2019 No Geography Tour Expectations

[Bosco]

Having worked in TV, it can just simply be a matter of the producer's choice to use it once they get approval from the record company. This producer might've known like you said that it was gaining momentum and wanted to use that to appeal to the younger audience and maybe just the fact that it had 'this is not a game' in it. It also might've been cheaper to licence due to miguel not being too popular at that time and that its not a big chemical track coming from just a movie soundtrack as well.

It's probably something simple like that. It's just rare to find The Chemical Brothers featured in any form of US media, then all of a sudden a "main event" like the NBA Draft uses a pretty forgettable Chems track so heavily in their broadcast. It's hard for me to ignore.

[Champiness]

In acknowledgement of the fact that no era of The Chemical Brothers truly comes into focus anymore until we see what kind of wild rave-whirligig they've whipped up for the concert halls, I've decided to forego an album review or setlist prediction in favor of a track-by-track assessment of this album's prospects for the forthcoming tour (the three 2018 festival premieres excepted), followed by several mini-essays cataloguing my expectations and desires for the 2019 tour. Enjoy.

- They've literally already filmed the visuals for "Eve Of Destruction", so unless Tom & Ed specifically want to make Adam Smith very sad that seems like a shoo-in. Who knows, maybe for the first time in awhile we get a track from the album they're actually on tour to promote as the opener instead of just whatever their most recent hit to draw festival crowds in is.
(Important to note that this probably wouldn't displace "Go", just shunt it elsewhere in the set to displace something we hold even more dearly.)
- Maybe "Bango" at a stretch, if they're really committing to "this is the No Geography tour" at the expense of something else, since it's so good coming out of "Eve Of Destruction".
- I'd personally like to see "No Geography" get some play - and especially see what Smith & Lyall could do with it visually - but they've also got the Michael Brownstein sample on its own trigger, which might suffice for them in a crowded setlist.
- "Gravity Drops" probably no, but *that snare roll* deserves at least a cameo somewhere in the set. Really that should be the new "Believe" teapot explosion moment.
- "The Universe Sent Me" deserves to mop the floor with audiences during the encore and I'll be actively offended if Tom & Ed deny it that place of honor. This could be a keeper for the rest of their touring years if they play their cards right.
- "We've Got To Try" is a single, but then again so was "The Salmon Dance". Let's say 50/50 considering that.
(Really I envision this eventually making its way to the "Music: Response"/"Song To The Siren" breakbeat cameos spot regardless, it's just a matter of whether it finds a place of dignity on the proper setlist first.)
- Maybe "Catch Me I'm Falling" gets amped up for a spot in the encore; all I know is that spot better not be the one that belongs to "The Universe Sent Me" by birthright.
Really I think the ideal spot for it would be that kind of chill-late-in-the-main-set spot they occasionally carve out for album cuts like "The Pills Won't Help You Now". Give it a modest backbeat rather than the full "Wide Open" amp-up treatment and let everyone bliss out for like five minutes during the typically-hectic back end of the concert.
If you even have those five minutes to spare, of course.



"Go" probably isn't headed anywhere because it got into an NBA playoffs commercial, and that's pretty much the ceiling for what The Chemical Brothers can expect in terms of popular success in the 2010s. Inasmuch as your average concertgoer is going to expect anything after 2002 when they come to a Chems show it's pretty much this, "Galvanize", and maybe "Do It Again" once it's devoured some ambient goodwill from the never-getting-played "Salmon Dance" like a vanishing twin. If you want to know why "Go" was the one to get pushed to the front of the setlist with fancy new visuals, that's the explanation.
To their credit Tom & Ed seem aware that it doesn't quite have the sense of occasion to carry this level of focus on recognition alone, which is why they added the "Burst Generator" build right before all the "Edge Of Control Mix" drop stuff for their 2018 shows - it's a hype moment for a set-opener that doubles as a kiss to the hardcore fans. If "Go" is staying around - and it almost certainly is - I'd like it if they committed just a bit more to that. I'm not asking for a full-on mashup or anything - although they are in the same key - but there's a bit right before the build at 5:05 in "Burst Generator" that Q-Tip could easily be saying "everything getting harder to find" over at some point.
Still, that unlikely circumstance notwithstanding, I'd really appreciate if they at least put it, like, second in the setlist. If I were dreaming it'd start serving the job "Do It Again" has for a decade - even speaking as a devout evangelist for We Are The Night that song deserves a rest it's probably not going to get.

