OK, the kettle's on and the webchat is over. Thanks all for your questions!
- Fatboy Slim plays at the 02 Arena, London, on 17 December.
Updated
BenDubU asks:
What the flipping flip is EDM? And has there ever been a more useless musical genre name? Also was that you in the crowd in Bristol getting drenched at Massive Attack on Saturday evening?
Deastewart asks:
Have you ever aborted a secret Glastonbury set because nobody turned up?
Guardian contributor No, we came close at Block9 a couple of years ago. But blatantly tweeted it and gathered a crowd within 15 minutes. Phew. Worst was getting a text from the Glastonbury security just before a secret show saying: we know what you're about to do, don't do it.
markusb asks:
Do you ascribe to Bill Brewster’s laws of bargain bin diving for samples? Ie if there’s a space ship on the cover you buy the record.
Guardian contributor No, I always look for multiracial long haired bands that look like they took drugs. Always a winner.
MikeytheEel asks:
Why are you still wearing your Glastonbury wristband?
Guardian contributor Because they last til Christmas before they finally disassemble. And make me smile.
Andy Johnson asks:
What venues are on your bucket list?
Guardian contributor Albania this Friday. The i360 I will conquer one day, somehow. And O2 beckons on the 17th December. It's going to be the biggest production we've ever done, in the round, all the bells and whistles that we couldn't do at the Amex or Brixton Academy.
drummonkey2 asks:
The Islington Council meeting tonight will decide the future of Fabric nightclub. Why do you think Fabric should be saved from closure?
Guardian contributor Because clubs like Fabric are the lifeline of dance music and club culture, and should be respected rather than dismantled.
Skoolyad asks:
Could you please try and describe the way the Rockafeller Skank came about? Did you start with the vocal sample, guitar sample or something else entirely?
Guardian contributor Started with the Lord Finesse jingle off Vinyl Dogs LP, which when I chopped it up had a tempo in my head akin to northern soul. Just that week I had played Sliced Tomatoes by the Just Brothers at the Boutique and thought: you should do something with that riff. Happy accident that those things happened in the same week!
Martin McDermott asks:
If you were in your 20s what advice would you have given to yourself knowing what you know now?
Guardian contributor Enjoy the ride. But write things down because you won't remember it all.
Scott Meek asks:
Who comes up with the design ideas to use for your on stage visual? Have you ever rejected any visual to feature your own face?
Guardian contributor My lovely shit pirate friend Bob makes the visuals. We have a lot of fun writing and editing them. Yes, I have rejected my face, some might say not enough.
ThePennyDropz asks:
What are your memories of the Big Beach Boutique 2 near disaster crowd crush?
Guardian contributor I will always return to the mixture of elation and pure fear when we realised what we had created on that beach. The police were warning me exactly what might happen. And we were working all day to try and prevent that, whilst still entertaining and trying to put on a show. It was very edgy at times.
jibbers1 asks:
What was the process you went through when changing from an indie kid bass player to dance music innovator?
Guardian contributor It was harder going the other way, to play bass in the Housemartins, when all my musical education had been based around black music and nightclubs. Before they invented samplers, the only way that white people could make black music was to pretend to be black. After drum machines and samplers came along, us white people could make it and rebrand it dance music. At the time of the Housemartins, I was still stuck between a rock and a black place.
Keep asks:
Do you have a folder full of vocal bits that haven’t been matched to a tune yet?
Guardian contributor Yes, subdivided into chants, Latin vocals, rap vocals, held notes... need I go on?
My son grudgingly accepts that his dad has a cool job
bluehamster asks:
Do your kids like what you do, or are they typical and think anything a parent does is automatically uncool and embarrassing?
Guardian contributor My son thought that, until I took him to Mambo and Space in Ibiza and now he grudgingly accepts that my job is cooler than most.
littlequaver asks:
Is it true your ambition is to play every single arena in Glastonbury?
Guardian contributor I cracked it at the John Peel stage this year. All boxes ticked. I think my favourite Glastonbury performance is still the Sunday Best stage wearing a horse's head.
Kathy Morrow asks:
Do you think theres an age when DJ’s are just too old to do it? What age would that be?
Guardian contributor I think there is, and I aim to find out exactly what it is. I will tell you as soon as I hit it, I hope...
nigeyb asks:
Can you remember what you used to play at the Brighton Belle club in Oriental Place c1985? I used to go but cannot recall any of the tunes you played back then as DJ Quentin.
