Massive Attack cancel US tour at last minute due to “unforeseen circumstances”

Massive Attack have cancelled their US tour at the last minute due to what they describe as “unforeseen circumstances”.

• READ MORE: Act 1.5: Inside Massive Attack’s Bristol blueprint for the future of sustainable live music

The trip-hop legends were set to play four dates, their first US gigs in five years, with the first scheduled for Atlanta’s Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre on October 17. Dates in Washington. DC, Boston and Queens were to follow before the end of the month.

Writing on Instagram, the band said: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, Massive Attack must regrettably cancel their upcoming performance at III Points Festival in Miami FL on October 19th, as well as their shows in Atlanta GA, Washington DC, Boston MA, and Forest Hills NY. We appreciate your understanding at the time.”

The group played a major show in Bristol in August, an all-day event aimed to re-envision how concerts can be staged sustainably. It was designed to be the lowest-carbon concert of its kind and scale ever put together, and saw them joined by the likes of Killer Mike, Lankum, Sam Morton and the Wild Bunch’s DJ Milo.

NME went to the recent groundbreaking all-day event, where we gave our thoughts on whether the band pulled it off: “There is some truth in the idea that an iconic, veteran campaigning act like Massive Attack can make things (like bonus trains!) happen that other events might not so easily be able to pull off. And it’s true that a switched-on Bristol audience, fresh from electing a Green MP (who is also on-site and speaking on a panel), are likely to be receptive to a concept like this.

“But there have to be some first-movers who push the boundaries and bring everyone else along with them. Massive Attack and their event partners are the first ones to bring all of the pieces of the low-carbon puzzle together. This is what the live music of the future will need to look like everywhere in the end.”

They have also announced a similar string of shows to take place in Liverpool in November, alongside IDLES and Nile Rodgers. The dates are in honour of the city being named the world’s first ‘UN Accelerator City’ for climate change, and take place from November 28 to 30. Find out the full details here and pick up remaining tickets here.

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