Fans left 'crying in airport' after 90s icons scrap gig at last minute
The trip-hop group, first formed in 1988 and consisting of Daddy G and 3D,rose to fame in the 90s with albums Blue Lines and Mezzanine.
Just two hours before doors were scheduled to open at the KunstRasen in Bonn on Monday night, an email was released letting fans know it had been cancelled.
'Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Massive Attack concert has been cancelled today,' the short statement said. 'Tickets can be returned where they were purchased.'
The scheduled concert in Berlin's Spandau Citadel, due to take place tonight (Tuesday, July 8) has also been scrapped.
A similar message appeared on the tour agent's website which read: 'We regret to inform you that tomorrow's Massive Attack show (July 8, 2025) cannot take place due to unforeseen circumstances. Tickets will be cancelled automatically.'
No official announcement has come from Massive Attack themselves, with fans left confused by the sudden silence.
'They cancelled 2 hours before show entrance. Totally disappointing,' lucydreams420 wrote on the band's subreddit.
Critical-War5750 said: 'I'm in Bonn now. Flew in from UK earlier, checked into my hotel, saw updates on here before I got email from TM [Ticketmaster] confirming. At 4pm local time.'
'My girlfriend is currently in the airport and she just saw the news,' added Zizifron. 'She's in tears. I don't know how to calm her.'
'Missed massive attack in 2019 and I wanted to see them so badly that I flew out to Europe just for them to cancel the day before,' shared trollfuneral on X.
'Massive Attack concert cancelled, what the hell do I do in Bonn now?' added privtonio.
'Unprofessional,' slammed Xikon. 'In Bonn, the cancellation announcement came 100 minutes before the gates opened… That's anti-fan!
'They cancelled the Pohoda festival on the 10th so not Germany related I guess,' added ResidualFox as fans discussed potential causes.
Their appearance at Pohoda Festival in Slovakia on July 10 has reportedly been axed; meanwhile, a rescheduled date has been promised for the Bonn show.
Many suspected a band member may have become ill, resulting in the rapid cancellation and inability to share a formal statement.
Critical-War5750 continued: '[If] it's serious illness, then I don't blame at all and wish for speedy recovery. It's annoying tonight, but more important things in life.'
Others speculated that the band's political statements, particularly those supporting Palestine, may have been a factor, especially after the furore surrounding Kneecap and Bob Vylan.
Last year, Massive Attack cancelled all dates on their US tour, again with just days to go. More Trending
The Teardrop musicians were due to headline concerts in New York, Boston, Washington DC and Atlanta but called it all off.
The message, shared on the band's Instagram story at the time, read: 'Due to unforeseen circumstances, Massive Attack must regrettably cancel their upcoming performance at III Points Festival in Miami FL on October 19, as well as their shows in Atlanta GA, Washington DC, Boston MA, and Forest Hills NY.
Metro has reached out to Massive Attack's team for comment.
Got a story?
If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you.
MORE: Rock frontman addresses 'deafening booing' at Black Sabbath's and Ozzy Osbourne's final concert
MORE: 90s TV magician Wayne Dobson dies aged 68 decades after multiple sclerosis diagnosis
MORE: Noel Gallagher's ex Meg Mathews explains why she left Oasis' comeback gig early
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
a day ago
- The National
Patrick Harvie on 10 things that changed his life
From joining the 'rainbow parliament' as an MSP in 2003 on the back of campaigning for the repeal of Section 28, all the way through to gaining a position in the Scottish Government, Harvie's journey in politics has been bigger than he ever could have imagined. You could say it's been a bit like a Tardis … more on that later. We sat down with him to talk about the 10 things that changed his life. 1. Mum's politics and environmentalism GIVEN he did not know he was going to be a Green politician until he was well into his 20s, Harvie would probably not say he was born and bred a Green. But at the start of our conversation, you could be forgiven for thinking it had been his destiny all along. He spoke with pride about his mum Rose and how she embedded in him some of the political beliefs he holds to this day. 'Both my parents, but principally my mum, have been pretty active in making their politics part of how they live in the community, so whether that's a recycling charity or going on CND marches,' he said. READ MORE: First Minister John Swinney on 10 things that changed his life 'My mum was a midwife and there was a young woman who was pregnant who lived in the Faslane peace camp at one point, and so she was giving support that wasn't available elsewhere.' Harvie has fond memories of helping his mum collect newspapers to recycle as part of her own charity, way back when recycling was not integrated into society as it is now. 'This is at a time when local authorities didn't do any recycling, so it was begun by community activism,' he said. 'It was about bringing people together to achieve something collectively.' 