2006.03.23 – Nation, Washington, USA

Date: 23rd March 2006
Event: The Prodigy Concert – Their Law Tour
Venue: Nation
City: Washington DC
Country: USA
Support: Adam Freeland

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Break and Enter
3. Their Law
4. Wake The Fuck Up
5. Breathe
6. Hotride
7. Spitfire
8. Back 2 Skool
9. Firestarter
10. Action Radar Link
11. Warning
12. No Good (Start The Dance)
13. Voodoo People
Encore:
14. Poison
15. Diesel Power Beats
16. Smack My Bitch Up
17. Dead Ken Beats
18. Out Of Space

Extra info:
Review by Fire§tarter:
I will get to that part after my review of the gig, but wow, just wow..this is the most amazing thing that has happened in my entire life.
THE MOST AMAZING thing EVER.
I just do NOT know where to start. This is just…wow
I got out of my house at 6:10 or so PM…and just went ahead by myself to Washington DC.
It took me about 30 minutes to get to Washington DC, by the time I was in the area where the club “Nation” was, I was a little lost. I stopped off twice to ask for directions, the second time I stopped, I gave this black guy, (awesome dude) my MapQuest directions, he looked at the address and just crumpled my papers and says, “You’re looking for “Nation” ?” and I was like “Yeah man!”
– It’s right over there, and he pointed where it was and it was right across the store I was in. I was like “whoa balls lol”
I got in there, and the line was already built up at 7:20 or so..I got into the line and just waited there until it was time to check the tickets or some crap. I got inside the club and what do I see…a frickin’ line where they check people for stuff, they told everyone to empty pockets and all ( I can understand why though, protection )
This frickin’ guy who checked me sucks..he told me I cant have my camera with me, so I took it back to my car..I was not much disappointed mainly cuz my mind was set into seeing PRODIGY for the first, %$*%$%^!!! TIME EVER.
After the ‘checkup’ I just went into the club…it was koo’
I stood there in the first room thinking “WTF” is this, where’s the stage…and surely, I saw all people going to the left, so I followed, and there it is, the main stage.
I didn’t go on to the floor, instead, I went up to second floor.
the moment I got onto the second floor, I just stood there by a rail..I could see everything SO GOOD. There was some DJ spinning breaks (I’ll talk about his music later)
I just stood there, and then I see this guy walking out of the main stage with bleached hair..and of course I knew who it was…”Adam Freeland” it was just…sooo surreal seeing that man just walk through an audience..I guess some people on the floor didn’t know, or realize who he was so they didn’t touch him or grab on to him..etc. All this time he was walking, I just looked and smiled/grinned, cause I was a little “struck”, seeing this man in ‘real time’ (more on “real time” later)
But then some chick apparently knew who he was so she kinda stopped him, and touched his shoulder..
anyway..after that, I went up to third floor. And let me tell ya, third floor was fRICKING COOL view. I can’t tell you how nice of a view it was. I mean, I was above all these people and I could see the stage CLEARLY. I could see the DJ decks, and of course the first thing I noticed is Liam’s setup and a huge background fabric with “Their Law” (album logo) The stage was small, and I was like “whoa, how is Maxim and Keith going to rock it?
Anyway, this first DJ was spinning some breaks, I really want to know his name because there were about 2 or 3 tracks that were really up in my alley, very COOL and stylish breakbeat. If anybody caught him then, it was the track that he played right before the “Get a Life” track, where there is a sample of a guy voice talking about “losers” and “MySpace.com” The track before that was the most standout track from the set. It was just awesome.
anyway, the first DJ finished off at 8:30…
Adam Freeland comes in…and it was just cool watching that guy taking out his CD-R cases and his silver case full of vinyls..that guy meant business.
