2004.10.15 – Laugardalshöll, Reykjavik, Iceland

Date: 15th October 2004
Event: The Prodigy Concert – AONO Tour
Venue: Laugardalshöll
City: Reykjavik
Country: Iceland
Support: Quarashi

Tracklist:
1. Wake Up Intro
2. Wake Up Call
3. Warning
4. Their Law
5. Spitfire
6. Girls / More Girls
7. Breathe
8. Medusa’s Path
9. Hotride
10. The Way It Is
11. Mindfields
12. Firestarter
Encore:
13. Poison
14. Smack My Bitch Up

Extra info:
Review by neko:
I have to say, I didn’t really want to go to this show. Iceland, far away, and all that. Literally 3 days before then, well, I decided I’d probably never go to Iceland, so I might as well check it out when Prodigy are playing, so that decision was made and a flight was booked. A friend of mine from Denmark did the same, and we both arrived in Keflavik airport early afternoon on Friday.
Iceland couldn’t have been more different than Istanbul two weeks ago. Not just is it geographically pretty much on as oppposite ends of Europe as you can be, but especially the climate obviously, the way the place is so empty and the general look and feel. It’s not as cold though as you’d think and with about 10 degrees celsius outside we’re still far away from it being all ‘icy’.
Laugardshall is an ‘ok’ venue, nice but nothing special, doesn’t get close to Parkorman in Istanbul obviously and looks more like a gymnasium than a venue, to be honest. The stage is quite low as well, so from the back you can probably hardly see anything.
Prodigy are supported by Iceland’s very own Quarashi, who have made themselves a bit a name within the Prodigy fan community with their own Diesel Power remix. As someone told me before the gig, they’re a bit like the Beastie Boys, 3 MCs, 1 DJ, plus also a durmmer. They sound a bit like the Beastie Boys as well, apart from that their tracks are not as good. Still, good live show, I enjoy watching them.
By the time Prodigy come on it’s 10.30pm and anticipation is huge. People are pushing way too much, everyone’s trying to get to the front somehow and lots of people get hurt before and while Prodigy come on.
As in Istanbul, they start the set with the Wake Up Intro. This intro is played before anyone of the band is actually on stage. Once Liam makes his way behind the keyboards, Wake Up Call starts immediatly. Like last time, this is an immediate highlight of the show, definitely an amazing live track. The audience is mad, people pushing left, right and centre. The band are as good as ever. Keith got rid of his leather trousers from last time, giving him a bit more space to dance.
Last time, in istanbul 2 weeks ago, the main thing missing were the links between tracks, which needed work. So I can’t believe my ears when after Wake Up Call Liam drops in the perfect link, leading us over into Warning. whoah! Warning is now one of my favourites live. Keith sounds amazing in this. I know people might disagree with me for saying this, but in my eyes this track is the new ‘Nuclear’ of the live show. Carries the same energy, is very fast and hard but it actually does sound fresh and brings the best out of Keith.
Now another link (nice!) and next on is Their Law! Good as ever, still my favourite track, Maxim is really brilliant in this. Keith meanwhile runs through the front rows, getting the already excited audience going even more.
This is followed by yet another link, leading into Spitfire. This new track from AONO is another live favourite now. Maxim sounds great on it, I’m loving this, and so does the rest of the audience. Same goes for Girls, which is on next. As last time, this leads into More Girls, which I like, but still not sure about the transition.
Then next on is Breathe, which gets the probably biggest audience reaction of all tracks. This is followed by the much calmer Medusa’s Path, where only Liam and Kieron remain on stage. I like the atmosphere this track creates as part of the live show and disagree with people who don’t like it in it. It might not be one of the tracks that are there to stay in the set, but it’s just a great representation of the whole AONO era.
The way it leads into the next track, Hotride, isn’t all that perfect and very aprupt. I know a lot of people like the new Hotride live version, but I’m personally still not too convinvced of it. I love the track, but the live version doesn’t quite work for me, as a lot of what made the studio version so great has been a bit lost in this.
Now, The Way It Is, I love hearing this in the live set. Again with Maxim’s vocals “It’s . just. the way. it is” and Liam’s spontaneous samples from “Thriller” makes it great, but I felt it went on for just slightly a bit too long.
The next track then I never wanted to stop, Mindfields. Can I just say how amazing Maxim was doing this track! Absolutely brilliant performance, one of his best ever.
Next on is the same fill as in Istanbul, just this time after instead of before Mindfields. It’s the same (similar) one from Seat Beach Rock 2002, very hard track, wicked beats, Liam at his best again. Definitely one to keep.
This is followed by the inevitable Firestarter, which ends with Jim Davies totally smashing up his guitar. Uh, oh, very rock n’ roll.
Now, usual procedure, the band are leaving, the crowd shouting for more, the band are back for an encore.
Poison as ususal, one of the best live tracks still. Maxim appears to be on such a high, delivers yet another wicked performance.
“And now, for a last time…”, it’s the closing track Smack My Bitch Up. Together with the first three tracks definitely the best of the set. Maxim is on stage, while Keith walks through the whole front rows from the far right of the stage way down to the far left of the stage, as close to his fans as ever. Again, this track is obviously one that leaves you behind wanting more, so it’s little surprise that when the band now leave for sure, people would have still wanted more. And so do I.
As you can probably tell, the set list was almost identical to Athens and Istanbul and I know some of you guys reading this might have a recording of the Athens show, but now looking back Athens and Istanbul were only half of the story. The set definitely has already evolved since then, the links between tracks were much better now. I still think the first half of the set is much stronger, but Poison and SMBU at the end kind of make up for this. It was definitely worth going to see two of these really early shows, and now looking forward it should be interesting what is there still to come.