The Prodigy- Brixton Academy.

I love live music and every couple of months I find myself at a concert.  Mr Green is the organiser, he’s often emailing me, asking if I want to go and see some band or other.  If I can, I usually do often seeing an act I’ve never even heard of.  Usually Mr Red is along for the ride, often Mr Blue joins us too and sometimes Mr B.  These are some of my oldest friends, we’ve all known each over twenty years minimum, there is 100% trust and when we get together its always magic.

The Prodigy at Brixton Academy is an event that we all want to be at but Mr B missed out, next time…  Any way the remaining four of us made the trip down to London.  Mr Green always drives, he doesn’t mind and he’s never let us down.  There are sometimes unplanned diversions, often hilarious but we always get to the gig.  In fact the fun starts as soon as we get in the car, with Mr Green also our DJ as well as driver.  With good mates who don’t see enough of each other there’s always loads of stuff to chat about, jokes to share and non stop banter.  Every time we go out we know the entertainment of the journey will be so good the event doesn’t even matter, even when it’s the Prodigy.

Refreshment began, which meant a lay by break just before the M25.  More refreshment, the night got strange, then we were in the madness of the big city which was all a haze but the sights were nice.  Then we were there.  Somehow Mr Green managed to park in a street literally round the corner from the venue.  We were early so had time for a pint in a pub and a stroll through Brixton, then back to the Academy.  I like this venue, always a good atmosphere.

More refreshment, things got stranger still.  Jaguar Skills was DJing and I really enjoyed what I heard as almost all the audience seemed to be.  He went, big build up then its midnight, before I knew it the Prodigy were on and the place was exploding.  This is the third time I’ve seen them and although it’s always a little different you know what you’re going to get a damn good show whatever they play.  Loads of beats, mad and loud.  By now the night was very strange.  I can’t remember what order the set went in (I think they started with Voodoo people but could be wrong…) but it ripped and the crowd was loving it Breathe, Firestarter, Poison, Invaders, Omen.  Mr Red and Mr Green had ventured into the madness at the front of the stage but Mr Blue & I stayed a little way back and bopped in more space.

It was a good show all right but for me not a great one.  It could be because I’ve seen them a few times fairly recently and I know what to expect.  Maybe I’d have liked to heard more of the older stuff, I love “Jilted Generation”.  Maybe it was because I’m 44, had been awake for 19 hours and was thoroughly knackered.  Whatever the reason I just hadn’t felt part of it and was ready for the show to end when it did.  The verdict from the others varied, Mr Green said “best Prodigy show yet”, Mr Red was somewhere in between and Mr Blue was as knackered as I was. 

We staggered back to the car and I collapsed into my seat, totally fucked.  The journey home seemed to fly mainly because I dozed in and out of sleep but the others had more stamina than me.  I used my last remaining reserves of energy brushing my teeth and taking a piss.  The following day was spent in recovery, mostly sleeping. It was well worth it though, it’s always great going to an event like this with my friends.