The Chemical Brothers’ Ed Simons offers bandmate advice after watching him live

The Chemical Brothers member Ed Simons took notes when he watched the group perform live during a hiatus from touring.
Ed took a break from touring with the group from 2015 to 2016, with visual collaborator and director Adam Smith filling in for him on stage during that time.
The electronic music duo are headlining Glastonbury’s Other Stage on Saturday (29Jun19), and in an interview with Britain’s Daily Star newspaper, bandmate Tom Rowlands revealed Ed’s outsider knowledge has helped them improve their performances.
“Annoyingly, now he often interjects with, ‘Well, as I’m the only person who’s seen The Chemical Brothers live, I can tell you that doesn’t work’,” he quipped. “It was hard him not being there, but I think in the long run its good because it sorta (sort of) renewed his enthusiasm for what we get to do.”
As intended, the 49-year-old returned to the stage a year after his departure, and he confessed he’s amazed that 30 years into their career, they’re still making new fans.
“I suppose with us the people who make the music are kinda hidden, the music’s the star, the videos, the visuals, everything else,” he shared. “We don’t project our image. Music’s music, age is just a number.”