Fatboy Slim: Supporting equal marriage is a ‘no brainer’ and I talk about the issue with my son
DJ Norman cook, otherwise known as Fatboy Slim, has launched a scathing attack on “reactionary, rightwing, homophobic idiots and religious zealots” for opposing plans to introduce marriage equality in the UK.
The dance legend made a robust defence of the worldwide campaign to equalise marriage laws for same-sex couples during an exclusive interview with PinkNews.co.uk at Brighton Pride 2012.
Norman believes the vociferous opposition by some is due to a generational gap.
He spoke of talking to his son, Woody, about equal marriage “the other day” and said the 11-year-old asked him “why anyone would have a problem with that?”
Norman replied by saying “I don’t know?”
The 49-year-old Brighton resident, and husband to TV and radio presenter Zoe Ball, also spoke of his delight at headlining Brighton Pride, which had been a personal ambition for more than a decade.
Norman managed to fit it in this year, with his busy schedule, because organisers moved the festival to a later weekend due to the London 2012 Games.
Last month, the Praise You star was seen mixing from a gigantic octopus, as part of the Olympic closing ceremony.
Norman said it was one of the “highlights” of his career but admits he was “miming something” rather than singing directly over the music.
Some of his sound equipment inside the octopus failed to “work”, but it didn’t matter, beaming ear to ear on stage at the Olympic Stadium he felt: “tremendously proud, and it felt like I was representing Team GB in the dj’ing field.
He went on: “It really helped the fact that during the two weeks of the Olympics [the county] did the job so well, we put on a really good Olympics, and won a lot of medals”.
Russell Brand also made an appearance in the closing ceremony dressed as Willy Wonka.
Norman says he spent three days “locked in a bus” with the eccentric comedian in rehearsals and admits it felt “quite freaky”.
Although next year Norman will be hitting the big 5-0, he has absolutely no intention of slowing down: “I still feel seventeen when on I’m on stage and as a DJ, I also don’t know what the retirement age is?”
He went on: “Rock stars, when their looks start to go, no one wants to know them anymore.
“But [as] DJs, we can quietly go fat, grey and old, and no one really minds because we were never the icons”.
“I’ll carry on doing it as long as the fans enjoy it, and I enjoy it”.
