The dance artist electrifies crowd after mixing the climate activist’s UN speech slogan with his club favourite

This article is more than 11 months old

This article is more than 11 months old

Fatboy Slim has paid tribute to Greta Thunberg in a performance in Gateshead over the weekend, mixing her speech to the United Nations into a performance of his club favourite Right Here, Right Now.

The mash-up opens with Thunberg’s voice, delivering her blistering speech to world leaders about the climate crisis over the synth melody.

“People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction. And all you can talk about is money,” the 16-year-old is heard saying. “You are failing us, and the young people are starting to understand your betrayal. The eyes of all future generations are upon you.

If world leaders choose to fail us, my generation will never forgive them | Greta Thunberg Read more

“We will not let you get away with this. Right here, right now is where we draw the line. The world is waking up. And change is coming, whether you like it or not.”

The sample of Thunberg saying “right here, right now” is used throughout the song.

The mash-up originally appeared on social media in late September, after musician David Scott from The Kiffness made and shared it to images of ice bergs breaking up.

Fatboy Slim, whose real name is Norman Cook, shared video of the mash-up on Facebook. But he has now integrated Thunberg’s speech into his live show, performing it at his Gateshead show on Friday night.

David Scott (@TheKiffness) #GretaThurnberg mashed with @FatboySlim - Right Here, Right Now. pic.twitter.com/InbZLf3awU

Scott Jackson, 40, from Middlesbrough, filmed the mash-up at the Gateshead show.

Jackson, who said he found Thunberg’s speech “incredibly powerful and emotive” said he had seen a short clip of the remix during the week and loved it, so wanted to film how it sounded in a large arena.

“The mash-up is superb,” he said. “The way she says ‘right here, right now’ fits his original perfectly.”

“The crowd could sense something special was in the air as it started, sensing something big was about to go down and it certainly did!”

Thunberg’s speech was the most striking and talked-about event at the recent meeting of world leaders at the United Nations in New York.

Donald Trump tweeted a video of an emotional Thunberg delivering the speech, with an apparently sarcastic comment, writing: “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!”

But world leaders and artists rallied in support of the teenage activist, including Billie Eilish, Janelle Monáe, Ellie Goulding, Mark Ruffalo and Leonardo DiCaprio, who all tweeted clips of Thunberg’s speech or in praise of it.

Janelle Monáe, Cindi (@JanelleMonae) The coolest . TY . 🙏🏾 https://t.co/bXc7bWrbUx