Date: 29th November 1998
Event: The Prodigy Concert
Venue: Palatz Sporta
City: Kiev
Country: Ukraine
Support: Green Grey
Tracklist:
1. Run DMC Intro
2. Rock’n’roll
3. Thier Law
4. Ride The Rhythm
5. Funky Shit
6. Breathe
7. Voodoo People
8. Voodoo Beats
9. Mindfields
10. Firestarter
11. Poison
12. Serial Thrilla
13. Smack My Bitch Up
Encore:
14. Fuel My Fire
Extra info:
Review by Vizir
Yesterday I had a great time and you know why! It was unforgettable, I can’t express this energy! Yeah, my dream came true and all those rumors about a tribute band didn’t! Well, now about the concert. Firstly it was delayed for an hour. Then some DJs played and MC was saying about ’this great night’ and enumerated sponsors and he was saying that ’we don’t need drugs’ and something about safe sex… Guess about crowd’s behaviour!!! And then we just stoped listening to him and began shouting in chorus ”Prodigy!!! Prodigy!!!”. But then some Ukrainian band begins playing (as it was planned). Then after 3 or 4 songs vocalist said ”I guess tonight you have to listen to us for a long time!” Maybe now someone thought that Prodigy wouldn’t play, but not me. After another 3 songs that band left and again DJs began playing. Everybody was shouting in chorus ”Prodigy!!!” to the rhythm, it was very interesting, but we all were bored and we wanted to see them. And they came!!! We all saw Gizz Butt and then Liam and Maxim and then Keith!!! At last they came!!! Here is the songs they played:
1). Rock’n’Roll – Kieron as a drummer, not Liam.
2). Their Law – I can’t remember what Maxim was exactly saying, but the main word was still ”fuck”. The crowd goes crazy! We just can’t stop jumping! What is this? Keith with mic too! He is an MC with Maxim!!! That’s a surprise! He says ’fuck the law but you can’t beat the law!’ 7 times and then everyone rises middle finger and… guess what we shout then! And then Maxim ’wants Kyiv jumping’… and he is satisfied!
3). Ghost Town – yeah, it’s slow and hard! I haven’t heard it before!
4). Funky Shit – here is Leeroy!!! Who said Leeroy is unnecessary??? He is not only a great dancer, he is an actor too! He grimaces, he smiles, he’s so funny! Maxim shows us some kickboxing tricks and shouts!!! After Funky Shit Maxim says: ”Where the fuck is Kyiv?” and again: ”I said WHERE THE FUCK IS KYIV???” And he found out where we were!
5). Breathe – as usually Maxim asks the crowd to sing. And as usually it’s Keith vs Maxim. What energy!!!
6). Voodoo People – the song begins, but then suddenly stops and Maxim pointing on someone from security says ”YOU…” That man still can’t get what’s his fault, but everybody beside him (me too, I was right infront of the stage!) shouts & shows ”fuck off” Maxim is satisfied, and now it’s time for Voodoo People! Leeroy is back on the stage and he does his best! When the song ends, Maxim says ’rock the house in’ a couple of times and ChemBros’ remix plays! Maxim asks us to say ’rock the house in’ with him.
7). Mindfields – the crowd claps to the rhythm and sings with Maxim! Very thrilling song!
8). Firestarter – ’it’s my own secret technique, ha-ha-ha!’ Where is Keith??? His hair is grown again, but his mohicans are now very close to each other, I even thought firstly that he had only one! But he still looks cool and he still is firestarter!
9). Poison – Maxim wants to satisfy him that we all know the words of Poison. Then it is Chapter 2 – The Pressure!
10). Serial Thrilla – I didn’t suppose they would play Serial Thrilla. This song (as well as all the others anyway!) was very interesting to listen with live drums.
11). Smack My Bitch Up – everybody were waiting for it! What I remember is Maxim saying ”That’s what we want to do, that’s what we do!”. Leeroy grimaces again. They both enjoy as well as all the crowd! And after SMBU Prodigy leave… The crowd shout in chorus again ”Prodigy!!! Prodigy!!!”. We all know it’s not the end… And they are back!!!
