The headline act at this year's north west event are one of the biggest live acts in the UK.

And Ed Simons, one half of the famous act, is excited about the duo's only third ever visit to Northern Ireland.

He says: "My landlord of my local, Richard, was very pleased to hear we were going over to Northern Ireland and I think he has a new found respect for me. I like an odd pint of Guinness on a winter's evening!

"When you come to see us on stage you can hardly see us but you will experience us reacting to the crowd. It's really an exhilarating one-and-a-half or two hours on stage and absolutely electric for us. It's a celebration of the music that we love.

"We're just glad that we're getting the opportunity to play and put on a show for everyone."

The Chemical Brothers came to the rescue of the renowned event earlier this year when there were serious doubts the musical festival would go ahead due to the lack of prominent artists.

Ed said: "Contact was made with our agent and a date was free so we were only too happy to say yes (to Portrush].

"We've always had a good time in Northern Ireland and it strange that although it's close, just a hop, skip and a jump away, that we've not played there as often whereas we've played 20 times in Spain.

"We've been over a couple of times in Belfast and love coming across there. We played David Holmes's Sugar Sweet (Belfast Art College] and were last over in Belfast in the autumn of 2005."

The Brothers current album, their sixth, 'We Are The Night' won them their fourth Grammy this year for Best Electronic Dance Album.

Ed says that Beach Party goers can expect to hear a liberal sampling from the album.

"Our tour in the last year has been more heavily based on the new album and we're really happy with t hat. We didn't want to be come a heritage act playing the same tunes - although we do still play some of our older tracks."

"I think what's satisfying is that the album has achieved a real balance. We've made great albums over the years while finding our way and have enjoyed making different kinds of music in the past eight years.

"The album is very nearly psychedelic and has a great groove to it with some very odd music in there which has thrown some people. In many way's it is a strange album but one that makes total sense."

The Chemical Brothers have re-mixed and played with some of the leading artists in the world including Oasis, U2, The Prodigy and Kylie Minogue, have won a clutch of Grammy awards and on February this year kicked off another mind-boggling tour with three memorable weeks i n Australia.

By the end of August the two London boys will have played 32 gigs in 15 countries, mostly in Europe.