The past few tours have seen the Chems experimenting with The Prodigy's patented (and now, sadly, orphaned) "play one or two songs you haven't done live in at least a decade to get a pop from the diehards while the rest of your set is concert staples and cuts from the new album" technique, with classics like "Got Glint?" and "Piku" feeling the benefit. Who could be next?
Well, first off it's my hope that after testing the waters with exactly one performance at the start of the 2018 tour - a rare non-festival gig, which is probably why they abandoned it and hopefully why they'll reintroduce it on a tour with some more concert halls - they'll put "Let Forever Be" back in the setlist between "Believe" and "Chemical Beats", "I'll See You There" visuals or not. If nothing else it would provide a needed relief in the midst of what's otherwise probably the grimmest continuous stretch of tracks in any Chems setlist. Like, for pretty much the whole of 2018 that part of the show was "MAH", "Believe", "EML Ritual", and "Chemical Beats" all back-to-back. I'm not really a fan of the 7 minutes "Swoon" has taken up in every Chems setlist since 2010, but it almost seems medically necessary after a pummeling like that.
Otherwise it's just a game of playing grab-bag with past setlists. Like, root for "Orange Wedge" all you want, but previous blasts-from-the-past tend to be tracks that had proven themselves in a live environment before, and by extension were probably considered era highlights by Tom & Ed. So if they're feeling frisky we might get, say, the return of "Come With Us", or maybe at a stretch something like "Come Inside" (I harbor a theory it'd work well coming out of "Free Yourself", which should itself never leave the setlist because the live version of that song might legit be the highlight of the entire Chems discography).

Will they keep "Eve Of Destruction" as a vocal sample over "Acid Children"? Unlikely, it's the lead-off track of the album they'll be promoting and we've seen photos from a shoot for the visuals that clearly extend past what was used in the 2018 shows.
Use it as a setlist-opener? Possibly - and I'd like that - but when was the last time the Chems kicked off a tour with a new song as the setlist-opener (as opposed to switching midway like with "Another World", and "No Path To Follow" vocal samples notwithstanding)? Come With Us-era?
Play the full "Eve Of Destruction" coming out of "Acid Children"? Not out of the question (and better than the key change into a different acid line on this dolled-up new version of "Under The Influence" they've got), but where does that put the songs around it? They've got a good thing going with "Acid Children" coming out of "Escape Velocity", and that song's never leaving the second half of the setlist.

What's getting cut? Something has to be - we're at least getting one or two more No Geography songs - but, also, the darlings that have to be killed to make room only get more and more darling as the amount of past the Chems need to service in a setlist accumulates. The rest of Come With Us has basically been sent begging because "Star Guitar" is never going anywhere and that's sufficient representation at this point. "Do It Again" might feel extraneous to a lot of us but it's still there on the assumption that it represents post-2005 Chems to someone out in the crowd. It hurts me to say, but if it's not "Do It Again" I think we might - might - be losing "Saturate". "Believe" has a new job now so it's sort of orphaned on the front end; they've repurposed the drums at the end to go into "Elektrobank"-"Piku Playground" etc. but that bit of fanservice might also be on the chopping block. Just put the mid-setlist break on "Hey Boy Hey Girl" (or some new No Geography song after it) and I don't think the average concertgoer feels the loss.
The stunt with real-life versions of the balls from the visuals bouncing around the crowd may keep it safe, because of course the Chems love their concert bells & whistles nowadays, but also they don't do that all the time and they've still got the robots so it's not like they're short on logistical issues to worry about.
Also I imagine that "EML Ritual" isn't long for this world, regardless of whether "Let Forever Be" comes back in its place. It barely made the cut last time, there's almost certainly a No Geography song that's going to need that space more.

