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John Aizlewood's rating
Tricky remains unique if less feral
By
John Aizlewood
7 Oct 2008
I last saw Tricky back in 1999 at the Astoria.
That night he spoke only to hurl a volley of abuse at his lighting man for daring to attempt illumination.
To Tricky’s delight, if not the crowd’s, the rest of the show was performed in total darkness.
Nine years on, he’s hardly evolved into Mr Garrulous and I still wish I’d remembered to take my nightsight goggles to the climax of his first British dates in half a decade.
But as he celebrates his 40th year, the former Adrian Thaws has become noticably less feral.
Thus, his cheeky introductory music was Phil Collins’s In The Air Tonight, the lighting was near rather than absolute darkness and he even said “thank you very, very much”. And he said it more than once.
That was as far as compromise got. Tricky remains unique.
Nobody on the planet makes such remorselessly foreboding music and nobody presents even a cover of The Cure’s dippy The Love Cats with such unspoken menace.
Old favourites such as Black Steel were radically overhauled, but whereas less hardy souls leave tracks from their new album unscathed, Tricky applied a musical blowtorch to his comeback, Knowle West Boy.
The poppy Veronika was culled to voice and percussion but the hitherto unmemorable Joseph was transformed into a 20-minute, cathartic symphony, at some points so quiet you could hear the bar staff in the foyer; at others skull-crushingly loud.
A brutal but magnificent assault on the senses, this piece of performance art ended with Tricky dismantling his drummer’s kit.
Alas, unique or not, magnificent or not, he can still frustrate like a traffic jam.
For much of the evening, he was there but not there, an absentee landlord of his own catalogue.
He never left the stage but left much of the work to his band and capable but uncharismatic co-singer.
He preferred to turn his back to the audience and illegally smoke what may or may not have been a legal cigarette.
Still, nobody really wants Tricky to make things easy for them. Do they?
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Reader views (4)
Not to mention she was very beautiful. The co-singer was perfect, very beautiful voice, lots of expression in her moves, fit to the music, and grace. I hope we will see her more, cause she really has what to offer.
- Andr, Bacau, Romania, 27/11/2008 03:22
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Completely agree with the other readers... Tricky's show in Prague was outstanding and I actually enjoyed the hole back dancing stuff, I found it quite original. He smokes weed on the stage but who cares, as long as he is 200 % into the show. And the co-singer is really talented and charming. I think she did a great job!
- Nat, Prague, Czech Republic, 25/11/2008 00:51
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Uncharismatic?! I'm sorry to be the one to have to tell you that you are so way wrong! Clearly you are not a Tricky fan and, that said, your editor should have sent someone else to the concert to do the review!
Francesca's brilliant! Her unique voice and the intelligent way it's put together with Tricky's music is what makes everything sound so superb.
I didn't have a problem with the lighting, nor with seeing their backs when they danced. In fact, I quite liked that. And who cares what Tricky was smoking? Everyone else in the audience I was in was smoking and drinking all sorts of stuff!
I attended his free gig at the launch of Centquatre in Paris on Sat 12 October. It was one of the best concerts I have been to.
Oh, and btw, Tricky was casually standing around in the late afternoon chatting to any and everybody. I personally had a wonderful chat with him for a full 5 minutes. Yes, he is garrulous on stage but surely you go to hear his music?
- Joanne Caris, Paris, France, 14/10/2008 18:42
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I am intrigued as to how you came to the conclusion that the co-singer was uncharismatic. and the word capable is an understatement. I thought she 'made' those songs ...
i agree with you on the lighting though and im not quite sure why both Tricky and Francesca (the co-singer) danced with their backs to the audience!
Personally though i had a brilliant night and thought it a great combination of music and lyrics.
- Poppy Bayne, Surrey, 07/10/2008 13:50
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