6th October 2006
Carlu Theater, Toronto, Canada
There was rapturous applause at the Carlu concert hall last night as Massive Attack took the Toronto stage for the first time in eight years. Promoting its new greatest hits album, Collected, and its upcoming studio album, Weather Underground, set for a February 2007 release, the band was in fine form, proving to be every bit one of the most influential acts of the past 20 years. Since the band last played this side of the Atlantic, the trip-hop pioneers have built up a fan base as eclectic as the genres their music blends: there were blazer-wearing hipsters, hip-hop kids, Goths, club kids, hippies, rave-era refugees and a host of others. Hollers rose up from everyone in the swanky venue when the band from Bristol, U.K., launched into "Risingson" from their 1998 album Mezzanine.
Two drummers, a synthesizer player, a bassist and guitarist gave a spot-on, mesmerizing rendition of the song as Massive Attack co-founder Grant "Daddy G" Marshall shadow boxed in front of a wall of LED lights. Packed with dirty guitars and pounding, down-tempo percussion, the song was just one of many the band delighted the crowd with from Mezzanine, a critical darling and dorm room favourite. Following up "Risingson" with "Black Milk," also from Mezzanine, Cocteau Twins singer and Massive Attack regular Liz Fraser was hypnotic as her ghostly, gorgeous voice floated above the song's raw, dark orchestration.
Along with Fraser, the crowd was also treated to the presence of reggae star Horace Andy, who had the crowd in a trance as he sang "Man Next Door." Just before the Mezzanine-heavy show started to look like a one-album concert, the band launched into a few songs from their sophomore album, Protection, and one from 100th Window. With each departure from Mezzanine, the crowd seemed to lilt, coming down from a high they were just beginning to enjoy. But then Andy took the stage again, this time for a heartfelt rendition of 1991's "Hymn Of The Big Wheel." Reaching from crescendo to crescendo to crescendo, the crowd was immersed in the back-and-forth groove that was worth the eight-year wait. Many were too young to attend a live show the last time Massive Attack played here. But as the look of the crowd at the Carlu showed as it swayed back in forth as if hypnotized, it was worth every minute of the wait.
Review by Dave McGinn from The Toronto Star Newspaper dated 7th October 2006
This was the third last show of the entire 2006 tour. This show along with the other Canadian dates were originally meant ot be played in September but were postponed due to visa problems Massive Attack had at the time. The original date for Toronto was supposed to be held at the Virgin Festival on the 10th September 2006.
The official site for the Carlu Theater is located here.
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