Tonight:
-5°c
Over the last weekend in August, 40,000 people will head to Clapham Common for the South West Four festival — a daily 20,000-strong crowd made up mostly of twenty-somethings.
Yet look at some of the headline acts, such as Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold, Judge Jules, Pete Tong, John Digweed, Erick Morillo, Armand Van Helden, Josh Wink — a plethora of old-timer superstar DJs — and the average age on stage will be about 44 years old. It's an old-boys club of the Nineties dance music scene, still striving to be “down with the kids”.
“Anyone who actually likes dance music will be in the side tents,” says a friend of mine, who lists A-Track (28 years old), Skream & Benga (24 and 23) and Boys Noize (28) as the “worth-seeing” acts. “They produce relevant music whereas those main stage acts will just be trading off their past glories and hoping everyone is too pilled off their faces to notice,” he says. Tellingly, SW4 has not yet sold out.
Top of the bill on Sunday's main stage is Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook), who comes in just above the headliner average, at 46. These days he's not only a father of two (his second child, Nelly, was born in January) but also teetotal after a spell in rehab for alcohol addiction in 2009. After years tanking up on booze just to get up on stage because, says Cook, “for me it was always part and parcel of being a party DJ”, he now plays big events such as Glastonbury without a single drop.
“I get a bit nervous the hour before but then as soon as you hear the crowd chanting your name before you go on, something goes zzzzzzz' up the back of your neck.”
And Cook rejects the idea that his DJ retirement age could be approaching.
“There has never been a cut-off age for DJs,” he protests. “For pop stars, unless you're someone like the Rolling Stones, there is a cut-off age when you kind of look, or are considered, too old to be a pop star. You can't be a sex symbol when you're too old to be sexy. Whereas with the generation of superstar DJs, none of us were oil paintings in the first place and we never traded on our good looks and sexuality so seem to get away with it.”
The name Fatboy Slim has always brought to my mind a somewhat red face, a lined forehead, a receding hairline. Now those creases are a little deeper, the remaining hair a lot greyer. But otherwise, he's right, he remains the same. Silly shirt, jeans, goofy grin. It's all still there.
But he seems to forget that even Jagger's fans these days are mostly his own age. The job of DJs, whose home is in clubs surrounded by youth, is to appeal to their audience.
Shortly after one of London's most esteemed clubs, The End, closed in January 2009, I spoke to Layo Paskin, one half of DJ duo Layo and Bushwacka!, who ran The End for 13 years. Having called time, Paskin explained: “James Holden and I once had a discussion in which we said that there should be no DJs over 30. I'm not quite sure how old James is now, but I'm 38.” (Layo & Bushwacka! are also on the South West Four bill.)
Billy Reilly, who used to run The Cross, The Key and Canvas at King's Cross, agrees with Paskin.
“What 20-year-old really wants to go and party to music being played by a 49-year-old?” he says. Put that question to 46-year-old Cook and his response is: “Well, they [the 20-year-olds] patently do.” Although I'm 27 and I wouldn't pay to see him play.
“If you look at Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfold, Danny Tenaglia, all the originals from my generation, we're all still going so we don't know where that cut-off point is. It's definitely not over 30, it doesn't seem to be over 40, and over the next five years we'll see where we can push it. As long as I'm enjoying it and the crowd is enjoying it, it seems to work.”
Yet the dance music industry is a different beast from the days of Fatboy Slim's peak. While in 1999 his hit Praise You went to No 1 in the charts, his latest release with the electro house DJ, Hervé (30, by the way), Machines Can Do The Work, had (says his PR) no chart expectation and — as with most dance records these days — was an online-only release. The days of DJs turning “superstar” are over.
Although Cook says “being a DJ, there are no real peaks and troughs”, he lists his career highlights as the second Big Beach Boutique in Brighton, when more than 250,000 people turned up to see him play, which was in 2002, and “one week when my album knocked Robbie Williams off No 1, I got engaged to [Radio 2 presenter] Zoë [Ball] and I won a Brit.” That was 1999.
