The Prodigy live in London: Rave legends deliver almighty homecoming
As they return to their spiritual home of Brixton, The Prodigy prove that they're still at the top of their game.
By Ben Jolley
The Prodigy’s very DNA seeps from the walls of London’s O2 Academy Brixton. It’s the place they’ve played more than any other and it even boasts a dressing room renamed in honour of the group’s late, great leader Keith Flint following his death in 2019.
It means, then, that every show at Brixton is a chance to deepen that connection with the band’s assault-on-all-the-senses spectacle.
The second date of a sold-out three-night run at the 5,000-capacity venue, this Friday night pre-Christmas show sees old school ravers and punks with mohawks rub shoulders with new-generation bass fans; it’s also worth noting the large number of father and teenage teenage sons in the audience, somewhat resembling like a passing of the music baton. After an opening set from masked DJ Jaguar Skills, who warms the crowd up with his genre-spanning selections – admittedly, it has the energy of an off-the-wall wedding DJ – it’s time for the night’s headliners to take to the stage.
Receiving a hero’s welcome under a sky of blood red strobes, each band member takes their place as the opening beats of rave anthem ‘Voodoo People’ are teased. “Where are all my voodoo people out here?” asks captivatingly anarchic vocalist Maxim after an extended intro of pounding drums, bass and guitar. Followed by a shout-along rendition of ‘Omen’, mosh-pits start springing up across the floor – and it’s a sight that remains for the majority of the night.
Throughout their discography-spanning 19-song set, the visuals and strobes flash by as quickly as the group’s frenetic electronic onslaughts. Thankfully, the towering speakers at either side of the large stage are powerful enough to withstand the chest-rumbling bass. Three songs in and guys have their tops off in the middle of the crowd, beers flying overhead as many on the floor climb atop their mates’ shoulders.
It’s not all hedonistic abandon, however, as there are several moments that subtly honour The Prodigy’s late, great frontman Keith Flint. Maxim standing still and silent while the original vocal of ‘Firestarter’ plays out is poignant and affecting, but that doesn’t stop fans from crowd-surfing their way to the front. With a five-song encore that kicks off with ‘Smack My Bitch Up’, the reaction is nothing short of rapturous when they return – and rightfully so.
All considered, The Prodigy’s live show – which the band will be taking to many European and UK festivals in 2025 – is a masterclass in bringing rave and rock to a crowd at the very end of the year. These icons have still got plenty of gas left in the tank.