Meme-conforming hipsters who were into Massive Attack before it was cool can expel an egotistic half-sigh/half-scoff knowing that the Bristol outfit’s inimitable album Mezzanine will probably never be replicated, despite founder Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja’s best attempts alongside an almost literal queue of guest vocalists. Some fans would apparently prefer to just forget everything post-Mezzanine, making sure to record episodes of House M.D. in order to skip past contemporary (and therefore condemnable) usages of the band’s music, but these pessimistic people are, I think, sadly forgetting Massive Attack’s early work. Blue Lines and Protection are both relatively straightforward efforts and not-at-all immune to implicit tributes in 2015. Quick, someone coax Tricky back into the fray with promises of all-powerful stones!
Coincidentally, Tricky has apparently been recording with (but not with) 3D lately, and supplementing murmurs of an entirely new Massive Attack album in the works (or even on the verge of release), a European tour has been announced for the beginning of 2016. Young Fathers will be joining them for the entire trip, and supposedly the basis for the tour in the first place is to perform new music. So, go ahead and settle those thoughts of Daddy G coming to your home and vocally vibrating you to sleep.
Musically, some of us will dream of a throwback. Dates are below.
01.19.16 - Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre *
01.22.16 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy *
01.25.16 - Leicester, UK - De Montfort Hall *
01.27.16 - Leeds, UK - O2 Academy *
01.28.16 - Manchester, UK - The Apollo *
01.30.16 - Birmingham, UK - O2 Academy *
01.31.16 - Portsmouth, UK - The Guildhall *
02.01.16 - Brighton, UK - The Dome *
02.03.16 - London, UK - Brixton O2 Academy *
02.04.16 - London, UK - Brixton O2 Academy *
02.07.16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Tap 1 *
02.09.16 - Esch Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal *
02.10.16 - Brussels, Belgium - Palais 12 *
02.12.16 - Milan, Italy - Fabrique *
02.14.16 - Padova, Italy - Geox Theatre *
02.16.16 - Cologne, Germany - Palladium *
02.17.16 - Berlin, Germany - Tempodrom *
02.20.16 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer *
02.21.16 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle *
02.24.16 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Klokgebouw *
02.25.16 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Heineken Music Hall *
02.26.16 - Paris, France - Zenith *
* Young Fathers
• Massive Attack: http://www.massiveattack.co.uk