Fatboy Slim: My music gives me a natural high

26 January 2017

Fatboy Slim says the "natural high" he gets from DJ-ing high is often mistaken for drug taking.

Fatboy Slim

The 53-year-old dance music legend - real name Norman Cook - has been a changed man since 2009 when he checked into a rehab facility to so he could beat his alcohol addiction which was spiralling out of control.

Although he is now almost eight years teetotal, when he performs his fans think he's indulged in booze of drugs because he's so energetic behind the decks but Cook insists it's just the music that is getting him going.

In an interview with the Metro newspaper, he said: "People are going, 'He reckons he doesn't do drugs anymore, look at him, he's off his nut!' Then they'll have a conversation about what drugs they think I'm on.' "

Explaining the rush of adrenaline he gets when the music starts pumping, the 'Right Here Right Now' hitmaker added: "I genuinely get - I know it sounds w***ky - a natural high. I get intoxicated by the moment or maybe there's just so much stuff floating around in my brain from my party days that it doesn't take too much to dislodge."

Cook split from wife Zoe Ball last September after 18 years of marriage, and since the break-up he admits he loves nothing more than playing to a live audience.

The producer - who has two children, Woody, 16, and Nelly, six, with 46-year-old TV presenter Zoe - said: "It rejuvenates me, it renews my passion for music and it gets me through times of difficulty in the rest of my life."

Cook is set to have a busy summer ahead as he is confirmed to be playing the Reading and Leeds Festival in August, in what will be his first appearance at the event but he believes he deserves to take centre stage at the traditional rock-based event.

He said: "Both those festivals and myself have been going for years and yet our paths have never met before. Part of you is thinking maybe there's a reason why you haven't done it yet. I honestly thought I might get lynched or things thrown at me by the rock partisan crowd, but I think I've earned my place now."