Leeroy Thornhill announces memoir: ‘Wildfire: My Ten Years Getting High In The Prodigy’
Leeroy Thornhill has announced details of a new memoir, that will follow his time as part of The Prodigy.
It was confirmed today (May 1) that White Rabbit had acquired the book, titled Wildfire: My Ten Years Getting High in the Prodigy, which is set to be released by the English DJ and music producer later this year.
The artist is best known for his time as a member of The Prodigy, which spanned from 1990 to 2000, and in the memoir, he will recall what life was like to be part of the group during their first decade. It will also come fully illustrated with previously unseen photography – starting from their earliest raves, and creating a visual journey up until their shows in the late ‘90s, by which point the band were one of the biggest on the planet.
“Rave pioneers whose sound also encompassed hip hop, punk and rock, The Prodigy arguably had as much influence on contemporary pop culture as the Sex Pistols and these extraordinary images from Leeroy’s personal archives capture the wild energy, ecstasy and abandon from the moment they dropped their first hit ‘Charly’ through the three albums which became the ubiquitous soundtrack to the decade: ‘Experience’, ‘Music for the Jilted Generation’ and ‘Fat of the Land’,” read a press release about the memoir.
Wildfire will be published by White Rabbit on September 12, and available in hardback, ebook and limited edition variants. Pre-order the memoir here.
“Wildfire shares personal images and memories from the first 10 years of the rise of The Prodigy. An unparalleled energy that rapidly spread across the globe intoxicating crowds with its unique sound and live show,” Thornhill said. “Time waits for no man, and with a blink of an eye 30-plus years have passed. My time with the band still feels like only yesterday, A musical journey I am proud to have been part of, the highs are imprinted in my soul. Live life, believe, know your ledge, make it happen.”
Publisher Lee Brackstone added: ‘From the earliest, extraordinary rave days in Braintree, Essex, to the United States, Japan and world domination at the end of the ‘90s, Wildfire is a treasure trove of entirely unseen and behind-the-scenes photography of the band that defined the fin-de-siecle in so many ways, The Prodigy. Contextualised and accompanied by Leeroy Thornhill’s personal story of the decade he spent in the band when they were at their untouchable peak, Wildfire is essential for ‘Everybody in the Place’ but especially all and any Prodigy fans.’
The news of Thornhill’s upcoming memoir arrives just weeks after The Prodigy paid tribute to the late frontman Keith Flint on the fifth anniversary of his death.
The legendary singer died on March 4, 2019 after taking his own life at the age of 49.
Five years on since his passing, The Prodigy’s Liam Howlett and Maxim remembered their “unfadeable” bandmate with a series of posts on social media. “It’s been five years. We miss u so much brother,” they wrote on X/Twitter, alongside a selection of pictures of the ‘Firestarter’ vocalist. “U are always with us, right by our side, every time the energy burns, every time the beat drop, unfadeable.”
Back in 2022 The Prodigy played their first live shows since Flint’s passing, where they paid tribute to the late vocalist. “He’s still-fucking-with us right now,” Maxim told the crowd towards the end of ‘Firestarter’ as they headlined London’s Brixton Academy. “He’s still here! Mr Flint fucking lives on in here!”
The band later opened up to NME about life on the road with The Prodigy after the frontman’s death. “We wanted to honour our brother Keef but do it in the right way. The whole tour was epic for us. It was so emotionally charged, uplifting, sonically violent… Everything we love,” Howlett said.
As for the future, he promised that The Prodigy “is bigger than just the band: it stands for something, the people know this, we know this …. even more after playing live again. I’m energised by that and we are back in the studio writing new tunes. The prodigy will continue to ignite, uplift and destroy just as we always did.”
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Liberty Dunworth
NME
