Re: Massive Attack Live

warren tang (w4@geocities.com)
Tue, 07 Jul 1998 11:37:50 +1000


At 11:06 AM gg 98/7/6 PDT, Curtis . wrote:
>The likelyhood of someone on the list having witnessed the first leg of
>the Massive Attack Mezzanine tour is high...
>Any recent live reviews?(Yet, I haven't heard a thing)

massive attack's third concert in sydney should have been THEIR best for
the set.

the problem i had was being on the front row: with the speakers facing
squarely forward, the full range of sound could not be heard. i had seen
david sanborn previously at this venue (the enmore theatre). and that time
i was all the way on the last row but had a direct view of the stage via
the isle. i recall the sound definitely being better.

the massive attack show lived up to its rave of light and (slick) sound.
but i was disappointed with the guest and lead singer's (which i must
confess to not knowing their names) lacklustre performance. but who's going
to expect the original guest artists to tour with massive attack.

on top of this their choice of songs were pedestrian. their pop chart
stuff, which seemed to me was too slow for a concert. where i anticipated
energy i got a downer (my location could have been a factor. further back
may have been better spot). still i heard it was better than their first
tour of australia.

if it seems i am not being very specific about song titles and members'
names it's because i don't know them. i'm not a big fan. and im the type of
person who will go to a movie without knowing anything (about its actors,
directors and plot) about it. similiarly i like going to concerts in almost
the same manner. that way i have no expectations and judge a show by its
performance and not its album.

after saying so i still feel their music is best heard on cd and not to see
in a concert. nothing is more disappointing than seeing people stand (and
not move around) on stage and sound exactly like their albums. thats not to
say their music is bad. i like their stuff but concerts should be a good
night out and not be like a two hour video clip of people in front of a
mic. chill music when i shouldn't hve been chilled.

w

ps. incidentally, does anyone know whether the male lead singer deaf? he
had a hearing aid or earplugs on for the whole concert, and stood there
almost (e)motionlessly as if he had to feel the music ...

-
end

warren tang:
email: w4@geocities.com
icq: 7000403

-------------------------------------------------------------
JLIT: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~zenzen/jlit.htm
dedicated to promote JAPANESE LITERATURE
-------------------------------------------------------------

ウォーレン・タン