12). Fuel My Fire – PUNK!!! That’s a crazy song! And as I remember Maxim was on the stage too, maybe he even sang too! Now we all now that’s exactly the last song, but we’re all satisfied! Thank you, Prodigy!!!
The light switches, and it’s time to drink something and to go home… Now I still can’t remember all the details of the concert, but I can only say that I wasn’t thinking about anything and just enjoyed, jumped, went crazy!!! I guess it’s worth for anybody (even if he doesn’t like Prodigy!) to see them live! It’s energy!!! It’s adrenaline!!! That moments were best in my life! I can’t even suppose how many calories I lost that night! I guess if you’ve seen them live you understand me! What I want now is too see that concert on TV (I hope I soon will). And now I’m really happy. Well, now that’s all! Bye!
Review by Sator:
This, virtually saying, distinguished and unbelievably tremendous event in the life of the ukranian youth may be supposed as finally done. The whole Ukraine had been anticipating this gig for ages and as the rumors of the Prodigy arrival to the ukranian capital had become a real fact everyone realized that’s an ”onetime in life-span event” and the tickets started being bought long before the gig, despite the price of 20-100$ (with 100$ approximate monthly income of average ukranian). According to the public announcement the Prodigy gig had to be started at 6.00 pm and the fans began to arrive at 4-5 pm.
In order to get into the ”Palaz sporta” (the place of gig) you should have passed three checkout points ( thanks to the occasion I passed them without any damage ), on each of them I was searched for having any weapon, drug, heavy things…, dear securities even prohibited to carry the can of beer with myself and surely my card was thoroughly investigated. What a wonder ! The investigation took Just one minute (in the moment I thought I was going to the interview with president). Having overcome all obstacles I was pleased to hear that the Prodigy gig was going to be postponed for a term of 1 hour. But the perturbations for that day hadn’t stopped at this milestone. All the time from 6 to 7 pm I had to listen to weird Kiev’s MC trying to relieve the pressure caused by the prolonged retardation . At 8 pm on the stage took Kiev’s most popular band ”green grey” but it hadn’t brought any relief, everybody was anticipating ”the Prodigy” so it got off half an hour later. Darkness occured in the hall…
At about 9 pm the rythms of one very familiar song was starting being heard, as it was getting louder and louder, as the light’s effects began to show off, the tension commenced to build up, it became evident – no doubt – Prodigy gig is getting underway. Firstly Liam and Maxim then Gizz and Keith took on stage both taking their usual positions. ”Good day, I wanna see how everybody’s doing!” – started Maxim and the buzz began . It’s hard to even outline feelings and state of fans who were getting out their bodies in order to get closer (to climb closer) to the stage. After ”Rock’n’roll” Leeroy with his absolutely lightning-speed legs arose, with the first accords with first words of ”what we’re dealing with here is a total lack of …” crowd was going crazy. After ”Their law” followed such tracks as: ”Voodoo”, ”Breathe”, ”Funky shit ”, ”Poison”, ”Serial thrilla”, ”Firestarter”… ”Funky shit” was accomponied by Leeroy superb show. That time Leeroy was racing the stage from west to east in 1 seconds’ time. Keith, as a usual, impressed with representing his own image. ”Firestarter” was starting with Liam’s words ”It’s my own secret technic” by support of incredibly powerful blue-light effects and had generated into the best insane-going track.
Last track was ”Fuel my fire” and Keith performed his best, with final accords of the track Maxim, Leeroy, Keith, Gizz got away of the stage, Liam took off his top, throwing a plastic bottle into the crowd. This dynamic episode was the last in the Prodigy perform program. The cement of reality had come apart under Prodigy’s incredible assault and exhausted but happy souls of fans had fallen through…
Review by Hated:
Well, now I’m gonna tell you about the concert. Prodigy were 3 hours late!!!!(I don’t know the reason, maybe they had problems in custom-house again (I mean as in Moscow).
