Letters from Loved Ones

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There was footage of my childer on fire And in Brighton, the woman from the Cnu said it was perceived that the real crab was sort of good natured. If this had been an oasis gig we would haveve been Tell me about Zoe. I remember when I told my manager, he went, if you andZoe are the couple he said, yourour life is never going to be the same. Wait, tell me why. We'd probably actually better than we were when we were a couple. What was life like for you back then? Chaos? There was nights when I was struggling to speak and to walk and the people around me were like, you can be alright me on the stage, I' be fine It'n only when you come off, you realize how drunk you are. I've got a present for you. Is this going to make me cry? I hope so paths have kind of weirdly crossed not that many times, but we kind of know each other or know people who know each other and over decades have kind of got too me moments as well. Yes, Kemoents. Chemoes. I think've definitely been with you at my highest. Yes. and possibly mine as well. Yeah Yeah. And then we've both been through lads, but then the last time I saw you in Aeta It was a really lovely ye wasn't it? Natural hight. W wasn't it? Yeah. wasn't it really It was genuinely lovely and you were in such good form and you just looked so good and you were having the night of your life. Yeah. I feel like you bring back very happy memories for so many people. I mean, I want to start with this idea that I had no idea How many names you've come up with for yourself. I didn't I never knew that you were Quenton. before you were Norman. Yeah. And then it's quite an interesting concept changing your name Yes, it allows it's weird because people talk about like reinventing yourself and like you know, someone like David Barreryt is like the comedian and E. For me, it's just I kind of wear things out. It's more r than like I've got a reinvention. It's just like, o that's knackered. And yeah, my original name Quentin got knackered during the n day.' not a Quentin. A I don't really think I'm a quuented, but In those days, there was no Quentin Tarantino. So the only quentin that anyone knew is Quentin Crisp England's most celebrated homosexual. So I went through my whole school life with all those jokes and everything. And also it was just like it was difficult to remember. So yeah, so my first shedding of a name that I didn't like and that no one could spell or remember And did you do it by depot like the whole proper thing? I did, yeah. yeah Yeah, God amazing. But it was like, yeah, so joining a band, you can kind of reinvent yourself. And I was like the first thing you want to do is change my name. and I just wanted it a normal name. So Norman was just like. I asked my parents once, whyy did you call me Quentin? they went It was the sixties that's there, That's all they could come up with. What were your mum and dad like? Because I know your mum was the musical one, right? who got you interned? Yeah, my m mom was a teacher and musical and a kind of They're both quite liberal, but my mum I think wanted to be a hippie But she just couldn't really kind of make that She always talked about wanting to live in a commune and everything And then my dad was He worked for a glass company was he was like his granddad was a window cleaner, but during the war he got evacuated to a very posh house in Sussex. And they sort of, you know, when he came back after the war, he was like going to grammar school and had all these heirs and graces. So he was more interested yeah, he was more interested in me being really professional Hence he they That's interesting hated the idea of me being a musician. He didn't his yeah, he didn't see that as a legitimate career U And yeah, being a musician was like it's just about being a prostitute Dy in his eyes So so there was this weird thing that my mum was really nurturing and encouraging which is great. And then my dad was really like pop music would rubbish you never get anywhere with that, which was a good That was like the negative inspiration Because you know, in my early years, all I wanted to do was prove my dad wrong. Yeah I wish it's a strong this's a powerful thing. It's a strong drive, right? Yeah, so between the two of them, that's how I ended up. But also at the same time my dad was a consummate show off ended love dressing up and being stupid. Obviously none of that rubbed off of me. No, none of it did. I shame that. Yeah. Yeah. So we yeah, no, so we were a family my uncle's a DJ and he was in pop bands. I think that's why my. My uncle Dennis, yeah Dis Uncle Dennis, Yeah. Oh God. His name was Dennis. All right. Yeah U, good wait. tell me about Denis. Well, he was like he he was I don't know when my dad was on around him he said You know, it was always like, do you want to end up like your uncle Dennis? And I was, he's more fun than you And he's you know, drives a sports car and he was there. this is like early seventies. And he was a DJ And he'd been in bands in the sixties and then he was DJing. And so he was always, yeah, he was again, it's like Positive and negative. the either role models or just, you know, that the your your inspiration. So yeah, my dad definitely went for the, you know negative U mate deem everything that I lik as rubbish and it makes me want to do it more. For me, it was like all the rest of my family seemed to have more fun than, you know, all my my Um All my aunties and uncles and everything, they were a rightright laugh. and they would proop up old school cockonooes and every Saturday we wouldd all get together and they would play rummy and then they would get drunk and then they would dance around the room. Yeah, and I've I've thought that was much better than You know, sitting in the drawing room with Peter reading the Guardian, you know? Yeah G got it's funny, isn't it? I mean, these all these influences are so important I mean, through primary school, I think you're just looking anywhere for u K of inso, what kind of music was your mum into What was you playing? There were some Have you heard of Peter Paul and Mary? Yeah, of course, yeah. They were like the kind of exact same version of Bob Dylon. So it's Peter Pa My mom I put Peter Paul Mary And my dad'sife, Kenny Born is jasmine. Oscar Peterson. I love Oscar Peterson. And then but we all agreed on the carpenters and the Beatles. Yeah. They were the two that all they liked. And so that was my m but they yeah, they weren't that into their record collection was like that big When did you start by Mono S seems I could fold it U First record was Devilgate Drive by Sudie Koto Which I think I loved Susie Quatrra. She was a great, she. I think my first erection might have been Yeah. me too Yeahah, what s you know, a woman in leather is l based guitar? yeah. And the hair. Yeah And the attitude, you know. So yeah, Devil Gate Drive, that was the first record I bought. The other reference that I loved, you had a cultural reference that I really enjoyed was Donnie Osmond. I was like, that is so left feel for you. I don't I literally would lick the television when Donnie Osm. It was just one of those nights. It wasn't a sexual thing for me. it was They they just came they came over around the time of Crazy horses and they were just on the news And now there wasn't much pop music. I mean, there wasn't no, you know, things just didn't, you know, we didn't listen to radio onene No at that point And so you just didn't hearself But on the news, it's like the Oslans have arrived. And I just saw Donny Osfin. And he had a piano but light bulbs on it that lit up when he played it and he had a leather jacket with his name written in studs on the back and I just thought cool with that. He was playing crazy A just W. And u And just it was just one of those moments in time when I was hooked T year old me just went. No, eight year old man just went Oh I want to do that and it's stuck in me ever since. and So I wanted yeah, I wanted to be first of all a pop star but then temped it down to just being a music. then punk came along and then it was like Can we. Do you want to talk about punk? I want to talk about hold on so are we the same I'm fifty eight. I would never ask but y. I'm fifty eight. I' sixty seven. But yes, I was the t end of punk, really. Yeah, so I was fourteen when punk came out say you would have been ten Yeah. So I want to talk about your hair You dyed your hair. Yeah to be more rebellious, bit more punk. Well, I wanted to be I wanted to be like a punk rocker and tough and hard. I'm a middle class kid from