Keith Flint

Keith Charles Flint (born 17 September 1969 in Braintree, Essex, England) is a member of the British electronic band The Prodigy. Flint was born and raised in the Essex town of Braintree. In the late 1980s he met the DJ Liam Howlett in a rave club and expressed his appreciation of Howlett's taste in music. After receiving a mixtape from Liam Howlett, the tape's B side had a few of Liam's own tracks on it that he made in his bedroom studio 'Earthbound'. Keith came back to Liam with great enthusiasm, insisting that Liam should be playing his tracks up on stage, and that Keith himself and his friend Leeroy Thornhill would dance to them. Soon after, in 1990, he joined Howlett's new project, "The Prodigy"Fact|date=January 2008

Originally he was only a dancer, but in 1996 he was the vocalist on the hit single "Firestarter". The accompanying video showcased Flint's new, punk look. This trend continued with the next Prodigy single "Breathe", on which Flint again performed the lead vocals. The 1997 album "The Fat of the Land" featured Flint's vocal contributions to several tracks. In 2002 the single "Baby's Got a Temper" was released. It was heavily influenced by Flint's punk style, which led to Howlett later discrediting the song as representing The Prodigy. On the next Prodigy album, "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned" (2004), Flint did not perform any vocals, although he did sing on one of the tracks on the "Hotride" single Fact|date=January 2008 The next album has been recorded and is due to be released some time in 2008

at some point in 1998, it became common place for youths to suggest that they were "Keith Flint", sort of a cockney rhyming suggestion of being skint (having no money). This tradition still stands as of 2008 in England

Flint has also experimented with several side projects, including the bands Flint and Clever Brains Frying.

The video for "Firestarter" as well as Flint's outlandish appearance were later parodied by "Weird Al" Yankovic on his eponymous television show. In one episode, Al flips through channels and happens upon a made-up version of himself dressed identically to Flint. He is heard singing: "I'm so angry at my idiotic barber / Got a stupid hair-cut, a really stupid hair-cut"

Flint is also a keen motorcyclist. He recently rode the 1500 miles from England to Southern Spain, to attend the 2007 Jerez Moto GP races.

During the late 1990s, when The Prodigy were at their commercial peak, Flint became known in the UK press for his extensive body piercing and tattooing. In an interview, he stated that his most painful tattoo was the text "Inflicted" across his stomach. He stated that it felt like he was on an altar being ritualistically scarred. The tattoo was designed by a fellow bandmate Liam Howlett.

Included in this interview, believed to have originated in the now defunct British Music magazine Select, was his express desire to have his penis pierced.Fact|date=July 2008

References

cite web
title = TheProdigy.info » Prodigy members / Keith Flint
url = http://www.theprodigy.info/members/keith.shtml
accessdate = 2007-05-05

Cite web
title = weird al's "AL TV" Firestarter Parody
url = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNbx6iF-vQI
accessdate = 2008-03-17

External links

*