By: David Schultz

During their late 80s/early 90s heyday, Massive Attack winnowed their way into the musical subconscious with relaxed, soothing beats that have been echoed in upscale lounges ever since. Even those not intimately familiar with their catalog (yours truly included) would be surprised how many of their greatest hits they recognize. The influential British trip-hop originators concluded their brief reunion tour earlier this month with a three night stand at New York City's Roseland Ballroom, putting forth a smooth, polished set heavy on grooves but light on any real excitement. For the chemically enhanced, they performed with a top notch light show featuring a nice mix of club-like lighting effects, pulsing colors and scrolling images.

The reconstituted band featured original members 3D (Robert De Naja) and Daddy G (Grant Marshall) who rotated in and out with reggae singer Horace Andy, Deborah Miller and the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser. Other than lending the required authenticity to the affair, neither of the founding members made themselves intrinsically indispensable. The allure of Massive Attack has always been their seductive rhythms, which were duplicated by a bassist and two drummers who had seemingly no affiliation with the original band. Given that the meat of the show was performed by the backing band, the event seemed like nothing more than an excuse to watch 3D shadow box and Daddy G act graceful. For the most part, the show plodded along quite pleasantly, finding its stride near the close with "Angel" and "Future Proof." The unheralded rhythm section kept the crowd swaying by successfully conjuring the trip-hop mood Massive Attack are known for. However, there didn't seem to be anything significant about actually having Massive Attack in the building to front them.

Labels: Massive Attack