Setlist:

If ever anyone needed the confidence-booster of selling out Brixton Academy for five nights in a row, then it’s probably Robert Del Naja. Having endured a torrid year of disruptions to the cast of his band Massive Attack, a poor reception to their latest release, ‘100th Window’, and the furore surrounding the unfounded child pornography charges brought against him, it must have been a relief for him to get on stage. Yet the mood amongst the crowd beforehand is one of trepidation rather than anticipation. The disintegration of Massive Attack’s original line-up has cast a shadow over the group, as did the release of ‘100th Window’, which, despite Sinead O’Connor’s best efforts, is little more than musty wallpaper in a dark room. O’Connor’s decision not to tour with the album posed difficult questions for Del Naja to answer. Thankfully, through sheer effort, Massive Attack succeed in rising above the gloom. Opening with ‘Future Proof’ the live band empower the new songs with a loud resonance and fervour rarely seen on the album. The speakers boom out dark and heavy bass-lines, as Del Naja rasps the lyrics like a man dying of thirst. Daddy G briefly returns to the fold for some vocal support, but it the voice of another regular contributor, Horace Andy that steals the show. His appearances signal moments of quality, none more so than on ‘Angel’ which ends on a sprawling guitar and theramin-led wig out.

It’s a spine-tingling moment but the band fail to capitalise and allow the set to drift off into dull prog rock waters. During this time only the spectacular visuals making patterns from vibrant digital characters or displaying topical, war-related statistics, and Del Naja’s pronouncements on the tabloid media, hold the interest. However there is a big finish in store. Support act Dot Allison arrives for a fine rendition of ‘Teardrop’, before Horace Andy rouses the crowd with ‘Hymn Of The Big Wheel’, and the show reaches a superb climax with ‘Safe From Harm’ and ‘Inertia Creeps’. The two encores contain more material from ‘100th Window’ that is somewhat staid and not even the inclusion of ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ could prevent the show from a deflated ending. Perhaps Del Naja needs to learn to finish on a high.

Review by Colm Larkin from http://eyeballkid.com/ dated 18th April 2003

This show was part of a five night residency by Massive Attack in London at Brixton Academy. This fact is quite historic as they were the very first act to sell out Brixton Academy for five nights in a row.

With Sinead O’Connor departing the tour after her very brief stint at the shows in Glasgow and Manchester, the setlist reverted back with the Brixton Academy shows, to one used in Australia and Japan in the previous month, without What Your Soul Sings and A Prayer For England. This setlist is what would become the standard at the majority of the remainder of the 2003 tour.

Dot Allison would provide support for this show in the form of an accoutic guitar performance.

The official site for the Brixton Academy is located here.

These photos were taken by Annabelle Dalby. Some of these images are taken from the other four Brixton dates, as part Massive Attack’s record-breaking five night residency in London. Click on the thumbnails below to view a larger image.