Monday, 15 March 2010
Massive Attack w/ support act Martina Topley-Bird
Forecourt, Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia, 8 pm
Seven years in the waiting line
The much anticipated organised gig from the Bristol sound system (and, though loathed by the band, “trip hop” pioneers) Massive Attack landed on the Forecourt of the Sydney Opera House on Monday night, 15 March 2010.
This gig was almost to the day I last saw MA seven years ago in 2003, when the gig was almost cancelled due to 3D’s reputation being almost cancelled after his arrest on illegal content charges. Luckily, he was only looking at legal, though some may see it as inappropriate but nonetheless legal, content on a server who also hosted the illegal content.
I was stupidly excited to see this almost cancelled gig, imagine my excited stupidity when I heard MA was touring. I was running around and jumping up and down like a mad idiot.
Apples and oranges?
Much to be compared against between the two gigs. [Bear in mind, Massive is my favourite band so overall my ranking on anything MA will be positive.]
First off -
Venue:
Oh man, Sydney is the most beautiful harbour city in the world. Why oh why do we not pimp out our best assets when we host overseas guests? 2003’s gig was in the cavernous Entertainment Centre, thank the music gods they weren’t shoved into the sticks that is Acer Arena. I see the Haymarket side of Darling Harbour to be a trek in itself, let alone taking a highway to reach a music venue.
While the echoey Entertainment Centre [every gig I’ve seen there, the sound and acoustics have been bad] did not suit the intimate style of MA’s music nor 3D’s murmuring [and always nasal when live], you’d think an open space gig over water and a windy harbour would be self-defeating. But it made the light show even better.
“I think it’s the first time we would have a better view than the audience,” 3D said to the crowd on the Opera House steps.
Looking back at us looking back at him.
I would beg to differ, just quietly, since Robert del Naja is all I would want to look at, but yes, they did. Whispering the lyrics to Inertia Creeps and Mezzanine while the lights of the Harbour Bridge twinkle on our water, it’s a sight to behold really.
Definitely a step up.
Noteworthy to add though, an outdoor gig meant many people were meandering about which put the intimacy out a bit. But only if you were sitting on the border between the mosh and the steps. Where I was.
Support:
Martina Topley Bird. ‘Nuff said. Okay, I’ll elaborate a bit more especially as this is the conversation I heard directly behind me. Now, I am not normally a music snob nor am I one to jump into conversation but please don’t judge until you read the transcript below.
[FYI Martina provided some of the female vocals for MA, so this was said after her support gig and halfway through MA’s set.]
Girl in short white strapless dress with 9 inch stilettos digging into my spleen [I only vented it out on her to keep her heels from puncturing it]: I loooooove Massive Attack.
Man in scarf and too tight t-shirt with bulging muscles [though surprisingly no neck was bulging out of the collar]: Me toooooooo. I’m their biggest fan.
White dress girl [upon hearing Martina’s rendition of Teardrop]: Oh my god, is that Macy Gray? I looooooove Macy Gray. How cool that Macy Gray is singing with Massive Attack?
This is where I had to step in and ask if they actually asked if that was Macy Gray. Okay, they do look similar from a distance, granted. They certainly don’t sound alike, it’s gravel vs running water.
Scarf Man: Yes, we did. She is ammmmmaaazzing.
Me aka crazy dressed girl in business shirt over white cardigan [It was cold! But I must share some of the fashion blame myself]: It’s Martina Topley-Bird. [Blank stare from both.] You know, from Tricky’s album. [Blank stares continue.] Do you know Massive Attack well?
Both: YES! We loooooooove them. But who’s Tricky?
Sorry, my music snobbery is kicking in. Who’s Tricky? Who’s Tricky?! Even if you’re not a fan fan, you know Tricky is synonymous with MA’s first two albums on tracks like Karmacoma, and album title single Blue Lines. This is not even mentioning the notorious fall out preceding Mezzanine nor his great album Maxinquaye which showcased the same lyrics on Blue Lines and Protection [part and parcel with the falling out].
That’s okay, I let it slide after I realised the blank stares, dilated pupils and elongated loved-up endearments about musicians completely unrelated to MA were gawking at me for a reason. There was no point in explaining. There was a point to screaming when I felt a jab between my shoulder blades and kidneys [Scarf Man’s index finger between my shoulder blades, White Dress Girl’s heel in the small of my back; his intentional, hers idiotic].
Scarf Man: Excuse me, neighbour. Who is this now?
[Angel is playing.]
