The Whakatipu is preparing to welcome back the “renegade master” this weekend, as Fatboy Slim returns for his biggest New Zealand tour yet.
The award-winning DJ, producer and musician, whose real name is Norman Cook, is set to show off his decades of experience on Saturday, bringing a blend of beats to Gibbston Valley Winery.
Fatboy Slim last hit Kiwi stages in 2019, when he sold out Cargo Brewery as part of a tour which sold over 20,000 tickets nationwide.
The 2023 tour promoter, Endeavour Live, says the show’s been in the works since the DJ left almost four years ago.
Endeavour co-founder Kyle Bell says the plan was to bring Fatboy Slim back to Aotearoa in 2021, until Covid got in the way.
“[Fatboy Slim] was planning to do [an] Australia tour, then NZ tour, etc … when he does a tour, he likes to make a real go of it so he gets to explore the country at the same time.”
Bell says they’re really glad to be able to support the big return, especially to Queenstown where Cook’s also got plans to enjoy a spot of fishing again.
As a bit supporter of local talent, Fatboy Slim will be preceded by Kiwi artists Sweet Mix Kids, no strangers to Queenstown, Sin and Beccie B, as well as the UK’s Solardo.
Bell says the headliner has always been keen on the local scene, and in 2019 released his music to local artists to provide exclusive remixes of his old songs.
This Saturday’s gig is expected to follow the tradition of huge visual effects and a mixture of both classic tunes and recent bangers, though the DJ no longer makes new music.
Bell says Queenstown can prepare for an “evolved” set, as it’s the second-to-last stop in NZ and sure to include the multi-genre mix the artist is so well-known for, as well as a few new tricks.
“The visual performance is a huge part of the show.
“He is one of the globe’s best stage performers, backed up by a hell of a party set and visuals,” Bell says.
He adds the process of bringing out a big artist like Fatboy Slim has “a lot of moving parts”, especially as NZ works through the backlog of rescheduled shows from the past few years.
Regardless, “it’s a great summer for music lovers”.
Fatboy Slim, Saturday, February 4, 4pm till 10.30pm, Gibbston Valley Winery. Final release tickets available via Endeavour Live
