The Day Fatboy Slim Narrowly Avoided Disaster

Factual America

Right Here, Right Now represents a beginning and an end. As director Jak Hutchcraft tells Matthew Sherwood, the film is his directorial debut. A concert, like the one that forms the film’s subject, however, will likely never be repeated in the UK again.

The year is 2002. Superstar DJ Fatboy Slim (Norman Cook) has decided to put on a free concert at Brighton beach. The authorities expected “around 50,000 people to attend” explains Jak. On the day, however, 250,000 fans crowd onto the beach.

The police are overwhelmed. On a hot summer’s day, the concert is surely heading for disaster. In the event, though, there are a total of just six arrests and one death – a tragic accident after the event.

Matthew and Jak discuss how Cook went from being a member of 80s pop band, The Housemartins, to being a DJ, and one of the biggest stars not only in the UK, but also America. They discuss his musical genius, looking at one of Cook’s most famous songs, Rockefeller Skank.

At the heart of their conversation, however, is the free concert on Brighton beach: how it nearly didn’t happen, the trauma it caused those tasked with policing it, and the impact it had on Brighton and Brightonians – an impact that is still being felt today.

Matthew discovers that Jak used to be a youth worker. Redundancy made him look at where his career was going – where he wanted it to go. Ultimately, his questioning brought him to Right Here, Right Now, and the concert of a lifetime.

Watch the episode at https://factualamerica.com

“[Fatboy Slim’s free concert] changed people's lives... It changed dance culture and club culture and electronic music. It changed that forever, especially in the UK, [as well as] perceptions of our DJs and what they can do.” – Jak Hutchcraft

Resources:

Right here, Right now The MovieMaker Podcast Innersound Audio Alamo Pictures

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