Angry business shirted cardigan girl: Horace Andy. [Blank stare] “The sounds of Mr Horace Andy? Original Chief Rocker of the Wild Bunch crew?” *sigh* Bob Marley. [Said jokingly, of course.]
Scarf Man: Ooooh!
White Dress Girl: I know who that is!
Yes, sweetheart.
Apologies, that was my rant, I am not usually like that with music, but like I said, Massive is my favourite band and I am not going to let a ruptured liver ruin my seven year drought of seeing their set.
So yes, Martina Topley-Bird was great. Her voice was much better than Dot Allison’s on Elizabeth Fraser’s songs [notably Teardrop, though debatable whether it was because of the unique, slow rendition].
Songs:
3D, bless his cotton socks, flew the solo flag for the 2003 gig. He had to rely on his female vocalists and his own voice on Risingson, Safe From Harm and Inertia Creeps to keep the concert goers happy with going to the concert [though not with 100th Window, which personally is my least favourite of the MA albums, even though completely 3D driven]. But his LED screen was just a teaser/taster of what was to come in 2010. The 2010 news headlines in the background geared the crowd up more than in 03.
I always find it difficult for MA to live up to the love fans have for their music as they have had so many different female vocalists, and unfortunately, though that would be a great set, can’t bring them all with them. With Shara Nelson’s Unfinished Sympathy being by far the crowd favourite, Elizabeth Fraser’s haunting vocals and Sinead O’Connor’s tingling lyrics, it’s hard to emulate the same sound when touring. But they hit it in 2010! Martina is a good match for Fraser, and regular Deborah Miller always sings Nelson’s vocals with finesse.
But the stand outs were the songs they could sing because of Horace Andy’s presence and DADDY G! G was noticeably absent in the 2003 gig due to taking time out to be a real Daddy, but now could slide into Tricky’s vocals with ease in 2010. Complementing 3D and vice versa, like an old pyjama top they both slip into so comfortably, their presence just strengthened the crowd’s favourite songs.
Who's your Daddy G?
All in all: MA, as with every album you bring out, you step it up to a higher class with something completely different and make it work. Heligoland has very electro and dance feel to it; it’s heaviness at times comparable to their older Mezzanine days. But unlike with 100th Window, I wasn’t hoping they would finish those songs and get on with the ones I wanted to hear. Which is always a good thing.
PS Nice touch on free download of the album for all ticket holders!
[Check out Martina on "Teardrop", beautiful! Vid not my own but taken from actual gig.]
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NireEB4m3uM
Set list
United Snakes
Babel
Risingson
Girl I Love You
Psyche
Future Proof
Invade Me
Teardrop
Mezzanine
Angel
Safe From Harm
Inertia Creeps
Splitting The Atom [encore]
Unfinished Sympathy [encore]
Atlas Air [encore]
Karmacoma [finale!]
10 comments
3 pings
CNA License says:
April 26, 2010 at 5:24 pm (UTC -5 )
Great information! I’ve been looking for something like this for a while now. Thanks!
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forex robot says:
May 1, 2010 at 2:08 pm (UTC -5 )
Keep posting stuff like this i really like it
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MarkSpizer says:
May 3, 2010 at 11:30 pm (UTC -5 )
great post as usual!
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John Knight says:
May 9, 2010 at 11:32 pm (UTC -5 )
Haha, Macy Gray! Yes, I ‘spose there’s a slight resemblance from afar… very afar… Teardrop was lovely, I think Martina’s slotted into MA as though she’s always been there.
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Keira says:
May 10, 2010 at 12:51 am (UTC -5 )
John: Yes, I deliberately chose the most disparate photos of the two. I guess only the hair, possibly, look similar?
Thanks for the comment. I thoroughly enjoyed Martina singing Teardrop. My ears just perked up and couldn’t keep my eyes off her. Absolute magic.
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best registry cleaner says:
June 14, 2010 at 10:34 pm (UTC -5 )
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Cho Yung Tea says:
June 15, 2010 at 5:32 am (UTC -5 )
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registry cleaner says:
June 17, 2010 at 12:10 am (UTC -5 )
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Best Waterproof Eyeliner says:
November 27, 2011 at 5:28 am (UTC -5 )
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Keira says:
March 23, 2010 at 11:09 am (UTC -5 )
Thanks for the link to my post!
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Quick Roundup « Politics and Hippies of the Fifties says:
March 23, 2010 at 2:56 am (UTC -5 )
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Keep Calm and Carry On? Yeah, right! | paperback writer says:
April 13, 2011 at 4:10 pm (UTC -5 )
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Searching for my ego… | |paperback writer| says:
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