"You the man, Fatboy! You the man!" scream a large group of fans who - unlike the hundreds left queueing outside EC1's former meat storage plant - are privileged enough to see a rare set by Brighton's burning superstar, Norman Cook. Fabric, often described as Britain's best club, is tonight host to Fatboy's launchpad, the Big Beat Boutique, joined by Northern nutty club, Bugged Out! in a head to head collision.
Coming on after the Lo Fi All Stars' DJ, British clubland's most famous father-to-be starts up the pace with Leftfield and John Lydon's 'Open Up'. An electro-rage onslaught soon sets in as the man formerly known as Quentin starts to rock it. 'Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars' drops to a friendly entourage which is a third London, a third Japan, a third Brightonian and mainly student.
Sir Slim slams Grandma Funk's 'Shakin' That Ass' levering in the odd slice of deep house and heavier techno but only in best Boutique fashion and only in the most honourably-squidgy, 303-rounded, extra-funktastic stylee that Norm is master of. And it's not only the crowd that are going for it.
It's a two hour set and in the VIP room upstairs, Noel Gallagher proves that it's not only his wife that likes a good party. Arthur Baker (producer of any hip-hop original you care to mention) boogies with the good times, taking a break from his pool hall/clubs The Elbow Rooms; and, schmoozing at the bar, any member of the London phat beat collectives do their Praising You to the lord of chart topping sample craziness.
Norman Cook, who earlier arrived from a bender in Nottingham via the studios of TFI Friday, sticks his hands up in the air and lets the crowd swing jubilant. Djing like a DJ rather than an album promoting pop star Fatboy takes it a bit dirtier, whamming out the odd Acid Trax-type old school number alongside more modern techno.
As the disco ambulance sounds whirr through the dancefloor the crowd are most definitely up for it as the girls scream "You rule!" Fatboy's not a bad DJ. Bringing on some greedy pig of a bassline it's not surprising everyone thinks he's number one.
IMAGES: CHARLIE FREED