suburban Surrey. So I tried. but by my sister you said you used to go, you're just too pretty to be a punk Rck. You said, you look more like Julie Andrews That was one of my nicknames was Julie because she said I look more like Julie Andrews than Sid Vicious. We weren't allowed to at school, you couldn't dye your hair. So we used to dye with poster paints at weekends and and wash it out during the week. That's quite a good idea. Yeah, it's good it's so good when you sweat If you wear in post paint in your hair and you sweat, it kind of sort of comes down. So you were fourteen. I was fourteen And you were experimenting with that. Were you going out clubbing? Yeah. I about that I lived well, not clubbing, just going to see bands I was lucky enough to be once thoughtop from Croden and there was a club in Croyden called the Greyhound We used to have punk bands on every Sunday night And somehow I managed to get a membership card for this club, which said certified that I was over eighteen And somehow I I persuaded my parents that I was allowed out every Sunday night go to back to see punk bands and u Yes, so during Yeah, so during my around the time of GCC I was going every Sunday to the Coyd and Greyhound and seeing clash and the adverts and the buzzcocks and the slits. Oh my gosh. prettyty much everyone apart from the sex pistles, isn't they? Um and and it was great and it just, you know, and this You know, I'd sort of fall in love with music as pop music as a thing. Yeah. But then during the glam thing it's like, where do which way do you go are you like T. Rex and David Bowie or are you like the swweet and Slade? And it was like And in the midst of it's like And then but out of that came punk Rck and then that was just like, oh, this is my groove. you know, this is what he's got noisy music that annoys my dad. It's got rebellion, it's got, you know, it's freedom, all those things that you want when you're fourteen. So that that just, again, another life changing moment My brother brought home the first danded album. Wow. must have been the beginning of nineteen seventy seven And he bought it he said,ave you heard this, you know I think punk rock? and he played me it, I was just like I bought it. byy the time the first track had ended, I' bought it off him. And I was like,. And yeah, so as I'd immersed myself in pop music, I now immersed myself in punk in the culture. And then it was great because through that came you know, fashion and politics and u social awareness and social life and And being in your own band, the greatest thing about punk rock was it's like, Here's a guitar, here's three chords. now bound. Yeah. And you could. I couldn't I did. Yeah. ye. What was that band called? The first band was called Disc attack I know Wait So good. Dis Disc attack. It waslltack. Disc attack, right? Yeah, I love that. So did that And we spellt Disc DIS QUE so it sounded a bit fresh. Disc Sashid. Disc attack. Yeah, so the first one was I was drummer and the drummer and then our singer left so I became the singer And then the next band I was in the guitar. so it wass just like you just played all instruments. Well, not very well average enough to be in a in a punk band That was the great thing about it. It was like you don't have to really know what you're doing. I think this is another thing that we can not up as being a great gift for people from our generation because I think now people are terrified of having a go at something for fear of looking stupid. and I don't think anybody gave sh him back then like I would beg to differ. Oh go on. No, I love this, please. Well two words TikTok. Yes. because and I watched my daught grow up with musically then into TikTok Yeah. and now it's become an enormous thing When. I see her doing TikToks, It's like I just remember me with a tennis racket in front of the mirror and a hairbrush for a microphone. That's what we used to do. TikTok you're actually doing that, but then you're putting it out there into the world And then tons of people I think they get They're getting their confidence in a weird social media way, but you' It's way more, it's the same thing that we would do B Broader. Yeah are broadcast yeah. and I think a lot of people are finding what they want to do and where they are and who they are. in a life through social media. Sometimes in a bad way, it's not sometimes it can be negative it's kind of Well, it's I think it's more I don't think there's any Coincidence that when we were kids, everybody you were in a cult in a gang ade or Yes or, you know, and That doesn't seem to exist anymore. They don't have cults because I think people are finding their identity online and they can find out who they are and experiment with who they are without having to dress in a really extreme fashion to grab everyone's attention and go Hi, I'm here. I'm almost an adult And I think I'm this, you know. Be this is I think there's a Having watched my two kids goards, it's like finding Coming of age means finding where you fit in the world, what your identity is and what your place is at Because before everybody just looks after you and you're just wide eyed and you know, observing everything and learning And then it comes upart it's like now I'm going do it's like What am I going to do? And I think Being in a band was a great way of doing it. but I think having your own TikTok channel and just doing whatever You know, you start with stupid dances and then up end up doing minor you know, m of epic T I mean some of them, I occasionally will see something and think this is what social media is made for. Yeah. It's so clever and funny and brilliant. U I guess like what I What I was thinking of was that that some of the young people that I know are quite self conscious because you also get leveled loads of Yeah opinions opinions that we didn't get. like Yeahah, there is a negative. ten people come and see your band you'd be so happy. but ye like I do remember a conversation with my son I was having the go at him for being too obsessed. I think it was like He had an Instram and he said, Oh, can you follow me or can can you comment? He said everyvery time you comment, I get like fifty more and followers and I was like As a father, I ought to tell you that life isn't just about followers and plus, these people They're not your real friends, know, and if they're following youris because they came through it through me, they're not really your friends. they're just noes on your you know, social media bed post and He's like, Dad Did you remember when you were grow off at school You know, that thing about how popular you are and you know how you' in a band and how many people come to your ge, He said, Imagine how that important that is to us of our As. And he said Imagine if there was just a figure Everybody could see there was a measure of how popular and how you were. How obsessed you think you'd be about that figure? And I'm like, yeah, you're right. Can I just say something? Well, he sounds great. Oh yeah, he's veryoody For an idiot, my son is a very wise man. alsoso very irresponsible. He's very lovable, he's very kind and he's extraordinarily entertaining, but he's also irresponsible, but that's. he's got the good big's he's he's bright and and the same with my daughter, she's bright and and witty and kind. and that' they're the most different I was just going Responsibility anyone can do that. I mean, kind is for me key, I think, in everything. But you and Zo are kind. You know, you're both lovely Wonderful people I want to go back to you and your vinyl and actually realizing in some way that Loving music. and having the greatest collection of vinyl of any of your friends actually brought you some kind of like value, you know. so you get invited to parties and things because you had the rec Yes. I fell into DJing simply because I was obsessed with music and bought that was what I did I did my paper around just to findine fun my vinyl habit and so I had a really cool box of records. And in those days, don't forget there was no streaming or anything like that So if you're at a party and you want to hear cool tunes, someone needs to have brought them to the party, or you need to haveself Aside this little box is seven inches and And I used to get invited to parties because I had the box of seven inches. And one time somebody might have been, I didn't know them that well. and And I said Is it all al right if for don't bring my records because like they just Well they're just like teenage parties, they would just get left alwn the fad butts and. Yeah And blood and vomiting And with crrisps. You