The Chemical Brothers’ permeating Block Rockin’ Beats infected a thrilled crowd at the Other Stage at Glastonbury last Saturday. Hitting the balance between playing classic tunes such as Galvanize and their latest songs from album No Geography, the pair managed to hypnotically induce their audience in a set that evaded the dullness that DJ sets can be burdened by. As ever, The Chemical Brothers did not have to rely on live singers to excite the crowd due the intense combination of their pounding music and mesmerising visuals.
The Chemical Brothers’ signature sinister video art makes their sets even more engrossing and Glastonbury 2019 proved no different. Any of this year’s festival goers will vividly remember the interchanging black and white figures screaming or dancing in the background in time to favourites like Go and Push the Button.
A particularly memorable section of the set came when the DJS remixed New Order’s Temptation with Star Guitar. The old classics like these were seamlessly mixed with new hits such as Free Yourself and Got to Keep On, proving the Chemical Brothers are not reliant on their better known songs to create an all-consuming trance like atmosphere.
It is a shame that the two main acts on the Saturday headline slot could not have been more contemporary to 2019. The Killers served as a nostalgic early 2000s throwback and The Chemical Brothers acting as the more alternative option. However, The Chemical Brothers proved that, despite being reminiscent of a 90s heyday, they remain relevant, exciting and able to create an enthralling set. They ended the set with a powerful homage to Keith Flint, front man of The Prodigy, who died in 2019.
