Live Review: Massive Attack @ River Stage, Brisbane 23 March 2010

By Denis Semchenko

The River Stage is still somewhat quiet by the time I cross the Goodwill Bridge and walk up the familiar hill, most of the crowd seated on the grass and listening to Martina Topley-Bird’s unassuming, often lovely songs. Previously known as the co-vocalist on Tricky’s lauded ‘90s records such as Maxinquaye and Pre-Millenium Tension, the diminutive songbird is in a relaxed mood, engaging in humorous banter between songs.

Sparsely arranged – a keyboard, an electronic marimba and a beatbox – and led by that unmistakable, slightly breathy voice, the numbers from 2003’s acclaimed Quixotic, 2008’s The Blue God and the forthcoming third album provide a suitable start to the evening. Poison is gently seductive, the Loop Station-assisted newie is undeniably catchy and the set closer Too Tough To Die has Martina rock out on a quirky-looking electric guitar. A total, albeit brief, pleasure.

We’re practically tingling with anticipation by the time Bristol music godheads Massive Attack surface to an overpowering noise and launch into the sinister, D&B-powered opener United Snakes, sharp-suited frontman 3D flailing along to forceful beats and blazing stage lights. Next, Martina steps up to sing the haunting Babel from MA’s recent album Heligoland, but the audience truly ignites with Risingson’s distinctive bassline and stoned groove. As the clouds of dry ice increasingly get mixed with pot smoke, Mezzanine’s drug paranoia anthem (veteran bandmember Daddy G’s emotive voice adding to the tension) erupts into a full-scale guitar storm, marking tonight’s first truly striking moment. A sizeable cheer greets the appearance of Jamaican music legend Horace Andy, who proceeds to lend his angelic, ever-androgynous voice to Girl I Love You (with shocking monetary statistics comparing the worth and expenditures of the world’s riches scrolling on the screen). Martina subsequently assumes the siren role for Psyche before 3D simmers up the tension on 100th Window’s opener Future Proof and newie Invade Me, then returns for the iconic, stripped-down Teardrop and Mezzanine.

The applause has barely died down when Horace Andy reappears and the dimension-altering, heavy-riffing Angel explodes like a fight scene from the first Matrix (where it prominently featured). The towering Safe From Harm, with guest soul diva Deborah Miller on vocals, becomes a trancelike experience as the insistent bass riff gets augmented by more and more synth and guitar layers, while the menacing Inertia Creeps sees the screen aflash with brilliant-to-full-on news headlines like “Pauline Hanson to emigrate” “Peter Andre has Jordan tattoo removed”, “Tasmania is well hung”, “Bingle, who cares?”, “Drunk, stoned man kidnaps koala” and “Pot smoker ‘put baby in oven’” – edgy and exhilarating at the same time.

Following such a monolithic blast, an encore initially dips energy-wise with last year’s sombre Splitting The Atom, but regains force as Deborah Miller sends shivers with her soaring rendition of 1991’s classic Unfinished Sympathy. Heligoland’s highlight, the hypnotic, polyrhytmic Atlas Air has the crowd moving like a beetle on its back and the closing Karmacoma, from 1994’s comparatively underrated Protection, bids us a fond adieu with its shuddering bass and brain-tickling rhythm. Both socially and politically conscious as well as phenomenally musical, the trip-hop godfathers have delivered a majestic performance in Brisbane. Karmacoma, Jamaica and Roma; we’re safe from harm tonight.


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Massive Attack-Splitting the Atom-directed by Edouard Salier from edouard salier on Vimeo.

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