The Prodigy Return to Brixton: A Sweaty, Explosive Night on the Disrupta Tour

December 21, 2024 rocknews

The last time I was at the Brixton Academy was in July of 2022 when I saw…….. The Prodigy.

So, as last night was the first time I’ve been back since it’s reopening it’s fitting that I’m here to shoot and review one of the most exciting and vital crossover bands of the past 30 years.

The prodigy are more than just a dance act. They span rock, punk, electronica and everything in-between, and appeal to a wide audience, as was evidenced by the diverse crowd at tonights sold out show – the first in a three night run at this iconic London venue on their massive Disrupta Tour.

I photographed and reviewed The Prodigy at the end of 2023 at Alexandra Palace, and although Brixton is not a small venue, this one felt more intimate, more personal, and definitely more sweaty!

DJ Jaguar Skills warmed the crowd up with a strong set and we all more than ready to let loose when the house lights dimmed at 9.30 and the band appeared bathed in red light and strobes and launched into ‘Voodoo People’. Maxim, energetic as ever, danced around the stage. Drums and guitar were provided by Leo Crabtree and Rob Holliday respectively while electronic genius Liam Howlett held it all together.

They went straight into ‘Omen’ from ‘Invaders Must Die’ before we got a brand new song in the form of ‘Fight’. This is a heavy song, with a killer guitar riff and it had the whole crowd bouncing.

‘Firestarter’ has become a poignant tribute to the late Keith Flint since his death in 2019, and tonight was no exception. Green lasers gave way to giant words from the song projected on the back screen: ‘DOMINATOR’, ‘INSTIGATOR’ and ‘TWISTED’ among them. These were replaced by a cropped image of Flint’s eyes and then the song started. Now mainly played as an instrumental (who else could do it justice?) it saw the whole place explode with cheers and energy from the crowd.

The main set finished with a superb rendition of ‘Breathe’ before they were back for two encores:

‘Smack My Bitch Up’ (complete with sleigh bells) kicked off encore 1, followed by ‘Take me to the Hospital’, ‘We Live Forever’ and ‘Out of Space’.

‘Diesel Power’ from the classic ‘Fat of the Land’ album was all that was needed to close the show after a second short break.

Seeing the Prodigy live is an experience, and the huge Brixton crowd witnessed something special this evening. Every single one of them were jumping along with their arms around each other and every time I looked around it was hard to find someone who wasn’t singing along at the top of their voices.

After over 30 years, the Prodigy are as thrilling as ever and it’s clear that they still have plenty to offer.

Long may they reign!