can see what kind of pasty animal I. We went to slowly. But I just said they get ruined, so I'm not bringing them. And she's like, Oh, I' kind only inviteing you for the records. Oh But she said And I think her parents had a bit of money. said what if my dad hires these like those X you're like the Dc jockey and you're in charge of the records. I said, I could And something very fundamental happened during that. I realized that my love of music is kind of accelerated by sharing it with other people. It's like when I hear a good record, I don't just sit there andist do it over and over again. I'm like to my brother and sister. If you heard this? you heard this? Boring everybody, I could with it. And then this is an outlet for me wanting to share records with people. but also Sting there with this sort of now you'll become the sort of center of attention Realizing allh this sort of satisfies my Ceryouffee rate Also my love of music and watching people watching that become the soundtrack of their night and you know, and they'll go home remembering that song because they snuuck someone during that song, you know. Whenever I hear If you leave me now by Chicago I just get all kind. what are you doing? Dose bumps and a mild direction. Well Basically, that was the that was the tune at the end of the night. We'd all been dancing t late Suusie Krochine's status currently bloes going like that and everything. And then near the end there'll be like one or two records where it's like, okay, the girl that you've been eying up This is the slowdowns bit now trying to get about this It was like it was sort of like musical chairs because like they'd put it on and you'd be like, and then somebody else had got there first and the girl that you'd been wanting to. So That's such an emotionally charged record for me because I'm either in heaven two bum cheks in my hand Or I'm in hell watching some other guy with two bumigs in his hand. D. So And I think it was it's from those kind of days that I just Reize the relationship that you have with music. and it's not just it's the soundtrack of your n It weaves itself into your emotions brings people together sometimes you know, physically, sometimes metaphorically It also it just, yeah, it it takes the mood and then Be beinging the DJ in the middle of it, it's like it's like what a It's privilege and an honor to have this power over people's nights hour O to be able to create a night out that wasn't a good night out, you know so you see some turn it around. It turns out and they're a bit shy and but by the end of the night they're down the fr going that or getting sn, you know, snice. Yeah, great Yeah. So didid you get that that first night? Yeah that feeling? Did you And I just saw again, my life is punctuated with these moments of just like Oh I lie this and this is exciting and this is something I want to Eplore and develop and fourteen fourteen? It was about fifteen And then because then I started doing a mobile disco Wow. And that if you werere gonna you know, when people ask me, you know, what advice would youd give to Babbing DJs, I'm like, do weddings and hockey club discos and the odd funeral because that's where you really learn your ch to DJ. Yeah. And what kind of things would you learn then You learn to read a room. Yeah. You learn to realize when you're laying in an egg and you need to change tact. You learn how to know tends to work with most people, you know and because you you would put a record on, then for three minutes, you've got nothing to do pass and choose the next record and put that on. So you spend a whole life just looking at people and you see their reaction and then you put a record on you can see when people are like people who are attacking someone just suddenly start going like that and then they look over you and then if someone comes up and they ask you what the record is, you know you're really doing your job there Nowadays it's like you see people shazamming, you know, subtly shizamming. So you just yeah, you just get a feel for it. but in those days it was I never saw it as a career. The cham wasn't stillill not No In those days you used to get paid just more than the glass collector in the club And you were deemed just a little bit more worthy than in the glass cector. And you were expendable and you were just over there in the corner of, you know, you were you were the nerd whodought bothered to buy the records. 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More worry It's a way forward Go to do health. co slash begin again and use code begin again. lock in early access pricing. I also want to talk about you going to university So at eighteen, you started your lifelong love affair. Brighton. Yeah Can you just talk to me about that Well, write in your DNA Am I right? Yeahah, Before, basically my sister went to university there two years before me. So in my last two years at home Now, where I grew up, Ray It's a lovely place but for a young person, it's very ye it's suburan Suburban Yeah Lafy commute about. too some people it's heaven to a Young punk rocker who wants to, you know, do things in life, it's like we've got to get out of this place So for this last two years I was coming down to visit my sister in Brighton and hanging out and all of a sudden I'm in this big city and there's nightclubs everywhere and gay people and anarchists and everybody' see. Yeah,'s's thing. People dressed in fashionable clothes and stuff like that and theyve got a McDonald's and you know, all these things that we didn't have in Riggate. So yeah, so so when it came to I didn't really I by now been in a band with poor heat and called the palm frogs which is sort of made me think, you know, we probably really could do this and this is definitely what I want to do. And so I but my parents really wanted me to get an education and my dad as basically he said If you do a degree you know, you'll get a grant and you've got three more years before you have to look after yourself. If you don't want to do a degree, you've got to get flat on a job now eighteen I was like Okay Yeah after So I yeah, so Brighton was the place I wanted to be and And so but the bizarre thing was that I'd I of feail mail I was first time aroundound because I was in a Band with pool and then I retook him evening classes to go to it was polytechnic those days, not university in Brian And um So I said to the band split up because I moveved down to Bryan. drum and wentinterada Paul in a huff moved up to hull and said fuck you. And so so when I was at university I thought If you if'm if I get in another band, I'll probably I'll do half the course and then I'll get waylid like I did before with Paul And so I mustn' have be in bands while I'm at university. And so I just deJed my way through it Wh in later life turned out to be a really good an asset thing. But yeah, I used to DJ three four nights a week. Wow. too pay my way through college And that was great because I' really lo my chops But then It was about ten years into my career when I realized that B better DJ than I amm a bass player. peopleople want to hear me play other people's records. then attempt to play my own. How did the House martin start? So you left Union and that happened almost straight away, right? Well, I'd kept in touch with Paul. Yeah. he'd moved up to Hall and then In three years while I was there and he'd written some brilliant songs. He was always a good songwriter, but he'd really nailed it. and he used to come down and put his put the House Martins on the club that I DJ at. And we and I'd played on some of their demos and Then yeah, then just three years later when He just got he said, we got a record contract and our base players left Can you rejoin, you know? And it it felt like rejoining the band Yeah but now he's working with Stan and Hugh. and You know, do you want to move up to Hll and rejoin us And so it was bllant I' literally withithin six months of finishing college. I mean, that's absolutely mad. And how did how long did you stay with them? Because they didn't stay together for that long did? It was very intense. interesting. Three fourour years. Yeah, I felt like they were around for a decade. We needed two albums. But it's so funny, isn't it? They were Omnipresent, it felt like. They were such a huge band but actually when I read it was only two albums, I was like, God, that's so weird. we they were big We made, I think we made our w. You were big. We made them while. and it was, I mean, and that was great because like me and Paul School days have had this dream And you know, in fact in the book we'll talk