‘Hot’ off the National Future Music Festival Tour, the often overlooked & unlikely ‘sideshow’ host – though Oz’s sixth largest city – the Gold Coast, was the final stop for Future Entertainment’s ‘Summer’ gig offerings. With the Gold Coast Convention Centre, Broadbeach not often utilised for such gatherings, the venue was a superb choice that more-than-suitably catered for two massive and complementary electronic music outfits in Does It Offend You, Yeah?, and The Prodigy. With a separate bar in the back adjoining room, many chose this the place to meet & greet and get their ‘heart-starters’. However, by the time I arrived at the only entry into the Concert room ~8.40pm, where I was scanned for ‘metal’ objects, the 60% capacity crowd was already well and truly warmed up with the first of the British groups finishing up.

My apologies to Dan Coop, as Does It Offend You, Yeah? that I only made it in for the last couple of your band’s tracks? Finally able to belt out to their South East Queensland fan-base after terrible weather didn’t allow them to perform only 12 days prior, the relative new-comer quartet to the International electronic music scene with their “Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You” performance features, caused a raucous amongst the up-front crowd with their rowdy stage antics. With their RATM, Justice & Daft Punk fusion, many devoted fans would tell unbeknownst first-timers ‘You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into” until you’re actually there to experience their ‘obnoxious & dizzying’ stage manner as DIOYY, perform their blend of dance-punk, synth-pop, indie-rock, electro-house, new rave Concert.

As Dan and his group exited the stage, and the roadies de-banded their gear, The Stafford Brothers tucked away to the very far left of stage outside the performance perimeter brought the crowd back to a tepid state. If it wasn’t for the ‘red’ lighting of the DJ console, I wouldn’t have known the tunes were actually being spun at all, but rather coming from a mix CD; they were that far out-of-sight. I’m glad that as the crowd thinned a little I was able to observe to give them kudos for a most-appropriate set given the dynamic and electrifying nature of the bands they were supporting.

With standing my ground firmly down the front just to the left of centre stage, as the stage crew set The Prodigy’s gear in place, over the 45mins it was interesting ‘feeling’ the crowd change from a ‘relaxed calm’ to that of ‘jittering anticipation’ as the ‘advertised’ start time elapsed. With a distinct ‘edginess’ as people cast glances at their watches, knowing they were playing 1.5 hour side-shows & given this was their final gig of the Australian Tour, I kept my calm retaining my energy for when I needed it most. With the “Soul” of The Prodigy – Liam Howlett – taking to the centre console from where “The Heart” of all the Prodigy’s music (except the drums & bass guitar) is performed from a few laptop computers, mixing desk, synths & sequencers, the crowd literally tightened in from side and back. With the first few chords of World’s On Fire, the stage came alight as the seemingly ‘Mad, Lunatic’ frontman, Keith Flint with his energetic dynamism burst onto stage, just as vibrantly as the amazing lighting show that accompanied his extraordinary on-stage spectacle, right from Go to Whoa!

With the explosion of light and even more squeezing in toward the front (and at this stage people bailing out over the front barrier due to crushing), it was getting difficult to comfortably Breathe even with the Dubstep version after. Maxim the MC – who certainly knew where he was with repeated screeching of “Party people of the Gold Coast” – certainly gives a very different feel from the album version of each track, with his annoying ‘over-the-top’ 100+ db screams. With the intent of ‘boosting’ the crowd with his ‘vocals’, Maxim coupled with his frenetic, almost more-rapid-than Keith’s cathartic on-stage pressure release pace, was just drawing the force of their barmy followers closer in. With an Omen that things weren’t going to release down the front, just as the Poison of some crowd members injected others to the point of sheer discomfort, with a Thunder (in my) Dubstep, I turned from the barrier making straight for a clearing about half way back through the crowd, where I found the perfect space for some relieving Warrior’s Dance amongst a circle of shirtless chiselled lads. From here the sound was much better, though a little heavy in the bass & whilst the actual music was crystal clear, the so-called ‘singing’ of Keith and muffled screams of Maxim weren’t so. As though on cue, a guy near me lit a cigarette just as the keys from Firstarter (followed by Action Riff) blasted with an accompanying brilliant & vibrant burst of amber lights. The crowd totally erupted with an enormous roar that would have made a stealth Run With The Wolves impossible. At this stage, the sight of Keith & Maxim’s soaking wet sweating bodies, not to mention the dripping shirtless heat emanating from the mostly male crowd, turned us all into Voodoo People gyrating crazily on the concrete dance-flooring. The Omen reprise brought us out of our ballistic states, but we all held our floor grounds otherwise Invaders Must Die, even if for a moment of going to get refreshments from the side for re-fueling our Diesel Power. Being told to get down & crouch before releasing the catchcry of Smack My Bitch Up, to which the entire crowd power-jumped toward the ceiling; unbelievably so was the expelling of energy & height reached, I’m amazed that nobody from the audience exclaimed Take Me To The Hospital for real! As The Prodigy were bringing us back down to reality, and mine and Your Love took us into an amazing orbit of Out of Space, the beloved Essex lads in Keith, Maxim & of course the on-stage enigma of Liam, once again showed us that after 20 years Experience, Their Law as The Prodigy rules!!!