On the second day of the jubilee fifth Sea Star Festival, the crowd was larger than usual because the audience, who came from over forty countries around the world, eagerly awaited the return of The Prodigy.
The electronic music legends had performed at the same venue in 2017, during the first edition of the festival, which is still talked about today. Unfortunately, this year they performed without their key member, the late Keith Flint, for whom there is no replacement. However, they paid special tribute to his distinctive vocals during a production complex audio-visual program that this festival had not witnessed before.
And yes, the absence was definitely felt, although Maxim and Liam Howlett, accompanied by guest instrumentalists, delivered a highly professional performance. The biggest hits of The Prodigy are flawless, and the sentiment is always present; their power is timeless.
The intensity was further emphasized by an impressive light show that compensated for occasional drops in energy due to weaknesses in certain live arrangements. As a result, the overall impression was positive, but not impressive from a musical standpoint. They opened optimistically with “Breathe” and continued with hits like “Omen,” “Take Me to the Hospital,” “Firestarter,” and “Smack My Bitch Up.” This was only a part of their successful long-standing career that they presented to the festival audience, while the biggest ovation was received during the performance of “Voodoo People,” causing absolute chaos.
In conclusion, it was solid and decent because the production exceeded all expectations and contributed to the final positive impression. However, the fact that the audience didn’t loudly call for an encore speaks volumes.
Performing at such a venue and in front of this amount of spectators represents significant moments in the careers of local musicians who make a special effort to give their best. Therefore, it was an honor for the duo Krankšvester, often seen as welcome guests at the Sea Star Festival, to warm up the audience for the British giants.
The space in front of the main stage during their performance was packed, and the audience reacted excellently to a short but sweet selection of their biggest hits. Sett and 3ki Stil gave the impression that they perform on stages of this magnitude every day, confidently and extremely precisely providing the audience with an elevated spiritual experience that, as expected, reached its peak during the performance of the song “Gaber.” They couldn’t compete with The Prodigy in terms of stage design and special effects, but with their incredible energy and perfectionist performance, they may have even surpassed the world giants. In their unique, poetic-pornographic way.
For the first time, the beloved Podočnjaci got the opportunity to perform on the main stage, confirming once again that their musical vision and performing skills make them stars of the future of the domestic pop music scene. They fearlessly embraced the big challenge and did an excellent job, earning the affection of even those who had not encountered their work before.
The Sea Star Festival experience is once again complete this year, and a bright future is predicted for it. With its rich and diverse program, it has gathered listeners of all generations from various parts of the world. The complete experience of the unique location, impressive production, and quality infrastructure puts it on the global festival map and at the forefront of festivals in Croatia. The festival season has officially begun, and the competition faces the difficult task of trying to surpass this extremely interesting concept that we are already immensely looking forward to in its next edition.