about. In the book, there's a picture that Paul drew me of like us on top of the pots, but it was like, Well come open it. Fantasty. Let have a look now. Okay. Yeah, just for fun. And just as we can. Live unboxing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. love it. So You too, I mean, that must have been hilarious because if you're constantly talking about doing something and then you bloody go and do it. And we how brilliant is that And to you know, after you I mean, you're from the generation that you understand what top of the pops was to us. Yeah. It M Thursday night. Yeah just that was like a week's worth of social media in you know, in off an hour for Thursday night So we u We just u to having I dreamt about it and drawn little pictures about it to be on it and it was just a dream country So that's Paul's interpretation of what we look like And so for the pops this is a brilliant book by the way. It's like a scrapbook ofious It's like a scrapbook. It's Yeah, I mean, it's more pictures than wor. It's meega. Yeahah, but this is brilliant like There is something, I think when you are young. and you've had a dream and you achieve it that slightly gives you A feeling of anything is possible. Yeah I wanted to get famous for different reasons to you. For you, it was to like say to your dad You know, you can make a living out of music and I'm going to do it and And for me, getting famous was about Um making my mum regret leaving me, like that I was worth something more. we know, it goes back to your pareers All I wanted to do was make her go make her say, I'm really proud of her. As a parent, what your legacy will be on your children I hope Normand that it's music I haven't made music. R. But music has been as a family, our mood altering drug. Ry. It when we feel something, we play music 'causeuse the thing is like It strikes me so many people's like they either want to be their parents or they just desperately don't want to be their pares or sort of bits bits in between. I mean, I definitely defefinitely as a dad, I would say things to My kids are my go, Oh why I never heard that before? Oh my god, I'm changed my dad Re And it's literally made made me feel a little bit sick that I just said that, you know. And But then at the same time the the good things about Be. So it's quite weird how And until this moment, I've never really thought I wonder out what's the legacy? What do you think Iils is? Whether if you ask my kids when I'm not around like Do you want to be like your dad or do you not want to be? Woody obviously does. He's DJing, right? Yeah, he's DJing and he's wearing louder shirts than me I think at the moment he's trying to out doo me, it's quite funny. if you see him detailed, he's so funny, he's so good But I'm known for being eclectic. he's really eclectic. And I'm known for showing off a bit, but it's like he's gone Well he grew up watching me dJ. so he's like, that for him, that's the benchmark is showy offy DJ. So he's like, I'm gonna do what Dad does, but I'm going to put a little bit of pizzazars into. plus one. Yeah up the ent of it. So yeah, he's a conate forformmer. I don't know. I mean But it's not just what what you want to do for a living. It's like, who do you want to be because I definitely didn't want to be my dad and I definitely did want to be my momum. My sister pointed out the other day that all the first songs that I wrote and I was like a teenager all about death. She said we were really obsessed with death. I was like thinking, o God, yeah, that one, that one. And I think it's just like you said, when you're coming of age and you're thinking, whoo am I And it's like, I suppose that's a nascent way of saying, what's my life all about? What will happen When I die Now I feel like I'm fully alive. And I remember thinking What do I want to do in life? and I remember And it's always been in there I just wanted people to remember me when I was dead, like an obituary in a newspaper or so like means I did enough in this world that I'd be remembered And not for changing the world arounding, but just for rembered for me. I have. So I figure I'm pretty sure there's an obiterary written about me already. so I think I've done that. So my next one, then it really is the leacy of your children and where you leave the world. Thinking about you and Zoe as parents. You too have got such Like how brilliant to have such two great R models, but also u Not the norm, you know, you're both famous. Like that's quite a mad thing for. I mean, well that's a's quite a volatile thing how our children would turn out. because we were defefitely living the life, you know, when we first had Woody, we was immersed in What was life like for you both back then? Chaos? wasas it? Absolute cha. Yeah. Yeah, because I' had this off Th of being a musician and everything. And then when I told my manager, he went You do realize if you like if you and so are the couple who said, yourour life is never going to be the same And I said, What you mean? said, L BeCcauseuse at that point I was sort of at the top of my pow house. At that point she was doing the radio and brereakfast S show and going back. I mean you were both meega. It's like you put you two together it's like this is gonna be, you know And you know, that whole tabloid thing, which I never really had before, I was just I was only like band famous. I wasn't tabloid famous And my manager said, I don't know if it's going be good or bad. he said, Your life was going to change, you know I remember watching it as an outsider and the amount of public scrutiny from the Sabers it was relentless. Zoe is so she was kind of used to it and she talked me through it But it was we were both Ting a lot And All our friends were partying a lot. We all were, you know But also working really hard, you know, for the first couple of years she was still doing the breakfast show and you know, Be in cubs. go. So are you like two hours? That ye. But yeah, when we knew're young you can do that. but we were yeah and then we were So we were juggling Both having very successful careers that took up a lot of our time but also parting a lot. But going through it together was great because sheZ always a really good teacher. She was really good. she's really measured and she's kept me really down to earth. She's like you don't, you know, don't forget to say thank you to them, you know, don't forget. We had this tremendous adventure together and kind of went to a place W to a place probably that we never could have gone On our own, it was like our careers is in ar some of the two parts where he became this sort of par couple. So she was and still is, you know, we're still really good friends. And I think our triumph is to remain really good friends and parents even though we're not a couple anymore And can I just say hats off think that done for because that is quite a difficult one. It's hard. It's quite difficult one, but luckily we've sort of found a way. It was a bit awkward at first, but then we've got this rhythm where we're now I think we're really good. We' probably actually better than we were when we were a couple But we brought up we're very proud of the two kids we brought out. and I'm quite proud of the parents and that we know, as firm friends as we ever were. Sometimes, especially in midlife, you can get into a relationship and get a bit stuck and realize that you've slightly grown apart but you're just kind of coexisting and People get stuck there because it you're paying a price or whatever you do. When their relationship inevably breaks ar you get monus Yeah, then you start playing games with each other and bitterness and grudges and if that then starts rubbing off on your your job as parents, then for me that's, you know, that was The thing We just said it's like whatever happens is can't You know, affect the kids and everything has to be about them And but that doesn't necessarily mean staying together for the kids, you know A lot of people just stay together. I mean, my parents lived at the opposite end of the house for the last few years of my life and Yeah, I think it's so important. It's just getting over You know, when you break up with someone there, you've been It's hard to readjust, but you just have to get over the petty bits and the things and I've seen so many of my friends and they're just ripping each other apart and they'repping kids apart as well. Yeah, I think it's It as you know, when you sign on to be parents, that's for life Sing for a marriage, you can get divorced but you can never stop being parents Big news Begin again, coffee Rave is coming I