All concert producers know it: with the English, we start on time. This Thursday evening, the Nuits de Fourvière arenas were overflowing with people for the second Massive Attack concert. The English have not released a new album for 16 years, they nevertheless remain a reference in Anglo-Saxon music, proud to have produced and composed the classics that are “Blue Lines” (1991) and the unsurpassable “Mezzanine” (1998).
At 9:30 p.m., Robert -3D- Del Naja makes his entrance surrounded by 5 musicians and lets the images speak. Statistics are displayed on the background screen, telling us about the collapse of the world: the number of bombs dropped on Lebanon since the start of the Israeli offensive, the number of deaths following American strikes on Iran are the soundtrack of “In My Mind”. But Lyon roars when Daddy G appears to sing “Risingson” alongside 3D. The two founders of the Bristol group took care of the ears of the 4,000 spectators; the sound is of incredible precision – and the two drums, one of which is entirely electronic played by Julien Brown, respond to each other with force. Behind the musicians, the screen distills its subliminal messages, in French. “Am I real?” Am I worthy?
“Has culture lost its political power? HAS”
During “Black Milk”, it is Prigojine, the assassinated leader of the Wagner group, who comes to taunt the crowd while Elizabeth Fraser sits behind the microphone. The former singer of the Cocteau Twins impresses with the softness of her voice, which, despite the years, has lost none of its enveloping softness. 3D introduces Horace Andy as “our chief collaborator.” The 75-year-old Jamaican revisits “Girl I Love You” while the screen proves to us that we are all being observed by Palantir, the American company specializing in the collection of integrated data.
Little by little, the subject of Massive Attack focuses on the America of Trump, regularly ridiculed, presented as a warlord sold out to the corporations, responsible for most of the ills of our time. New to the show, the cover of the first K-Pop anthem, “Regret of The Times” by South Koreans Seo Taiji and Boys, reminds us that the musical movement was invented in response to interference from the United States. Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu are presented as the ultimate villains at the end of the song, when Massive Attack calls out to the audience: “Has culture lost its political power? » Lyon applauds. But remains silent when Horace Andy transforms “Hymn of The Big Wheel” into an antimilitarist anthem, reduced to its simplest expression.
The most recent song of the evening, “Take It There” takes us to Switzerland, to Zug more precisely, a city where all the greatest fortunes in the world hide or launder their capital, before 3D concludes with a call for resistance and support for Palestine. When Elizabeth Fraser returns to sing “Song to The Siren”, Fourvière listens religiously to the sixty-year-old transcending Tim Buckley’s song. But very quickly the images catch the attention of the spectators, invited once again to watch an era under high tension. Fortunately, while the group launches into an angry “Inertia Creeps”, the videos this time make fun of current pop stars, from Taylor Swift to Ariana Grande via Doja Cat or Megan Thee Stallion. The guitars explode on “Rockwrok”, a little-known Ultravox track that Massive Attack transforms into a song against fake news, and knocks out Lyon with a definitive message: “We are prevented from imagining a better world. HAS”
The last part of the show gives pride of place to vocal prowess: Horace Andy takes “Angel” to the heights, then Deborah Miller takes the microphone for the always fantastic “Safe from Harm” and “Unfinished Symphony”, the big winner of the evening with the applause. “I read that our show was too political,” Del Naja announces in a rare speech. Have you seen what is happening in Belfast where migrants’ homes are being burned? Have you seen the way the far right controls the narrative today? So no, I believe on the contrary that we are not political enough. I believe it is time to show more solidarity, more living together. » Fourvière finally wakes up, giving a standing ovation to the discreet leader, long suspected of being the artist Banksy (the rumor is still circulating). It is now time to launch the final assault. It will be an insane “Group 4” condensing all the visual emotions of the evening in a few minutes, before “Teardrop” puts an end to this punchy concert. With a necessary, warlike coldness. But also completely captivating.
Setlist for June 11, Lyon, Nuits de Fourvière
1/ In My Mind
2/ Risingson
3/ Black Milk
4/ Girl I Love You
5/ Regret of The Times
6/ Hymn of The Big Wheel
7/ Take It There
8/ Future Proof
9/ Song To The Siren
10/ Inert Creeps
11/ ROckwrok
12/ Angel
13/ Safe from Harm
14/ Unfinished Sympathy
15/ Group 4
16/ TeardropÂ
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