29th September 2006 - 9:30 Club, Washington D.C., USA
It’s no surprise that Massive Attack’s live show played better among the standing-room only crowd at Washington’s 9:30 Club than it did in May at the massive outdoor Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in the California desert. The real revelation is that the act that modernized quiet intensity erupts into a visceral, potent onstage firecracker. The beaded wall of light that served as the stage’s backdrop was the first clue. Shifting from white-hot to simmering red, it provided a stark exposé of the emotion for each of the selections from Massive’s 15-year output. The audience’s connection with the band’s entire catalog was clear: while Massive principal Robert del Naja (a.k.a. 3D) handled the rap vocals— no small task when it comes to approximating Tricky’s landmark Blue Lines rhymes— he was flanked by a rotating cast of heavyweight vocalists, each of whom was warmly greeted by the crowd like a returning old friend.
Liz Fraser reigned as grande dame during an ethereal, extended workout of “Teardrop,” while Horace Andy brought his reggae-splashed classic “Hymn Of The Big Wheel” to effervescent, sing-along life. Though nobody will ever recreate Shara Nelson’s definitive stamp on “Unfinished Sympathy” and “Safe From Harm,” much credit goes to Deborah Miller for her competent and impassioned readings of both. Had Tricky, Tracey Thorn, or Sinead O’Connor joined the cast to reprise their legendary performances on Massive’s studio output, the show may have been almost too much to handle. As it was though, the group’s triumphant return to this side of the pond— navigated with appropriate weight and tension by the quintet of instrumentalists on hand —smartly demonstrated its impressive evolution and longevity. In fact, the material from its 15-year-old first album sounded as fresh and vital as that of its last. It would be no surprise if Massive Attack can pull off the same trick 15 years from now.
Review by Pete Glowatsky from http://www.about.com dated 30th September 2006
Christine Moritz provided support as a DJ for the two Washington shows. You can download here set here.
The official site for the 9:30 Club is located here.
These photos were taken by Christine Moritz. Click on the thumbnails below to view a larger image.
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