When looking to host an epic bass-rattling party, some turn to a friend’s basement, a well-secured rooftop, an abandoned warehouse, or the dark recesses of the wilderness. The Prodigy, on the other hand, settled on Milton Keynes Bowl in Buckinghamshire, England for their first annual Warrior’s Dance Festival last July. As the acclaimed dance trio explained in an issued press release, “It was important to us to bring a proper festival day and night for the people to remember and bring the same intense atmosphere like when we play Brixton Academy…. and it was. Standing on that stage was a truly triumphant feeling for us as the whole place kicked off, we looked out and we were fuckin’ proud.” So proud, they have decided to package the experience as part of their first-ever live album and film, World’s on Fire.

Directed by award winning director Paul Dugdale, the set includes 17 live tracks from the festival, plus 10 additional cuts from around the globe. The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett engineered the release himself in 5.1 digital sound to best represent the band’s blistering live performances.

World’s On Fire will be released May 24th on n CD/DVD and CD/BLU-RAY through Take Me To The Hospital/Cooking Vinyl Ltd/The End Records. Just in case 27 tracks of hysteric UK big beats isn’t enough, the compilation also features exclusive gallery photos and hidden extras to be found via an interactive menu.

World’s On Fire CD & DVD Tracklist:
01. Intro (Live)
02. Breathe (Live)
03. Omen (Live)
04. Colours (Live)
05. Thunder (Live)
06. Warriors Dance (Live)
07. Firestarter (Live)
08. Run With The Wolves (Live)
09. Weather Experience (Live)
10. Voodoo People (Live)
11. Omen Reprise (Live)
12. Invaders Must Die (Live)
13. Smack My Bitch Up (Live)
14. Take Me To The Hospital (Live)
15. Everybody In The Place (Live)
16. Their Law (Live)
17. Out Of Space (Live)

Invaders Alive Tracklist:
01. Run With The Wolves (Brixton, London)
02. Spitfire / Mescaline (Brazil)
03. Breathe (Slane Castle, Ireland)
04. Poison (Glastonbury, England)
05. Warning (T In The Park, Scotland)
06. Japanese Film
07. Smack My Bitch Up (Isle Of Wight, England)
08. USA Film
09. UK Arena Tour Film
10. Voodoo (Bestival and Paris, France)

This January, Linkin Park will embark on their first North American tour in three years and they’re bringing a few foreign powerhouses along for the ride. UK up-and-comers Does It Offend You, Yeah? and Australian dance rockers Pendulum will open the first half of the trek, which is set to begin January 20th in Sunrise, Florida. Then, starting February 15th in Houston, Texas, iconic electronic outfit The Prodigy will join Linkin Park for seven dates.

Meanwhile, The Prodigy just dropped a rather kick ass remix of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems”. You can check it out, as well as peep all confirmed tour dates below.

Linkin Park 2011 Tour Dates:
01/20 – Sunrise, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center #^
01/22 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum #^
01/23 – Atlanta, GA @ Phillips Arena #^
01/25 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena #^
01/26 – Chicago, IL @ United Center #^
01/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Xcel Energy Center #^
01/29 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center #^
01/31 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center #^
02/01 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden #^
02/04 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden #^
02/07 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre #^
02/08 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre #^
02/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center #^
02/11 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun #^
02/15 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center *
02/17 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center *
02/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand – Garden Arena *
02/20 – San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena *
02/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center *
02/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Energy Solutions Arena *
02/26 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center *

# = w/ Pendulum
^ = w/ Does It Offend You, Yeah?
* = w/ The Prodigy

After all, this year’s bill will be headed by Prince, Gorillaz, and Muse, which is mind numbing just to think about. What’s more, acts like Them Crooked Vultures, Pavement, The Prodigy, Patti Smith and Band, LCD Soundsystem, Robyn, Vampire Weekend, The National, Motorhead, Sick of it All, Alice in Chains, Kasabian, Tinariwen, and Bad Lieutenant are also set to take part.

