The Prodigy, Doncaster Dome, January 21st
The Prodigy played Doncaster Dome on January 21st
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Tuesday, 26, Jan 2010 12:51
With an album history as rich and varied in sound, and heritage stretching back to the early nineties, it's no surprise that tonight's crowd is as diverse as they come for the Prodigy's Doncaster show.
Rockers and ravers of quite literally all ages have come here tonight for a show, and as the lights dim for the first support the excitement of the crowd can be felt around the arena.
So when Foreign Beggars take to the stage it's a mixed response - they're primarily a hip-hop/dubstep performance; a strange choice for support given the dance/rock crossover that Prodigy live shows have become known for. To their credit a solid, lyrically impressive performance was delivered, directed towards the section of the audience clearly making the most of the show. However, trying to buy favour with admissions of growing up in the 80s and listening to metal did little to distract from the fact that, on stage, was a hip-hop trio, with the highlight of the set an appearence from UK human beatbox champion MC Zani.
There was virtually no pause before South Central took to the stage with the task of warming up the crowd for the main event, and they did this with pure energy, making it look almost effortless. Mixing big-beat samples with everything from La Roux to Nirvana, Muse to Rage Against The Machine, and clearly loving the response, it didn't take long for them to stir up a massively positive reaction.
With the sound of Sirens, Liam Howlett takes to the stage, followed by Maxim and Keith Flint, and without a flinch the launch into a heavy bassline fuelled World on Fire. Anybody that's seen the Prodigy before, will know that live shows take a louder, heavier approach than the dance-inspired electronica of older albums, and tonight is no different.
Today was nothing short of the usual, with the two MCs playing off each other, as well as playing up to their own strengths. Mixing the likes of Poison with the soundtrack to Jaws is a moment of sheer genius. Unfortunately a side effect of this heavier edge is that basslines occasionally take over, such as midway through Warriors Dance, drowning out the other samples within the tune.
Leading straight from classic tracks like Breathe into variations of the recorded samples gives the perfect opportunity for Maxim to stir up his audience, calling for his warriors and staring them down with piercing eyes before launching into a signature aggressive ad-lib, staying cool and collected while the berserker style charging of Keith pauses every so often to back up the samples.
What really makes the Prodigy stand out as a live act, when it comes to the stage, is the manner in which the three key members act as one body. If Liam is the brains providing the necessary stimuli, Keith is the heart, pumping energy and stage presence, while Maxim is the lungs barking determined orders to the crowd and adding personality to the electronic distorted beats. This is all enhanced by session players adding an extra dimension to the heavy remix of classic album sounds, which makes the live show nothing short of an essential music experience.
Hardcore fans may feel a little short changed by a lack of older tracks, and the complete absence of the more electronica based Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned, but with a setlist made up of big hitter singles and some of the best tracks from latest album Invaders Must Die the audience was captivated throughout every minute.
Ben Brady
Set List:
Worlds On Fire
Breathe
(Breathe dbstp)
Omen
Poison into Jaws
Warriors Dance
Firestarter
Run With The Wolves
Voodoo People
Omen Reprise into Invaders Must Die
Diesel Power
Smack My Bitch Up
Encore
Take Me To The Hospital
Out Of Space
Their Law