PRONG

– Camden Underworld - 23rd June 2003

I went to Type O Negative with 6 other people, none of whom gave even the slightest thought to attending Prong two days later when mentioned. Shame on the lot of you, but why have they never really caught the imagination of the general populace?

For one thing they have only just been reformed after lying dormant since 1996 but for the other it appears a case of a great band ultimately ahead of their time who suffered poor/average production until it was too late. Despite being on Epic/sony for 4 of their 6 releases it was not until their awesome fifth release “Cleansing” when ex-Killing Joke wizard Paul Raven joined on bass that they were given a truly audible sound-mix courtesy of the magnificent Terry Date. Decent records “Beg to Differ” and “Prove you Wrong” may have been but they were both sonically flat. Sadly after the excellent rolling urban metal showcased on “Rude Awakening” – an album that would have unquestionably been massive if released now - it was all over. The band were dropped and split up ten minutes later. Thankfully, mainman Tommy Victor has seen sense and returned the band with a new line up (including I believe a guitarist who also plays with Madonna!) and new purpose. A brand new studio recording is imminent.

Unfortunately I miss Needle Eye the first support act, although everyone knows they are a decent metal/industrial hybrid anyway!  New Disease feature Mark Gemini Twaite on guitar (formerly with The Mission circa Neverland) and Ritch Battersby (ex-The Wildhearts). Their rampaging rock sounds pretty cool to these ears although tends to lack a knock out punch but given their Kaliber (hic!) they are one to look out for in the future. Murder One border on being white noise down at the front. With two vocalists and a drummer the size of Shirley Crabtree (AKA Big Daddy) they make a collective dent in the Underworld. Many would find this utterly unlistenable but I found it invigorating to the extreme.

And so Prong finally are on at about 10pm. Breaking out into the breathless assault of Cut Rate if they are disappointed by the size of the crowd (there cannot be more than 250 here) then they do not show it. Despite the fact that we have no idea who the other three gents on the stage are (Mr Victor does not seem fit to introduce them) who cares when they blasting through For Dear Life and Beg to Differ early on. Many bands could take a lesson from Prong’s set list tonight as the mix of older and new was exceptional. New tracks like Inner Truth seem more than up to the standard, but the highlight for me was the triumvirate of Another Worldly Device, Whose Fist is This Anyway? and Rude Awakening that caused frantic headbanging and dandruff to fly. The sound was crystal clear and it dawns on me how original Tommy Victor’s guitar sound is. Granted they were always an original band anyway, but the delay on the instrument gives the sound an atonal almost robotic feel that has been so much caught on by Neurosis and Cult of Luna. MTV’s Headbangers Ball theme tune (see you have heard Prong before) The Lost and Found pacifies the two clowns next to me who have been shouting for it for the previous half an hour before the curtain comes down with Snap your Fingers, Snap your Neck. Not only a great title but one of the finest metal anthems that Killing Joke never wrote.

Hopefully the band will not so much see so mush as a resurgence but will achieve the success they deserved in the first place. Prong play in a venue a fraction of the size of the Astoria but blow the recent memories of gigs by Evanescence and Type O Negative clean out of the water and I leave sweat soaked and sore. As I am walking home the heavens open and forked lightning cracks across the sky as I put my key in the front door. Somehow it just seems appropriate. Prove you Wrong indeed.

Review by Andy Lees

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