RE: Massive Attack Live

Gokhan Karakus (gokhan@superonline.net)
Tue, 7 Jul 1998 17:39:07 +0200


Dancing is not the point. If you play the song's exactly as they are on
your record, do one encore and then leave after a little more than one
hour as elapsed, your telling me your not into the gig.

I saw Tricky at Irving Plaza in NYC on one of first trips to the city
and for most of the show the stage lights were off. All you could see
was him shuffling about. But nonetheless most of what he played were
creative elaborations on his recordings with a lot of freestyling thrown
in. He wasn't there to sell a CD, he was there to try do something
interesting and entertain himself and the audience.

MA in Istanbul last year was plain boring. The part that got me was the
place was packed, about 7000 people who don't usually get an opportunity
to here anything of interest live, and the band did not seem to really
care.

Not that I expect the best show every night but if I were those guys I
would say to myself, " Here I am in a country where access to my kind of
music is limited, let me do something good here and create some more
interest".

GK

>----------
>From: Tunde Olubajo
>Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 1998 05:11
>To: Gokhan Karakus; acid-jazz@ucsd.edu; 'warren tang'
>Subject: Re: Massive Attack Live
>
>I guess these are all just opinions, but some people dont really need to
>dance around or see someone dance around e.t.c. at a concert in order to
>enjoy it. I remember someone having similar comments about the Portishead
>concert a while back (my best concert to date) . For bands like these I
>think u should plan on lounging or just standing and bobbing your head, and
>get consumed by the music. Bu t then again I have never seen Massive live so
>it may be different, even though i doubt the experiences can be that much
>different.
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Gokhan Karakus <gokhan@superonline.net>
>To: 'acid-jazz@ucsd.edu' <acid-jazz@ucsd.edu>; 'warren tang'
><w4@geocities.com>
>Date: Tuesday, July 07, 1998 6:17 AM
>Subject: RE: Massive Attack Live
>
>
>>
>>
>>
>>Massive Attack live leaves a lot to be desired. I saw them last year
>>here in Istanbul and the show basically amounted to nothing more than
>>standing around and singing the CD versions of the songs.
>>
>>There was nothing in the way of improvs, experimentation, or any other
>>jamming. They didn't seem to into the whole stage show thing at all. I
>>think they are probably more comfortable sitting in the studio, spliffed
>>out, twirling knobs.
>>
>>GK
>>
>>
>>
>>>----------
>>>From: warren tang
>>>Sent: Tuesday, July 07, 1998 04:37
>>>To: acid-jazz@ucsd.edu
>>>Subject: Re: Massive Attack Live
>>>
>>>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
>>>-------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>?E?H?[???"?E?^?"
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>