The Chemical Brothers DJ Tim Rowlands says Public Enemy's first album changed his life. He described the hip-hop collective's song "Miuzi Weighs a Ton" as "the most amazing track I've ever heard." From there, Rowlands started collecting hip-hop records and started DJing with his childhood friend, Ed Simons.
In 1992, DJ's Tim Rowlands and Ed Simons began playing shows in the back of a Manchester club called Naked Under Leather. After awhile, the duo took on the moniker "The Dust Brothers" after the American production team famous for their work with the Beastie Boys. The duo got sick of sampling hip-hop instrumental tracks, so they began making their own beds using a hi-fi Hitachi system, a computer, a sampler, and a keyboard. In 1995, The Dust Brothers were threatened with a lawsuit by the original Dust Brothers US production team, so they decided to change their name. They chose "The Chemical Brothers" after one of their more popular songs, "Chemical Beats." The Chemical Brothers DJ Ed Simon's grandmother thought the group should be called "The Grit Brothers," but the name didn't stick.
Oasis lead singer Liam Gallagher picked a fight with The Chemical Brothers in 1995. The electronic duo was DJing for Oasis at a gig in Sheffield, but Gallagher didn't agree with the material they were playing. The enigmatic singer kicked the duo off the turntables and enlisted a friend from UK band The Verve to take over. The new DJ subsequently began playing psychedelic music much to the displeasure of the crowd.
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