Did Massive Attack sing live? I don't think so!!!

[bull930]

I am wondering if anyone else feels that Massive Attack did not sing 100% live. I feel that they sounded to perfect but when the lead singer was speaking you could hardly understand him. How do you feel?

[kosmo vinyl]

Well I wasn't at the show, so am assuming you are referring to Horace Andy who probably has a fairly thick Jamaican accent.  Singers tend to enunciate and project more when singing, lots of times even British artists are hard to understand when they are talking between songs.

[Christine Moritz]

I thought maybe 3D (Robert Del Naja)'s vocals needed to be up higher in the mix, but then again I was in out-of-the-way places both nights, so maybe it was just where I was located.
 
 If I hadn't already known the words, I would've had trouble making them out.  So it didn't sound overly perfect to me.
 
 And yes, it was difficult to catch what he was saying between songs -- I think because he was speaking so quickly and with an accent.

[Firebutt McGee]

Yes, they sung 100% live. All of them. In New York, he laughed during the middle of Risingson, and in Montreal, Liz Fraser's mic went out halfway through Black Milk, and being up front, I could CLEARLY hear her still singing.

[bull930]

It just sounded like when they were singing and performing that it sounded to perfect and when he spoke in his London accent there was a difference.

[saintangelsin]

Massive Attack did do their vocals for real. in fact, teardrop wasn't anywhere near perfect. I noticed Liz had a hard time keeping pitch. I think Robert's vocals could have been a bit louder during some of the songs. It sounded like the bass was up a bit too much or something! But then again, that's some what of the issue of some of the songs from 100th window. Robert's vocals are kinda like whispers.
 
 

Originally posted by ixkpd-bk:
  Yes, they sung 100% live. All of them. In New York, he laughed during the middle of Risingson, and in Montreal, Liz Fraser's mic went out halfway through Black Milk, and being up front, I could CLEARLY hear her still singing.

that must have been amusing! Did Robert just breakout laughing during a verse or what?

[blinksaar]

3-D was really hard to understand when he wasnt singing but im positive that they actually sang... isnt this post a little late? their shows were a month ago.

[saintangelsin]

Originally posted by Alec:
  3-D was really hard to understand when he wasnt singing but im positive that they actually sang... isnt this post a little late? their shows were a month ago.

yeah exactly lol. but then again, i'm all about talking about massive attack. a month later and i'm still thinking about how amazing that concert was.

[Christine Moritz]

As long as we're dredging up old topics, let me shamelessly repeat the links for the pages with the set lists and recordings of my DJ sets from those nights:
 
 My DJ set opening for Massive Attack, Thurs., Sept. 28, 2006
 
 My DJ set opening for Massive Attack, Fri., Sept. 29, 2006
 
 

[Sir HC]

What you dealt with is the standard British singer problem.  When they sing they lose their accent then they talk and it is impossible to hear through the accent.  Swervedriver was the biggest case of this, hearing him sing I didn't realize that I could not understand him talking.

[Sir HC]

Oh, and if you want to see if they are singing live, look at the mixing console.  Usually there are little green LEDs for the level on each channel down by the faders.  When they do in-between song banter, look which channel lights up (also might have their name, V (for vocal) or a star on it on tape for that channel).  If you don't see that channel lighting when they are doing a song or if it is less pronounced, you can be pretty sure it is tracks.

[azaghal1981]

It definitely sounded live to me.

[blinksaar]

the bass need to be boosted waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy up on the friday night show....group 4 was good but woulda been so much better with more bass

[Sir HC]

Where were you?  If you were upstairs or at a point futher back than the mixing board, the bass doesn't hit the same as further up.

[bull930]

I was up top and those lights were getting on my nerves!!! I thought I would go blind!!!