Pop Review: You better watch out, I'm telling you why - Prodigy are coming to town

Prodigy

Newcastle Arena

The spectacle of playing their aggressive, energetic digi-rock is enough to turn you into a twin-horned green Mohican with a studded tongue. Six foot of disconnected limbs, snake-eye contact, gold fangs, devilish attitude and twitching performances disorientate crowds.

have greedily consumed a decade of popular music's most important influences. Their first hit in 1991 was "Charly", which used a sample from the road safety cartoon, "Charly says..." and made breakbeat a mainstream tool, turning a nation on to underground rave culture. Even then were prepared to shock their fan base. Mixmag magazine put a picture of Liam pointing a gun at his head accompanied by the headline "Did Charly Kill Rave?". Three years later, the tabloid press were gunning for an end to illegal raves and the Government raised the spectre of the Criminal Justice Bill. Once again gave the disgruntled party people a mainstream voice to protest against the negative image of the rave scene - with the release of Music For The Jilted Generation. The album went straight in at number one, going gold within a week of it's release.

As 1996's "Firestarter" made clear, 's appeal is in their attitude which harnesses the energy of rock, punk and rave but succumbs to nothing. In 1996 they did 70 gigs and, with a history of pushing themselves hard on the live circuit, antics as seen at T in the Park when Liam rolled in through a huge rubber ball are typical. "It was a legendary way to open the show and I don't know how we'll top it," says Liam enticingly.

An ad for the most recent album, The Fat Of The Land proudly displays a letter which denounces as "totally evil" and "demented". Charly says: be warned.

Tonight, at Newcastle Arena (tel 0191-260 500). Then continuing their UK tour at venues in Manchester, Cardiff, Glasgow, Reading, Plymouth, Bournemouth and London.