cannot imagine a more joyful way start your day raving in the morning all together coffee Doesn't get much better than that Now look, these tickets are going to sell out faster than Glastonbury, so I suggest you get on the wait list right now. Link is in the description And I want to go back because Damen was coming up with skkint Records And and that was happening just before you met Zoe. Yeah. So you two had kind of got together and he almost built skint records around much name is D. I like it is your. So how did you come up with that name? The name was just we just needed another name. I at that point You knew you didn't want to be Norman Cookke U Well, no, contractually, at that point I was signigned to Iron Records as freak power Yeah There was a clause in our contract that I could make I could make independent dance I could make dance records on independent labels under false names as long as I didn't do interviews or Oh no, it was me. So At point I was still in freak power. How long did you have left on the contract I'm still I think I think I must still be so No, I I don't know. I think they might have kicked us off, I think. they think they dropped us But at that point I was starting contract, but I was also pizza man I was also the mighty Dub cats. Yeah. The last thing I really needed was another altergo. But Damian had this idea of, you know, this kind of music that I'd been playing in my DJ sets. he said, you should make records like that and we should And so we just manufactured another A, another label, another identity And it wasn't supposed to be me so I needed a false name. and F fact we simin doesn't mean anything, it's just I really love old Bues singers. Yeah. They all Domino. They all had stuf. Yeah Domino, Snooks Eagling and Beow Wevil Jackson And if you're a fat blu singer, they would ironically call you slim. Memphis Slim, Pinexlim. There was Bumblebee Slim was my fav.. Well it's in the booking. I used to I used to I used to write down the funniest blues names in my little notebook And yeah, and Fat Boy Slim is the oxymoronic blues singer who can't exist And but it just had a good re. It just sounded like a really L a character that should exist. But what's so funny is that there you are going we'll just do like a side hustle. Yeah. And in God Jesus wept your two albums were like What It was like that. everything blew our minds, Norman. We blew our own mind as well, to be honest. It was like how's it It was like everything was leading up to that, you know, it was It was like DJ experience that I'd always had. DJ mixed with the experience of being in a pop band so I had more pop sensibility and I kind of knew about song structure and stuff like that That's true I hadn't for it was it was like all these different little processes of learning. And all coming together and finally realizing that more people wanted to see me DJ and that I should go back to that thing that I fell in love with. becauseuse you've been doing the ban thing and you are right of it, but that thing, there's a magic there And it was just a moment and it just felt like everything came together and it was like, Again one of those sort of light bes like, I know what I know why people are getting so excited about this and I know what that formula is So by the time I did the second album, it was like it was the most effortless album I've ever done. Really? Yeah, it wass weird. It's like What do you mean? like you just went into studio it was like Yeah, just went into the studio at all that Oh, that sounds o yeah, like that But also I was trying stuff out. because I was playing at the boutique every week. So I would try stuff out then in boutique or I'd just get, I mean, Rockefeller Sank, for instance There was a tune called Sliced Tomatoes by the Just Brers, which is like a Northern soul rp. Yeah. but it's really got a really good groove. Yeah. And I played it at the boutique And and everyone's like, o, I'm not Yeah, they really did you know, everyone connects with that beat So thought that was so right, I'm going to make a record out of sliced tomatoes. So I just looped it out and then I was thinking It's like one hundred and sixty BPM, which is not a normal regular tempo for the sort of dance music I was playing. Yes. And I'm like, o, I need something of this. And then I just remember this bit of speech that worked, but only really fast, which was I It was like an spoken intro from from a record going rightight about now it's no other than the Funks old brother U the Lord Fess and u I was like, would you put that together with that? And it was literally just coming out of Literally the day after being in the club thinking, I want to make something out that groove and I've got this lying around And then you know, that day Rockke Pella Scout was born. and it's just I wish I could do You were literally vomitinging You regurgitating brilliant. sadly O on a weekly basis. Yeah. sadly I could never, you know, and sometimes you think was it in the water that week, you know, or that? six months. I had a six month perer where everything was just But no, I mean, it's good a bit You just it's just a moment in your life. And like two years later, I'm like, how do I make that lightning strike again? It's like You know what I think is interesting though, that when you're a DJ and you're as good as you are at entertaining people I always call it. I like I liken being in a club to being in church It's collective worship and euphoria and love and connection and connection. Yeah. And there's a beautiful spiritual thing that happens When it's kicking off in a club and there aren't any phones, I think, in particular like It works. Take the phones out. Yeah, takeake the phones out out of the equation. It's amazing. I really learnted it during the pandemic when we couldn't hang out together. We tried all these different experiments of Zoom things of you know, My mates were getting off the nut with each other on Zoom and it' just like Oh really? That's terrible idea. know on. Well you know, there's Friday kitchen discys and they're just like, But it just doesn't work. We as human beings need to physically get And then all those things like football and club and clubbing and festivals It's like you can't replace that with a download or a zoom connection or And I think we're going to feel that more and more. it gots me to think. I mean, I thought about so many things I was thinking about My son growing up my son had just got old enough to go to a nightclub legally And then it got snatched away from me. And I was thinking, what if his generation groww up not expecting to go to nightclubs or there find you knowough something else to do, will I still have a job? And then there was, will I still have a job because If we don't solve this pandemic, if we have to live with it for the rest of our lives, we'll probably never be able to all congregate in sweaty nightcubs you know, sharing bodily fluids with each other. So u And I really sort of stepped back and thought about what it is that I do for living and what it is that I enjoy about it and that fulfills me and Without it, it's like there wass a kind of hole in my heart which is we are social animals and we like to find people to do the same thing with us so we like to do it together in big groups. And things like music and football and religion bond us and glue us together as human beings and celebrate everything that there is about life. I want to talk to you about this kind of massive legacy of yours which uh, your annual massive gettinget together of the clans of like fat boy Slim worshipers, but I want to talk about the disaster that was Woodstock ninety nine. Can we talk about Woodstock? Yeah, For my experience wasn't actually that bad. Oh really? Be I watched the documentary and it looked horrific. It got bad on the Sunday after I'd gone I think I left just at the right moment But when I left it was it was fruit still good. It was fruity, but it was What do you mean by fruity? Well You know, people there's things kicking off. there's peopleople driving vans through the middle of a You know, it was fairly lawless. It was, you know, it was fruity, but it was all good natuure. There wasn't any fighting or destruction or anything like that. That all happened on the Sunday.. So So you left Saturday night left Saturday nightight ye, I left Saturday night and went flew straight home By the time I got home Sunday evening there was like footage of my trailer on fire I just see them on fire. So I think yeah I. But no I wasn't, it wasn't a disaster. It wasn't like I was't at all scarred by it whatsoever