It'd be nice if they could use some of this prep time to give "Block Rockin' Beats" actual visuals, instead of just the pulp of sepiatoned bits from visuals that didn't make the cut for this tour like they've been doing (especially since some of those visuals might be back on the cut with the new room offered for the encore).

Based on two factors - the recency of the 2018 festival tour, which was mostly just an expansion pack of the Born In The Echoes setlist with some No Geography trial runs and aforementioned Prodigy-esque fan kisses thrown in, and the relative strangeness of the album they're setting out to promote, with its "listen to me as a whole" sequencing and sense that we might be getting a closer-than-usual glimpse at Tom Rowlands' soul - suggest to me that they might get a little bit genuinely frisky with the setlist alterations. Of course what those might constitute are beyond the scope of my prediction, without getting into full-on self-indulgent concert fanfic territory. But I can nonetheless feel the iron grip of Q-Tip, Ali Love, and the Big Beat era slipping just a bit - will this finally be the year we see the return of "The Test" in all its glory?
(No! Because they programmed the Big Robots to say that one line from it, and once you've committed to the logistics of bringing Big Robots along on tour you could be doing two-hour poetry recitals and still find a spot for "Under The Influence" in the proceedings.
"I'll take you along with me," Tom says tenderly to one of the robots looming over him. He softly caresses it, just once. "I'll take you along with me.")

[Guo1jiang]

今年是《Surrender》发行20周年，而我真的很希望能在setlist里出现Surrender。
个人的最爱是Star Guitar，2016年也看到了Swoon/Temptation/Star Guitar，可能是一个针对2002年演出的复刻？对许多歌迷来说意义非凡，我相信一定能看到Star Guitar。
如果出现Hoops也很棒。
Pills 或者 Salmon Dance如果能出现我会高兴疯了。

实在太期待即将到来的#No Geography Tour，我已经完全准备好投入化学兄弟的魔力中，无论有多少老歌有多少新歌。我相信从未听过化学兄弟的人，只要在现场就会被化学兄弟的魔法捕获。
2017年9月，化学兄弟来到上海，这是一场在EDM音乐节的DJ set，许多年轻的歌迷几乎没有听过化学兄弟。我在机场有机会和Tom短暂交谈，他也表示有点担心EDM音乐节的歌迷有可能不习惯化学兄弟的音乐。
当晚，化学兄弟演出时，突然出现强烈的暴风骤雨，演出只进行了90分钟，之后音乐节被迫取消。在化学兄弟演出的90分钟内，习惯了EDM观众一开始不太清楚状况，我身边的人甚至从未听过化学兄弟，没过多久，这些听众开始意识到这是他们从未想象过魔力音乐，在暴风雨中，观众渐渐"Out of Control"然后"Get Themselves High"，整个音乐节的气氛好像一个炸药，最终在暴风雨的高潮戛然而止。事实上，那时候化学兄弟还播放了Free Yourself。
第一次在ChemBase发言很兴奋。我的发言是用软件转换成英文的，希望没有什么不恰当的用词。

This year is the 20th anniversary of 《Surrender》, and I really hope to see Surrender in setlist.

They Played "Swoon/Temptation/Star Guitar" in 2016. May it be a remake of the performance in 2002? It means a lot to many fans. I believe I can definitely see Star Guitar.
It would also be great if "Hoops" appeared.
Pills or Salmon Dance will make me crazy if they show up.

No matter how many old songs and how many new ones there are,I am fully prepared to be involved in the Chemical Brothers's wizardry.I believe those who have never heard of the Chemical Brothers will be captured by the magic of Tom and Ed as long as they are present.

