When The Prodigy’s energetic, intimidating and slightly inexplicable vocalist Keith Flint took his own life in 2019, it was doubtful they would ever return. Having formed in 1990, the band emerged in the UK’s underground rave scene, incorporating the techno, breakbeat and alternative rock elements that helped them rise to the status of electronic music titans soon after. Since then, The Prodigy have topped festival bills and continued to dominate the world of big beat and electro-punk: despite last releasing solo music in 2018, their first return to Manchester’s Warehouse Project in eleven years was sure to be a night to remember, with or without Flint.
Jaguar Skills was given the task of warming The Prodigy’s crowd, achieving this through a DJ set filled to the brim with drum and bass beats and classic party tracks of the past and present. With Warehouse Project’s strict last entry times, every attendee experienced at least half of the set, whether they wanted to or not, and were aptly rewarded and prepared for the main act by 11:30pm.
As the iconic guitar riff and syncopated breakbeat drum pattern of ‘Voodoo People’ began to reverberate across the depot’s four walls, it was clear to see how hectic The Prodigy’s set would be. The song, initially released in 1994, is taken from Music for the Jilted Generation, the group’s sophomore album which forcefully collided electro-punk and alternative rock, in turn establishing them as a force to be reckoned with in the electronic music scene. Transitioning from one rave classic to another, ‘Omen’ and its heavy, menacing basslines followed, exhibiting The Prodigy’s explosive, exhilarating style and allowing live drummer Leo Crabtree time in the spotlight.
“Manchester, where are my fighters?”, vocalist Maxim asked the crowd before launching into ‘Fight!’, a new song debuted only the night before in Bridlington. If the track sees the light of day, it will mark The Prodigy’s first new solo music since 2018, and also their first new music since the untimely passing of Keith Flint a year later. In a return to the classics, the group performed a mash-up of ‘Climbatize’ and ‘Warrior’s Dance’. The former’s rolling percussion and cinematic horn section were met by unanimous, resounding cheers, as was the latter’s instantly recognisable sample, taken from True Faith and Final Cut’s 1991 house track ‘Take Me Away’.
‘Light Up the Sky’ saw the set go “atomic” mode, with pounding drum beats, glitching distorted synths and sharp, ferocious drops. The song’s high-octane production provided a highlight of the set, while ‘Beyond the Deathray’ followed, bringing its haunting atmosphere and leading perfectly into the raw industrial energy of ‘Firestarter’.
‘Roadblox’ is pulsating, propulsive and relentless on record: live, it seemed to make the whole venue shake, and while it may not be one of The Prodigy’s most popular cuts, it certainly deserves to be. Throughout the set, the group proved that they continue to “drive on straight through the roadblocks”, defying the boundaries of genre to create music that fuses intense distortion and electronic experimentation with alternative rock elements, resulting in a frenetic urgency that easily energises crowds.
Rebellious, anarchic anthem ‘Their Law’ sustained the show’s high pace before the group chose to debut a remix of ‘The Day is My Enemy’. ‘Poison’ and the tension-building synths and repetitive vocal sample of ‘No Good (Start the Dance)’ sustained the crowd’s energy, while chaos continued into ‘Get Your Fight On’, manifested in one particular punter’s jacket being thrown to the ceiling. ‘Invaders Must Die’ and ‘Breathe’ closed the bulk of The Prodigy’s set, intensifying the audience’s vigour and excitement before the band left for the encore.
A mosh pit at Warehouse Project may be a rare sight, but if anyone’s going to incite one, it’s The Prodigy with their timeless classic ‘Smack My Bitch Up’. The song caused controversy upon its release in November 1997, with many critics arguing that it glorified violence against women: its true meaning has been debated ever since, with The Prodigy themselves insisting it simply alludes to enacting something with vigour and intensity. Other interpretations suggest that the song refers to heroin use, but whichever may be true, uproar served only to boost sales for the Essex group, catapulting them further into electronic super-stardom and cementing their place as a provocative, invigorating and musically adept act.
‘Take Me to the Hospital’ and ‘We Live Forever’ maintained the set’s vitality, but ‘Out of Space’ unfortunately closed The Prodigy’s set with anti-climax, ending before its iconic drop could be reached. It was difficult to tell whether this was an intended part of The Prodigy’s live show, or if they merely ran out of time, yet either way a sweaty crowd seemed to stumble out of the venue to the sound of The Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’ a tad too early. While this may have been slightly disappointing, it was only one shortcoming within a near-flawless performance.
Despite being in their 50s, and consequently quite separated from the typical Warehouse Project demographic, it’s clear that The Prodigy have still got their finger on the pulse of electronic music, remaining one of the genre’s giants after catalysing its advancement and evolution for years on end. With one of the best light shows in the world accompanying them, The Prodigy were undoubtedly an excellent way to bring Warehouse Project season to a close, and end a brilliant year of gigs in Manchester.
