Massive Attack. Formed in Bristol in 1988 out of the Wild Bunch sound-system collective: Robert '3D' Del Naja, Grant 'Daddy G' Marshall, Andrew 'Mushroom' Vowles and Adrian 'Tricky' Thaws. They effectively invented the moody, bass-heavy, sample-built sound the world came to call trip-hop, with Blue Lines (1991), Protection (1994) and Mezzanine (1998). 'Safe From Harm' opens Blue Lines. It's built on bass, guitar and drums sampled from Billy Cobham's 'Stratus', carried by singer Shara Nelson, who also sang lead on the same album's 'Unfinished Sympathy.' Massive Attack became the first band to commit their touring operation to the UN 'Race to Zero' emissions reduction schedule, and their 'Act 1.5' Bristol show on 24 August 2024 ran on 25 separate carbon-cutting measures, including venue power from renewable energy only and plant-based food only. They played their first shows in five years in June 2024, and in April 2026 put out 'Boots on the Ground,' featuring Tom Waits.
From the notes for Episode 10 · fact-checked Oct 4, 2026.
