Smack my BIG DAY OUT up! It’s the one, the only, THE PRODIGY, back for BIG DAY OUT No.4. Whilst here they will also be playing a number of SideShows – Brisbane Riverstage, Sydney Hordern Pavillion and Melbourne Palace. (Sideshow Details Below)

 The British pioneers of crash-bang-boom rocktronica will be armed with a brand new album (due in February), and the same old fierceness.

On their first tour of duty in 1996, thanks to killer tracks like Voodoo People, THE PRODIGY were the big thing on

the dance floor, at a time when beats were on the verge of getting big, breakbeats were breaking out and rockers were just waking up to the power of rave. Poison (“I got the poison! I got the remedy!”) had been absolutely huge for the past year, and Firestarter was on the verge of dropping, and we all know what happened after that…

Only one year later, they were back. By now, classic single Breathe had made Keith Flint one of the unlikeliest household names in pop, Maxim’s growl and mad eyes were the stuff of instant recognition, and Liam Howlett was the most innovative figure in electronica. Their third album, The Fat of the Land, wasn’t far off either (and destined for double platinum status Down Under).

“Highlight of the day had to be THE PRODIGY… With programming-keyboardist Liam going crazy, Maxim – in his kilt – providing biting vocals, and Flint with his reverse mohawk, they scared and entranced the crowd with hard rock for technoheads – truly brilliant.” (stuff.co.nz, 1997)

On their last visit, in 2002, the Smack My Bitch Up controversy was long behind them, but the song still reverberated around the BDO like Keith bouncing off the walls… Baby’s Got a Temper was their latest jam, and the band were as hot-headed as that title suggested.

As for BIG DAY OUT 2009… well, we wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. All we can say is, after leaving festival fields littered with blown minds all across the European summer, Liam, Maxim and Keith are in rare form.

“They ripped through a set of corking rock rave and ’90s groundbreaking dance classics to an enthralled crowd… Frontman and human firecracker Keith Flint delivered a supersonic performance… The trio hammered hard cracking, lung-shaking versions of Breathe, Poison and Smack My Bitch Up… A master class in performing live.” (News of the World, August 2008)

And what’s the new stuff like? Liam has dropped the words “mad”, “buzzing”, “on fire” and “fresh”. You could take his word for it, or just get it straight in yo’ face when THE PRODIGY invade BIG DAY OUT 2009.

Source: Big Day Out

Side Shows:

BRISBANE
Tuesday 20 January / BRISBANE RIVERSTAGE
Presented by Nova 1069 special guests Simian Mobile Disco and Hot Chip (DJ)

SYDNEY
Saturday 24 January / HORDERN PAVILION

MELBOURNE
Thursday 29 January / PALACE