Written by Alex Prichard
When an English DJ comes to play a beach gig at Glenelg in the middle of Summer, you’d be forgiven for thinking amazing weather would be assured.
Not so. Adelaide tried to make Fatboy Slim feel at home by dumping a record amount of rain the evening before the gig and providing a grey, damp day.
Although gates officially opened at 2pm, the drizzle kept most people away and at 3:30pm there was just a handful of the committed hanging out in the large fenced off area of the beach.
By 5:30 the crowd had started to grow, with most people loitering by the bar or checking out the food vans.
It wasn’t until 2manydjs (Belgian brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, known for their Radio Soulwax mashup series) took to the stage at 7pm that people began to warm up.
They did a great job of reading the crowd and their live set featured well-known pop mixed with dance music. From John-Paul Young’s Love is in the Air through to some AC/DC they definitely catered to their Australian audience.
As the sun set, it was time for Fatboy Slim to take the stage, kicking off with Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat. The crowd was in dance mode and matched the show’s high energy right until the end. Although the light show (do lasers ever get old?) and rolling backdrop were entertaining, it was the impressive sound that kept everyone well and truly bouncing.
It wasn’t a show without political or local content, either. The EU flag drew a cheer, a slide celebrating the country and rural fire services of Australia a louder cheer but it was the footage of Greta Thunburg with Right Here, Right Now that drew the largest cheer of all.
The evening wrapped up just moments before 10pm, with the crowd definitely left wanting more. While most might have missed the earlier acts, the sheer DJing skills of 2manydjs and the slick production Fatboy Slim’s set is proof that a bit of damp won’t stop anyone from having a good time.
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