Um But I'm not trivializing what happened on the Sunday because I know a lot of people probably did have a very unpleasant experience. but No, I mean, it was yeah, it was fruity, but not out of hand when I left it. So a Big Beach boutique happened when, the year after, or two years after Um who C no, years after you to Gasto Woodsot was ninety nine? ninety nine. two thousand two was the big. Okay. Okay. But then the year before that was a slightly smaller one Did you do a slightly smaller? Yeah year before we did oneightly sixty seven thousand or something like that. Yeah. And which was just perfect and beautiful. Which actually even in its own accult is massive. sixty seven thousand mass. When I did that first one. Yeah, I Iember coming off stage and saying to my manager How are we ever going to top that This just doesn't get any better than this You know, I want to do that in my home city. and I'm so proud of Brian. I love city that I live in and they seem to be quite proud of me. And that was just a great way of cementing our relationship. I love how much you lo Brighton and I love you. Yeah, and yeah, so yeah, when we did that one, we just thought that was the apex, we didn't know what came. I mean, Coventry, like there are two hundred fifty thousand people in Coventry. right C to Brighton the next year to see you That's how many peopleble We' doubled the population. Unbelievable But you see, that was way more hairy than Woodstop for me. Oh was it? Yeah, Oh go yeah. So tell me why? Well becausecause too many people came. We couldn't stop them. We by the time we realized they were all there and they just had taken all the whole time. There wasn't enough Parking spaces, roads, toilets, N get home The whole place was gridlocked, but in a good natured sign of way but we couldn't guarantee their safety if anything had gone wrong. couldn't you know, you couldn't drive ambulances through the streets if anyone was hurt. So it was it went from like this is this is so big to like, o God, this is too big. What do we do? We can't tell anyone to go home. you can't stop because it would start a riot Yeah, it was more dangerous if we didn't do it. So have you have you seen the film? Have you made? Yeah. Yeah U So you know that the gammut of emotionsbelievable. And and even during the show we had to stop it at one point because A lot of people had gone round the wrong side of the thing and the tide was coming and they're all going to drown. It was just like the whole dose just it went from like that to like o o god. So yeah, that I mean, that was I was way more scared on Brighton Beach than I was at woodstop. I mean And this year you've got four events. There were going to be there were three and then actually it's just sold out. so you've done four. They let us do another one.. That's correct. Thank you to the residents around You know what's lovely is I think it says a lot for the kind of fans that you have. was that it didn't kick off with a quarter of a million people on Brighton Beach. Yeah. If you watch the film, my favorite line They are lovely people. My favourite line out of the film is the woman from the Csit who said was like it was perceived that your crab was sort of good natured. If this had been an oasis gig we would have been fucked. This is that. That's your safety too. I love that cre. So yeah, no, it's a testament to the good natured Yeahah. I mean if anything had gone wrong, we had no. way of dealing with it. But luckily everybody behaved themselves. I mean, yeah, I mean there was people climbing on toilets and ing toilet rolls and everything. But you know, nobody would no one did anything bad and there was no it's the stampede thing that you're worried about. Y. because that amount of people if they all run in one direction, that's like the T ten Jugnauts and yeah yeah So no, so now we do it in small bite size chunks O nice. But yeah I mean, I still have the same pride in coming back and doing the beach andes everybody inv Viiga. because that's not I mean, it's not My relationship is such with the city that even after the big one that was almost a disaster in the whole city stank of piss for the rest of the summer and those broken you know, took a week to clean the beach. Every time I go into Sainsbury, everyone goes,W are you going to do love a beach party then? because everybody invited and loved it. and I love that they're proud of me. So to be able to come and do it four nights this year is a big thrill You know what's quite funny, I think, is that You saw your greeting today. we are all proud of you. It's quite a nice that. We all love you like We're all cheering you on. I think what it is is that you were talking about doing the mobile discos and the funerals and you know, learn your craft But it's that you can tell what we want You read us so well as a crowd. It is an honor and a privilege to be part of that conversation, I'm just a sort of conduit for the conversation between all the people there and the music So it's not like it's not sort of preaching. it's just I'm just you're facilitating your night out. And it's we love you you say things like that. But it's an absolute joy to do that. And like I said, I don't take it for granted since the pandemic when I couldn't do it. I cherish it even more. you actually to understand the joy you get that night after night you just watch people. letting off steam. Yeah, making friends. And like the best thing ever I ever see I look down two people absolutely snogging snogg face itself. It's like you two have either just met or you're just having the time of your life. And it's like, ye get in there. And it's a privilege to be providing the soundtrack. Yeah. And it's a privilege just to watch people Butch. It's not the joy that I bring. it's the joy that the music brings And I'm just the conduit that makes all that happen. But it is a joy. I I mean, that's why I'm still doing it now you know, I'm sixty two years old. Song We didn't know about that let age aggees and because U I'm I'm your era And I am I started going out clubbing again maybe four years ago and it has Bin such an extraordinary joy for me to revisit what feels like my childhood I feel young again I haven't forgotten how to dance. I still You know, we were listening this morning, I was playing someone your your albums going, lookook, these are the tracks, you know, and it was like, oh no, I do. I know that one. I do that one. He's young guy, like really young guy. know And I was listening to it and I thought, this still is relevant. It still sounds brilliant. This is what I love about house music is that It doesn't go off ever. It's timeless. most I mean, some of the eighty eight, eighty nine stuff they're like acid house is of an era, but it still sounds amazing in a club and how u Nicer is to go out again now at my age and and think I'm going to wear something that other people would think was inappropriate. I can. Yeah. it's so nice. you're never to what I'm trying to say is You and me and all of our friends? think We are never too old. I think you're braver than me though, because I'm not sure if at my age I would go to a nightclub. I'm not sure I have people Oh my go, do you know what that is for me No but wait, Norman Norman, that's a challenge That's what I love about that. Yeah, I always worry that, you know, people go like, what's Granda doing here? you know? So he's with grandma U Yeahah, know, because I wouldn't go out club in I get I love it that I'm still part of it and I'm always doing it. so but on someone said the other night and said, you know, When was the last time you went to see a DJam, right On my night off, A, do I want to go? Yeah Will you work late? And B, if I turned up at a carub you know, at my age just to see another DJ f be going on was. do you know what they wouldn't No, but that's the thing wouldn' I'm telling you because I do it And actually people just think it's quite funny. Like they're like, o my go, this is amazing. You're here. I'm like, yeah, and I'm wearing ankle socks. Well you had that over that. When yeah Amnesy did have this I think it was like,, Oh my god, yeah, and you were just bouncing around like the j and cell bunny wearing this fabulous dress And o my God my m to go. It's really hest as something as we on the rinar And b Is not being reborn. but you just by doing that is quite a sort of statement, but also I don't if you remember one of my friends was really impressed. He just read your book and he was like, when I said you were going gonna to be there. He like, Oh my god, really l? Oh yes.. Hving, you know, similar journeys to us, we, you