Massive Attack

Having celebrated a quarter-century together last year, Massive Attack are well and truly old hands these days - not that it’s had any negative impact on the adventurousness of their live shows. Last year saw them continue to push the boundaries of audiovisual entertainment with their experimental collaboration with filmmaker Adam Curtis at the Manchester International Festival - 1500 people in an old train station that went out of commission two years before the band even formed, utterly engrossed by films at once arresting and heartbreaking and soundtracked by an array of cover versions that saw the Bristol duo draw upon every shred of musical ingenuity they have. Away from the more esoteric side of their live incarnation, their more conventional shows remain awesome spectacles, too; with giant LED screens allowing them to apply their music to political and social backdrops, and an expanded live lineup that features a revolving selection of guest vocalists, the brooding disquiet of most recent studio effort Heligoland has been weaved in seamlessly alongside cuts from nineties classics "Mezzanine" and "Blue Lines." Having evidently mastered both the recorded and live sides of their craft, Massive Attack’s staying power has moved them beyond simply being one of Britain’s most vital musical groups - they’re edging towards institution status.