A few words about MA and Glastonbury...

With all these articles about "black" artists and "black" music at Glastonbury Festival (official), this book would like to remind that Massive Attack performed at the Festival 4 times, the first as early as 1995. 

Later with Jools Holland: Courtney Love, Massive Attack, Everything But The Girl, Marianne Faithful 

They were then invited to the "Dance Tent" because their music was supposedly not fit for the main stage. Yet Portishead, who had just released their first album 'Dummy' (always classified in the same genre as MA but with no black member) were last minute invited to be on the main stage, which they refused...

The introduction of the Dance Tent turned out to be a major success, featuring Massive Attack but also System 7 and Eat Static, and opening the way for new genres and artists at Glastonbury.

Tricky also performed on the Jazz Stage:

MA came back in 1997 with a completely transformed show, which was a reflection of the complete metamorphosis through the maze of 'Mezzanine'.

In 2008, they performed with two unexpected vocalist: Stephanie Dosen and Yolanda Carter, today know as Yola. 

Here is a extract of their fantastic set, in a very rich year for the band.... (Read more about it in the 12th chapter of my book, 'Out of the Comfort Zone': https://www.amazon.co.uk/Massive-Attack-Out-Comfort-Zone/dp/1910089729)

They last performed in 2014 with two other "black" artists, Deborah Miller and the very Bristolian and sublimely talented Martina Topley Bird. And of course, Horace Andy everytime, as well as Daddy G and Mushroom, in 1995.

I guess what they were trying to do all these years was to blur the lines between genres, labels, and references to their "colours". To play as themselves. A task that is becoming incredibly difficult nowadays...

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You can read more about Stormzy and Skin at Glastonbury here:

"Skunk Anansie frontwoman Skin says she loves Stormzy but that the recent dispute over who the first black British headliner of Glastonbury is not the first time she’s been overlooked."

https://www.nme.com/news/music/skunk-anansies-skin-loves-stormzy-but-says-recent-glastonbury-dispute-is-not-the-first-time-shes-been-overlooked-2523552