The Prodigy brought their sold-out Wembley Arena extravaganza to the relatively intimate surroundings of Brixton Academy; a six-hour lineup bearing a strong resemblance to the main stage billing at a mid-size festival. Indeed for many it was the inclusion of Dizzee Rascal and Kissy Sell Out made this a must see show.

Twenty minutes before Dizzy’s advertised start time, every pub in Brixton appeared to empty simultaneously and join the queue, so it was a shame that only after getting past security were the signs to say he wasn’t performing tonight. Glum faces all round. Nevertheless Kissy Sell Out did an admirable job of bringing the joy back.

Despite Keith Flint being in his fortieth year, he and his cohorts bounded on stage with the exuberance of hyperactive teenager and, within moments, the refrain from recent single World’s On Fire had whipped the capacity crowd into a frenzy.

Each Prodigy classic sounded box fresh, as many had been subtly updated to reflect the post-Pendulum live experience which, whilst obviously pioneered by the Prodigy themselves, has now gone full circle. The set was interspersed with the cream of their newer tracks, with ‘Omen’ being the standout.

By the time the dying refrains of finale ‘Out of Space’ had finished ringing round the venue, the exhausted crowd looked ready to head straight for bed. Until someone kindly pointed out that there were two hours of drum and bass/dubstep from Chase and Status still to come. So we collectively grabbed a drink, caught our breaths, and carried on dancing to the early hours.

Mike Eccleshall