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Review: Fatboy Slim enthralls Dubai’s partygoers at DXBeach

English DJ and pioneer of electronic dance music shows how to remain relevant in 2016 with energetic performance

Partygoers were spoilt for choice at Friday’s DXBeach, a 15-hour mini-music festival held at Zero Gravity in Dubai. The event, which lasted from noon to 3am, was headlined by DJ Fatboy Slim, with performances by DJ Benny Benassi and producer MK.

Whether it was lounging poolside, relaxing on the grass, grooving to hip hop with resident DJs at the indoor club, sitting on plush seats in the lofty VIP section, or getting down and sandy on the beach by the main stage, there was something for everyone.

The event’s concept was to have an all-day party, and Dubai’s revellers were more than happy to oblige. However, most of the crowd started pouring in after sunset. The opening act, featuring Chris Wright, played a mix of funk and disco to get people warmed up, but it was Benny Benassi’s brand of brash electronic dance music (EDM) that brought most audiences to the sandy dance floor.

By the time Fatboy Slim came onto the stage, the sand pit was packed and ready to go. Hailing from Brighton, England, Fatboy Slim, whose real name is Norman Cook, is one of the pioneers of EDM. Throughout the years, he has managed to stay relevant by mixing his classics from the 1990s and early 2000s with the sound of modern-day EDM. And that’s exactly what he did at DXBeach — playing his most recognisable tunes, opening with Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat and Renegade Master, spliced with modern sounds from 2016. Throughout the night, Fatboy Slim played diverse sounds, from a remix of Dr. Dre and Tupac’s California Love to Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit, all with an electronic slant that kept the ‘ravers’ on their feet.

During sets, a DJ will often have a microphone to communicate with the crowd. Fatboy Slim, however, did all his talking through his music. He was singing lyrics to the crowd, pointing at audience members in the front row, and even blasting out two air horns. Unlike Benny Benassi’s cool and calm demeanour, Fatboy Slim was kinetic and clearly having a good time, even throwing out some dance moves. Of course, the night would not have been complete without Praise You, Fatboy Slim’s massive hit from 1998.

Afterwards, producer MK’s predominantly piano-led deep house music provided a more soulful, rhythmic contrast to Fatboy Slim’s more frenetic and jumpy set.

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