Fatboy Slim at Redhill Auditorium: Legendary DJ wows Perth crowd

WHEN it comes to DJs there are few that are as legendary as Fatboy Slim and at Redhill Auditorium he was the man behind the myth and so much more.

Fatboy Slim at Red Hill Auditorium. Photos: North Hold Photography

WHEN it comes to DJs there are few that are as legendary as Fatboy Slim.

His music reaches across genres, with fans not necessarily needing to like electronica to appreciate his creations.

But legends can be hard to live up to — unless you’re Fatboy Slim.

He was the man behind the myth and so much more, when he performed at Redhill Auditorium on Friday night.

The DJ proved there is more to mixing than just pressing play and in fact, the music was an extension of Fatboy Slim himself.

Fatboy Slim at Red Hill Auditorium. Photos: North Hold Photography

He didn’t need to utter a word to say everything he needed to with his music — both figuratively and literally — and had the skill of both feeding from the crowd and controlling it at the same time.

Fatboy Slim’s infectious beats beamed from his very being and kept fans in the type of trance which only comes from a really good set.

Fatboy Slim at Red Hill Auditorium. Photos: North Hold Photography

With influences of Motown — with a sample of Marvin Gaye’s Heard it Through the Grapevine — Latin beats, pop and even rock in the form of The White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army, Fatboy Slim continued to build layers in his ever changing sound landscape, without disrupting the flow.

There was even a point which sounded like he used a digitised sample of a didgeridoo — perhaps as a recognition to his location.

Fatboy Slim at Red Hill Auditorium. Photos: North Hold Photography

With every new layer came a hint of what makes Fatboy Slim tick; none more so than his tribute to David Bowie.

At first it was just a nod to the late musician, with Fatboy Slim applauding the late singer’s famous Aladdin Sane, lightning bolt photo which appeared on the screen.

And then later, Fatboy Slim mixed in Bowie’s Rebel, Rebel with his own track, Right Here, Right Now.

Fatboy Slim at Red Hill Auditorium. Photos: North Hold Photography

But among all the layers, what was created was more than just a good set, or even a great one.

It was an investment in the audience, engaging them with showmanship and a general enjoyment of performing.

Something which not only was reflected in the overall feeling of the set, but appreciated by the diverse range of people who came out to see him.

Follow Amy Martin on Twitter: @EntertainingAmy

Originally published as Fatboy Slim at Redhill Auditorium: Legendary DJ wows Perth crowd