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As soon as I hear that signature beat, I\u2019m transported straight back to the 1990s. You know the one \u2013 boom-boom-ba-da, boom-boom-ba-da. A heartbeat to a generation. As quick as they land in my ear canal, my mind is back in a flannie, with a head of long thick hair well past my collar. Cigs behind each ear. Cargo shorts dropping past my knees.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How good; take me back!<\/p>\n
Well, that was absolutely my hope when I rocked up to Massive Attack\u2018s Afterpay Arena show in Sydney\u2019s Olympic Park \u2013 and it certainly smelt the part.<\/p>\n
On stage, trip-hop royalty and OGs of the Bristol massive, Robert \u201c3D\u201d Del Naja and Grant \u201cDaddy G\u201d Marshall. Former members Andrew \u201cMushroom\u201d Vowles and Adrian \u201cTricky\u201d Thaws may have moved on, but I was excited to hear sublime vocalist Elizabeth Frazer had made the trip, as well as reggae legend Horace Andy and the set-stealing Deborah Miller.<\/p>\n
Around me, my people. The light in their eyes and the energy in their smiles belying the silver in their manes. This was a concert 16 years in the making after all; excitement was guaranteed, but would it deliver?<\/p>\n
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Tears Drop<\/p>\n
The arena was packed to start, with barely a spare seat to be spotted. It\u2019s an awkward stadium in truth \u2013 a chunk of the seating is side-on, putting significant strain on necks and backs. But the floor was left fully open to standing, which ensured a sea of bopping heads would swirl into view whenever the lights swept by.<\/p>\n
The sound was great. There\u2019s a subtle touch within Massive Attack\u2019s wall of sound, and it managed to break through the phenomenal bass, itself a deep, low throb that penetrates your soul. Most of the band\u2019s best tunes got a play, including \u201cBlack Milk\u201d, \u201cAngel\u201d, and \u201cHymn of the Big Wheel\u201d, alongside a number of surprising covers, giving the show a political edge I\u2019ll talk about shortly.<\/p>\n
There was certainly more guitar than I was anticipating, at times drifting into heavier rock territory one would not expect of Massive Attack. This could make it difficult to pull the vocals out of the mix, and you could see the audience drift somewhat as a result \u2013 especially during those covers.<\/p>\n
But everything else was so on point, like a well-oiled machine. A few moments of crowd interaction aside, it was an album quality production that never missed a beat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Music AND a Show<\/p>\n
I knew before I arrived that there was going to be more than just music on offer. Issues the band had experienced in Singapore on their way Down Under all but confirmed an edgy show was on the cards, and, as promised, it was full on.<\/p>\n
For the near entirety of the show, the band was lost in deep shadow, barely identifiable at my range around 30 metres back, let alone in the nosebleeds. Behind them a massive screen delivering an onslaught of politically-charged text and imagery.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no doubting the effort that had gone into the overall show experience; it must have taken some serious time to put together \u2013 especially given sections were personalised to Australia. Plus, it was done in service of the art \u2013 with wall-of-sound flourishes and lighting explosions keyed into the on-screen messages. More surgical operation, than blunt force trauma.<\/p>\n
And while I don\u2019t have an issue with a band using its platform to channel what they believe in \u2013 and Massive Attack\u2019s deep grooves and mesmerising soundscapes do immerse you perfectly in a trance-like state, absorbing music and message like a sponge \u2013 I just don\u2019t believe they got the balance right, thought-provoking as it was.<\/p>\n
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An Issue of Balance<\/p>\n
Far too often I realised I had forgotten a band was even playing, with the assault of imagery and information overpowering the music of my youth I was there to hear.<\/p>\n
I began thinking about the irony and hypocrisy of it all; why am I being told I\u2019m being brainwashed by corporations and algorithms in a manner that feels so much like brainwashing? Is it weird that a chunk of the audience was watching the show through a screen, videoing a message about the scourge of being a number in an algorithm incapable of formulating your own human reaction\u2026 to the algorithm? Did the audience get it? Am I overthinking it? Oh wait\u2026 the band is actually playing right now.<\/p>\n
Massive Attack were wise enough to drop it all for masterpieces like \u201cUnfinished Symphony\u201d and \u201cTeardrop\u201d, giving the audience the space to enjoy true art and trip hop\u2019s soul, and, ultimately I longed for more of that. I wanted to see the musicians; see the band, see the singer. I wanted these at the forefront, not as the sideshow.<\/p>\n
Perhaps Massive Attack has earned the right, but I can\u2019t deny it took some of the shine off this nostalgia trip. I\u2019m happy I got a chance to see this iconic group and have no regrets \u2013 and the lengthy standing ovation that followed the 18-track, 105-minute performance was proof that many felt the same way.<\/p>\n
I would only encourage the group to fine-tune its balance for future shows, and put the performance up front and keep the message as the backdrop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)<\/p>\n