He started off his set with a track I knew right away
“Evil Nine – Crooked”
now, after crooked….for about half of his mix..THAT. STUFF. WAS. GOLD. I can’t tell you, I JUST CAN’T TELL YOU how AMAZING his mixing skills and SONG choice was. That stuff was just so up my alley it was not funny. He mixed some of the most badddddest (in a good way) breaks tracks I’ve heard. I so want to know that setlist. Adam Freeland’s mixing was just flawless.
He mixed for exactly 1 HOUR. I timed it on my watch…it was funny, because at one point Prodigy director came up to Freeland and whispered something in his ear, Freeland then walked over to a table and grabbed his cell phone, looked at it..and I’m assuming to look at what time it was..my guess is, that the Prodigy director told him “Get off the frickin’ stage” probably cause of timing.
Freeland then took his video camera and started filming the crowd and his turntables..I was like “LOL”
This man’s setlist was just so cool. When I find out what it is, I will post the tracklist.
Now…when Freeland finished off his set with “We Want Your Soul” the crew came up and took away his turntable deck…then at around 9:30+ I frickin’ see LIAM..and I was just floooooooooooooooooooooored. I was just “WOW, is this a dream, or am I really looking at him”
I’m telling you, when I saw the rest of the band, Maxim, Keith, Kieron on the drums..I just can’t tell you how much cooler it is seeing them in person, in real time. You can look at all the videos, THE MOST high definition, clearest form of video..but it will never be as surreal as seeing these guys in movement in front of your own EYES. Maxim looked so thin..and Keith was so awesome.. He had a Confederate flag attached behind him. He wore black gear, in the back of his shirt was a Gun, in white. Maxim wore the same kind of black gear, but he had these funny white sneakers on. He had his trademark white paint on his eyes and nose.
“How da fuck is WASH-ING-TON”
it was just surreal hearing that, I mean, his voice, all was REAL, REAL!! I heard it with my own ears.
Liam was behind keyboards so I couldnt see him much, but I looked is way from time to time, although it was pretty dark over there in his place.
There were two guitarist live. I don’t know who they are, I don’t know if one of them was Jim Davies, but I’m positive I saw Kieron Pepper.
I’m telling ya, if that FRICKIN guy allowed me to go inside with the digital camera I would snap you the COOLEST photos, I’m a big photography fan, and I know how to snap some cool stuff. I was on third floor with the most perfect view. I saw everybody’s face on stage. Sonofa..and what pissed me off is that other people got thru with their digital cams. That just ticked me off.
Oh man.
Liam kicked off the show with Break & Enter, then came Their Law.
I think pretty much this is the SAME setlist that was in Chicago, Toronto, NYC..I mean, I heard nothing different.
I thought Freeland’s stuff was loud..but My GOODNESS this was just SO loud that I felt my inside shake. It was so loud that I felt my nose, and my chest vibrating. It felt like the soundwaves just FLEW right THROUGH my body, and not around it.
I just can’t tell you about each track, everything was so amazing. Pretty much every original track in that show was in some way remixed. I other than of course “Breathe”
Hotride was so sweet live. I just loved it.
same goes for Warning. Warning is SO LOUD. By the way, was it just me or was it hard to hear Keith singing his Warning lyrics…the bass was just so loud that it overpowered Keith’s voice, like it was hard to hear what he was saying.
Firestarter was the remix that we all heard numerous times in various shows. Only like neko mentioned, it was a mix of both, it had original version in there, and then like half of it was remixed…or maybe I’m talking crazy.
Oh man, my mind escapes me right now in terms of tracklist.
anyway, they all left the stage..and then of course “encore” chant, few people were chanting that, but I knew Liam was coming back..and I think the first or second track that was played, was Dead Ken Beats…
DEAD KEN BEATS……AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWESOME TRACK. SO LOUD. And I just can’t get enough of that Spanish guitar sample, it’s just the most amazing sound. It was loud as frickin explosion. Then I believe came “SMBU”
and before SMBU started, Maxim says “This one goes out to MOBY” and I just laughed cause I know the whole story behind that. I think it was also very appropriate to mention that having it be in the USA, since most know MOBY.
