24 September, 2026; The murky, shadow-drenched realm of trip-hop has always thrived in the dark, but Tricky turned that darkness into a literal stage design at The Bellwether on 24 September. Marking his first US tour in eight years, the Bristol pioneer proved his hypnotic pull remains as potent as ever. Given that Tricky has always occupied an uncompromising, cult space rather than embracing commercial, mainstream radio, an artist who famously never quite “broke America” in the traditional sense, the large turnout in Los Angeles was a welcome sight.
A dense, eager crowd packed the room, complete with a merch queue stretching deep into the foyer well before set time, and deep into the concert hall upon the culmination of the performance. Inside the hall, the atmosphere immediately set a strict tone. Overhead lighting was kept to a faint, static violet glow that barely pierced the gloom, keeping the stage heavily shadowed. Dressed entirely in black, Tricky was less a traditional frontman and more a phantom haunting the margins, while long-time vocalist Marta and ‘Different When It’s Silent’ vocalist Mitch Sanders stood alongside him to deliver the melodic heavy lifting.
The 19-song set leaned generously on recent material, including six cuts from ‘Different When It’s Silent’, but the room erupted whenever the iconic sub-bass and trip-hop grooves of his landmark 1995 debut ‘Maxinquaye’ emerged. “Black Steel” landed with direct, industrial crunch, sending a visible wave of energy through the crowd. Yet true to Tricky’s unpredictable nature, classic tracks were boldly re-imagined. On legendary cuts like “Aftermath” and “Overcome,” he opted out of his original vocal verses entirely, letting Marta’s eerie, haunting tones float above sparse, dub-heavy arrangements.
Tricky’s physical presence was electric whenever he chose to step forward. During “Here My Dear,” he shed his shadowy posture, strutting across the boards with a coiled, restless intensity that held the room captive. Knowing the tragedy that befell his family in 2019, this performance, and the song’s lyrics, were especially poignant. The musical depth of the night extended through standout guest highlights like Marta’s commanding lead performance on “Way Up In” and a brilliant cover of Young Magic’s “Lucien.” The latter featured a hypnotic, repeating vocal loop in the background, drawing a striking stylistic parallel to Radiohead’s “Everything in Its Right Place.”
Throughout the performance, banter was kept to a minimum; Tricky broke his enigmatic silence only three or four times to offer brief, raspy words of thanks, eventually taking a moment to introduce his backing ensemble before the finale.
For the encore, the group pushed the tension to its absolute breaking point. After the delicate, slow-burning beauty of “Piano” and “Nothing’s Changed”, the show climaxed with a chaotic, triumphant rendition of “Vent.” For the first time all night, the dim purple glow gave way to flashing, high-intensity strobes. Through the frantic bursts of light, the audience finally caught vivid, flickering glimpses of Tricky pacing the stage in full view. It was a thrilling payoff to a masterclass in mood, tension, and shadow—proving that eight years away haven’t dimmed his singular edge one bit. This was a Tricky show, and it was always going to be done Tricky’s way.
Setlist;
01. I’m Not Going (with Marta)
02. Move Me (Lonely Guest song, with Marta)
03. Because I Don’t Know (with Mitch Sanders)
04. Out of Place (with Marta)
05. I’m Yours (with Mitch Sanders)
06. I Tried (with Marta)
07. Black Steel (with Marta)
08. I Still See Me There (with Mitch Sanders)
09. Here My Dear
10. Aftermath (with Marta)
11. Attends (new song, with Marta)
12. Overcome (with Marta)
13. Way Up In (Marta song)
14. Pumpkin
15. Tribal Drums (with Marta)
————————————-
16. Piano (with Mitch Sanders)
*17. Lucien (Young Magic song, with Marta)
18. Nothing’s Changed (with Marta)
19. Vent (with Marta)
Leave a Comment