The last time we covered The Chemical Brothers arena show was TPi #265 – our last print release before the world started to get a bit… strange. “I remember back in 2020 when we were rehearsing in Fly By Nite Studios and hearing that the border to Australia, where I’m from, was going to close,” recalled The Chemical Brothers’ long-time Production Manager, Toby Dennis. After sweeping his desk into his bag and trying frantically to close the band’s production while on a stressful flight back to Australia, as lockdown began to take effect, Dennis and the rest of the Chemical Brothers family fell into the odd state of limbo, unsure of what was going to happen next. “We all waited and then some shows popped up for us in 2021, although they were hard gigs under all these new regulations,” he recalled. “Nobody really knew how they were going to work. We as a crew were rusty, as were the audiences, but we thought it was important to get out there.”
With 2023 being a much more ‘standard’ year for the team, with a busy festival season followed by a new arena tour, Dennis and the rest of the crew are glad to see those strange days disappearing in the rear-view mirror. Much to the PM’s delight, despite the turbulent years, the entire touring family has returned to the project. “It’s such a cliché, but it really is a family on this tour,” he enthused. “I’ve been with the band for 21 years, and many of the other key players have been here just as long.” However, despite his positivity at the return of the industry, Dennis was very realistic about some of the new challenges that facing touring productions of 2023.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Ray Baseley