2. Doctor Who and sci-fi WHEN you walk into Harvie's office, you are left in no doubt as to how important Doctor Who is to him. There is memorabilia and figurines on the shelves, and throughout our meeting, he drinks tea from his iconic 'Gay Lord' mug, with a multicoloured Tardis on it. He first remembers becoming aware of Doctor Who when the great Tom Baker regenerated into Peter Davison in the early 1980s, but he has always had a sense that the series had actually been with him his whole life. 'Having watched all the old stuff before that, I'm convinced that I watched it and took it in because it's so familiar,' Harvie said. 'Even the music just feels so deeply embedded in my memory as though I must've heard it as a baby.' (Image: NQ) It was love at first sight with Baker, and Harvie considers the Fourth Doctor to be his favourite, though he has a soft spot too for Patrick Troughton, largely because of the mystery behind many of the episodes that are still missing. Harvie's early love of Doctor Who eventually gave rise to a much bigger passion for science fiction in general, and it is difficult not to be sucked in by the way he speaks about its power. 'There is something about telling stories in another worldly way that I think is more powerful in terms of its relevance to today,' he said. 'I've always found that there's something that allows you to tell stories that are difficult to tell if they were set in the real world. 'Star Wars has always been really good and I think not well recognised enough for showing you can have a society where people are absolutely surrounded by technological devices – AI and robots – and yet the vast majority of people are just about scratching a wretched living out of the dirt.' I only dabble in sci-fi from time to time, but after spending time in Harvie's company, I felt like I needed to kick off a Star Wars marathon as a matter of urgency. 3. Science and technology NOT only has sci-fi been a key part of Harvie's life, but he said he has always been encapsulated by science and technology more broadly. He is acutely aware of how much the technological eras we grow up in shape us, and he theorises that he may never have adopted the politics he did had he not grown up in the 1970s and 1980s. 'I live in an era where, as a child, humanity was just starting to learn through our scientific research the scale of damage we're doing to our life support system, and that gave rise to the Green movement,' he said. 'If I'd been born 20 years earlier, that awareness wouldn't have been there.' He continues to be fascinated with how technological advances change our existence on Earth. 'I've often reflected on if you had described smartphones that are in everyone's pocket now when I was a kid reading sci-fi stories, it would have felt like something utopian and incredibly liberating,' he said. 'And yet, it's turned into a bin fire.' 4. Coming out NUMBER four speaks for itself – a moment when Harvie took the brave step as a child of the 1970s and came out. He reflects on how he knew for a long time deep down that a feeling was there, but it took a while to put a name to it, while others took it upon themselves to do so, in quite unpleasant ways. But aged 17, he began going along to the Glasgow Film Theatre where he had to seek out a secret message before hanging out with people like himself. 'I started going to what I would now call an LGBT youth group in Glasgow, at the time I think it still called itself the Strathclyde lesbian and gay youth movement,' he said. (Image: Scottish Greens) 'It was a totally self-organised group of young people, there were no services. If you found out about the existence of this group – and I found out by calling the lesbian and gay switchboard helpline in the middle of the night after my parents had gone to bed – it's going to sound bizarre, but what you had to do was you had to go to the GFT on Rose Street at a particular time and look for someone holding a blue folder. 'Eventually, after I'd been going for a while, I would hang out with the group that would meet there, and you would see folks two or three weeks in a row walking past, looking at you, trying to summon up the courage, and going away again, and eventually saying hello.' 5. Going to university in Manchester ENTER a city which has always been proud of its gay community. Harvie went to university in Manchester where he reminisces that the 'volume was turned up' for him as he set about revelling in his newfound independence just after coming to terms with his sexuality. READ MORE: Author Andrew Meehan on 10 things that changed his life Like so many parts of our conversation, there was a deeply human moment where Harvie told me he didn't come out with a degree and how university had ended up being a bit of a turbulent time for him – but that he wouldn't have changed it. He said: 'I sometimes say Manchester kind of chewed me up and spat me out because when I came back, I was in a bit of a bad way emotionally. 'But if I could go back, I wouldn't make a different choice.' Speaking about leaving without a degree, he added: 'I had an office in the student union, staggering distance from the bar, and at the time, that seemed to matter a bit more.' 6. Campaign to repeal Section 28 HARVIE was not an MSP in the first session of the Scottish Parliament, but my word, did he become involved in one of its very first decisions post-devolution. Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, brought in by Margaret Thatcher's government, stated local authorities in Scotland, England and Wales 'shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality' or promote the teaching of homosexuality 'as a pretended family relationship'. After returning to his parents in Dumbarton after university, Harvie became heavily involved with the campaign to repeal the law in Scotland, something which proved highly contentious in the first session of a parliament just finding its feet. (Image: Scottish Greens) Harvie described the journey as an 'intense whirlwind experience' and was delighted to 'beat the b******s' at the end. And he feels it set out how things were going to be in a devolved Scotland for many years to come. 'It did establish the precedent that the Scottish Parliament was going to start voting the right way on these issues,' he said. 'This new parliament did the right thing the first time it was difficult. That set an expectation where, for about 20 years, the Scottish Parliament never voted the wrong way.' It was the start of Harvie's politics journey, as it wouldn't be long before he became an MSP. 'I joined the Greens because of that experience,' he said. 7. Getting elected HARVIE was elected in 2003 in what was known as the 'rainbow Parliament' when there were seven Greens, six Scottish Socialist Party members, one Scottish Senior Citizens member and several independents alongside the bigger parties of the SNP, Labour, Conservatives and LibDems. Harvie is the only MSP elected at that time that has been there ever since, and I asked him what had kept him in the chamber all this time. (Image: PA) 'I think it has stayed fresh partly because the parliament has changed so much every time,' he reflected. 'Most recently, we had the opportunity to be part of the government as well, so every session has been different, and the political dynamics in Scotland have changed so much, often in unexpected ways.' 8. Learning to make bread AT this point, it would be natural to flow into talking about the Bute House Agreement that gave Harvie and his fellow co-leader, Lorna Slater, the opportunity to be the first Green government ministers in the UK. But just before we get to that, Harvie was keen to talk to me about his love for making bread. 'There's something so wholesome about making a loaf of bread,' he told me. 'There's something so basic and tactile about it, it's like playing with plasticine but it turns into food.' READ MORE: 10 things that changed my life with composer Gareth Williams Alongside Doctor Who, number eight evoked the child that clearly still lives in this experienced political brain. Harvie tells me the book Slow Bread For Busy Lives by Andrew Whitley is what really opened up the world of bread making for him and allowed him to fit it around being at Holyrood. 'I'm in Edinburgh usually Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, so the rest of the week I've got at home, so I can make a loaf on a Friday and eat that over the weekend. It's a really nice pattern to be in,' he said. 9. Bute House Agreement THE Bute House Agreement (BHA) was a huge moment for the Scottish Greens after the 2021 election, when first minister Nicola Sturgeon invited Harvie and Slater to be government ministers. Harvie felt the Greens had worked hard to make an impact in Parliament, working to collaborate with other parties where there was common ground, and pushing the boundaries where required, and he felt that was valued by Sturgeon and her deputy John Swinney. (Image: PA) 'To be the first Green Party in any of the UK nations to go into government was a huge step forward,' he said. 'Every Green campaigner who has ever knocked on a door will tell you they've heard people say 'I like what you stand for, but you're never going to get in, so I'm going to vote for someone else'. This was our moment to say Greens can actually deliver change.' As we all know, the agreement abruptly ended in 2023, which eventually led to the resignation of Humza Yousaf as first minister. There were tears, hurt and anger right across the party. But time is a healer, and Harvie still manages to look back on that period positively, and remains open to the Greens being involved in government again if the price is right. He went on: 'I want Greens to be able to make a difference, and make the biggest impact we can, for people and planet. 'I think what we had with the BHA was very consistent with our principles, it was very consistent with our track record of seeking the common ground and expanding it, so if we had an opportunity that's similar, then it will allow us to do far more.' 10. Getting a heart bypass EARLIER this year, Harvie had to take a bit of time off from politics, and he revealed to me why in an emotional finish to our chat. After experiencing chest pains in the previous year and going through tests, it was concluded he would need a heart bypass. I could sense a wee bit of emotion in his voice as he talked about the 'miracles' people work in the NHS, even under immense pressure. 'Everyone knows the NHS is under incredible pressure, but it was very clear to me that even under that pressure, people are doing scientific miracles every day,' he said. 'At the time, I was doing my best not to think about the gory details, I was thinking they're going to put me to sleep and then I'll wake up and start getting better, but if you do think about it, physically what they've done – shutting down your higher brain functions for a while so they can do stuff that would be agonising if you were awake, stopping your heart long enough to do the work – and less than a week later I walked out the hospital. 'I'm incredibly grateful to the folk at the Golden Jubilee in Clydebank. It's just a reminder of how lucky we are to live in a country with a national health service."
