I expected 80s Belfast to be a 'warzone', says Fatboy Slim

DJ Fatboy Slim, whose real name is Norman Cook, has been no stranger to Northern Ireland over his 40-year career

Fatboy Slim still vividly remembers finding out Belfast was not a "warzone" on his first visit almost 40 years ago.

The superstar musician and DJ is set to headline the Emerge Music Festival in Belfast on 23 August.

But he first played the city in the mid-1980s as the bassist in The Housemartins, back in the days when he was known as Norman Cook.

"All I remember is the first time we went to Belfast with The Housemartins in about 1986, we didn't know what to expect," he told BBC News NI.

"We're thinking: 'Are we going to be playing to a Protestant crowd or a Catholic crowd or whatever?'"

"There was a little trepidation because I'd grown up my whole life watching the Troubles on the telly, and thinking: 'What are we getting ourselves in for?'

"Equal trepidation but also equal interest, just to see."

Music 'bringing people together'

The DJ said his perception of Northern Ireland had come from TV with a "very British bias".

"It was very cathartic I think to actually be there and talk to the people," he added.

"Because I kind of got the feeling that we'd been fed propaganda about a lot of what went on, and this idea that Belfast was just a warzone and no-one had any fun and no-one was nice to each other."

Fatboy Slim, pictured playing at Glastonbury in June, says his impression of Belfast was wrong

He said the one thing that was clear was that there was more uniting people than dividing them.

"Music tends to break through those barriers and it tends to connect people and people forget, hopefully, their troubles or the Troubles," he said.

"Not just in Ireland, worldwide, music does connect people and bring them together."

Belfast gears up to Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat

That is what he is planning when he plays his Emerge set at Boucher Road Playing Fields.

He has been a fairly regular visitor to Belfast, with his most recent gig in the Telegraph building in the city centre in October 2023.

"Belfast crowds always take it that bit madder and noisier and more exuberant and I love that," he said.

Thousands are expected to watch the Right Here, Right Now star perform at Boucher Playing Fields next month

He admits big outdoor shows demand a different approach.

"The production changes," he said.

"In the Telegraph building I didn't really bring our production."

"When we do the bigger festivals I have my own lighting guy, I have my own visuals guy, we use a live camera so you can see me mugging, you know, right from the back.

"You also you play the big tunes.

"There's the tunes that work at big festivals outdoors, and then there's the ones 'these are for the clubs.'"

Derry Girls cameo

It is obvious he enjoys coming to Northern Ireland, a connection reinforced by Channel 4 sitcom Derry Girls.

Stars of the show Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell made a surprise appearance on stage with him during his most recent gig in the city.

He also featured in the penultimate episode of the show's final season, something he is still a little amazed by.

"I've been doing this for 40 years but every now and then a phone call comes along and you're like: 'Oh my lord, really?'" he said.

"The whole episode revolved around going to my gig.

"If that wasn't an honour enough then they asked me to be in it."

Saoirse-Monica Jackson and Jamie-Lee O'Donnell danced alongside the DJ, whose real name is Norman Cook, and sounded rave horns during his set

"The only sad thing was I was supposed to actually be there and be playing the show, but because of the pandemic they were filming in a bubble and I wasn't allowed to travel over there so I had to film my bit remotely.

"So I never got to meet them all and hang out on set.

"But Derry Girls is such a fabulous series and to be even mentioned in it, let alone be mentioned repeatedly, was a very great honour."

Salt, vinegar...and beats?

While he will bring what he describes as his "arena show" to Emerge, Fatboy Slim is always on the lookout for unusual venues too.

On a recent tour of Australia he played a gig in a chip shop in Melbourne.

There are plenty of chip shops in Northern Ireland, so any is there chance he could do the same here?

"There's always a chance, it's more of a timing thing," he said.

"Normally I'm in and out."

"I'm playing Touquet in France on the Friday night, and then I'm playing Creamfields the night after so there's no real time.

"The chip shop in Australia was because I had gigs at the weekend and a few days off during the week.

"I love doing things like that."

So a repeat in Belfast is unlikely, but if you call into your local chip shop for a fish supper on 23 August keep an eye - and ear - out just in case.