He also contradicts his “making a living out of doing something I really enjoy is what keeps me going” line when he says: “I don't really go to clubs in London unless I'm working at them so I don't really know what's going on in there ... People go there to not be reminded of their boring day job, and when I go there I am reminded of my boring day job.” You can never be quite sure if he does still love it, or if it simply pays the bills.
These days he has different priorities. “I've always said I'm happier at No 9 in the charts than No 1 because you can also be a human being and a husband and a father at the same time.”
So while he's at home being a 46-year-old dad, the twentysomethings will be out in London, dancing to a new beat.
Reader views (16)
First thing: if you're paying to SEE any DJ play, you're doing it wrong.
And the beat the young ones are dancing to isn't objectively new. It's simply new to them because they haven't been around very long. (Leftfield's Release Four as one example ...)
*shrugs* your music has an age limit because it's about fashion. Out here, where we actually like music - it doesn't matter that the composer of "Toccata and Fugue in D minor" has been dead for hundreds of years, it's still an amazing piece.
signed: a nearly 40 year-old who's been DJing for a couple of years, now ...
- ellgieff, Wellington, New Zealand, 18/08/2010 06:26
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Jasmine Gardner was handed an absolute gem of a writing assignment, and she completely bludgeoned it with her bovine insights. Fail.
- Mental, Denver, CO USA, 18/08/2010 02:04
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This is one of the most ridiculous articles ive ever read. The women clearly has no idea what she is writing about.
Whatever your musical taste, you cannot knock the contribution that Fatboy, Coxy, Tong, have given to the world of electronic music. They are pioneers, regardless of their age!
You dont see articles like this in papers when Stevie Wonder headlines glastonbury...
Ms Gardner, next time your thinking of writing an article about something you have no clue about, dont bother
Shame on the evening standard!
- Nickl, Maidstone Kent, 17/08/2010 02:45
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The idea that Fatboy Slim's best days are behind is laughable- every year since his last album came out in 2004 he has increased in workload, headlining festival after festival, and only taking breaks when his own personal life is involved and he demands time out. I have had the pleasure to see Fatboy Slim twice now, once in Rockness on the banks of Loch Ness, Scotland, and he was by the far the biggest favourite of the 2-day festival. His energy, his enthusiasm and his party spirit is the reason why he's still absolutely massive in his field. I wish him the best of luck, as I believe he is the true gentleman of the DJ world.
Shame on Ms Gardner for being so ignorant of the Dj culture, and for researching such a hot topic so poorly.
- James Nixon, Glasgow, 15/08/2010 23:49
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After scanning through your other articles it is quite clear to me that moving out at 27 has done you a hell of a lot of damage. Most of all has kept you cooped up from the real world.
You clearly do not know what you are talking about and have certainly not done enough research on this subject.
Also, "that friend of yours" well.... don't trust anything they say!
- Lay, London, 13/08/2010 11:42
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This has to be one of the worst articles written in the history of the Evening Standard. Ill informed, nasty tabloid garbage of the very highest order. Ms Gardner should hang her head in shame for putting her name to this and the editor for allowing this to be published.
Ms Gardner clearly has no respect for the art of DJing or dance music. She doesn't get the fact that artists like Carl Cox and John Digweed hold huge respect amongst people half their age because of their skill, ability to rock the crowd and what they have done to develop the dance scene in London, the rest of the country and beyond!
The contradictions in the article are beyond a joke. How she chooses to not include that Saturday's headliner Armin van Buuren is in his early 30's is laughable. She knows this would undermine her ageist, ugly comments although it must be said that she does a pretty good job of this herself.
As suggested elsewhere Ms Gardener should stick to writing about things she clearly has a clue about. Preferably in a publication without the history and pedigree of the Standard.
- Mark S, 28 years old, London, 13/08/2010 09:28
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I saw fatboy slim play at Brighton beach and have seen him at a few festivals since and most recently at matter before it shut. The crowds were really mixed and often it was the younger people really going for it. Dance music fans in general seem to appreciate the old boys, I've never been to an event or met anyone into proper music who cared how old the headliners were ... it's all about the music so shut up and dance!
