Keith Flint's funeral - Prodigy rocker is laid to rest with procession (2024)

Fans party in the street with flares to remember Keef

The roads around St Mary’s have turned into an impromptu rave as fans let off blue flares and Prodigy hits blare out from speakers.

The mood is a curious mix of sad and jubilant, as everyone there remembers what Keef meant to them.

Liam's defiant gesture through his heartbreak

Liam Hewlett raised his fist in the air in a gesture of solidarity as fans applauded and cheered for Keith.

It’s been a tough four weeks for the Prodigy founder, who was the first to confirm Keith had died by suicide.

He’ll be able to take comfort from the vast numbers of people who flooded into Braintree today to remember Keith.

Keith's dog is chief mourner

Keith’s beautiful German Shepherd Dog Cyrus made a special appearance earlier at the funeral.

The pup, who also stars on the front of Keith’s order of service, was one of eight dogs Keith kept in his £1.5million mansion.

Carers are now trying to work out what to do with the pack of pooches.

Local residents reported hearing the dogs wine for Keith behind his garden gate in the wake of his death.

Final touching words as Keith's funeral draws to an end

“We thank the fans for the outpouring of love they have shown,” the Rev told mourners..

“Today, while we recognise we have lost Keith, his energy is still alive in us all.

“Keith’s life force is in each and every one of you. Don’t let that fire go out.

“Through you, Keith lives forever.”

The service ended with a minute’s silence and the Lord’s Prayer, before Keith’s coffin was picked up by the same pallbearers and carried back out of the church, to the cheers of the awaiting fans.

His family are going on to a private wake - while his fans are no doubt going to be celebrating Keith’s life long into the night.

Keith's private side revealed by his closest friends

Keith’s personal assistant Alex also shared some words as part of the eulogy.

He said that when he first started working for Keith, he had watched all The Prodigy videos and expected a character who was just lively all the time.

“But what really sticks with me is how gentle and kind he really was. He was just so generous, not only in terms of handing out money but in terms of his care and time.”

Liam Howlett's powerful eulogy

“You liked to live your life on the razor’s edge for the buzz,” Liam said of his best friend and bandmate in Keith’s eulogy, which was read out by Paul Kaye.

“You were an anti-star, a pirate and committed to our cause of shaking people’s souls and buildings.”

Very moving words.

Gales of laughter as friends warmly remember the Firestarter

Laughter has been ringing out across the churchyard as friends and family remember Keith’s legacy.

Maxim revealed how one of his favourite memories of Keith comes from an airport rant.

Keith was apparently annoyed to discover that a bag he had just bought from an airport shop wasn’t real leather.

Maxim and Liam watched on amused as Keith ranted and raved about the bag not being leather.

The shopkeeper tried to argue that the handles were real leather so it was OK.

When Keith came back to Maxim and Liam, they asked him what his reply had been.. Keith told them: “I said I was going to s**t in the bag and leave it in the middle of the shop.”

Keith is being laid to rest in a simple black coffin topped with a wreath of bright red flowers.

Six pallbearers carried him into the church on their shoulders after the coffin was pulled through the streets by a horse-drawn carriage.

Bandmate Liam arrived just behind the hearse and joined Keith’s family, who wiped away tears as they walked up to the church doors.

Keith's last act of kindness

An animal lover and kind spirit to the end, Keith’s order of service also asks mourners to donate to one of his favourite charities if they wish to make a contribution.

Underneath a picture of the rocker with his gorgeous dog Cyrus are a list of charities close to his heart.

They are Battersea Dogs Home, which rescues cats and dogs, the mental health organisation MIND, and Cancer Research UK.

Keith's funeral begins

Keith’s hearse arrived outside St Mary’s Church followed by Prodigy members Maxim and Liam Howlett.

They were among the pallbearers carrying Keith’s coffin inside.

Fans stood outside the church as Keith’s friends and family packed themselves inside.

“What a way to start things off. A packed church and so many fans outside. Thank you so much, each and every one of you,” said the Reverend Rod Reid.

“This service... full of music will show Keith’s public persona, the energy and the fire that went with that, and the gentle soul, that those who were close to him saw much more of.”

Keith’s sister Sharon gave the first reading - a beautiful and moving Henry Scott Holland poem, Death Is Nothing At All.

