Hove legend Fatboy gives students inside info

Hove's one and only superstar DJ Fatboy Slim, gave the students of Brighton and Hove City College some priceless music biz insider tips on Monday.

Fatboy, also known as Norman Cook, hosted an exclusive 'Ask Norman' session which covered a range of topics such as recording technology, the current state of the music industry, his forthcoming Amex stadium gig and his beloved Brighton & Hove Albion.

The visit was to help promote the Big Beach Bootique 5 which will be held at Brighton and Hove Albion's Amex Community Stadium on Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd of June.

In the gigs, Fatboy will dominate a weekend of pulsating electronic dance music. On Friday, Carl Cox will take to the stage alongside Fatboy and on Saturday, Dubstep heroes Nero will bring the weekender to a bass heavy ending.

In the Q&A session he shared his thoughts with the City College students about sampling, software, internet piracy and the changing economics of the music business.

Asked for advice on the first steps towards a career in the modern music industry, he said: "When I started you sent a demo cassette to a record company. But now demo cassettes are about as redundant as record companies. It's a brave new world."

He compared it with the advent of punk rock in the 1970s when bands put on their own gigs and set up their own record labels, shaking up the industry.

Fatboy's advice: "Cut out the middlemen of the record companies and try to keep as much of the royalties yourselves."

See the Brighton and Hove Albion website for details of Fatboy's Amex gig here