Guardian contributor Hell yeah! How can you not remember Wicky Wacky by the Fatback Band, Breaking Down by Julia & Company, and I Wanna Be Like You from The Jungle Book? I drive past Oriental Place almost every day and still smile at my memories of that, my first DJ residency.
crosby99 asks:
What’s the secret of sobriety?
Guardian contributor Realising that your life is better without alcohol. I was taught that in rehab, and still believe it now.
Damondo asks:
With clubs like Fabric in London and the Arches in Glasgow being closed down, are we starting to see the end of clubbing as we know it? Has the sweaty, and wonderfully dark and dingy, club had its day?
Guardian contributor Christ, I hope not. They're the lifeblood of dance music and hopefully will still be here when the big festivals have tired of DJ culture. The magic happens in those places, but as long as there are sweaty, dingy ravers, they will find a place to go.
I don't fancy making another Fatboy album … but there is a new single on the way
ID2428051 asks:
Did Palookaville’s reception put you off making any more Fatboy albums? If New Order can make a comeback album as good as Music Complete, perhaps you could do likewise?
Guardian contributor No, I thought it was received well enough. It's more I don't feel like making a Fatboy album for the sake of it. Catch-22 is, by the time I get round to making an album, the format will be redundant. There is a new single on the way though...
binmandom asks:
Are you still a Monochrome Set fan?
Guardian contributor Yes. Still think He's Frank is one of the best pop records ever written.
deadcities asks:
i360. Yay or nay?
Guardian contributor A massive yay. Best thing that's happened to my home city since the West Pier. It's a symbol of Brighton's eccentric forward-thinking attitude, and will be as iconic as the Royal Pavilion and the piers already are. I was supposed to DJ at its opening but the engineers were worried that everybody jumping up and down at the same time might be stressful.
viennesewaltzer asks:
Do you remember coming to play some records at the student occupation at Sussex University in January 1987?
Guardian contributor Yes I do! I just remember going there to play records, but don't remember playing them, though I obviously must have done. Was I any good?
Andrew Harley asks:
Do you still enjoy travelling to different cities or do you prefer to stay local these days?
Guardian contributor I love the romantic notion of being a wandering minstrel, sharing songs and stories around the world. Obviously the internet does this more efficiently, but I have much fun doing it my way.
benist asks:
Does making music as your job ever make it boring?
Guardian contributor No, but sometimes I feel I'm listening to music with a professional ear rather than purely as a fan. And it's not something I'm comfortable with. And if you hear something really good you can think, fuck, why didn't I think of that? Hence the music I enjoy most is styles that are nothing like what I play for a living: pre-war blues, anyone?
Chemical Brothers asked me to remix Star Guitar. I sat there for three days and thought: it can't get any better
mrwicksy asks:
Did remixes (such as Scanty Sandwich and Cornershop) come from you hearing something and thinking you could work with it, or did they come to you with the track to remix?
Guardian contributor Tunes like Cornershop, I heard the tune but wanted a mix I could play in my DJ sets so approached them to give me the parts. Doesn't happen often but it's a lovely feeling when a plan comes together. I've turned down people when I really wanted to remix the track, but I couldn't think of anything interesting to do with it - I didn't want to do a shoddy job. The Chemical Brothers asked me to do Star Guitar and I couldn't think of anything to do - I sat there for three days, and thought, it can't get any better.
ninefootsix asks:
Did you really honk gak off a train line?
Guardian contributor Apparently yes. The London to Brighton train line, the end of my garden, Preston Park. A long long time ago when I was young and foolish.
Roostercogburn asks:
When you’re sitting down for a lovely cup of afternoon tea would you prefer a creamy treat like an eclair or something more dunkable like a regulation biscuit?
Guardian contributor
Morten Van Marble asks:
Have you ever been off your mallet on shrooms up around the Aberystwyth mountain pass or indeed anywhere?
Guardian contributor
Chickennuggertheed asks:
Have you ever got your father in law Johnny Ball to have a spin on the decks? If so what tunes did he pick?
Guardian contributor
Bradshhaw asks:
Tell me about DJ Ox.
Guardian contributor Quentox was a nickname given to me by Paul Heaton which mutated into my hip-hop DJ name back in the day, back on the south coast, the south south coast. An old-school gag there. I think Quentox came from the Quantock Hills...
skredman asks:
Did success and top billing bring smugness, a feeling of superiority or did you feel privileged?
