On a chilly Canberra night, 1400 Canberrans filed into the Royal Theatre in preparation for dark, cult 90’s trip hop outfit, Massive Attack.
With the venue only filled to a quarter capacity, it was clear that only ‘hardcore’ fans had invested $120 in a ticket. Shouts of ‘Canberra you suck’ came from the audience, with the incredibly tame and sometimes mute collection of punters non-reactive.
Londoner Support act Martina Topley Bird entered the stage all smiles, despite the half-arsed reception. Topley Bird had no trouble holding her own to the sparse audience, having a casual chat and a laugh.
Topley Bird’s post-modern version of pop noir was dark and electric in its delivery, yet possessed an enchanting simplicity, evident in songs like Phoenix.
Despite being a one woman show, Topley Bird offered a plethora of variety on stage, beat boxing and even dabbling in electric guitar.
Not just the evening’s support act, Topley Bird is also Massive Attack’s guest vocalist, having appeared on several of their new tracks from their latest album Heligoland, so upon her exit, fans knew this wouldn’t be the last they’d see of her.
Massive Attack has been the embodiment of dark-tinged trip-hop for more than 20 years, and with Heligoland proving that the band still ‘has it,’ fans waited with bated breath to find out if their live show could still live up to the calibre of their material.
The stage lit up with intense purple light, smoke and strobes, and in a split second the members of Massive Attack filled the stage, with Robert Del Naja aka 3D stepping into the light.
It was evident at the moment that we weren’t just in for a ‘show,’ but a sound and lighting spectacular, similar to that of their last tour in 2003.
The stage was eventually joined by Topley Bird whose voice sat beautifully against the harshness of Del Naja’s on songs Psyche and Babel. Topley Bird also took a stab at Massive Attack’s hit Teardrop, delivering a chilling rendition and captivating punters.
Much to the crowds delight, it wasn’t long before Grant Marshall aka Daddy G emerged to pull the show to greater depths of darkness, with his famous spoken word.
Rachael Miller and reggae singer Horace Andy were also invited on stage, in true homage to Massive Attack’s long history of musical collaborations.
The light show began with a teaser, as LED lights on stage lit up to reveal a procession of flashing quotes, symbols and numbers. By the time the techno beat of Girl I Love You boomed in, the visual effects were pushed to full intensity with statements of a world in distress flashing behind the band. Figures of the military expenditure in the United States were contrasted against the cost of a social worker in Kenya, and even the price of Tetley tea bags.
Inertia Creeps also proved to be a show highlight with entrancing whispers and pounding drums intensified by a tongue in cheek light show. Massive Attack ‘showed-off’ their knowledge of Australian tabloid gossip with statements such as ‘Bingle – who cares?’ flashing up amidst stabs at British celebrities like Jordan and Peter Andre.
Massive Attack’s first tour in almost ten years proved to be a sensory parade, and it was good to see the band pull out the theatrics that made their live shows so famous, even just for a small group of fans in Canberra.