know, you are kind of little bit of the poster girl for sobriety. Yeah. I love being sober and being out. I want to talk to you about actually how hard was it Because I also, when I saw you DJ way, way back when Before I knew you I never, ever would have considered that you might be drunk actually I was always drunk. You were always drunk. Yeah. Now when we're talking drunk, like how would you alcoholically prepare for for a gig? Like how much would you have to drink U, we're Bottle of voko would be my rider. And I could probably bring that for in on But um wow But you didn't it didn't seem Like In fact, you were worried about DJing without How are you going to do it without a boostrif Did it ever affect your DJing? No, I don't think so. No. It's weird. There was nights when I was struggling to speak. to walk. And the people around me are like, you' can be alright. get on this stage. I'll be fine. There's something that kicks in when you're DJing. There's like the muscle memory of what you're doing', you know, it's like ridning a bike And then the way the adrenaline just straightens you and you look in with the crowd. and then you probably have a few more drinks while you're DJing. It's only when you come off you realize how drunk you are. Now when you're DJing it's yeah, I can DJ in any state. Um I don't know whether it's better or not I mean, I was petrified of DJ and Sober because' all my life I'd always been part of the party and it's like, if you're not walking the walk, can you talk at all? But am my It took me a while. It took me about five or six shows to reset myalibrate Realibrate what I was doing there. It looks like, you know what are you doing here? You're a middle aged man playing a load of sort of squelching noises and loud kick drums to a load of drunk people who were just like waving their arms around and hugging each other. And it took me a while to realize like that's enough. Yes, that's what I'm doing and it works and it makes them happy and it makes me happy. also We were cirking earlier about euphoric recall I do care Explain exxplain what that is ' I don really know I don't really know what it technically is. My perception of it is a bit like, do you ever read asterisks and obbelks? Yes. Obelks fell in the magic potion. Yes when he was young say they never needed any moreore because he wass like there's some I think I've had just had so many so much alcohol and drugs in good times that it's just swimming around in them And it only takes the excitement of being with the crowd and the music being really loud and the flashing lights. and it kind of It triggers it because I go into a sort of date of and needbation but I go into another That's Euphoria. Yeah and I get exactly the same thing. Really? Yeah. And people have often said to me like what are you on? And I'm like on life. L just I'm having the best time ever. And a great DJ. does. read the comments on my DJ things on YouTube and they're Isn't supposed be sober? Look at me he off his nut And they're going, Yeah, yeah, look at it. And what do you reckon it is? It's like It it coats like you' siffing just sawing blows nose must be coose like, noose, definitely on appeal, D deffinitely appal. And I'm like, it was just nothing. but I love that fact that I can be in this sort of state of euphoria without all the bad stuff and without having Well the next day is good But don I don't know whether it's there's still some rattling around in my brain or my bloodstream, or just I can tap into that. I mean, I definitely when I'm paring a DJ set and doing a DJ set, I'm thinking about them and what they want. and I'm thinking in terms of what they want, you know, and not in the cold li of day of me being sober it's like, whereere can we, you know, we need to push this for high out? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's harder faster, you know, like So I I just enjoy being a part of it, but being able to walk away at the end and go to bed. Yes and wake up and fight another day the next day and have a hangover going a three day bender Yeah, oh my God the three day benders. Yeah, which oh my God. I mean, I love not having a hangover. I just, I am so grateful And when I see people now, my age and they've got one, I think, o God, I'm just so pleased I don't do that anymore. No judgment But I'm so glad I don't I don't have that and When I just quickly want to ask you because've whenever I get somebody on and if you don't mind talking about it, but how did you make that decision to stop Just in case there's somebody watching and they think, do you know what? I feel like I have I have got a bit of a problem and I don't know how to stop What was it that made you make that decision just One thing that happened really So This is, you know, my life we lose people and I mean, I knew I was in a bad way and I knew I couldn't stop, but thinking well I can't stop so I'll just carry on. And I knew people around me were worried. But no, just one day, a penny dropped. I don't like you And you made your decision? Yeah, you're going to lose your family, you know, if you don't rise up. It was yeah, it was probably, like I said long overdue, but just I suddenly got it I think Oh God yeah, I'm screwed if I carry on doing this. And wherever your drop bott happens It you I think you'll know that um It's weird because having gone through A and the process and everything, you're acutely aware of other people that are out there still suffering and whether or not it's time for them to come, you know. And a lot of people like because of what I've been through, people if they've worried about their friend or their partner or something they' come and ask me and they say, how do I stop them? what do I do? I' like you can't. Yeah then when they're ready, they're ready when they've had enough They'll come in, you probably can't talk them into it. So yeah yeah, no, I just hit I just hit a realization that I probably not a rock bottom, but a realization of what the rock bottom looked like. Yeah. And I just thought I've got to do something H It's interesting this idea that you're the only person that can do it And it's so frustrating for everyone around you because I know that You know, it's same same sort of thing when other people come to me and go, what can I do? and you can't do anything. You've got to wait you know, and Sometimes that's a very painful place to be, but it is interesting what gets people to their rock bottom, my best friend shot me in her car. And we were supposed to be going to see Santana. And she said, we're not going to see Santana I just I need to tell you a few things. and she just told me that everybody was talking about me everywhere talk about what disaster I was kept falling asleep at tables while I was trying to eat something how you know, I was like, and the shame and the shame was enough. get me to a meeting. I got out of the car and I was affghing and blinding at her and like, you know, well you can fuck off. But something finally signed. She probably wasn't the first time it had been said to Oh no Yeah, ye. But it was that one the moment. Yeah. And I just went and sat in my bed and cried for like four hours and then thought, my Godd, I've got no way out. to stop It's a really nice surrender so lovely and you finally bloody do it Yeah. Is that still trying? still trying? Well, it' No' no, it's the surrender it I' saying, okay, I need help. the next six months wasn't the easiest of my life, you know. No. Anyway, I don't want to be a pare. The weird thing is it's kind of you I never want to be a poster boy for sobriety. I know. I don't judgement to anybody who does anything. No All I want, the only thing I would want to be is a help to people. when they are, you know, if they think when they if they do want to stop, I'm kind sort of I'll be there to take them to a meeting, but Um I'd hateah yeah, that's sort of piousless. I'm on a natural hind. Yeah. I think that's probably why I sort of taaped into the idea of collective of, you know You fight recall. It sounds better than going, Oh, I'm on a natural high. Anyone ever says that, I just want to punch him. Yeah I think I punch myself. Another thing that I love about you. again, this rolls into the kind of humility thing. I just don't want to make a big song and dance about everything. I just want to be myself. And this is who I am. Live by example, attraction rather than promotion. U You know, I can help you if you want me to're I'm not going to shove it down as much take as much jose as possible, but when you're done, you're done. Yeah. And then when you're done comes Yeah yeah. Eactly. I'd