The ACT 1.5 Project Enlists Massive Attack at Liverpool M&S Arena [Show Review]

For three days in Liverpool the Act 1.5 conference is addressing how we present today’s live music in an eco-friendly fashion. Alongside gigs by Nile Rogers, IDLES and Massive Attack, Ecotricity and a panel of renowned guests are promoting new ideas for staging events such as these in large arenas. Vegan food is up for discussion, and early start/early finish shows to promote the use of public transport and reduce emissions. Tonight’s gig runs from 8 til 10, and to be honest, this is refreshing and helps relieve the stress of rushing home via last trains and buses.

Massive Attack are a perfect fit for this project, their music lends itself perfectly to reflecting contemporary issues and defending human rights. It’s ironic that their name had to be shortened to “Massive” during the release of Unfinished Sympathy at the time of the Gulf Crisis in 1991 to ensure BBC radio airplay.

Tonight’s show is almost as much about the visuals as the music. From the start this is clearly going to be an immersive multi-media experience as for 10 minutes we are shown fake news headlines, typed out and dashed before our eyes on multiple black screens. Stars from Taylor Swift to Kerry Katona are given ad hoc scenarios that vary from hilarious to dark and worrying. As the intro grows faster and denser it is a relief when it finally reaches a crescendo and the band finally appear.

It is reassuring to see a full band tonight, including two sets of drums, this is going to be a fully live Massive Attack, and nothing can prepare us for the next two hours of absolute, in your face, perfection.

“Risingson” sets the mood with 3D (Robert Del Naja) and Daddy G (Grant Marshall) taking centre stage. There is literally no messing around here, this is pure Massive Attack, giving their audience exactly what they want from the first beat.

The images tonight paint a broad picture of the world in a state of heightened terror, focusing mainly on the troubles in Palestine and Ukraine but veering off into ecology and poverty in a series of mind-numbing videos and digitally created scenarios. Whilst this may be too much for some to bear, this is the reason the band are in town tonight: to make us all think twice about how we live and how we vote.

Massive Attack have always been at the fore when it comes to collaborations, and releases with the likes of Tricky, Tracey Thorne and Sinead O Connor have paved the way for bands such as Gorillaz and SAULT to recruit the best of guests. Tonight, the roll call is impressive. Starting with roots reggae legend Horace Andy, leading vocals on “Girl I Love You,” mixing deep joy with a sense of dark brooding all at once.

“Black Milk” from 1998’s seminal Mezzanine album is fronted by the legendary vocals of Elizabeth Fraser (Cocteau Twins), whose voice cuts through the Arena and silences all but herself. So, early in the gig and already so many gifts to the fans. This is the most excited I have been at a show in a long time.

“Take Me There” from 2016’s Ritual Spirit E.P is fronted by Daddy G before a three-song attack from Young Fathers (“Gone”, “Minipoppa” and “Voodoo in my Blood”), all excellent. And what guests?

Elizabeth Fraser returns to perform “Song to the Siren”, the Tim Buckley song that Fraser immortalised with This Mortal Coil in 1983. In my opinion, this is the definitive version of the song, and to hear it sung by Fraser tonight is nothing short of a privilege.

The beautiful “Inertia Creeps” gives way to a startlingly punk take on Ultravox’s “ROckwrock.” Played against themed images of societies hiding behind facades, from improvised drama workshops to mass Cosplay events, this is a grand exercise in showing how much we hide away from the real-life horrors of the world.

There are some fascinating responses to the imagery being shown tonight. Each time Putin’s face appears on the vast screen I am reminded of George Orwell’s Two minutes Hate from Nineteen Eighty-Four, where the workers direct their venom at the images of their enemy Goldstein. Tonight the crowd hurl abuse in more contemporary terms at the Russian leader, screaming “C**T!” in unison.

Horace Andy returns for a chilling workout of “Angel,” the track he fronted from the Mezzanine album and gained a whole new raft of followers.

Deborah Miller takes the stage to vocalize “Safe From Harm” from the band’s debut album, Blue Lines (1991). As Millers voice soars through the air, the lyrics are noticeably more relevant than ever. “If you take what’s mine, I’ll sure as Hell retaliate,” bleeds across seemingly never-ending horror statistics from the Palestine / Israeli conflict. The figures are so high it is almost impossible to keep up. The highest figure being the billions that the UK has donated to Israel since the conflict began.

Miller stays onstage for the inevitable “Unfinished Sympathy,” the band’s undeniable signature tune and some would say the most iconic track of the 1990s. Period. Originally performed by Shara Nelson and accompanied by an equally iconic and influential music video, Miller does the track major justice tonight.

A straight retelling of “Karmacoma” is as essential as the Fraser-led “Teardrop” that follows. Nobody can complain from a lack of crowd-pleasers tonight. Whilst we all pray to no avail for Tracey Thorne to appear for “Protection,” we are in no position to feel short-changed.

Aviici cover, “Levels,” almost concludes the night before a medley of “Group Four” (Fraser again) and “In my Mind”. Accompanying this closing moment is a rapid vomit of all the images we have seen tonight, fast-forwarded against repetitive beats, bringing me almost to the point of nausea. Although a joyous event, this has also been a much-needed aural and visual assault.

Massive Attack came to entertain and to inspire, and 100% succeeded. One of the country’s most important bands who really do need to get back in the studio soon. Still sounding as fresh and arresting as ever, tonight was special, and being in their company was a rare and precious experience.