DJ Fatboy Slim has praised the organisers of the Glastonbury Festival for booking US rapper Jay-Z as a headline act at this year’s event.

The DJ, whose real name is Norman Cook, told Gigwise that he thought Michael and Emily Eavis had made a “very brave move”. 

Jay-Z’s appearance at the event last month was the subject of huge debate in the build-up to the festival, which has typically featured headline rock acts.

Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, one of the most public denouncers, called the booking “wrong”.

Dance and Rock Music

Speaking to Gigwise, Cook, who shared the bill with Jay-Z at last weekend’s Wireless festival in London, said he experienced a similar level of criticism when he was first booked the DJ at the festival.

“It was the same as like the first time I kind of headlined at Glastonbury – I was shitting myself because I’m not a rock band,” he said.

“But the thing is, like Orbital and the Chemical Brothers and everyone who broke the mould, where you don’t have to be a band to have that impact, it’s fine as long as you make everyone dance.

“And Jay-Z blatantly did that, and also he rose to the occasion by doing (the Oasis song) ‘Wonderwall’ – he didn’t shy away from it.”

As well as praising the event’s organisers, Cook also paid tribute to Jay-Z's courage.

“I think it was a very brave move from Michael and Emily to do it and it was a very brave move from Jay-Z to do it and there’s so much music around – it doesn’t always have to be the same,” he said.

New Studio Album

Cook, who performed to 30,000 fans in Hyde Park on Saturday (July 5th), also revealed details about the forthcoming studio album from his Brighton Port Authority project, which began nearly twenty years ago.

“It’s got Iggy Pop, David Byrne, Dizzee Rascal and someone said you really should put that out, - so they’ve kind of re-mastered it and it comes out in the Autumn.”

Cook will perform again as Fatboy Slim at the fourth edition of his Brighton Beach party in September.

Tickets for the event, which are restricted to people with a local BN postcode, are on sale now.