In September 2017, Tom and Ed came to Shanghai play a DJ set on a EDM Music Festival. young fans know nothing about Chemical Brothers. I had an opportunity to have a short talk with Tom at the airport. He also expressed concern that audience of this EDM music festival might not be used to the Chemical Brothers music.
That night, when the Chemical Brothers performed, there was a sudden strong storm. The performance lasted only 90 minutes, and then the music festival was cancelled. Within 90 minutes of the performance of the Chemical Brothers, the audience was used to not knowing the situation at first. The people around me had never even heard of the Chemical Brothers. Before long, all the audience began to realize that this was magic music they had never imagined. In the storm, the audience gradually "Out of Control" and then "Get Themselves High". The atmosphere of the whole music festival seemed like an dynamite, and finally came to an abrupt end at the climax of the storm.
In fact, the Chemical Brothers also played Free Yourself at that time.

I'm very excited to reply in ChemBase for the first time. The speech was converted into English by software. I hope there are no inappropriate words.
Mind Bending Chemicals，Love Is All.

[Csar]

Welcome Guo1jiang! Happy to see you're not a bot and you're actually posting and also glad you were able to catch the brothers in Shanghai! Stick around and have fun with the loveliest peeps around that is the chembase!

[Born In Planet Dust]

- "The Universe Sent Me" deserves to mop the floor with audiences during the encore and I'll be actively offended if Tom & Ed deny it that place of honor. This could be a keeper for the rest of their touring years if they play their cards right.

THIS This is everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guo1jiang]

Welcome Guo1jiang! Happy to see you're not a bot and you're actually posting and also glad you were able to catch the brothers in Shanghai! Stick around and have fun with the loveliest peeps around that is the chembase!

:))hello Csar!Yes I'm actually alive,and will not alive alone in Chembase.Happy to be here,Thank you

[androidgeoff]

:))hello Csar!Yes I'm actually alive,and will not alive alone in Chembase.Happy to be here,Thank you

You've got the track names as puns thing down, so you will do well here!

[Wolkenkrabber]

今年是《Surrender》发行20周年，而我真的很希望能在setlist里出现Surrender。
个人的最爱是Star Guitar，2016年也看到了Swoon/Temptation/Star Guitar，可能是一个针对2002年演出的复刻？对许多歌迷来说意义非凡，我相信一定能看到Star Guitar。
如果出现Hoops也很棒。
Pills 或者 Salmon Dance如果能出现我会高兴疯了。

实在太期待即将到来的#No Geography Tour，我已经完全准备好投入化学兄弟的魔力中，无论有多少老歌有多少新歌。我相信从未听过化学兄弟的人，只要在现场就会被化学兄弟的魔法捕获。
2017年9月，化学兄弟来到上海，这是一场在EDM音乐节的DJ set，许多年轻的歌迷几乎没有听过化学兄弟。我在机场有机会和Tom短暂交谈，他也表示有点担心EDM音乐节的歌迷有可能不习惯化学兄弟的音乐。


In September 2017, Tom and Ed came to Shanghai play a DJ set on a EDM Music Festival. young fans know nothing about Chemical Brothers. I had an opportunity to have a short talk with Tom at the airport. He also expressed concern that audience of this EDM music festival might not be used to the Chemical Brothers music.
That night, when the Chemical Brothers performed, there was a sudden strong storm. The performance lasted only 90 minutes, and then the music festival was cancelled.

I remember that. Ed put pics on his instagram before they played and then afterwards the Chems tweeted this:
https://twitter.com/chembros/status/911943360897830912

Welcome to the forum Guo1jiang, I hope you don't get too frustrated having to translate our English words into Cantonese (it is Cantonese isnt it?).

