Since the early 90’s, the Prodigy have dominated the UK EDM scene with their unique punk-rave-rock sound and they continue to perform with an almost unnatural intensity even 30 years on – Edinburgh’s Summer Sessions show kept the passion going and the band once again brought the fire to their fans with their "Warrior'sDance" tour.
It’s also one of the only gigs where you’ll see old-school ravers mixing it with moshers in the middle, with a range of generations joining in too. The band revel in it, and the energy from each member is absorbed by the crowd. Living up to his Master of Ceremonies title, Maxim is undoubtedly the face of The Prodigy. Shouting out to all his warriors in the audience, he slows things down slightly when he spots some people getting a bit too intense in the mosh pit. “The only violence here tonight will be up on the stage” he tells them and keeps things on the low until the offenders get themselves sorted.
The power of the performance is elevated even further by an incredible light and laser show, which takes on a poignant moment during “Firestarter” – a song featuring Keith Flint, their iconic dancer and occasional vocalist who made the song his signature tune. Keith tragically passed in 2019, and to be honest I wasn’t sure how I’d feel hearing it live without him, but a new interpretation of the hit plays instrumentally whilst lasers project an image of his distinctive outline dancing along. It brings another dimension to it whilst honouring his legacy. Then it’s back to the 90’s with “No Good (Start The Dance)”, written as a middle finger to the British Government who classed underground rave culture as dangerous – and it still hits today.
The last song of the main set is the one they themselves call their anthem, “Smack My Bitch Up”, and although the title is controversial the reaction to it is visceral – Maxim urging everyone to get low during the haunting female vocal bridge, then watching as everyone jumps euphorically when the hook kicks back in. The encore was just as frenetic as the previous 70 minutes, with “Breathe”, “Take Me to the Hospital”, “Warrior’s Dance”, “Out of Space” and “Comanche”. It was an exhausting, exhilarating and euphoric set and the perfect end to the Summer Session series of gigs across Glasgow and Edinburgh this summer. Watching people in their late teens walk away hugging 50-somethings and all dancing off to make their way home, the power of The Prodigy and their dance is just as strong as it was all those years ago.