It got a crowd reaction. Not like it didn’t get it.
The people loves eveything by Prodigy. When the first DJ spinned they were quiet, not a lot of people, then Freeland came on and he started the crowd, he really warmed us up.
but dammmit. When Liam came on, and Maxim, and Keith..they got the crowd going, right off the bat Keith jumped down to the rail and started touching people, basically started to get them going. Towards the end of the gig I saw a ton of people “swimming” on top of the crowd..I don’t know the proper term for it, but they just glided over people’s hands, the guards were so rough on those poor people once they got over the rail (of course, the gotta protect the band) but they would just grab their shirts, push them off. It was a funny sight.
observing everything from the top was just amazing. I saw everything, I can’t possibly think of any other place that was this nice. Yes, it is nice to be up front towards the rail on the floor..you get to see the band up close and everything, but those people were just sweating and choking out there, I saw how bad it was..they were squished but this is nothing new anyway.
I saw people create a frickin’ moshpit… I was like “WTF, moshpit during Prodigy?” people pushed around, etc. It was funny.
Anyway, I just can’t express it any better than that. This is quite possibly the most amazing night of my ENTIRE life to date. I’ve said the same things about other events, but this TOPS everything. Seeing your favorite band which you love, follow for so many years, LIVE..just tops everything in your life. It was so surreal looking at Keith, Maxim, Liam, all in movement with my own eyes…
by the way, what was great is..I didn’t act crazy at all during the gig…this is what’s cool..I know the band so well, that even live I don’t have to jump around, I just saw all those other people down there jumping and wearing themselves down but I mean..I expected that I knew what the Prodigy was all about, and I was just the biggest fan out there (of course, there were others, Neko, Prodigal_One (whom I spoke on the phone after the gig) and others whom I’m forgetting. I just stood there and chilled, I know I’m a big fan but I just didn’t act like one, I kept it cool. I just nodded my upper body mostly over those beats.
After the show, I walked out of the club…man, it was like 11pm or something.. i was walking towards my car, but then I saw some people chilling by some big charter buses…so I quickly realized, and came up to those guys, asking “You waiting for the band?” and it was two guys and one girl..and we spoke a bit.. then those guys left somewhere. I then met a Russian couple, and of course I’m from Ukraine so I can speak Russian too..we spoke, and the Russian girl, Maria who was with her friend really wanted to meet the band, as me. We waited for so long, she asked the Prodigy tour director (the Freeland whisper guy) if she could meet the band, but that guy was pretty much a stubborn sumbich..she cried a little too. She wanted to see them so bad.
Well, after waiting and waiting in the cold..we then walked over to the doors that were open, the crew were pretty much taking the equipment out from the stage..well, I didn’t hesitate and asked one of the crew members, who was English…such an AWESOME dude. I asked him “whats the next stop…” (but of course I knew it was “MIAMI” ) well he said what it was, and then he said, back to Europe..home, England, sleep and relax..we had a laugh at that.
NOW, READ THIS…cause this is describing how I got the chance to meet LIAM!!!! , something not many of you on this tour had accomplished, I would guess 😉
I then asked him…”Hey do you know where the band is going to come out”
and I expected an answer that would be “I don’t know” or ” I can’t say” but to my surprise… this guy is like “Now, this is only between me and you, but if they’re going to come out, then it’s going to be from the corner of (and he shows me where it is)” I was like “WHOOOOOOA” ( in my mind) he then says “I didn’t tell you that!” and of course, I shook his hand and said “RESPECT!”
well, we went over to the back corner of the club, and pretty much it was the other side of the charter buses. There were some cars and people waiting out there… Once again, I saw those three people that I met before
The two guys and one girl, the guy’s names were Tim, and Aaron, Aaron was hella drunk but he was a Fan, and when I say “Fan” I mean, A FAN like any one of us on Brainkiller, or Nekozine. I mean, this dude knew his stuff about the band so well that even I was surprised..I mean, this Yankee, and he knows his stuff.
