I have to admit that when I heard the Prodigy's new single "Invaders Must Die" aired on BBC Radio 1 a few weeks ago, I thought it was a horrible joke. It sounded like the host Zane Lowe had accidentally cued up the B-side of a Pendulum release—and that was not a good thing. Needless to say my excitement for their upcoming gig at Brixton Academy waned a little, especially considering it was to be an unveiling of more new tracks.
Arriving as the doors opened was an excellent time to witness eager fans scrambling for a position at the front, whilst also being able to take in the atmosphere of the Academy before it was fully packed. Warm up act Fight Like Apes blasted out some typical indie rock with a dash of shoegaze, at which point I struck up a conversation with a man who looked a bit out of place. He informed me that he was accompanying his 16-year-old daughter with whom he took to see all the "modern" bands. When asked if it was a bit of a chore, he happily chuckled, "Nah, mate. I love it. It beats staying at home watching telly!" With that he wandered off into the crowd in search of his wayward offspring.
Photo credit: Nick Ensing
By 9 PM the venue was heaving and after DJ Eddy Temple Morris built up the crowd's anticipation with some bass heavy tracks, including a remix of The Source's house anthem "You Got the Love," The Prodigy finally took to the stage. Armed with their live guitarist and drummer, the Essex trio plunged straight into a brand new tune "World's On Fire," instantly destroying all my previous fears of average new material.
The crowd erupted with a raucous cheer as we were showered with a lollipop loop melody layered over evil samples and a thunderous beat, complete with a breakdown of staccato pads straight outta '92. The Prodigy was back…and it sounded good. Their Criminal Justice Bill protest "Their Law" followed, still one of the band's most rock 'n' roll tracks, and a fitting reminder of a government bill that tried to outlaw rave culture.
It wasn't until Keith Flint and Maxim were spitting out their back and forth vocals on "Breathe" that it became apparent that the sound clarity wasn't quite up to scratch. The bass and the beats were coming across perfectly and you could certainly feel it, however some of the more intricate sounds and melodies were getting a bit swallowed up.
Photo credit: Nick Ensing
No one really seemed to mind though as Liam Howlett unleashed another new juggernaut, "Omen," which is definitely one of the most pop sounding tracks he's produced in the last five years. With both Maxim and Flint on their mics, they actually sang their vocals over a wailing guitar and sci-fi synth. It received a huge reaction before they launched straight into "Spitfire," one of the few highlights from their last album. At this point I wondered how my mate and his daughter were coping with the onslaught, as it was becoming hard work amongst the up-for-it crowd.
What started to become clear after the performance of more new tracks was how Howlett's sound has come full circle. His new productions are the sonic equivalent of The Fat of the Land bending over and having its way with Experience—a melting pot of growling guitars, big beats and old school melodies. One of the best of these on offer was "Warrior's Dance," which married a huge jungle breakbeat and a sample from True Faith's classic "Take Me Away." (Judging from the smiles and dance moves from some of the older fans in the crowd, this track for a brief moment transported them back in time to a green field somewhere off the M25.) Old favourites "Firestarter" and "Voodoo People" rolled on next alongside two newbies, one of which was a pounding drum & bass number.
Photo credit: Nick Ensing
Just when it looked like it was all over (though we knew it wasn't) the band returned to the stage for a well deserved encore that included the unfortunate new single, "Smack My Bitch Up"—which saw the whole of Brixton Academy jumping up and down like an obedient army amongst blinding strobe lights—and finished with the classic "Out of Space" which had the crowd moshing to a 15 year-old rave track.
Whilst not quite as manic as their shows a decade ago, The Prodigy still put on a performance that recent dance/rock acts should aspire to. They bring to the table an incendiary show that actually attempts to replicate what is essentially electronic music in a live band format. The best part is that they actually pull it off.
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