Guardian contributor Definitely c). Occasional b). But hopefully never a). What it brings most is honour, and gratitude to whoever allows me to still get away with it.
I haven't drunk any alcohol for eight years
harovitch asks:
Do you still drink two bottles of vodka a day and if so why?
Guardian contributor I haven't drunk any alcohol for eight years. There's a hundred reasons why.
KatyM11 asks:
Do you agree that you’re starting to look like the Dad in Friday Night Dinner?
Guardian contributor 
BlueJam asks:
What was the last song that got you excited, old or new?
Guardian contributor Very old: Ralph McDonald, The Path. Listen to all sixteen minutes of it and halfway through you'll realise why. A tune from my youth that suddenly became more current.
coombsm asks:
Will Brighton finally achieve promotion this year?
Guardian contributor Yes. It's the only place left for us to go. We were one goal away from promotion last season, and have inched as close as you can inch without falling through the door.
Grandmaster Flash is my biggest DJing influence
Boony1 asks:
Which DJ has most influenced you?
Guardian contributor Grandmaster Flash. I read an interview with him where he described his approach to DJing and his attitude, and it was all about playing ever kind of music. Not just being cool, but playing every kind of music during the night, writing the bpms on the sleeves so you could move through the tempos, and always playing to the girls. If the girls are dancing the boys will follow.
recklessmonkey76 asks:
Do you think Carl at The Social looks better with or without his beard?
Guardian contributor Definition of pogonophobia.
crespo29 asks:
You seem to have the finger on the pulse of modern music. After the ‘big sound of Brighton’, what do you feel is your future direction of music/djing?
Guardian contributor Either there's nothing coming, or I clearly don't have my finger on the pulse.
ian williams asks:
What came first … the sample or the music?
Guardian contributor An egg and a chicken are lying back in bed enjoying a cigarette together, and one says to the other: I guess that answers that question then.
Moorea asks:
Favourite anecdote about the magic isle of Ibiza?
Guardian contributor I met a lunatic blond woman who said: Mr Cook, I presume? And ended up marrying her.
Read the news story: Zoe Ball is near to tears at Fatboy’s Valentine proposal.
Tremerryn asks:
How did you become involved in Moulin Rouge? Loved what you did there.
Guardian contributor I got a call from Baz Lurhmann, and he had me at "is this Norman?"
ChociManchester asks:
Cutting Run DMC in to the Clash, now that was a moment of genius, which I saw and heard you perform while you were still a Housemartin (and not the Superstar DJ).
If you could do an equivalent cut up now, who would you cut up in to who? And what would be the reasoning behind it?
Guardian contributor The reasoning behind Clash DMC was working out a way of melding my two favourite artists at that time together, kind of like big beat did later. The last mashup I did was CeCe Peniston's Finally vs This Girl, as a way of breathing new life into the pop tune of the summer.
Playing vinyl is the equivalent of speaking down a string with two tin cans, when you have a smartphone
Findlay Anderson asks:
Would you consider doing some live shows computer-less and mixing records instead, like you used to do?
Guardian contributor I go back and play vinyl about once a year for a house party or occasion, but it feels the equivalent of speaking down a string with two tin cans, when you have a smartphone. There is soul in it, but limited clarity.
chopdog asks:
Looking forward to your rerelease of Better Living Through Chemistry. Do you have plans to revisit any of your Beats International or Freakpower albums for expanded releases?
Guardian contributor None at present. I'm just working out how to play Better Living Through Chemistry in its entirety at the Social this Friday. Everybody seems to playing their album in its entirety, so why can't a DJ??
pellihno asks:
How should I feel about Glenn Murray?
Guardian contributor When he left for the Croydon lot, I swore I would never forgive him. But the fact that he continued living in Brighton and has now returned to the fold, and is scoring goals, apparently I do. Welcome back Glenn!
Andrew Owen asks:
What prompted you to support it by being the ambassador for Busk In London? Any surprises or your London show in December? How about a buskers choir?
Guardian contributor I started my career busking with Paul Heaton, when we were at school. And I've always had a respect and admiration for buskers. It's the most honest and vital way of performing, with no safety net. Just that thing of pulling a crowd out of a shopping centre; if people have paid to see you, it's fish in a barrel, but if they're shopping and they stay for half an hour... It teaches you an awful lot about stagecraft and performance.
I have the immense honour of having a dildo named after me. It's called the Fatboy Slim.
