Massive (light show) Attack at the O2 Brixton Academy

Massive Attack and Martina Topley Bird @ O2 Brixton Academy
17th September 2009

Under a red light, Martina Topley Bird sneaks on stage to her keyboard and starts playing softly. The thousand-strong audience barely seems to have noticed. Martina cuts an elegantly dishevelled figure in a sequinned playsuit and knee high boots with fluffed up dreads sticking out from her head. Most of her singing is quiet and dreamy, with the occasional jazzy number. The audience keeps chatting through all but one track, ‘Too Tough to Die’ when Martina stands alone, rock chick stance and an electric guitar. Topley’s talent as a singer is undeniable but her solo song writing has never lived up to the promise she first showed with Tricky on Maxinquaye.

This is Martina Topley Bird’s first time performing at Brixton. She is warm up act and collaborator for fellow Bristol trip-hop mavericks, Massive Attack, who are about to open their European tour tonight.

Martina Topley Bird: Lucky she looks good in red

The tour coincides with the release of the new Splitting the Atom EP. It was also intended to coincide with Massive Attack’s fifth and latest album release (no title as yet). According to their blog the release date has now been shifted until February next year. This relaxed – or is it slipshod – attitude permeates their show as well.

The lights drop, a dark red spotlight and the submarine sounds of ‘Hartcliffe Star’ start up and Massive Attack slowly file onto the stage. It takes until half way through the second track ‘Babel’ for Robert Del Naja (3D) and Grant Marshall (Daddy G) saunter onstage to join in.

Del Naja says, “Thanks very much. This is our opening night of the tour. Other bands might have started somewhere else and made it easier….”. Enter a stylish Horace Andy, a composed figure in a neon bobble hat and an all denim ensemble digging a groove to the booming bass and angry guitars of ‘16 Seeter’.

Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy

Martina Topley Bird sings on ‘Teardrop’; her voice doesn’t live up to Elizabeth Frasier of the Cocteau Twins ethereal original but it still gets the biggest cheer of the night as the slow beat and romantic lyrics carry over the audience. Bright white shafts of light appear in a laser pattern as Martina wails “you’re stumbling in the dark”. The faux classical interior of the O2 Brixton Academy looks as beautiful as it ever will.

Risingson follows with Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall and the big peaceful booms of “dream on” interrupt their signature muffled wordplay. Del Naja puppet dances in silhouette away from the crowd.

‘Splitting the Atom’ (Currently Zane Lowe’s track of the week, if that’s anything to go by) is a mournful tune that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Leonard Cohen album.  Grant Marshall’s deep voice is well suited to this old time track. Andy and Del Naja join in and towards the end of the song Damon Albarn appears unannounced from the side of the stage.

Albarn also guests on the following track the collaborative ‘Saturday Comes Slow’. The lights come up and it’s just him, “Saturday comes slow, do you love me? Or is there nothing left?” This is less successful than ‘Splitting the Atom’ (also an Albarn collaboration) and the lyrics make it sound as if Albarn is searching for fans. Suddenly, it seems like this has turned into a Blur gig.

Thankfully it is momentary. The lights go down and the unmistakable beat of ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ rises. Debbie Miller sings. Its back into classic Massive Attack territory and it sounds fresh as ever.

The gig finishes with ‘Karmacoma’ from the War Child EP. It’s an understated end to an erratic night.

Massive Attack’s set list:

1. ‘Hartcliffe Star’
2. ‘Babel’
3. ‘16 Seeter’
4. ‘Risingson’
5. ‘Red Light’
6. ‘Future Proof’
7. ‘Teardrop’
8. ‘Psyche’
9. ‘Angel’
10. ‘Safe From Harm’
11. ‘Inertia Creeps’

Encore:

1. ‘Splitting The Atom’ (with Damon Albarn)
2. ‘Saturday Never Comes’ (with Damon Albarn)
3. ‘Unfinished Sympathy’
4. ‘Marakesh’
5. ‘Karmacoma’

Massive Attack’s Splitting the Atom EP is released on 5th October via Virgin

By Rebecca Douglas-Home