Unfortunaltely I'm not highly acquainted with Tricky so I can't really
tell you any song names. I've listened to Maxinequae a bunch of times,
but it's just a dubbed copy of a friends that I listen to so I don't
have the songs for it, and I haven't heard the new stuff much. I was
with someone who loves Tricky so I'd ask her after every song which
album it was off. He played a really even mix of music from all 3
albums, though he favored "Angels with Dirty Faces" and played more from
"Maxinequae" than from the second album. I'm pretty sure he played
Christian Sands from the second album. THe only lines that I really
remember were: in the first song he kept saying "chew him up... like
bubblegum" and another song "life's like a movie... it doesn't move me"
2 or three songs also in which there was a woman rapper which brings me
to the next issue:
He came out with a full band: bassist, guitarist (I was told it is the
guitarist from anthrax, but he wasn't bald with a little goatee, so I
can't promise anything), drummer who did some of his originally looped
things "by hand", keyboardist (i think. but i'm not sure because tricky
was also sporting a keyboard and a sampler), and two beautiful (in voice
and appearance) female vocalists. i think martina is the name of the
woman who did vocals for him on maxinequae (i'm not sure on this, so
call me on it if i'm wrong). She wasn't there. according to what i was
told by a diehard fan, she and tricky have a child together. she's
staying home for the tour to take care of the baby. the vocalists he
used were fabulous. they didn't hold a candle next to martina, but they
were great nonetheless. when they weren't singing they were dancing. the
whole band seemed really into it and did a very good job.
i don't listen to the radio much, but i guess it was a radio concert
because there were wfnx banners up. so a lot of people who were there
weren't exactly diehard tricky fans. a lot of people weren't really even
into the music. they just stood around sipping their beverages, wearing
their black tank-tops. that was a little dissappointing, but it wasn't a
big deal. lotsa high-school to early-college age girls.
the lighting was pretty mediocre, as was the set. some sort of texture
was placed on the back wall. slides of eastern drawings (i think) were
projected behind the drummer, bliding the poor bastard for sure. it
wasn't nearly as big a show as i was hoping for, especially in a
high-class joint like the roxy.
tricky was manic the whole time. gripping the mic tight with one or both
hands, teetering violently as he sang into the mike. he would shake his
head violently when he sang into the mic, so, while most of the words
picked up fine, some of his lyrics were lost at the edge of the mic.
it was alltogether a very enjoyable show but there was hardly an inch to
move (i was right in the front, so that might be why) but the music was
cool. i know he switched some of his songs around, but kept most of
everything the same as on cd. i recommend seeing the show, especially if
you like the gritty rawness and almost-heavy-metal stylings of a lot of
his new stuff, because it was all over the place at the show. he didn't
do nearly as much of his sultry or angelic music as his hard almost rock
stuff. also if you can figure out where to go to get backstage, head
there after the show and you'll probably get to meet tricky. we did.
shook his hands and got to say 2 whole sentences to him. that was
basically because i had no idea what to say, and not because i was
wisked away.
so if tricky is coming to your town check it out.
umm... i guess that's it.
joe