NME

Prodigy blow their own gear at Radio 1’s Big Weekend

• 11th May 2009

The Prodigy‘s headline set on the second day of the Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival in Swindon was interrupted last night (May 10) when the band’s volume apparently short-circuited their own mixing desk.

The incident happened two songs in – during ‘Breathe’ – by which point the bass from their amps had already begun setting off car alarms behind the stage.

Returning after a lull of five minutes, vocalist Maxim Reality quipped: “I just wanna say that was nothing to do with us!”

The trio then blasted through a string of classics, including ‘Out Of Space’, ‘Voodoo People’ and ‘Diesel Power’.

Earlier in the day, Beth Ditto turned in an electrifying performance with Gossip, during which she changed the words of ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’ to ‘Swindon In The Way Of Control’, and wore a succession of hats given to her by audience members.

She dedicated ‘Listen Up’ to “any gay lovers in Swindon“, and offered to move to the town, asking the audience whether they’d pay her rent. The group also showed off several tracks from forthcoming album ‘Music For Men’, including first single ‘Heavy Cross’.

On the main stage, the early part of the day was dominated by big-name urban stars, with both N-Dubz and Tinchy Stryder performing, along with Alesha Dixon and Akon.

Stryder was joined by hitmaking collaborator Taio Cruz, and by members of N-Dubz for his present number one hit ‘Number One’.

Franz Ferdinand drew a good crowd to a set that ended as always with ‘This Fire’, followed by the sight of guitarist Nick McCarthy waving a crutch at the audience as he hobbled offstage. He is still recovering from a foot injury sustained halfway through the band’s US tour.

The Enemy drew a modest crowd to their own headline set on the In New Music We Trust Stage.

Lily Allen announced her song ‘Fuck You’ with the words: “We’ve been asked not to play the next song because you’re not allowed to say fuck, so maybe you can all say it for us.” The ‘Smile’ hitmaker ended her set with her now-traditional cover of Britney Spears‘ ‘Womanizer’.

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• Breathe
• Festivals
• Gigs

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