"There has rarely been a band that has thrived when their backs are so far up against the wall as The Prodigy": Liam Howlett's electronic punks smash out their greatest hits at The People's Palace
When The Prodigy returned to live action last summer in some more modest venues for their first live dates since the tragic passing of iconic member Keith Flint, there were plenty of questions that fans had going into those shows; was this a final hurrah to pay tribute to Flint? Was it road-testing a new version of The Prodigy? How would the band cope without their most recognisable member?
If you were there at one of those shows then you probably walked out relieved, having had a cathartic experience celebrating Flint, but having seen that The Prodigy are just as jaw-droppingly ferocious a live band as you remembered them to be.
With that first tour out of the way, The Prodigy are now coming back to the arenas that usually house them, and probably feel like they now have to justify their relevance as a band all over again. Something you’d imagine hardly feels too daunting for them, after all, there has rarely been a band that has thrived when their backs are so far up against the wall as The Prodigy.
The main hurdle they must overcome this evening is one of their own making; the decision to play a pair of London shows at Alexandra Palace. On paper, 'The People's Palace' makes sense as a venue for popular aggressive artists who don't want the ferocity of their performances swallowed up by the O2's cavernous expanses, being a similar size to Wembley Arena but with a fully standing 10,000+ capacity. But the venue’s reputation as one of the capital's worst is well deserved; hideous to get in and out of, miles from any public transport, filled with endless queues for drinks, food and cloakrooms, and a cold, airy, soulless room that consistently hampers sound quality and looks more like the setting for a school disco than a gig venue. It’s the one thing that can be considered a minus this evening.
And that’s because, although Ally Pally would smother most bands, The Prodigy are one of the greatest live acts in history. Opening their set with a mind-blowing run through Breathe, Omen and Voodoo People, all the grumbles are essentially forgotten within five minutes. Although Keith Flint is obviously missed, Maxim Reality has low-key always been The Prodigy’s key live rabble rouser, and he picks up a lot of the slack left by his fallen bandmate, stalking the stage, cajoling the bouncing crowd and just generally looking like the meanest dude in music.
The only time he steps back is when Firestarter is played, and lasers create the iconic image of Flint from the song’s video on the back wall and for a few minutes it's like he’s back up on that stage with us again. After that, it’s a home run of endless iconic hits from a band with a bulletproof back catalogue; No Good (Start the Dance), Smack My Bitch Up, Need Some1, Invaders Must Die, Poison, Out of Space... how many other bands currently operating have so many stone cold, party starting ragers that they can just casually chuck out?
The questions about where The Prodigy go next still remain; we heard no new material this evening, and we’re really no closer to knowing when, where or indeed if that will surface. But the always creatively restless Liam Howlett has never seemed like a man who would be happy to let his band turn into a nostalgia act. We have faith that won’t happen, but even if that is their eventual fate, The Prodigy and their incredible set of anthems still feel as vital and powerful as they ever have.
