GIG REVIEWS

Tricky
@ The Junction, Cambridge
9th July 2001
www.vanguard-online.co.uk

 If Tricky was a swimmer, a freestyle medley would be the best way to describe his ever changing, genre-bending approach to all things beat-orientated. Tonight at the Junction was to be no exception. Where once there was ear-candy trip-hop now we have what can best be described as mullet-funk. Laugh not, but a lead-guitarist sporting a Slash-style hair-do and an equal amount of air-guitaring was a main focus of attention for this Cambridge gig. In an opening track, Slash-man ingeniously riffed away at The Ace of Spades lead hook whilst Tricky transformed the whole song away from Motorhead into something wickely indefinable. Fair enough, you might say, to indulge in such experimentation for a track or two. Thing is, the whole set was fuelled by moshed-up power chords. OK. Cool. Tricky'll always do things in his uniquely Tricky-esque way. And the way he maniacally rapped into the mike and danced like a pnuematic drill on benzenrine was an awesome sight to behold. Tricky's stage presence is as fierce and hypnotic as ever and classic tracks like Pumpkin and Vent went down a storm. But the overall impression from the crowd was one of impression and confusion in equal measure. It's always good to push musical boundaries but there's always a danger with Tricky that self-indulgence can outweigh his undoubted genius. Mullet-rock fused with breakbeat, is this going just a tad too far on the indulgence side?

Cabs