It doesn’t stop there, however, as other confirmed acts include NOFX, Kings of Convenience, Drake, Paramore, Porcupine Tree, Pendulum, Julian Marley, Florence & the Machine, Dirty Projectors, Moderat, Beach House, HEALTH, Titus Andronicus, Local Natives, Japandroids, Wooden Shjips, Miike Snow, Converge, and Brother Ali. For a full list of confirmed acts, click here.

Not bad, right? Plus, unlike Glastonbury, tickets are still available. The Roskilde Festival takes place from July 1-4 in Roskilde, Denmark.

What’s more, Enter Shikari has also announced a partnership with DGC/Interscope, which will result in a more proper U.S. release for Common Dreads in early 2010.

I guess you could say they’ll be No Sleep Tonight… or anytime soon for that matter.

Enter Shikari 2009 Tour Dates:
08/28 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
08/29 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival
09/04 – Nashville, TN @ Rockettown ^&%@
09/05 – Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre ^&%@
09/06 – Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee ^&%@
09/07 – Columbia, MO @ Blue Note ^&%@
09/08 – Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room ^&%@
09/09 – Des Moines, IA @ Peoples ^&%@
09/10 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Nutty’s ^&%@
09/11 – Fargo, ND @ Aquarium ^&%@
09/12 – Milwaukee, WI @ Rave ^&%@
09/13 – Lemont, IL @ Jaguar Club ^&%@
09/14 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection ^&%@
09/15 – Indianapolis, IN @ Emerson Theatre ^&%@
09/16 – Louisville, KY @ Headliners ^&%@
09/17 – Dayton, OH @ The Attic ^&%@
09/18 – Toledo, OH @ Headliners ^&%@
09/19 – Eerie, PA @ Forward Hall ^&%@
09/20 – Altoona, PA @ Eldolyn Hall ^&%@
09/21 – Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon ^&%@
09/22 – Winooski, VT @ Higher Ground ^&%@
09/23 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance ^&%@
10/02 – Belfast, IE @ Mandela Hall #
10/03 – Dublin, IE @ Academy #
10/05 – Norwich, UK @ UEA #
10/06 – Southampton, UK @ Guildhall #
10/07 – Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy #
10/08 – Plymouth, UK @ Pavilions #
10/10 – London, UK @ Roadhouse #
10/11 – Oxford, UK @ O2 Academy #
10/12 – Manchester, UK @ Academy #
10/13 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy #
10/15 – Sheffield, UK @ O2 Academy #
10/16 – Dundee, UK @ Fat Sams #
10/17 – Glasgow, UK @ ABC #
10/18 – Aberdeen, UK @ Music Hall #
10/20 – Newcastle, UK @ O2 Academy #
10/21 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City #
10/22 – Liverpool, UK @ O2 Acadmey #
11/12 – Helsinki, FI @ Ice Hall *
11/14 – Oslo, NO @ Spektrum *
11/15 – Copenhagen, DE @ Docken *
11/17 – Hamburg, DE @ Sporthalle *
11/18 – Brussels, BE @ Forest National Club *
11/20 – Dresden, DE @ Messehallen *
11/21 – Karlsruhe, DE @ Europehalle *
11/22 – Dusseldorf, DE @ Phillipshalle *
11/23 – Amsterdam, NL @ Heineken Music Hall *
11/25 – Berlin, DE @ Arena Treptow *
11/29 – Luxembourg @ Rockhal *
11/30 – Zurich, CH @ Hallestadion *
12/03 – Barcelona, ES @ Sant Jordi Club *
12/04 – Madrid, ES @  Palacio de Deportes *

^ = w/ Alesana
& = w/ The Bled
% = w/ Asking Alexandra
@ = w/ Broadway
# = w/ The Devil Wears Prada
* = w/ The Prodigy

Not with violence, but with pure unadulterated sound.

