Tricky - Academy, Manchester, 18/2/2009

  by Aaron Brown

published: 19 / 2 / 2009

intro

Always controversial, Aaron Brown finds that Bristol trip hopper has lost none of his ability for confrontation and getting on the wrong side of authority at a gig at the Manchester Academy

Tricky, being one of those more controversial artists around, doesn’t seem to care if he doesn’t make any friends. Somehow managing to get on the wrong side of Gary Oldman during the making of 'The Fifth Element' for "eating a facking sandwich" during the filming of his scene, he has got on the wrong side of the Manchester Academy’s door staff also, which is not a hard task. Tricky throwing a strop for being told to stop smoking on stage is a sight to behold, and brings me to quote Jim Carrey in 'Liar, Liar': “Stop breaking the law asshole”. The audience don’t care, however, as they are here to see one of best music artists around. Taking the stage to new track 'Past Mistake', Tricky spends the song smoking away with his back turned to the audience, and annoying the ‘security personnel' in the process. Promoting his excellent new album, the autobiographical, 'Knowle West Boy', Tricky is certainly ‘smoking’ hot to excuse the pun. Welcomed classics such as 'Christiansands', the old school hip-hop delight of 'Tricky Kid' and a reworking of Public Enemy’s 'Black Steel' sound as fresh as ever. New tracks 'Council Estate' and 'Veronika' have more of an alternative rock orientated feel to them and are powerful stuff. Here is an artist that even in his 41st year is still offering something new, not afraid to experiment and not afraid to show his rock/hip-hop orientated influences. Leaving this gig tonight, I cannot help but think Tricky is quite the moody bugger. Smoking is bad for you, Tricky.

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