like to ask you this is quite a weird a weird question, I guess, but and If there was going to be a track like a A music appreciation moment, a song that came on at a moment. You know when you were talking about the last song of the Night? And it still gives you goosebumps now and it's like holding a girl's buttocks A track that for you really really, really meant something and what was going through your life When it happened and we'll all go and listen to it my one would be the first thing that came to my mind was This someone by Tj Bahal satisfied and tickled too which u Paul introduced me to Tars Hart and we were getting into blues when we were about sixteen, sixteen, even used about me mixed tapes of blues records and that's how I got into the whole blues thing But Tas Mahart did a song and it's I'm satisfied and tickled to, baby just to know that I'm in love with you And It's weird because it just reminds me of everybody that I've ever been in love with and Everyone who knows will if it's been on a mix tape that I've made you, that means I was in love with you. And u But but it's beautiful because it's just about it' just it just sums up the serenity. beinging calm it's like U Living in the country high up on the hill at nights Hear the birds and I hear the whipper whe and And it's just like just being satisf satisfyied. Are you a lyric guy Not so much, no, can't I'm no good at writing him. No. I don't really listen to them. the time. I've never done. Every now and then one just suddenly cuts through. Yeah. And I'm like, oh, actually, I can relate to that one I'll listen to the rest of it. But no, don't I've never been a lyric person, but my husband's made me. Really? A lyric person. So we've done the entire back catalog of Van Morrison, which blew my fucking mind He's amazing and Bruce Springsteen Wow. Yeah. I've got a present for you. find it. hold on. I've got two presents. Oh did. Fing themng I've been a sign for. So I'm gonna just think about this. I'm gonna go with first of all, I'm going go with I've got two letters for you So sometimes When we interview people We like to try and find and like someone who means something to them to write a letter. Normally it's one letter. you are such a lovely person. There were two people that wanted to write you letters This's going to make me cry Hype saf Okay, on that caveiat So you can read it U This one is the first one, Deeni Glasses Yeah Can you wear very foocals? These are very foocalals? Let's to find out. I'm about one point five. You'd have to look through the bottom of the glass Don't look through the middle. So much your hand down here that way. Yeah okay So that's the first one They really seeit you about the b. He' c it D no. Someone was asking about your glory days recently Those early days of skin and the big beat boutie. They ask what is like warming up for you I applies It was probably The cake done the most and definitely the gig I've enjoyed the most. Warming up for you was a joy startarting slow and low with an eclectic selection. followed by those weird and wonky records that came out with a bit of a is this going to work energy? So much fun. All done with the confidence that you were going go that you were going to come on and take the roof off anyway I love the dynamic that we had embodied everything that was great about the label and the club I also love the handovers, a moment for both of us to look out at the crowd They're up for it tonight, Marace would have said and invariably were In the film skkin the moovie, we have a little montage of us having that chat on the stage at Concorde in its grutty excellence And then the venues just got bigger and bigger and bigger. our on the beach in front of a quarter of a million people. Wow as you h Eddie Yates is me This is coming from Damian. Love you n. deal of No I mean, he's been amazing for you, Damian, right Yeah. What a gift he saw you when you were sixteen like he got it Like We're not. it was the other way about he first I first met he came to a Beats International Gig when he was a DJ. No when he was like at school or something. Oh, I see. yeah, yeah, yeah. He and then he sort of and we met but we just got a kindred to bit. We just love music in the same way. We're still the Mkin Records and you Both of which fat Boylim and Sles were Damiian's ideas. Mega. Is that more More so I love our enduring friendship and our enduring love musim all B I went to see. In fact, he was the last teJ I went to see When was that About a month ago was he was playing in Brighton and I went and I just really wanted to I just got to love watching him play But yes, no Not quite as old as Paul, but Lifelong collaborator and bar and muse and friend and But also just fellow music fans just we're just engulfed in it And this one didn't make me cry though, made laugh made me smile. Okay. Me me as Brad Pitt and him. It' got good, isn't it in the movie Right, Ready? Okay. I'm going to push these further up your nose because you need to look at the bottom of them to be able to read it.. Be otherwise if I handwriting, might you might The dad bit's probably a giveaway Hello, Mrter Slim Or should I say Dad It's me, would he You might remember me from such things as my childhood That's a big saying in our house I'm just popping it in to say how much Proppping in to say how much you mean to me You're alright, DJ, but you're an even better dad. And the person I am is directly because of you. Youve just referenced, you know, we've referenced all this before. The person I am is directly because of you. In any situation the lessons you taught me would always be the same. I think more than anyone else, you have so much time for people So much love for people And you always taught me to be there for everyone around me from a very young age You give a little love and it all comes back to you hereere's me giving it back to you lovely Dad. They Iid cry A So was all that that stuff early was setting up No I haven't read it. Well That that was the answer to the question we werere asking about. what you do to your children. Isn't that funny? , thank you Woody. than you, Woody That letter Like you too have done an amazing job. I don't know that as well. but From what I know of Woody, from what you've told me. What a lovely boy. Both like kids are fabulous. I love done. I mean as theyough actually discuss like how on earth did we raise two such. your lovely people? Well adjusted, beautiful kind children. You know, they should have be You two are well adjusted, beautiful and kind. I'm not sure I'm not sure if are Thank you. My favourite woody quote I had these I have these sort of old man slippers. that I used to wear and u They actually quite hit they're called Homies or something. ye. But they're deliberately old man slippers. And one day I was wearing them and I think I was wearing them with a cardigan combination. And he went, Dad, you've got to stop wearing that things do you know I know it's just around the house butah. And I said, What's wrong? And he said,re my slippers. I said, you know, they're my ironic old man slippers And he looked at me and he just went There's nothing irron about an old man wearing old man slippers He's just got a genius I think I just sum up situations Um No, thank you, Woody and than you, Dimamen, that's something Did you do that at all, your guess? No, but sometimes it's an obvious thing for us to get you know in touch with someone it work. But S sometimes people don't want to write or sometimes they do or whatever. but it was really nice that two people You know, wanted to give you people who I love very deep. It's good to know that they love me back. Yeah, they do And I think u yourvet You know, I've said this before, but you are an extremely humble man, but you are extremely by everybody It's been really nice talking to anybody. that would listen about you, Well I've been learning more about you, I've been kind of sharing about you and you are universally loved. It's a beautiful thing and well done for li living that life And thank you for coming on begin again. we love him. We love much for having M then. Do you huate? Norman, can I hug you? Stay there. No I'm coming in. I'm coming in Thank you, Darling. That was lovely. St man H I had such a nice time. Me too. Thank you. From the minute I will the minute I will D't worry about. I really didn't see that thing going makeaking cry. Yeah Who was cry funy when you Wh you want me to cry? I was like,es. Oh Oh Norman, love you Fucky love you. So just in case you miss this episode here, U If you love this episode, I know you're gonna to love that