Firstly it was planning that our local band Green Grey will begin the concert and then Prodigy wil continue it. But it was in another way. Firstly the concert was delayed for an hour. And then some DJs were playing ChemBros and some house and MC was saying something like: “Yeah,this is great night!” and was enumerating sponsors. Then he began saying like “No drugs! We don’t need them!” and then he was saying about safe sex and such. Guess what the crowd shouted to him!!! And then Green Grey started playing. (GG is Ukrainian band, a mix of hip hop, techno and rock (I like it but that night I was waiting not for it that night!!!).
After 3 songs the vocalist said “Well, I guess tonight you have to listen to us for a longtime!” But nobody believed that Prodigy cancelled their gig. GG playedanother 3 or 4 songs and then DJs began playing again. The crowd was shouting in chorus: “Prodigy!!! Prodigy!!!” And at last they came!!!!!!!
Firstly I saw Liam and then Maxim and at last Keith… no, no, firstly I saw Gizz Butt! First song was, I guess Rock’n’Roll, but Kieron played drums, not Liam. And then was “Their Law”! I can’t express it, I couldn’t stop jumping!!! I can’t remember what exactly Maxim was saying, but the main word was ‘fuck’… I only remember that Keith was MC with Maxim!!! Yea, I was surprised, Keith had his mic and they were 2 MCs!!! Then they played something that I don’t know, maybe “Ghost Town” (I haven’t heard it later!) but I don’t know exactly, it was quite slow. Then “Funky Shit”, if I remember rightly – and here is Leeroy!!! I can tell you that he is not only a great dancer, he is an actor too!
Then Maxim said “Where the fuck is Kyiv???” and then: “I said WHERE THE FUCK IS KYIV???????” And I guess he was satisfied, he heard Kyiv!!!!!! In another pause between the songs Maxim looked at someone from security and said with his demonic voice:”YOU…” and pointed on him (that man was beside me, I was right in front of the stage!) .
Again Maxim said “YOU…” . That man looked at Maxim, he couldn’t realize what he really have done, but everyone who was beside himshowed him “Fuck off”. Yeah, it was very interesting part of performance!!!… Maxim satisfied again…
Now I can’t remember order of songs, but it were: Breathe, Voodoo People, Mindfields, Firestarter, Poison, Serial Thrilla, Smack My Bitch Up & at last Fuel My Fire… While Breathe &Poison Maxim as usually asked the crowd to sing. It was a surprise that after Voodoo People they played Dust Brothers remix and Maxim asked us tosay with him ‘rock the house in’. Every song was very interesting to listenwith live drums. While SMBU Maxim said: “That’s what we want to do!” “That’s what we do!”. After SMBU the light was turned off and Prodigy left…..
No,no, we need more! And again the crowd cries “Prodigy!!! Prodigy!!!” And they are back! !!
We all knew that this was the last song – Fuel My Fire! And as I remember Maxim sang too! ! And that’s all! The light was switched, everybody was satisfied. Now I still can’t remember the details of the concert, I just enjoyed it & I couldn’t stop jumping all the time!!! And now I understand why you wanted to go to Ukraine from Switzerland!!! Yeah, it’s worth that!!!! It’s a great energy! What I want now is to see this concert on TV and to record it. ‘Cause one of the sponsors of the concert was Ukrainian TV channel & I’m sure it will showthat concert! Now I’m satisfied, ’cause my dream came true & that rumors about the tribute band didn’t. I’m happy now!!! Well, that’s all. I hopetoday we’ll talk in chatroom. Bye! Hated.
Poster:
Ticket:
Review from Теленеделя, 10th December 1998:
Review from Cool, 11th January 1999:
Photos from the show:
Backstage photos:
https://i.ibb.co/1fD0rwy/1-1.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/vJYYmy6/2-1.jpg