10th March 2005 The Metro Nightclub, Melbourne, Australia

Review by neko:
This day starts pretty shit for us. We think we’re on the 9.30am flight to Melbourne, but in reality (long story) are actually booked on the 12.30 one. So after very little sleep we get up at 7am, make it to the airport for 8.30 and are told our flight isn’t until 12.30. damn. Being the cheap-asses we are, we’re obviously on the cheapest totally non-changeable fare. Also I realize I forgot some clothes at the hotel back in Sydney, so we check-in and go back into town. Get back to airport midday and feeling knackered already despite not doing much. Also see band at airport, Jim and Liam looking very partied out, awwww.

We finally get to Melbourne about 2pm. Katie and I have got a small apartment for the 5 days here so we actually have a washing machine. Heaven. Apart from a quick stroll through town we’re not doing much today, have dinner and go to venue at about 9pm. This is the last of the solo shows, and unfortunately also the last small venue for a long while, so this better be a good one. The venue already is really cool. Small standing area, 3 balconies and lots of little bars spread throughout. I decide I have to soak up the intensity of such a last small gig and am going for the front row, a bit on the side.

After another excellent set by Adam Freeland, the band come on about 10.30pm. As expected, the show in this venue is absolutely amazing. And while I dont remember much of the details due to a couple too many drinks before and after the gig, I totally believe that this show felt like having the two good things of the Brisbane and Sydney ones combined: Great audience combined with maximum band performance.
So, similar as the nights before, the set list goes like this:
[tracklist: Wake Up Intro to Mindfields]

But now, they are not leaving the stage and Maxim announces that they have a very special guest joining them tonight, someone we would all know: Kool Keith!

Yeah! We get to witness the ultimate live performance of a collaboration: Diesel Power. Kool Keith comes on stage and him and Maxim do vocals together on the track. Ahhhhhhhh, so amazing. You can tell Kool Keith loves it, seems quite into it. The beats dont sound as hard as you’d think they would though, but its the first ever and only full performance of that track, so I let them get away with it. I just have to capture the moment and take a couple of pics with my mobile as you can see below (they’re about as blurry as my memory).

Now all leave the stage, but soon return for Poison and Release Yo Delf. This leads into SMBU and now Kool Keith is back as well. Obviously the track is based on a Kool Keith sample, so this is really cool. Again him and Maxim are on vocals together, and Kool Keith looks like he doesn’t want to stop. At the end of the track he just lies down on stage and repeats his line over and over again. Very cool!

As he leaves, the band finish the set with a once more excellent Out Of Space. This time now also Keith (as in Flint) is back and it’s one great ending to a really great and very special show.

There’s an afterparty as well, and rather funnily Kool Keith introduces himself to me (as he does to any other female who is anywhere near him). Later Maxim introduces me to him again and I ask how he liked playing with Prodigy. He says he did indeed and very proud “I did some tracks with them, you know!”. Oh, I do know, ha ha. I hear it’s the first time Liam has met him as well tonight, so that sounds very special indeed. Also really good to see the whole band out and about again as well, sounds like they’re all having a lot of fun on this tour. A guy from Green Day (a band I like a lot) is there as well and I meet Liam’s pro tools guy Damian Taylor. All very cool and it turns out to be a very long night for me due to a couple of not to be named but well-known names leading me astray! No show on Friday, time to relax!