pop star Rita Ora.
“That was a total Glastonbury thing, she was a fan of mine and she wanted to see my set then we started chatting,” Cook recalled.
Ora recently performed an exclusive stripped-back rendition of “Praising You” for The Independent’s series of live sessions, Music Box.
Glastonbury Festival 2024 takes place between 26 to 30 June. You can see the full lineup and set times here.
