Tricky
Electric Brixton, London  

HOW do you assess a live performance by Tricky? As with much of the idiosyncratic Bristolian’s artistic endeavour, normal rules hardly apply – and ordinary judgements seem to be out of place.
 
By the standards of most gigs the evening’s entertainment was a mess – shambolic, even. With the music beginning at 9pm and the stage in virtual darkness throughout, it wasn’t until 9.30pm that there was any tangible sign of Tricky, his presence just about apparent within the dry ice and gloom, which also shrouded most of his musical companions.  
 
At 9.41pm, after a few strangled interventions, his voice was heard to say “Thankyou very much, and goodnight” – and the show was over.
 
Shouts from the crowd drew the shifting shapes back for another couple of songs, followed by a further departure and a second encore. Then, at 10.15pm, it was finished.  
 
The first proper sighting of Tricky was at 9.55pm, as a mobile phone’s flashlight revealed him in grey light for a split second – as if exposed momentarily by a ghosthunter.  
 
There were misty glimpses of the Polish singer Marta Zlakowska, a collaborator on Tricky’s desolate new album, Fall to Pieces, but the only person in plain sight was a sign language interpreter, bathed in the spotlight on a corner of the stage.  
 
There was a drummer, somewhere, and a guitarist in the background, as well as plenty of heavy bass and synth. But beyond that it was difficult to tell who was doing what or where.  
 
Importantly, though, no-one in the acquiescent audience seemed to mind. Tricky has had some well-documented troubles with what might be called stage fright, and so no-one was surprised to find him, once again, keeping to the shadows.  
 
Although one might question the need for the rest of the band to be hidden from view, and at times the lack of any focus on stage seemed to encourage a hubbub of crowd chat during quieter moments, actually the dimly lit atmosphere created an aura of mystery and suspense that was hauntingly emotional and ethereal.
 
With Marta’s bleak, soaring vocals dominating, as they do on the album, the fact that Tricky was hardly present seemed, in the end, not to matter.  
 
His latest compositions, focusing chiefly on the death of his daughter, Mazy, lay bare the singer’s inner feelings to such an extent that he might reasonably feel there’s no need to expose himself to further scrutiny.  
 
Presenting that material – and himself — in a deathly half-light seems more than appropriate.  

Tricky will perform on January 7 2022 at Rockway Beach 2022 in Bognor Regis. Tickets at http://www.rockawaybeach.co.uk/