Massive Attack are set to return to Australia for the first time in 16 years, with shows confirmed in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney this August. The influential British trip-hop group, led by Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja and Grant ‘Daddy G’ Marshall, last performed in Australia in 2010, making the upcoming tour a long-awaited return for fans of the genre.The announcement comes alongside the release of the band’s first new music in six years, a collaboration with Tom Waits titled ‘Boots on the Ground’.
Who are Massive Attack?
Formed in Bristol in 1988, Massive Attack are widely regarded as pioneers of the trip-hop genre, a sound built on hip-hop rhythms, soul samples, dub bass, and atmospheric electronics. Their 1991 debut album ‘Blue Lines’ remains one of the most influential records of its era, and their catalogue of five studio albums, including ‘Protection’, ‘Mezzanine’, ‘100th Window’ and ‘Heligoland’, has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide. Their biggest hits include ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ and ‘Teardrop’.The band has also attracted considerable intrigue over the years, with internet sleuths long speculating that Del Naja is secretly the Bristolian street artist Banksy, a theory fuelled by overlaps between Massive Attack’s tour dates and the appearance of Banksy murals around the world. A more recent investigation by Reuters suggested Del Naja may act as Banksy’s location scout.
Tickets and tour dates
Presale for the Australian shows begins on June 4, with tickets going on general sale on June 5. The tour marks Massive Attack’s fourth visit to Australia overall and their most anticipated in over a decade.