The Prodigy @ Global Gathering - Long Marston Airfield, Stratford-Upon-Avon - July 26 2014
Tuesday, 29 July 2014
Written by Adam Holden
We came, we raved, we conquered was the official line thrown out by Global Gathering following the weekend’s festivities. And, they weren’t lying.
The festival has evolved into something entirely individual alongside the trends in contemporary electronica, a feat that other events have failed to achieve. It’s now more than ‘Ibiza in Stratford’ - it’s a festival of bass and BPM.
A quick scan through the headline acts on each stage indicates that diversity. There was a time when the festival was all about house and trance, but this year we had the Prodigy, Chase and Status, David Guetta, Alesso, Tinie Tempah, Eric Prydz and David Rodigan rubbing shoulders with speciality drum and bass tents and the crossover pop of Katy B.
The main attraction on Saturday night were, of course, the Prodigy. Veterans in their field, Liam Howlett, Keith Flint and Maxim returned to the airstrip for the first time since 2009. Your body knows when you’ve seen the Prodigy - the repercussions last for days - and this was no different.
There aren’t many bands that could headline stages at Sonisphere, Download, Reading, Global Gathering, Creamfields and Glastonbury in the space of a few years and, despite having only released two albums in 17 years, the Prodigy have always stayed in touch.
Knife Party, Annie Mac and Madeon warmed the main stage prior to their arrival, with special mention going to the latter. He may have failed to draw a huge crowd when compared to Mac, but he revelled in every minute of his set, mixing pop into house while leaping across the stage. Keep an eye on him.
After a sweltering day, the Prodigy waltzed on stage at exactly 9:15. The crowd had fluctuated in size throughout the day - unsurprising given the number of tents - but it was pretty clear that theirs was largest of the weekend. Hairs were standing to attention and the crowd was gripped as they dropped Breathe…but, to no little disappointment, the sound was terribly quiet by their usual bone-shattering standards.
Since the release of their 2009 album, ‘Invaders Must Die’, their set has changed significantly and is now laced with new tunes from a record that Howlett has described as ‘violent sounding’. Duly, as Breathe finished, the decibel level was turned up a few notches for Jetfighter, a track that encapsulates that idea exactly.
Poison, Smack My Bitch Up, Voodoo People and Firestarter jostled for space with ‘Invaders’ staples and new stuff, but unfortunately a few low moments dotted to their set, mostly as the crowd got to grips with unreleased tracks. They finished in style, though, with Take Me To The Hospital, New Beats and Their Law upping the ante.
With 11pm just gone and the main stage good and done, the other stages were only just getting underway for another six hours of reaching for the lasers and waiting for the drops. Eric Prydz topped the BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix stage from 11 – 1am, which is where many of the main stage revellers headed. With lasers of every colour beaming around the tent, Prydz had control of the room and a crowd that ate up everything he threw at them.
On Friday night, Godskitchen had provided an evening of emotional trance, Maya Jane Coles the house and David Guetta his experience of dishing up crowd pleasing tunes for the masses. On Saturday, meanwhile, Alesso flew between Global Gathering and Tomorrowland in Belgium and was a huge hit as he ran through the classics and the odd Coldplay mix. Love them or loathe them, all DJs like to mix Coldplay.
Festivals are exhausting, but leaving Global Gathering leaves you feeling like you have run a marathon – twice. Bring on 2015...hopefully everyone will have recovered by then.
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