Massive Attack

Getting to the venue by bus was not so easy, as there was a ten minute walk from the bust stop to the venue and once inside, another long walk to the correct entrance. As there was no information about the support band or set times, I mossed the start of the support, 47 Soul. They were okay, but as three women to my right shrieked and cackled to each other all the way through as if they were in a pub, not a concert hall, the performance was marred. Just before Massive Attack came on, a lady came on stage to tell us about Greta Thunberg sailing to support Palestine. Massive Attack started at about 9pm with a video on the whole of the large screen behind them. Most of the time, this was what I was looking at as although I had a clear view of the stage, I was so far away that the band were just tiny specs. The screens on either side of the main one showed close-ups of band members now and again, notably the wonderful vocalists. The sound system and light shows were excellent, as were the videos about the various forms of madness that are occurring around the world at present. So, the Ukraine war, mining in the DRC, the destruction of Palestine, and the constant babble of the media about mostly petty issues. So, most of the music was as doom laden as the videos, not that that was a bad thing. There were some more up-beat compositions, but it wasn't a concert for getting up and dancing. The third from last song, their classic "Teardrop" was met by cheers from the audience and was beautifully presented, accompanied by an ethereal lightshow. The last two pieces, Levels and Group 4, contrasted by being much more up-beat and brough the concert to a fitting climax. Just a final note about the behaviour of some of the people at the concert. It's not okay during the concert to stand at the front of the balcony, in front of people in seats, to take selfies and pose for photos with the band behind you. Also, don't chatter at length while the band is playing!