Falling from grace with dignity is one thing. Mumbling meaningfully, when a sore throat has ruined any notion of clarity and given every breath a sandpaper finish, is another. But Tricky, shaking his head to the industrial grind before wheezing painfully through another indecipherable lyric, is unconcerned. From his ultra-toned physique to his meandering mix of posturing punk and tiresome trip-hop, he is all about self-indulgence.
It wasn't always like this. After featuring as a guest vocalist with Massive Attack, Tricky released his debut effort, Maxinquaye, in 1995 to huge acclaim. But ever since, he has been floundering in a forest of albums packed with dead wood, his genius obscured by his lack of focus. On this year's Vulnerable, he awkwardly embraces pop and rock in a plea for accessibility, coating the angelic vocals of new muse Costanza Francavilla in a film of decay along the way.
Tricky approaches his microphone like a boxer sizing up his opponent, hesitant but eager to get stuck in. His wiry, edgy presence is countered by Francavilla's sultry hippy-chick persona. As the writhing rhythm of XTC's Dear God winds tighter, Tricky rocks back and forth, his passionate movements at odds with his almost inaudible voice. Francavilla can be heard, but her purity becomes an indistinct purr thanks to the terrible mix of sound.
Retro 1980s synths pierce the fat, gnawing bass that blurs each song, deadening any spark. Stay slinks along seductively but never comes alive, and the Cure's Love Cats is reduced to menacing mime as Tricky responds to words only he can hear. Then, in an act of self-abuse, Tricky lets rip with his vocal chords and tears into Give It to 'Em, energetic at last. He shudders to the classic, broken beats of Black Steel before abandoning it in a fit of pique.
When the shuffling, showbiz figure of Lee Scratch Perry appears on stage for an extended jam - Perry mumbling the words to Blue Mink's Melting Pot while Tricky intones his name - it is the first fun moment of the evening. Perry works the crowd with ease, Tricky sidelined but still jiggling, his own satisfaction guaranteed.
