When the devil’s poison summoned itself from Succubus and when Bangalore rave hordes turned their backs on exhaustion, heavens ripped apart at the seams with the invocation of flamboyant front man Keith Flint, commanding rapper Maxim Reality and legendary dance guru Liam Howlett – the British electronica giants who struck the right chord with the demons of electro rock recently. The Invasion festival headlined by one of the world’s most explosive live acts was nothing short of sensory-overloading brilliance and mind-blowing annihilation. And, needless to say, it brought some of the best international, contemporary and high-energy acts brimming with attitude and personality to India.
Having enthralled audiences worldwide with their electric stage act and a catalogue of some of the world’s most impressive dance tunes, The Prodigy are a leading attraction on many festival circuits. And, they never fail to disappoint. Showing off their aesthetics in the convergence of rock and electro, the trio drove the crowd ballistic with World’s on Fire. The aural hypnotism of senses ensued with the ominous reminder of how we just ran out of automation with the track Omen. And, cranking up the blessed insanity of the arena with raw, high-energy and adrenaline-thulping tracks like Run With the wolves and Voodoo People, they did a phenomenal job of smashing the place apart with their music.
The punking instigator Keith Flint set the stage ablaze with Firestarter, one of their strongest singles and a clear indication of making music that was free and way ahead of our time. Also, on display was Liam Howlett’s extraordinary clairvoyance of resonance and instrumental skills , when Diesel power seamlessly merged in with Invaders must die creating a cosmic confluence of mind and music. One of the best sampling gurus known to the world, his sets are an astonishing demonstration of musical virtuosity.
All Prodigy worshippers will agree upon the fact that all hell broke loose with Smack my bitch up when Maxim owned the stage with his mind-jarring rendition of the track. The entirety of their live act was replicated at Palace grounds with the revolutionary set encompassing tracks that sent wired fans into a frenzy. Indeed, Prodigy showed us how its done!
Amplifying the gig were the visually enhancing psychedelic lights that engaged both the audience and artistes. Apart from being headlined by the British music lords, the festival also featured performances by some of the most exciting national live acts including Mumbai electro-rock pioneers Pentagram who performed tracks from their forthcoming studio album Bloodywood. The quartet blasted through now-set regulars Must I, In My Head and Mental Zero interspersing these with the new tracks.
One of Australia’s greatest contribution to the world of electronic music, Pendulum’s manic and dance-driven energy too deserves a noteworthy mention. From downtempo dubstep to out-and-out drum and bass, the band incorporated styles from different genres and had something interesting to offer.
Imbibing authenticity in every act, the Invasion Festival was a visual and auditory retreat for thousands of revellers who descended on Bangalore in ginormous numbers, to pay homage to the movement that celebrates the entrained state of consciousness through the peace loving nature of music. 2011 is off to a promising start for music fans and concert-goers.