Tricky

Wandering up from the tender-hearted, ramshackle fun of The Breeders into Tricky’s set is sort of akin to trading Alton Towers for an outer circle of Hell. Occasionally it further descends into chillout horrorshow (lady vocalist Costanza Francavilla has all the presence of an empty pint pot) but so long as Adrian Thaw holds court this is spine-tingling, an object lesson in theatrical intensity and infernal charisma. This would render Tricky's recent on-record attempts to show his humanity laughable, were the nighmarish figure stalking his band and growling through his abdomen in any way comical; just a shame it’s been a decade since he’s been able to capture but an echo of this on tape.

AL