Reverend says he supports devil-horned bench in tribute to The Prodigy’s Keith Flint
Locals have praised the "meaningful" tribute to Flint, which was installed by his bandmates at St Mary's Church in Essex last week
A reverend has defended the placement of a devil-horned memorial bench in a church courtyard in Essex, honouring late The Prodigy frontman Keith Flint.
The vicar, who presided over Flint’s funeral following his death in 2019, said that the bench is a “respectful” tribute to the Essex-hailing musician, despite its satanic appearance.
The BBC reported that some questioned whether the bench, which is inspired by The Prodigy’s hit single ‘Firestarter’ with Flint’s iconic gelled-hair-devil-horn look, was best placed outside a place of Christian worship.
“The band and the family wanted something fitting for the churchyard," Reverend Rod Reid told the BBC. "They were very respectful and very aware of the setting."
He added that people have been “amazed” by the memorial bench, with locals expressing “how much it means to have it here” in Bocking near Braintree, Essex, where the singer grew up and was later buried.
"[The locals] remember seeing [Flint and Howlett] on the dancefloors in Braintree,” Reid said. “They have followed them all the way through and they are proud."
The Prodigy paid tribute to their late frontman seven years after his death last week with the memorial bench, writing in on Instagram: “7 years on. Always with us on every stage and on every drop. Miss you every day brother.”
The bench was made with the approval of the band and family members of Keith Flint, and was created by designers Jason Shorthouse and Paul Bullen from Free Range Designs.
Check out a photo of the memorial bench below.
[Via the BBC]
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