- aaron k, london england, 12/08/2010 23:16
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Jasmine Gardner (I would put journalist but I think it would be insulting to others in the profession) is ignorant and ill informed at best.
These "old-timers" are still in huge demand around the world because of their ability to rock the crowd time and time again. They have a fan base ranging from children to grandparents. Dance music is supposed to bring people together of all ages, and if you go to SW4 you will see that nobody there cares about age, they just want to have a good time.
The event is a huge coming together of like minded people, and why anybody in their right mind would want to write such a nasty article is beyond belief. Your motives are obvious, to try and get a name for yourself. You should be careful on your way up to be a little more respectful, because the road back down for you will be a tough one with the enemies you will make if you keep writing garbage. The fact that their shows are still sold out everywhere around the world proves you are completely wrong.
Do some research before opening your mouth, and try putting some thought into your work. You might find people will respect you rather than thinking of you as an idiot.
You are everything that is wrong with the press today Ms Gardner.
- Joe, London, 12/08/2010 23:09
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this is so poorly written. Fatboy and Carl Cox are pioneers, yes they may be old but they still absolutely smash it when they play at gigs regardless of how old they are ... I strongly suggest that that Jasmine has never been to a decent music night in her life, let alone a fatboy, coxy or sw4 show - yet somehow the Standard seems to think it's perfectly acceptable to let her write about this ...
- Matthew Turner, London UK, 12/08/2010 23:08
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saw this in todays paper and was pretty annoyed. The author clearly does not have any idea about dance music or clubbing culture ...
“Anyone who actually likes dance music will be in the side tents,” says a friend of mine" This says it all really ... Notice she doesn't actually offer her own insight - how can you have someone writing about an event who is this ill informed and misguided?
shameful
- Andy Reynolds, London, 12/08/2010 23:01
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What you have failed to notice about DJs is that they generally play alot of other peoples records - mostly those that are big at the time, which may well be by an artist who is young (seeing as its apparently so important) with the odd classic chucked in
It would appear that all you ACTUALLY know about these artists, or DJs or even dance music in general is the age of the performers - aren't journalists supposed to have a little more background knowledge on their subject matters
Enjoy your DVD at home stroking your cat while me and 20,000 others are having it on clapham common!
- UNION against moron journalists, london, 12/08/2010 22:58
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Ah! just put your article into context. Initially very confused as to the point of this piece but having just done a search on your previous offerings realise that you are more accustomed to talking about and giggling about sex. Snigger snigger!
Put's you and this article into perspective nicely.... grow up!
- SamB, London, 12/08/2010 20:45
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True, promoters like big name DJ's, because they believe the name will pull in the punters. But a big name doesn't stay big if the DJ doesn't please the crowd. Getting the dance floor pumping is an art that requires both enthusiasm and a good sense of what sounds fresh n funky. Age doesn't really matter, vitality does.
- nick twolips, london, 12/08/2010 19:56
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Not often you read such an appallingly ill-informed and nasty article, not sure what the point of it was? and I couldn't disagree with you more. Regardless of wether you like their music or not, saying that people who forged a path into new territories and virtually invented a musical genre and movement, for it was a movement, are not relevant to the music and culture of today is so utterly misguided that it begs the question of how you can be taken seriously as a social commentator. I don''t think you understand the very culture you exist in based on this article.
Well done, in an effort to undermine other peoples credibility you have only succeeded in exposing your own desperation and ignorance.
- john, london, 12/08/2010 19:48
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Taking people to task over their age is lazy and badly misjudged. Would you apply this to aging actresses or models?
SW4 has sold out every year. It has been increased to 2 years in 2010.
Angry young men become grumpy old men, and angry young hackettes become Liz Jones.
- MattL, London, UK, 12/08/2010 16:11
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Ms Gardner you are harsh, unfair and clumsily groping for edgy. Never write (or even say) "a friend of mine" - it screams of a desperate attempt to own cool. In 10 years time you will wince at this offering.
- Adonis Truelove, Toulouse, France, 12/08/2010 14:45
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