Keith's order of service

A smiling picture of Keith as a beaming teen greets mourners who are arriving for the funeral.

It’s thought to have been taken when Keith, having dropped out of school, went travelling in the months before he met Liam and co-founded Prodigy.

The order of service sheet confirms Keith’s coffin will be brought into the church to the strains of System Of A Down’s single Aerials.

Guitarist Joe McAdam will be playing a solo at some point during the service, too.

The fantastic picture on the back of the sheet shows Keith up on stage doing what he loved - and flipping the peace sign to his many adoring fans.

Natalie Appleton arrives

Natalie Appleton has arrived at St Mary’s Church ready for Keith’s service.

Singer Natalie was close friends with Keef through her husband and Keith’s bandmate Liam Howlett.

She, like many of the other mourners, is wearing all black, with a pair of sunglasses to block out the glare.

Fans launch into spontaneous rave to raise the roof

It’s a devastating day for so many reasons, but fans are still able to smile as they launched into a rave on the road outside the church.

There’s no official figures yet for the crowds who have arrived, but social media reports claim ‘thousands’ of fans have flocked to Braintree.

Prodigy hits have been blasted out of speakers brought by fans, who drank and danced in the sunshine as they remembered Keef’s lust for life.

Keith's devastated wife arrives in black

Mayumi Kai, the widow of Keith Flint, has arrived at St Mary’s Church ahead of the private service.

This is the first time she has been seen since Keith was found dead at home on March 4.

The Japanese DJ, who married Keith in 2006, wore all black and looked emotional as she was supported by members of Keith’s family.

She and Keith were rumoured to have separated at the time of his death, and it’s believed Mayumi was 6,000 miles away in Tokyo when she received the awful news.

For Keith, Mayumi was his love at first sight.

“We were touring and she just walked into this room we were in, and you know how it is, I just couldn’t talk, I was overwhelmed. I’d done my share of drugs and sh*gging around,” he told The Times in 2009.

“Look, we all like to get busy, but in truth I was a bit worn through with it.”

Keith's coffin drawn by horses

Keith’s hearse is being drawn by horses through the 1.7-mile processional route.

Four glossy black horses are in front of the clear-glass hearse bearing Keith’s coffin.

An orange wreath of flowers on the roof simply says ‘Chief’

Raising the roof for Keef

Just as Prodigy requested, fans have been ‘raising the roof’ to see off their favourite rocker.

Some fans on the train down to Braintree were filmed dancing to the band’s Break And Enter, and cracking open the wine to toast Keef.

One enterprising sort had even brought his own hip flask to get the party started.

Let’s face it: it’s exactly what the Firestarter would have wanted.

A local legend

With streams of people arriving to lay Keith to rest, barriers have been put up to avoid any accidents.

The sheer number of mourners is testament to how well Keith was loved - and how he will be so solely missed.

Keith’s old boozer The Leather Bottle pub in Pleshey has even put his Firestarter real ale back on tap in tribute to him.

Others have been remembering Flint in their own unique way - including this man, who showed his punk streak by stripping topless and dyeing his hair green to match Keith’s.

Prodigy fans from across the world come to mourn Keith

Fans from as far as the United States, the Nederlands and the Czech Republic have travelled to Essex today to grieve their idol.

Jessica Mason, 33, (right) and Denni Lennon, 32, flew in from New York to pay their respects.

Denni got emotional as she talked to Essex Live about Keith and The Prodigy and what an impact they’d had on her life.

Keith's hearse starts out for the funeral procession

Keith’s coffin has been put inside a black hearse, which is now driving to the first point on the funeral procession.

The top of the car is absolutely covered in flowers, and there are even more blooms inside the hearse keeping Keith company.

The hearse will now be heading to the roundabout on Courtauld Road, where it will be met by fans.

Fans overcome with emotion

Some mourners have already found the situation too painful, with many bursting into tears as they wait for Keith’s procession to begin at 3pm.

One fan wearing a red top had to be consoled by her friend as she sobbed outside the church..

Many are wearing Prodigy merchandise to show their support to the band.

And quite a few have taken advantage of the gorgeous sunshine to crack open a toast to Keith.

Even more flowers are arriving

The wall outside the church is already starting to resemble a florist, as more and more fans add their own beautiful tributes to Keith.