After three solid hours of DJ-ing, one of which by the brilliant and under-appreciated Tiga, the crowd within the crumbling Congress walls was officially whipped into a frenzy. Opening with “World’s On Fire”, The Prodigy showed that if you were unaware of their return, you have been missing out. Time has passed, sure, but things have hardly changed. The original trio of Liam Howlett, Keith Flint, and Maxim Reality is back and intact, and the group’s latest record, Invaders Must Die, keeps things in perspective, while also responding to the rise in electronic music over the past five years. The response goes something along the lines of “We’ve been doing this since 1990, bitches.”

With a mix of material both old and new, all the fans inside the Logan Square venue were dancing. A few women were clad in bright, radiating clothing, bringing back the rave culture of yesteryear. They may have been under 20, but at least they knew a good show from a bad one. While most of the youngsters were probably only familiar with Fat of the Land and various tracks on their iTunes playlists, the band’s trademark stage show took hold of their fragile, little minds — especially with new classics like “Omen” and “Warrior’s Dance”. Judging from this crowd’s response, The Prodigy will be destroying the minds (and feet) of kids for decades to come.

For the aforementioned Europeans, late classics such as “Voodoo People” and “Diesel Power” went over well, most likely sparking some childhood memories of growing up in Europe. This is an interesting facet of the venue. Over time, The Congress has become a safe haven for acts with international flair and The Prodigy is no different. You might not speak English or be able to dress casual, but we love the same music, and in this country, that counts for something, damn it.

Overall, The Prodigy has clearly brought back something we’ve all missed…a great time out with friends. Here’s a band that puts its heart and souls into making people connect with their respected own. From the pit to the balcony, there was a real sense of love in this crowd. High fives, intense PDA, and a general sense of forgiveness for any concert faux pas filled Chicago on a warm Saturday night. The rest of the night belonged to a band many people thought were over, but even more people now know have returned. This band isn’t trying to be something they aren’t, they can only be The Prodigy and no collection of words can ever describe what that means. If you have a chance to see one of their upcoming shows, don’t miss it.

———-

Answer: Come late May, following the electro rocker’s upcoming appearance Miami’s Ultra Music Festival and European extravaganza.

Ok, so it’s no Dave Matthews-like bonanza with multiple night stints and spanning six months, but The Prodigy will indeed return to the U.S. beginning May 18th for what is currently a nine-date swing in support of the recently released Invaders Must Die. This time around, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Anaheim, and Los Angeles are among the cities getting in on the fun. Perhaps the only downside on this one is the inclusion of a Chicago date, meaning radius clause, meaning no appearance at this year’s Lollapalooza.

The Prodigy 2009 Tour Dates:
03/28 – Miami, FL @ Ultra Music Festival
04/05 – Cardiff, UK @ International Arena *
04/06 – Newcastle, UK @ Metro Radio Arena *
04/07 – Glasgow, UK @ SECC *
04/09 – Birmingham, UK @ NIA *
04/10 – Manchester, UK @ MEN Arena *
04/11 – Nottingham, UK @ Trent FM Arena *
04/13 – Sheffield, UK @ Arena *
04/14 – Brighton, UK @ Centre *
04/17 – London, UK @ Wembley Arena *
05/01 – Murica, ES @ Estrella Levante SOS 4.8
05/18 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
05/19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
05/20 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
05/22 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
05/23 – Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
05/26 – Anaheim, CA @ The Grove
05/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Paladium
05/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
05/30 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theatre
06/06 – Nurburgring, DE @ Rock Am Ring
06/07 – Nurnburg, DE @ Rock Im Park
06/12 – Seaclose Park, UK @ Isle of Wright Festival
06/13 – Donington Park, UK @ Download Festival
06/14 – Loch Ness, UK @ RockNess
06/18 – Cork, IE @ Live At The Marquee
06/19 – County Down, IE @ Live In The Park
07/02 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/05 – Gdynia, PL @ Open’er Festival
07/24 – Stratford-upon-Avon, UK @ Global Gathering Festival
08/07 – Bleilochtalsperre, DE @ SonneMondSterne Festival
08/08 – Zofingen, CH @ Heitere Open Air
08/09 – Hildesheim, DE @ M’era Luna Festival
08/22 – St Poelten, AS @ Frequency Festival

