2000
Newsworthy events from 00'
The Ordinary Decent Criminal soundtrack album is released. The first song on it is a collaboration between Damon Albarn and 3D called One Day At A Time. This would not be Damon Albarn last collaboration with Massive Attack as he would later contribute to Small Time Shot Away on 100th Window a few years later.
Primal Scream released a new single called Kill All Hippies, that contains a remix by Massive Attack. The remix is of one of the album tracks called Exterminator off Primal Scream's new album. Undoubtfully this is Massive Attack repaying the favour to Primal Scream, after the psychedelic rock band had previously remixed Teardrop for Massive Attack back in 1998.
Massive Attack agreeded to license Angel to an Emporio Armani fragrance commercial for HE/SHE only after agreeing that the band's fee be donated to the Red Cross. The band who normally do not allow their music to be used in this way, made a special arrangement because the amount of money being offered was significant and would be of real immediate value to two charities. The British Red Cross were the main recipient of the donation but a portion was also given to the Bristol-based Beira Fund. Bristol is twinned with a town Beira in Mozambique and the money went immediately to rebuild the various schools in Beira devastated by the recent floods. Quote - 3D on the use of Angel for Emporio Armani - "The music that's used in ads is becoming increasingly homogenised and the agencies are resorting to cheap rip-offs of other peoples' styles. This is not something we want to be part of, but if we can re-direct money to people that need it then it's worth it. Massive Attack have openly invited Armani to match their contribution. "If Armani does the right thing, the track will raise over $500,000 which will justify allowing 'Angel' to be used".
Massive Attack were presented by team of young footballers with a new set of shirts and tracksuits. They made the generous offer after Backwell Under-12's clinched promotion to the Woodspring and District League's top division. Grant used to play for the team as a youngster and showed off his silky skills by popping in to goals for the dads against the lads in an end of season friendly. Quote - "Club spokesman Ash Barrington said: "Grant was quite an accomplished footballer when he played for the side and this is a marvelous gesture for the band to buy the kit. The team will look really smart when they run out to play in the top division for the first time next season".
The official Massive Attack website was updated in a major way on this date. News about Massive attack recording sessions went Lupine Howl is divulged as well as a streaming audio clip of the rare Inflight Data song, can also be heard as the main musical theme to the new site. While this website has long since been removed, it is still assessable using the Internet Archive at this address.
Massive Attack on this day, pledged £30,000 to help rebuild schools in a flood-hit town in Mozambique. They donated money made from licensing their track Angel to the fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The money was donated to the Bristol Twinnings Association. It was to help schools in Bristol's twin town of Beira in Mozambique which was ravaged by floods earlier this year. Quote - Daddy G on this event - "I was very moved to see the flood images of Mozambique on TV earlier this year and I DJ'd at a benefit gig at The Maze club in February to raise money for Oxfam." Quote - 3D on the event - "We wanted to help the Beria Fund and this method is the quickest and most direct way for Massive Attack to do so. We could have done things like release a special record or do a one-off gig but all those things take time and as we are so busy this is the easiest way for us to give money. "We already do loads for charity and were very glad to help. At some point I would like to go out to Beira and see the developments that our cash has generated. Maybe a visit could be on the cards next year. "We are also looking at staging a massive DJ and music event in Bristol in the autumn as a benefit for Beira and would be bringing in a lot of well known acts from outside of Bristol to perform. "It's up to people like us who are high profile to make a point of doing things like this. We have the contacts and we know so many people that we can really make things work" .
News reached the tadloids , that The Conservative Party were facing legal action from Massive Attack, after their music was used to accompany William Hague's entrance at a conference. Hague strolled up to a podium in Birmingham the week before to launch the Tories 'Believing In Britain' document with Man Next Door blaring from the speakers. However, just how misconceived the party were in their choice of music became clear, when the band released a statement berating the Tories. Quote - A statement from Massive Attack stated, "Massive Attack have not and will never support the Conservative party or their policies. If our music has been used by the Tories it is without our knowledge or our permission. The misappropriation of our music by any organisation or broadcaster will be dealt with in the strongest way we can." A spokesman for the band also added, "The Tories couldn't have picked a worse band politically. Massive's political leanings are far more to the left than Hague, although I'm not sure they would give permission to any political party use their music." A Conservative spokesman attempted to play down the incident, suggesting "it's a massive attack over nothing. The music was for background and was not intended for broadcast".
3D's first ever art book called Fittng In is released on this date. It features images and paintingsfrom 3D, from the past 10 years as well as piece's never before seen, and is a very limited edition print of only 150 copies. Only 50 of these books were made available to the public at the very hefty price tag of £380 + VAT + Shipping! They were sold exclusively through the Eyestorm wesbite. As of the present, the site is apparently sold out of them. The other 100 copies were given away free to close friends of 3D. For more infomation about this book, click here.
A new song called Nature Of Threat is released on the official Massive Attack website as a download only single. It is the only out-take from the soon to be abandoned Lupine Howl recording sessions in Ridge Farm to ever be released. It is also being used to promote the upcoming Massive Attack live webchat, which would happen the week after. This webcast interview is available in the Videography section to watch in its hour long entirety here.
A brand new remix of the song Protection, is released on this date, more than six years after the original song was first released. It was an exclusive remix done by Flood, the famous electronic producer behind bands such as Depeche Mode and is only made available on a compilation CD called Manchester United: Beyond The Promised Land.
A documentary on the artist/sculptor Marc Quinn is broadcast on British TV. It contains a previously unheard and untitled remix of the Massive Attack song Nature Of Threat, which had just been released in the previous month. This documentary was never rebroadcast and hence, this remix of Nature Of Threat remains unheard of by the vast majority of Massive Attack fans to this day.