I arrived late and left early for the excellent Thievery Corporation/Massive Attack concert at Beacon theatre on Friday.
My loss, no doubt.
Thievery Corporation had Power Tools and Mac next to two turntables, three toastmasters, horns, heavy heavy bass and played dance reggae rub-a-dubs with energy to spare.
A glorious Jamaican sound with the smell of ganja in the air.
At the end they rolled out the much more electronic and less world musicy “The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter” from 2005 but no David Byrne around! A much faster, much horn-ier version than the myriad of mixes out there and a great end to a fun set.
I had seen Tricky, a Massive Attack protegee, back in the 90s opening for Bjork, on a set so dark all you could see was the red lit tip and the smoke curling up out of his join.
Thought I would get the same with Massive Attack but from a stunning light show to an overactive stage filled with whistle, toots, and a chick lead singer, they were here not to promote the old bass dubbed and redubbed till it rolls in the belly of the song even as propagated on Heligoland. But this night wasn’t the darkbass throb of the sound of Bristol but harder and sweeter and faster and much more audience friendly.
Two top electronic bands at the peak of their powers.