We struck up a conversation with Tim, and this dude is so cool..I got his number and he lives not too far from me.
Then, Aaron, Tim, and I started talking some stuff, America and some politics…
Now…we talk and talk, and I just look where the buses are, and I see these people walking, and the first person I see is Maxim…and then I see Liam, but I didn’t see Keith…
and RIGHT AWAY, I run over to the barricaded rail..and just scream for them to come over, I just start begging, and all of us start doing the same. Maxim disappointed me, he just gave the peace sign and got into his car. But then, I see Liam..and Liam looks at us, and walks towards us, and I’m just thinking to myself…”PLEASE OH PLEASE DONT YOU GET INTO THE CAR, PLEASE COME THIS WAY” and..he just gets closer and closer and INDEED HE’s WALKING TOWARDS US!!!!! He’s walking, and I’m freaking tha FREAK OIUT!!! I’m going insane, my body starts shaking.. I’m freaking out, litterally, my eyes widened.
Liam first signs Tim’s construction side helmet, and then I extend my hand over the rail…and Liam looks at me, and he extends his hand towards my hand, and this is the moment where I shake the mans hand..firmly. His hand was so warm..and I just held it for a few seconds…and I look him STRAIGHT in the eye, and he looks at me..kind of smiling, and when he was smiling I could see his teeth, and it looked like he had some gold teeth to the side..
I look at him and he looks at me, and I’m still holding his hand, and I just say…”Uhh..Brainkiller, Nekozine message boards” and Liam goes
“Is that YOU?”
and I’m like “uhh…(I kind of don’t know what to say the moment is just so surreal for me)…I just post on there”
and then I say “When’s the new album coming out???” and Liam says to me
smiling in this British accent “I don’t know man, I don’t know” LOL
I’m then once again shaking his hand..and it’s sooooo warm..and then I just look at Liam, and he looks at me grinning..and I say to him
“Oh man, I’m so starstruck right now” lookin straight in his face, I’m really just frickin’ starstruck..I mean wow, I have like absolutely no words. I jsut didn’t know what to say..and after I said that
Liam says: “Oh don’t be, don’t be” and he then he turns Maria, the girl who wanted to see him so bad, and she says she’s from Russia, and Liam’s like “You’re from Russia?” or something like that.. he was just amazed I think.
He then signs Aaron’s shirt (the big fan, like me) and then I think to myself..oh shit I need him to sign something, I extend my hand…and then I say to him to sign it but I think he just didn’t hear me, he turned to some other people that were on the other side..
so then I just look thru my pockets looking for something to sign, and then I come across the ticket stub..and I’m like “OH SHIT, GREAT IDEA I’m going to ask him to sign it”
He signed my ticket!!!!
After that, I believe my life has changed. I mean…WOW. When DA F$(*%K does that EVER happen to anybody? It’s like I became the most special person on the planet.
When Liam got into his car, and they all drove off..we were all excited. Aaron and I, two biggest fans of the group were just freaking out. He came up to me and hugged me..it was like LOVE..man, like “ONE LOVE” we spent about 15 minutes out there just talking about what just happened to us. We were all just floored. I just said to everyone “OH man, I can now die a happy man” This experience is just amazing. I’m running out of words I really am so hyper right now.
You gotta understand, when a thing like this happens to you, your mind just goes blank, all you can think about is “the moment” when they left, the band…my LEGS were SHAKING…and not because of the cold weather, but because from the fact that I had just made the best decision of my life staying out there, outside for about 2 hours waiting, hoping to see “THE” band, the man behind the music. I stood there, and then I reached across that fence, and I shook Liam’s hand, and I looked him straight into his eyes, and he looked straight into my eyes.
and the biggest thing I will remember from this experience is Liam asking me the question “Is that you?” I felt like the most special person on the FRICKING PLANET.
I swear this is just an amazing moment, I am one of the few who have met this beautiful person IN REAL LIFE, and shook his hand.
I will remember this FOREVER.