RustyHarpoon asks:
Is your moniker anything to do the with the Gillette fatboy and slim safety razors?
Guardian contributor No, but I do have the immense honour of having a dildo named after me. I think it's called the Fatboy Slim. You can't miss it if you look it up. [looks online] Actually it's a penis extender. Get it on Amazon Prime.
Updated
Paul Heaton texted me just yesterday, to confirm the longest word I ever said in a burp. It was 'Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife'
theusesofliteracy asks:
Do you still speak to Paul Heaton?
Guardian contributor Yes, in fact he texted me only yesterday to confirm what the longest word I ever said in a burp was, on the Housemartins' tour bus: "Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his wife".
subsub asks:
Which is more important: the ability to mix well, or programming a set?
Guardian contributor Choice of tunes in the set, definitely. Though not pre-programmed. Can I add communication with crowd above ability to mix well? Just look at people's eyes and body language, and try and guess where they want to go next. It's just one of those instincts you get.
Gil Savage asks:
Are there any samples you didn’t get clearance for?
Guardian contributor Yeah: Magic Carpet Ride by Steppenwolf. It was going to be a tune... they were very gracious, but just didn't like what I was going to do with it. It's a great riff. Normally I don't sample riffs that have already been hits, the fun was making a hit from something that wasn't already. Also, I realised it was much easier to get permission for tunes that weren't hits in the first place!
robotdoggy asks:
If Paul Heaton called you and asked you to take part in a Housemartins reunion world tour, would you be up for it?
Guardian contributor Absolutely not. But he wouldn't. We agreed when we split up, in Bloom's Hotel, Dublin, 1988, that we would never reform. Five years ago we all had lunch together and reiterated that fact, with the caveat that we would only consider reforming if the Smiths reformed, which will only happen when the royal family abdicates. Everything about reforming turns me off, apart from travelling around in a bus with some old friends.
read90apr asks:
What would your advice be to producers/DJ’s who have to juggle music production/playing with normal day jobs who are trying to break into the industry?
Guardian contributor Don't quit your day job yet. But if you can crack this as a living it's the best job in the world. Follow that dream. It's ever changing with the internet - it's not like sending in demo tapes. If you go viral, you can quit your day job tomorrow - there are no rules these days, that's the fun bit about it.
David Golding asks:
Hi, whats your favourite tune/song of your own music?
Guardian contributor Right Here Right Now. Goosebumps at football matches. When you hear it out of context it still gives me goosebumps, and your own music doesn't usually turn you on like that. It's like how you can't tickle yourself - the nerves send messages to the brain that warn you you're about to be tickled.
billyocean asks:
Why was there a Fatboy Slim VW Camper Van parked on Avenue Road in St Albans for years?
Guardian contributor After using it to promote Palookaville, my sister inherited it, and still to this day loves and uses it, gearbox permitting.
HayleyNylund asks:
(This one’s from my dad) … Did you ever learn to properly play One Step Beyond on the saxophone?
Guardian contributor Depends how you define properly! I did try to learn the sax when recording one of the Housemartins records - it was one of those interesting studio experiments that never came off.
HayleyNylund asks:
Hello Fatboy ... Did Adele ever invite you and Zoe round for a coffee?
Guardian contributor Yes, she was a perfect and gracious neighbour, though sadly has recently sold up down here.
Norman Cook is with us
Fatboy Slim joins us live from his Brighton kitchen!
Updated
Post your questions for Fatboy Slim
When he was playing bass for pleasant indie band The Housemartins in the mid-1980s, you wouldn’t have pegged Norman Cook for global DJ superstardom – but as Fatboy Slim he’s been a stadium-filling, banger-dropping mainstay for two decades.
His first move into dance music came with Beats International, who topped the charts in 1990 with Dub Be Good To Me. Various other solo monikers followed, but Fatboy Slim was the most successful. He helped usher in the bombastic ‘big beat’ style of the late 90s with hits like The Rockefeller Skank, Praise You and Right Here, Right Now, and has continued to be a festival favourite – he’s now gearing up for his first show at London’s O2 in December.
We’re heading to his home in Brighton on Tuesday 6 September, where he’ll answer your questions in a live webchat from 1pm BST onwards. Post them in the comments below, and he’ll answer as many as possible.
Updated
I wish EDM wasn't the tagline for commercial dance music, because it does actually describe what I do rather well. It's a great genre name that's been hijacked by the wrong people. And no, that was Banksy at Massive Attack.