Altsounds - The Prodigy [Live] @ Carling Academy, Liverpool

Crowds, Rowdyness and an intense feeling of excitement and that’s only in the queue, it must be a Prodigy gig!

It may have been just over a month a ago but I’m writing this as The Prodigy have recently completed a tour of intimate venues across the country, titled the ‘Invaders Must Die’ tour, in preparation for their upcoming and much larger arena tours which take place in Cardiff International Arena, Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, SECC Glasgow, NIA Birmingham, MEN Arena Manchester, Trent FM Arena Nottingham, Sheffield Arena, The Brighton Centre, Wembley Arena London and Live At The Marquee in Cork.

When we arrive at the venue, the support act ‘Fight Like Apes’ are just leaving the stage and the speakers are pounding out some semi-acceptable dance music which is then given a great lease of life with sound cracking 90s acid house which appears to be getting the chemically intoxicated crowd going. One lad comes up to me and gives me a massive hug and shakes my hand repeatedly, ‘nice one man, The Prodigy it's gonna be boss man’, I’m obviously his new best friend! I shake his hand before he bounces off into the crowd to find his raving spot. My friend isn’t so lucky, he gets accosted by one extremely well built, very sweaty scouse raver who bear hugs him until his face is almost a darker shade of purple than I’d like to see, my mate escapes just in time to live! We discover why the raver is a little over excited, he’s been waiting several years to see The Prodigy so we let him off! After all, we are in Liverpool where The Prodigy decided to kick off their intimate tour; they didn’t choose Manchester, Birmingham or London, it’s the scousers city and they sure know how to rave, and that’s exactly what we’re gonna do…bring it on!

The venue is packed, so much so that you’ve no choice but to get intimate with whoever is next to you or indeed in front, luckily for me I’m surrounded by a group of hot girls, who are all commenting on what The Prodigy will play, some think they’ll play their old material, some comment they’ll play only new material as it’s a ‘warm up tour’. I’m hoping they’ll play some of their new material along with their older material which they’ve rigorously tried to distance themselves from in recent years. Maybe we’ll be privileged enough to hear ‘Fire’, ‘Poison’, ‘Voodoo People’, ‘Fire Starter’ or perhaps be electronically seduced by the eternal rave track ‘One Love’ or even ‘Out Of Space’ - ooh goose bumps! One thing is for sure, they’ve got to play ‘Breathe’

We wait for about half an hour and the clock turns 9.00pm, everyone waits anxiously, it’s like a furnace waiting to explode, the pressure rises like a melting pot. Then at around 9.09pm (perhaps there is a reason they came on at precisely (9.09) there is a sudden attack of lasers followed by an absolute deep barrage of bass, its like your soul is being sucked out by your nemesis. The Prodigy have arrived!

Its easy to make out their more than recognisable silhouettes from even mid way back from the stage. Oh yes let the carnage commence! They ignite the venue by ripping into new song ‘World On Fire’, its like a cage animal has been let loose into the crowd.

The new material is phenomenal, it takes you back to the days of ‘Experience’ but without sounding dated. It’s like Howlett has extracted only great aspects of old rave and injected it via intravenous drip into the new material, carefully cleansing it of dated elements. He has also clearly taken elements from ‘Jilted Generation’ and massaged them into the new songs like a perfectly crafting electronic master only can. He has simply gone to show that rave does not have to be dated, nor is it dead, and yes I use the word RAVE!

The last album, ‘Always Outnumbered Never Outgunned’ was good but perhaps didn’t do The Prodigy justice, I think we expected more. The new material heard at this gig tells me that this album is going to be spectacular, it just unleashes that animal in you! If The Prodigy’s new material were an animal, it would be a cross between an angry jackal dog, a rabid wolf and a snarling tiger. The sound almost attacks your ears like a crazed warrior, but with such an electronic edge that instantly breathes euphoria into you mind. Basing the upcoming album entitled ‘Invaders Must Die’ on what the new material sounded like live, with songs such as; ‘Worlds On Fire’, ‘Omen’, ‘Warriors Dance’ and of course the recent single ‘Invaders Must Die’ we’re all in for some serious Prodigy mind glowing music. I’ve not waited with so much anticipation for an album since ‘Fat Of The Land’ and I don’t think this will disappoint.

If you haven’t already bought tickets for the upcoming Prodigy arena tour, then get them quick, most venues have ‘some’ left, you will not be disappointed. It will most likely change your life!

‘My mind is glowing’

Altsounds TV Video