It happened around midday today. I casually flicked on my phone and there it was - the news that Keith Flint, co-vocalist and front-man of genre blending electronic pioneers The Prodigy, had died at only 49 years of age.
It took a moment to sink in but after the initial shock the thoughts to to how and why. Had some cruel disease taken him. Or some heart condition or organ failure, perhaps brought on by his years of excess? It turns out it is much worse. Reports suggest he had taken his own life. Exactly how I do not know but for me, right now, it doesn't matter as much as the question of why. I would never claim to know the man - I never got to meet him but he always seemed like someone who had grabbed hold of life and bent it to his will. That the simple act of living was everything that mattered. How this changed I can never fathom or hope to try. So I won't I shall simply say what Keith, and The Prodigy meant to me.
1991 - My friend Chris and I went to visit a friend in Tunbridge Wells and made our useful trip to the local independent record shop - The Longplayer. Many brilliant records had been bought there over the years and on this occasion Chris bought Charly by The Prodigy. I'd never heard of them and it hadn't charted yet. It was a 'techno/rave' record according to him and he liked that sort of thing lately. I fucking hated that sort of thing but I had to admit the cover was quite cool looking. We put it on later and it sounded awful to me. Annoying keyboard noises that darted over an in your face woozy grind. With one of those awful dance beats underneath and a totally irritating sample from an old public safety film. It was shit, I thought.
The public disagreed. It was a huge hit an ushered a wave of copycat records, all of which were even shittier.
Then came Everybody In The Place, Jericho and others. I fucking hated The Prodigy and I hated rave music and the culture that went with it. There were a couple of early Shamen songs I liked but that was it and I convinced myself it was because they were cleverer than the rest.
Frankly, I was closed of to dance music and it was spoiling the charts.
I'm not quite sure when it happened or why but sometime in 1993 or maybe '94 I realised that The Prodigy had shifted styles slightly. I applauded their anti-establishment ethos but they were still electronic dance music, and therefore the enemy yet they were more sophisticated and embracing influences I liked. Music For The Jilted generation featured Pop Will Eat Itself, and they mimicked Nirvana on Voodoo People. It was Poison that turned me into a fan though. I don't know why but it was harder and meaner than anything before and I loved it. I bought it and I bought the album too, and embraced them. I love Jilted Generation now - it's probably their best album even if it's not my favourite.
When they played the Phoenix Festival in July 1996 I was there down the front. They'd not long ago released Firestarter and topped the UK charts for the first of two number ones. Keith was now identifiable by a silhouetted haircut alone, such was their fame. At Phoenix they were unstoppable. Were it not for David Bowie coming on afterwards they have been the highlight of the Festival.
I was lucky enough to see them again in October 1996 at the Brighton Centre with essentially the same set. Again they were stunning.
As time wore on and my tastes changed I would lose a bit of interest in the following albums but 2009's Invaders Must Die was a blistering return to form. It is my favourite album by them and one of my all-time favourites by anyone.
After that they dipped in form again but were always interesting and good to have around.
It may be true that Liam was the driving force and chief creative talent, but without the charisma and style of both Keith and Maxim, the wouldn't have been the same. They united ravers, metallers, industrialists and all kinds of disparate groups in a shared love of their groundbreaking, genre-melding brilliance.
Without The Prodigy - and by default, Keith - I would not have opened my eyes to some great music. I would never claim to love techno or dance music but they gave me a window to appreciate acts like Leftfield, Orbital, The Chemical Brothers and many more that I may never have done without them.
And for that I will always be thankful to them and to Keith.
He will be missed but never forgotten.
R.I.P.
P.S. -- Charly is a great record
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