Fatboy Slim on Wireless: 'I don't wanna be the DJ at a rock festival'

Speaking to DiS earlier today at the launch of this year’s Wireless Festival (details), event headliner Fatboy Slim admitted that he’d turned down offers to play Reading Festival five times in the past.

The DJ and former Housemartins man, real name Norman Cook, was keen to eulogise on the variety a festival could offer when those in attendance didn't have to commit themselves to four days of mud-sodden tentpole misery.

“That’s the beauty of it really,” mused Cook.

“It’s not part of the Wireless Festival so much – if they just said do you wanna play at the Wireless Festival – d’you know what I mean, I turned down Reading five times. I don’t wanna be the DJ at a rock festival.”

So what will he be? The DJ at a rock festival on the DJ day, or more accurately his set will consist of: “playing records, trying to make people have a party.”

Immense. Once again?

“Playing records, trying to make people have a party.”

What else? It is a rock festival, after all.

“Production-wise we’re gonna try and make it a little different. ‘Cause there’s only so much you can do as a DJ, initially we’ll try to keep it the same.”

Many of those coming away from Wireless last summer cited Daft Punk’s interstellar performance in Hyde Park as their favourite gig of the year. How will you follow that?

“I’m gonna have to go and watch the video of what they did, ‘cause I didn’t know anything about it – I was away last year – but I’ve been asked so many times 'how are you gonna follow Daft Punk'. What I’m gonna do is I’m gonna go away and study it… and do it better.”

Sneak.