The longer you take to record a new album, the bigger your myth becomes, and Massive Attack are enjoying legendary status of gargantuan proportions. Their new album, Mezzanine, is eagerly-awaited by those in the know, and their concert at the Olympia Theatre last night was received with the kind of rapture normally reserved for elder statesmen of pop. Robert Del Naja, Grant Marshall and Andrew Vowles are still relatively young, but between them they've managed to shift the world's musical axis with just two albums, Blue Lines and Protection. Last night, they carried the weight of the pop world on their shrugging shoulders, and the trio seemed to stoop under the pressure of their own cult status.
As the lights went down and the rumbling refrain of Angel began, singer Horace Andy stepped forward and sang the laid-back melody, letting the electric guitar swell to its climax. Del Naja and Marshall, a.k.a. 3D and Daddy G, then took their places at the mic for Risingson, rapping tentatively and shuffling awkwardly.
When Horace Andy returned for Man Next Door, he seemed unsure of his place and it took a prompt from the guitarist to help the reggae veteran find his bearings in this new trip-hop universe. Singer Sara Jay had similar problems with Teardrop, finding it hard to emulate Elizabeth Frazier's vocals on the recorded version, and also having trouble with feedback from the microphone. Karmacoma brought everything back to the comfort zone, Del Naja and Marshall giving it lots of smoky intonation; Horace Andy slipped nicely into One Love, becoming one with the music. The pumping bass of Safe From Harm signalled a major peak, and Sara Jay sang the lines with conviction, bringing the show to a fine climax. Unfinished Sympathy encored with orchestral excellence, although there was an uncomfortable sense that Massive Attack were still getting to grips with their past glories.
This was the first gig of the band's current tour, and they're sure to find their feet as they go along, but last night's gig saw them just keep their heads above the crystal waters.
