In Music: Thievery Corporation live vs. Massive Attack live

About five years ago, I watched the band Thievery Corporation live in Cologne. Last night, I saw Massive Attack in Luxembourg. The cycle is nearly complete. All that is missing is the Future Sound of London, which I grooved to on the way back.

T.C. and M.A. have similar styles of performing. Both use a lot of live instruments, more so Thievery, and both use a lot of different (styles) of singers. But if I had to compare the two, they are completely different. Compared to Massive Attack, Thievery Corporation is like the happiest sound imaginable. Massive Attack on the other hand, seems literally (see Nicolette's performance at the end) like a sad clown. Case in point: "Splitting the Album"



While the crowd was quite energetic in this video, the Lux. crowd was (typically!) more lullabied, the band too seeming in some kind of undead trancey mood.

Let's contrast this with a video from a live performance by Thievery Corp.: "Warning Shots"



Completely different kind of energy!

Perhaps it's to do with Massive Attack being around for such a long time. A lot of hits were being played last night and while the crowd ate it up, I'm always reminded of Adam Sandler in the Wedding Singer, regurgitating the same song over and over again. The clown makeup that the female singer, Nicolette, was wearing, not a smile on her face, didn't help either.



All in all a great concert, don't get me wrong. From the light show flashing messages in the background, from what drugs would be good to take right now (pcp?) or how much it costs to sponsor a nurse in Africa (2.500 per year), vs. buying a diamond iPod (39.000) or paying the Lehman CEO (somewhere in the millions). To the different styles of singing, lullabying vs. energizing, from psychedelic reggae to rock to techno. Everything was in there and it was an amazing experience.

In Films: The Country Road movie: Whispers of the Heart (1995)

This is one of the few Studio Ghibli Films I haven't seen yet and you can see elements of many of their other films in it, from 'Porco Rosso' (on the clock), to 'Castle in the Sky,' to, I'm sure, plenty more.

At the same time, it shows life in Japan in an entirely unglamorous way, a family living in cramped quarters, the school system, teenage life, etc. It reminded me of 'the Girl that leapt through time' in that respect, another anime film that is definitely worth watching.

Rating: Good

Ah yes, and expect to hear the song Country Road over and over again, except in sung Japanese. It grows on you…