Slim (aka Norman Cook) recently caught up with NME to appear in the column Does Rock ‘N’ Roll Kill Braincells?! For the chat, he was quizzed on various happenings from throughout his own career – he forgot that Arctic Monkeys covered ‘The Rockafeller Skank’ at their first-ever gig, and that he produced the Blur song ‘Gene By Gene’, but did correctly recall that he once snorted cocaine off the London-to-Brighton train line.
McCartney came up in a conversation about Cook’s infamous 2002 gig at Brighton Beach, where he performed for over 250,000 concertgoers. The show itself drew controversy after one attendee died, more than 100 more were injured, and several were rescued unconscious from the seashore. Cook was dragged by tabloids in the show’s wake, and, as he noted to NME, received some choice advice from McCartney as a result.
“He told me to leave the country – that’s what he’d do when things got on top of him,” Cook said. “It’s always bizarre having Paul McCartney as a neighbour, especially if you’re as much of a Beatles fan as me. Whenever he’d walk through the back door saying: ‘Only me! Just popped in for a cuppa!’, I’d be singing ‘Hey Jude’ in my head the whole way through! He’s a lovely man and like the dad I always wanted.” (NME)
Recently Paul McCartney has revealed he is growing hemp at his farm - but is having to hide it from teenagers that are looking to get high.
Sir Paul is reported to have first quit smoking cigarettes back in the early 1980s. Back in 2015 the star also revealed he had given up smoking marijuana after using the drug on and off for around four decades. The star said he made the decision because he didn't want to set a bad example to his five children and eight grandchildren.
In the photo Sir Paul enjoyed a quick cigarette break as he continued to soak up the sun during his break in St Barts recently.
The former Beatles member spoke on the River Cafe Table 4 podcast. He said: “We grow organic crops, I like doing things like spelt wheat, rye, we grow peas. Before adding, “we’re actually just getting into growing hemp” Express reports.
"The funny thing with government regulations is you've got to keep it where people can't see it, because you get all the kids coming in and robbing it!"
Paul also grows hops - from which a local brewer produces the former Beatle's ale, Old Stinkhorn.
Paul sends bottles of it to friends. Friends include Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. "We don't produce that much, it's more a personal thing," he said.