* = w/ Dizzee Rascal

As for what to expect? Perhaps the recently released music video for “Omen” will serve as a clue…

The Prodigy 2009 Tour Dates:
03/15 – Paris, FR @ Zenith
03/25 – Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
03/26 – New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
03/28 – Miami, FL @ Ultra Music Festival
04/05 – Cardiff, UK @ International Arena *
04/06 – Newcastle, UK @ Metro Radio Arena *
04/07 – Glasgow, UK @ SECC *
04/09 – Birmingham, UK @ NIA *
04/10 – Manchester, UK @ MEN Arena *
04/11 – Nottingham, UK @ Trent FM Arena *
04/13 – Sheffield, UK @ Arena *
04/14 – Brighton, UK @ Centre *
04/17 – London, UK @ Wembley Arena *
05/01 – Murica, ES @ Estrella Levante SOS 4.8
06/06 – Nurburgring, DE @ Rock Am Ring
06/07 – Nurnburg, DE @ Rock Im Park
06/12 – Seaclose Park, UK @ Isle of Wright Festival
06/13 – Donington Park, UK @ Download Festival
06/14 – Loch Ness, UK @ RockNess
06/18 – Cork, IE @ Live At The Marquee
06/19 – County Down, IE @ Live In The Park
07/02 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/05 – Gdynia, PL @ Open’er Festival
07/24 – Stratford-upon-Avon, UK @ Global Gathering Festival
08/07 – Bleilochtalsperre, DE @ SonneMondSterne Festival
08/08 – Zofingen, CH @ Heitere Open Air
08/09 – Hildesheim, DE @ M’era Luna Festival
08/22 – St Poelten, AS @ Frequency Festival

* = w/ Dizzee Rascal

Here’s the thing, though. How can a “band” that sold 16 million records making background music for teenaged kids under the spell of ecstasy still be relevant in a day and age where alternative rock has all but reinvigorated its stranglehold on our ears? Or, a world where James Murphy exists?

It’s impossible to expect a groundbreaking effort from an electronic-machine-assisted act whose heyday has all but faded into oblivion, just as Bill Clinton’s power over subordinate women certainly has. That’s why their fifth studio effort, Invaders Must Die, isn’t a surprise by any means. As expected, the new record isn’t an assortment of what made The Prodigy… well, The Prodigy. Instead, it’s a sexily crafted, forty-minute slew of mega-watt beats that could perfectly compliment a pre-party hosted by young people hoping to “score” at the conclusion of the night ahead. It’s just a question of how much “more of the same” you can tolerate before you put Lil’ Wayne back on.

That’s not to say there isn’t something rewarding here. Certainly, Invaders Must Die has some silver medals inside, it just takes some patience…and a stomach for nostalgia.

For example, there’s this whole 1995 thing that washes over a few of the tracks. Towards the beginning, with “Omen”, you almost feel at certain points that you’ve been whisked away to the center of a dazed, perspiring collection of dance-aholics, all finding the cadence in a hook-laden groove. If that’s your bag, then keep tracking away.

Then there’s “Piranha”, a brilliant exception to the largely monolithic album in question. The fusion of smells-like-Detroit-spirit garage rock surfaces just below the electronically blistering surge of the song itself. It’s a nice break from the predominately club-feel of a record that blinds listeners with incendiary homage’s to the glow stick, rather than the essence of Rock and Roll.

Otherwise, the entire album plays like a DJ Set at Club 720.

Invaders Must Die is loaded with reminders about why you first started admitting dance music was your guilty pleasure. If you preferred going to parties scored by indistinguishable house music in the 1990s, rather than donning flannel and hitting up late-night skate parks with Alice In Chains blaring from your head phones, it’s highly suggested you pick up this record. If not, I’d highly advise against it.

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