The Sun

Prodigy's storming Set (Somerset House, London)

• 14th August 2005
• Tim Nicholls

THE legendary Prodigy shook the courtyard of Somerset House to its foundations on Saturday night with a 'high octane' performance from their substantial back catalogue.

Never about subtlety and with no time for chilling out, the headliners of the Grolsch Summer Set sent pulses racing with their attitude drenched performance of hits such as Spitfire, Smack My Bitch Up and Firestarter.

With the release of Their Law - a compilation of singles from 1990 to 2005 coming out later this year - Keith Flint and Maxim Reality showed a true return to force.

Warming up the plush Somerset House courtyard on the banks of the Thames was DJ, producer and man about Brighton, Adam Freeland.

Putting the breakbeat sound centre stage, Freeland showered gig-goers with a hail of three-dimensional bass driven sounds and rolling beats - solidifying his reputation as a major driving force behind one of the UK's most dance sounds.

Friday night saw the college mates from Edinburgh, Idlewild, treat fans with an impressive live performance showing depth and range.

I Understand It, a down tempo melodic song was directly followed by A Film For The Future, a blistering assault on the senses and clearly a favourite with the crowd.

Setting the stage for Idlewild were Nine Black Alps. The performance of Shot Down, from their latest album Everything demonstrated how frenzied music can get.

Dark yet energetic garage pop, Nine Black Alps eruptive noise displayed tautness and intensity.

Turning Somerset House into an open-air music stage was stroke of genius.

Getting that outdoor festival vibe going in the centre of town in such a beautiful setting made every performance feel very special.

With The Prodigy's headlining performance the icing on a very tasty cake.

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