Music
14 Jun 25

Massive Attack show solidarity with Palestine and Ukraine at Mallorca Live Festival, plus Suede and Bikôkô woo the crowd

Massive Attack by Andres Iglesias

The Wild Bunch were at their dark, dangerous best on day two of the festival

Massive Attack gigs have always been dark, sometimes angry affairs but the mood tonight is one of barely contained fury at the scenes of slaughter that are being beamed daily into our homes - and on to giant screens at Spanish music festivals.

"This whole show is in solidarity with the Palestinian people and those aiding them in their struggle, like here in Spain," says Robert '3D' Del Naja, referencing the fact that the country's prime minister Pedro Sanchez and his government have officially recognised Palestine as a state.

He also decries Israel cutting the remaining internet and phone services in Gaza, which means that they're now even more on their own.

After kicking off with 'Risingson', Massive give an early touch of the ball to their 'collaborator-in-chief' Horace Andy, the legendary reggae man whose vibrato on 'Girl I Love You' is a thing of fluttering beauty.

Also putting goosepimples on your goosepimples is Elizabeth Fraser's pitch perfect rendition of 'Black Milk', which is accompanied by footage of the devastation in Gaza and Ukraine and the despots responsible for it.

Scoring highest on the boo-ometer is Benjamin Netanyahu followed in joint second by Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin who should probably all take Magaluf off their possible holiday destination list.

Elsewhere, the Wild Bunch's considerable ire is directed at Elon Musk, Barclays Bank and cobalt mining companies in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Talking of ethical practices, the festival organisers had to present Massive with their green sustainability programme before they agreed to play Mallorca Live Festival.

"I didn't come here for a political lecture, I'm off", a gammony Brit leans over and tells me. No plans are made to meet later and have a cocktail together.

His premature departure means that he misses Massive's pummeling of Ultravox!'s 'ROckWrok', which is a reminder of their Bristolian punk roots.

Before you ask, no, the band haven't broken their almost ten year moratorium on writing new music.

Given how insanely creative they were in the past, it'd be a shame if they turn into what the music industry politely calls a heritage act.

Any negativity in this reviewer's mind evaporates when the force of nature that is Sister Deborah wraps her tonsils round 'Safe From Harm' and 'Unfinished Sympathy', two more songs born of hurt and despair but yet strangely and wonderfully inspiring.

Earlier in the night I get to spend some quality time with Barcelona neo soulster Bikôkô who's just returned home after a productive spell in London.

Her band includes her guitar-playing dad who's responsible for his daughter's early introduction to Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, which is what I call quality parenting.

Trace elements of all three can be found in slow, atmospheric groovers like 'The Other' and 'Feel Like' which also nod to her Cameroonian heritage and exploration of Tanzanian, Ghanaian and Nigerian chants and rhythms.

Already a successful model, she oozes quiet charisma, has a velvetine voice and beguiles the early evening crowd who gradually drift her way and leave Bikôkô converts.

FKA twigs, Erykah Badu and Bjork are a few names that spring to mind, but really the Catalan is doing her own thing. As for the coolness levels, well, they're off the scale...

Read all about Bikôkô in an upcoming issue of Hot Press.

That picture in the attic is definitely working for Suede's Brett Anderson who's more fresh faced than anyone who spent the Britpop years comprehensively out of it has a right to be.

The early set double-whammy of 'Trash' and 'Animal Nitrate' confirm his voice to be in just as good nick, with high notes comprehensively hit and 7,000 or 8,000 eager backing singers joining in.

'The Drowners' marks his first foray into the adoring masses who know every word to every song including Autofiction newbie 'She Still Leads Me On'. N.B. There's no mass running to the bar when the latter is played.

I'm forever fascinated by guitarist and keys man Richard Oakes who still looks like a member of Iron Maiden who's mistakenly wandered onto the wrong stage.

Sung by Brett whilst in the prone position, 'The 2 Of Us' is the melodramatic showstopper it's always been and rarely has 'Beautiful Ones' sounded so celebratory and full of youthful spunk.

Tonight's speed gigging includes Niños Bravos, a Madrid four-piece with a penchant for footy shirts who are all shuddering Pixies-esque riffs one moment, Weezer-style quirkiness and jangle the next; Maika Makovski whose head must be melting in her Mozart wig and at various points in her ebullient set reminds me of PJ Harvey, Anna Calvi and Sinéad O’Connor; and C Turtle, a fuzzbox abusing London combo whose ‘Expensive Thrills’ exhibits the same half-sung/half-spoken indie archness as Wet Leg, but at twice the decibel level.

Bringing down the Friday night curtain at Mallorca Live Festival are Rigoberta Bandini, an arena-filling Barcelona band lead by actress Paula Ribó whose sonic palette is as broad as it comes.

Over 90 hugely entertaining minutes, we get '60s pop pastiche, smouldering Latino ballads, banging techno, Pussy Riot-style spikiness, Eurovision-inspired comedy skits and a costume change roughly every four songs. Flanked by a troupe of lookalike backing singers and dancers, Ribó herself comes on like a Barbie-fied Eva Perón and has tongue so firmly planted in cheek that surgery may be required.

Some of the people standing near me are horrified, but for me Rigoberta Bandini are among the weekend's biggest triumphs.