Massive

Last night a mate and I saw Massive Attack. They're one of my favourite bands, and I've been following them for about fifteen years - one of those bands for whom I'd blindly purchase any release they put out, and are still making interesting music decades into their career.

I rarely go to concerts. The tickets are so costly that you can't really go casually. When this concert was announced I started talking myself out of it like I usually do, and then went, Wait a minute. I should do this, this time.

The concert was outdoors, in Stanley Park, rain or shine. Unfortunately this week we had lots of rain, and last night was no different. I wore a weatherproof jacket and rain pants, and my mate brought plastic bags to sit on, though we ended up standing the whole time like most everyone else. But as it went on, the rain gave a bit of dramatic gravitas to the event, in a silly way. When the lighting was a soft steady glow, as in the ironically appropriate Teardrop, the rain gave a soft haze, an extension of the smoke machines backstage. And you could feel more intense by shaking the water off your head when banging it with the beats.

Martina Topley Bird opened, a long time collaborator. Her set was quite simple and refreshing. She built her songs up loop by loop with an effects pedal, typically a few vocal loops, some human beatbox sounds, and then sang and played one instrument above it. For one song she got us to shout on a beat and made a loop of that.

Massive had a great light show: bands of LEDs that were used to display lots of data and graphics. One song displayed what seemed to be a transcription of military radio chatter of a Middle East mission, including the confusion of whether or not to take out a target. Another showed elements of national flags, interspersed with corporate logos, and gradually melded them. Their sound system was also impressively clear, with gut-punching bass and little ringing.

For electronic music, I was impressed at how little of the performances were sequenced. Two live drummers (one acoustic and one electronic kit), bassist and guitarist, a keyboard or two I couldn't even see, and a few effects boxes. I was curious to see which, if any, of their varied vocal collaborators would join them. It was great to see Horace Andy; Martina joined them for the songs she sings on their new album; and another vocalist sang the early Shana Nelson songs.

I was also surprised by how powerful some of the songs could be live. They're very good at building up to a climax, and this was great to experience live and loud. Favourites for me were Risingson, Angel, and Unfinished Sympathy.