MTV

Week In Rock: The Prodigy

• 27th June 1997

Another act with possible problems of its own is the British techno-band Prodigy, which scored a hit single with "Firestarter," scored a record deal with Madonna's Maverick label, and is now in the always uncomfortable position of being hailed at home and by hopeful U.S. record-bizzers as the"next big thing. " Prodigy will be climbing aboard the Lollapalooza tour next month. We caught up with the group on a recent U.S. mini-tour, when it played New York City, and brought back this report.

Liam: To us it's like this is the fifth tour we've been on here in America. To some people it's like the first time we've come here.

Maxim: Anything we do is going to be funky! (In interview) We're not over here trying to prove anything. We just bring the show over here so that people can check out what we're about.

MTV: And what The Prodigy is about is a high energy show featuring two frontmen, a guitarist, an interpretive dancer, and band mastermind Liam Howlett providing the majority of the music from his keyboards.

Liam: We introduced some more rock elements to our show just because that's the type of music we listen to. We're not techno heads, we don't... I don't actually like techno that much anymore.

Fan 1: I thought it was more rock than most rock shows that I've seen recently.

MTV: But a conventional rock show isn't what you get from The Prodigy, either.

Keith: Who wants to see that? You've been watching that for the last 50 years. This is new.

MTV: Performing in America has provided its challenges for Prodigy, since the group is playing mostly new material from their yet-to-be- released record.

Liam: Kids don't know the songs, but they are still jumping around and stuff. It's good. We're playing two or three songs off "Jilted," the last album. But most of the new stuff is off of "The Fat Of The Land," the new album.

MTV: With all the hype around the new electronica, many are sure to see the release of the new Prodigy album as a test of just how commercially viable the scene really is.

Liam: We've come across over here in this huge hype and been made to look like we're part of this electronic scene, as it were, where we're strong enough to stand up on our own. We don't need to be put into a scene.

Leeroy: It just makes us laugh - "electronica" - I mean why, why not even, if you're gonna come up with a name, why put an "a" on the end?

MTV: Whatever you want to call their original brand of hip-hop, dance, rock-fused music, it's striking a chord with fans stateside.

Fan 2: I don't know - it was people dancing around, jumping - it was great excitement. It was the best.  Prodigy's the best.

Fan 3: More people should be getting into it now because it's getting wild. Back where I live - I live out in the  sticks - it's getting out there even, people are raving all over the place and it's great.

Fan 4: I think it's going to be big in America. It's getting big right now, so it's going to be huge. Well, we'll see. Prodigy joins Lollapalooza's main stage in Columbus, Ohio on July 20th...

...Along with vintage metallist Ozzy Osbourne, whose sore throat cancellation of a multi-act Ozzfest date last  week, midway through a show in Columbus, Ohio, sparked a small riot that resulted in 23 arrests. Ozzy  announced a makeup date this week. It's July 1st at the Polaris Ampitheatre, where the scuttled show was held,  and it'll feature only Ozzy and his band, plus his old Black Sabbath partners doing their reunion set with him.  Ticket stubs from last week's concert will be honored, and additional tickets are also on sale.

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