Many have chosen simple bouquets, while others have paid for ornate arrangements to show their love and appreciation to the Prodigy frontman.

Keith’s bandmates have asked those sending flowers to get them to St Mary’s by 2pm at the latest.

They’re making a gorgeous focal point for fans to visit and reflect on their grief.

One fan, Neil Overton, told Essex Live he had travelled from Middlesborough to attend the funeral.

“I’ve been a fan since 1991,” he said. “When I heard about Keith’s passing, I was at work in Newcastle. I blubbed for about half an hour, it was such a shock.

“I’ve seen them live so many times, too many to remember. I often went to gigs on my own as none of my friends were still into the music.

“Keith would be dancing and stuff on stage and then point at my arm. He was an amazing guy, so gentle to talk to. A really, really nice guy, you didn’t have to shout for photographs.”

What does the ant symbol mean?

In the days after Keith’s death, Prodigy fans began to use #TheProdigyAnt symbol in their online tributes - and the ant has reappeared several times today already.

One fan left a huge black and white floral tribute outside the church in the image of the ant, while another has run an ant flag up the flagpole.

Liam Howlett once told a fansite that the ant logo represents the band because they are “small and powerful” and “you might not hear from us for a bit and then BLAMMM! But if you look closely, we are always there”.

Emotional mourners have already started gathering outside the church ready to hear the service from the churchyard.

Beautiful flowers, pictures and cards detailing just what Keith meant to people are in jarring juxtaposition to the gorgeous sunshine drenching Braintree today.

Reverend Rod Reid, who will be conducting the private service at 3.30pm, said this week that St Mary’s Church has been working closely with Keith’s family “to get everything right for the day.”

“We are aware that many others will want to feel part of the day too, so the church service will be relayed across the church grounds,” he told the Braintree And Witham Times.

“We all want it to be a fitting tribute and a chance to give thanks for Keith and this has always been part of what the family and band wanted from the start – a recognition of the outpouring of love and support that has come from the fans.”

He added: “Keith clearly had an impact on many people, and so this is an opportunity for people to join him on this his final journey and show their respect.’’

How to join Keith's funeral route

Here’s a map of where Keith’s funeral procession will go, starting at 3pm today in Braintree.

Prodigy has urged mourners to only take public transport as parking is limited.

Several nearby schools will be closing early to allow parents to pick up their kids before the traffic builds up.

Essex Police has urged locals “to be mindful of potential delays”.

In a statement, police said: “The roads will not be closed throughout the course of the procession so as such, we would ask drivers to avoid the area and find alternate routes where possible.

“The church service at St Mary’s will be for family and close friends of Mr Flint.

“Fans and members of the public are asked to respect the privacy of Mr Flint’s loved ones during this difficult time.”

Keith’s Essex community was rocked by his tragic suicide - he was a well-known local figure thanks to his ownership of The Leather Bottle pub in Pleshey, just north of Chelmsford, which he bought in 2014.

Keith was a keen fan of real ale, even persuading a brewery to create a personalised Firestarter beer specially for the pub.

When the venue got a bad review on Tripadvisor, Keith would reply personally and defend his boozer.

Fans in Braintree, near where Keith lived, have been creating their own tributes to him.

One giant mural has been spraypainted on a public wall, while one punk-loving household has stuck a Firestarter display to their window.

Keith Flint's funeral details confirmed

Keith’s bandmates have confirmed the plan for the Prodigy rocker’s funeral later this afternoon.

A procession of his coffin will wind through the town of Bocking in Braintree, Essex, where hundreds of fans are expected to line the roads to say their final goodbyes.

It starts at 3pm on Courtauld Road and will proceed right on Bradford Street then left into Church Lane (the B1053), ending up at the church between 3.30pm and 4pm.

Sharing a diagram of the funeral route, the band tweeted: “Fans are invited to line the procession route, starting at 3pm in Braintree, Essex on Fri 29th March, to pay their final respects & ‘raise the roof’ for Keef! If anyone wishes to lay flowers or tributes these should be sent to St Mary’s church in Bocking, no later than 2pm Friday.”

Fans have already started leaving flowers and tributes outside the pretty church, where Keith’s family and close friends will gather for the private service.