记住，没有地理

[hstn]

Got Glint -> The Universe Sent Me/No Geography (I Cave In/Help Me Become Divine during No Geography's buildup) with Hold Tight London's beats -> The Sunshine Underground

Is it normal for them to mash new songs together during promotion for a new album or no?

[WhiteNoise]

I'm hype to hear No Geography live. It struck me as the kind of song they might not play live, but they confirmed they're "excited to play it around the world" in a Billboard article.

I really don't know what to expect, but I think for sure we'll get:

Eve of Destruction
No Geography
Got To Keep On
Free Yourself
MAH

And I very much hope

Bango
We've Got To Try
The Universe Sent Me

but I doubt we'll hear

Gravity Drops
Catch Me I'm Falling

[Bosco]

I'm not sure if they'll play the title track live, but I would be shocked if the Brownstein quote doesn't find itself featured in the set somewhere with at least a little bit of fanfare (and not just snuck in Snow/Surface2air like Champiness displayed).

[inchemwetrust]

I really don't know what to expect!

I honestly have no clue what to expect. I'll tell you this though. The energy that this album has now is gonna bring way more energy to the live show than I've seen in the past 1O years. I don't care what the setlist is, or what tracks from NG are gonna play live, or what visuals are going to premier for the first time. The album is a godsend, and all this momentum is gonna reflect off of Tom and Ed and toward the crowd!

All I want from this tour is that I hope they sell those dog t-shirts at the merch stands! That's all I want really!

[Explud]

My predictions about the setlist:

Spoiler

1. Eve of Destruction
2. Do it Again
3. Free Yourself
4. MAH
5. EML Ritual (or Chemical Beats)
6. Go
7. Swoon
8. Star Guitar
9. Got To Keep On / Fantai
10. Hey Boy Hey Girl
11. Saturate (maybe with excepts from Believe and House Nation).
12. Elektrobank / Piku
-- (fag break)
13. Escape Velocity
14. Under The Influence (or Out Of Control / Setting Sun)
15. No Geography (or Surface to Air)
16. Galvanize
17. Song To The Siren / C-H-E-M-I-C-A-L / Block Rockin Beats
-- (if encore will be played)
18. Got Glint (or Hold Tight London)
19. The Universe Sent Me
20. The Private Psychedelic Reel

[Ben_j]

Pretty sure Gravity Drops will be here, given what Tom said

[WhiteNoise]

Pretty sure Gravity Drops will be here, given what Tom said

what interview?

[androidgeoff]

I feel like opener will go

Eve -> Go

I am gonna dodge all Mexico live footage and be surprised for 1st show

[inchemwetrust]

I am gonna dodge all Mexico live footage and be surprised for 1st show

Chemical celibacy starting on may 11! No YouTube and forum for you young man! (Granny voice)

[inchemwetrust]

I'm hype to hear No Geography live. It struck me as the kind of song they might not play live, but they confirmed they're "excited to play it around the world" in a Billboard article.

I really don't know what to expect, but I think for sure we'll get:

Eve of Destruction
No Geography
Got To Keep On
Free Yourself
MAH

And I very much hope

Bango
We've Got To Try
The Universe Sent Me

Damn that's like almost the whole album, but then again, that would be pretty cool if they did that, I mean more emphasis on the album than the usual 3-4 tracks played for the tour including the greatest hits mixed in.

But if for some reason, if they play all the ones you mentioned, than alot of tracks from the usual tour playlist will get cut!

I don't know about you guys but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to take!

[Champiness]

what interview?

The Apple Music page for No Geography has Tom going through the album track-by-track, and when talking about the origins of "Gravity Drops" he says "it all comes from setting up the studio to play it live".
I think this just refers to their process of jamming to come up with neat elements for the studio versions of songs, though (and I can certainly believe it in the context of "Gravity Drops" - that snare roll was definitely the result of hitting the right button at the right time while a flanger was on).

[WhiteNoise]

I have no reason to expect this or grounds for this demand but BRING BACK NUDE NIGHT