31st July 2008 - Vienna Arena, Vienna, Austria
Trail-blazing British trip-hoppers Massive Attack gave an awe-inspired crowd at Vienna’s Arena a real treat on Thursday evening – nearly-two hours of ear-bending bliss. Before going any further I must admit that although I have known of Massive Attack for years – as the figure heads of the 90’s British Trip Hop scene and for the huge influence they had on 90’s music full stop – I turned up to their sell-out gig thinking, ‘Well if nothing else I’ll get to hear (the awe-inspiring anthem) Teardrops.’ But I got so much more.
The band mixed old favourites with unknown pleasures, with a little help from their famous friends. Alongside Del Naja, Grant “Daddy G” Marshall and the dulcet-toned soul diva Yolanda, reggae legend Horace Andy, was a whispering, passion-bubbling presence on Angel - raw and wanting as the tick-tock rhythm explodes into shards of steely guitar. Karma Coma still chills despite the absence of Tricky, while angelic songstress and new collaborator Stephanie Dosen is a fragile and ethereal presence, slipping into Liz Frazer’s shoes with ease on the gorgeous Teardrop – and it didn’t disappoint.
She softens Del Naja’s menacing voice on the blistering chaos of Marakesh, and sways gently while Del Naja throws angular dance moves, green strobe lights reaching out across the field beyond them.
As for their new all-guns-blazing show, Del Naja told the audience recently that it’s an “experiment, which is make it up as you go along, basically”. But he was being modest. No one genre has prevailed, but the lineup certainly reflected Massive’s no-boundaries tastes. I was surprised I didn’t come away talking about how I was so glad to have finally seen Teardrops live. But that’s more testament to the heart-stopping power and variety of the set as a whole. Massive Attack definitely had it going on when they visited Vienna – lets just hope they’re back soon.
Review by David Hill from the Austrian Times newspaper dated 4th August 2008
Support for this show was provided by Phantom Limb, who had previously supported Massive Attack at the Westonbirt Arboretum show back in 2006. Phantom Limb also happens to be the band whom Yolanda Quarty (one of the singer’s on this years’s tour) is apart of.
The official site for the Vienna Arena is located here.
These photos were taken by Daniel Gebhart. Click on the thumbnails below to view a larger image.
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