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Daily Mail
Book festival boss criticised over lack of invite for authors of gender critical books
The boss of Scotland's biggest book festival has provoked fury after claiming the authors of best selling gender critical books have not been invited to take part because the issue is too divisive. Edinburgh International Book Festival Chief Executive Jenny Niven told a complainer: 'We do not want to be in a position that we are creating events for spectacle or sport, or raising specific people's identity as a subject of debate.' The event, part funded by public cash, features 700 authors from 35 different countries across the world but has been criticised for ignoring gender critical voices in the books and speakers it is promoting. The event's theme this year is 'Repair', suggesting an open forum for receiving conflicting views, potentially leading to some form of consensus. One woman, who bought almost £300 of tickets, questioned why the EIBF had ignored one of Scotland's most significant books from last year, The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht, but was platforming queer and trans writers and speakers. In an email response, the CEO said: 'We appreciate you taking the time to write to us, and acknowledge that you feel that we've missed the mark in this situation. 'As you would know as an audience member, we work very hard to ensure that the conversations that happen on our stages are rigorous, informed and fair. 'As you can see from the range of other challenging topics addressed in the programme, we don't shy away from difficult conversation. 'However, at present, the tenor of the discussion in the media and online on this particular subject feels extremely divisive. 'We do not want to be in a position that we are creating events for spectacle or sport, or raising specific people's identity as a subject of debate.' It added: 'Given the inflammatory tone of a great deal of media – on all 'sides' of this discussion – we did not feel it to be the right move for us to host a conversation which appeared to pit the rights of one minoritised group against another.' Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon - a fierce advocate of gender-ID policy - has been handed a speaking slot at the Festival, which runs until 24 August, to launch her as yet unpublished autobiography, 'Frankly'. Her former Chief of Staff Liz Lloyd became a director of the event earlier this year. The authors of 'The Women Who Wouldn't Wheesht', Susan Dalgety and Lucy Hunter Blackburn said they doubted whether Ms Niven had even read their bestselling book. Ms Dalgety said: 'If she had, she would know it is neither divisive nor inflammatory. It's a significant book which captures an important period in Scotland's recent political and cultural life through the voices of more than 30 women. 'It is thoughtful, at times challenging but always respectful. We are disappointed therefore that we were not given the opportunity to discuss it in our own city. 'But if EIBF does not want to hear our voices, perhaps they will heed the words of John Swinney (the First Minister) who last week said our society is healthier when we can all express our views particularly on issues of the greatest sensitivity. 'By cancelling us, the book festival has failed in one of its core principals – to provide a platform for nuanced conversations between people with diverse views and experiences.' The Book Festival said they did have gender critical authors involved but did not name them. A spokeswoman said: 'The Edinburgh International Book Festival is committed to hosting a broad range of nuanced and informed conversations. 'Our 2025 programme includes authors with a diverse range of perspectives on many subjects. 'In this year's festival, authors who hold gender-critical views and authors who are trans are both represented in the programme. 'However, the focus of their events is on their specific books and literary work, including fiction, rather than on the topic of gender politics. 'While our festival theme of 'repair' is broad, programming a major festival requires difficult choices about which big themes to cover in-depth. 'For this year, we have chosen to prioritise other important conversations related to repair, such as geopolitics.'
Daily Mirror
4 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Massive Attack, Kneecap and more fight back on 'organised censorship' from music industry
Massive Attack, Kneecap, Fontaines D.C. and Brian Eno have formed an alliance to protect artists openly supportive of Palestine from censorship and intimidation from the music industry The British band Massive Attack have formed an alliance for artists who are facing intimidation from within the music industry over their support of Palestine and Gaza. The collective known as Ethical Syndicate Palestine (ESP) is supported by Kneecap, Fontaines D.C. and Brian Eno and cites 'organised censorship' of artists who have spoken out about Israel 's military action. The statement shared by Massive Attack and others on Instagram reads: 'The scenes in Gaza have moved beyond description. We write as artists who've chosen to use our public platforms to speak out against the genocide occurring there and the role of the UK government in facilitating it.' In their statement, ESP alleges accounts of organised intimidation: 'We're aware of the scale of aggressive, vexatious campaigns operated by [UK Lawyers for Israel] UKLFI and of multiple individual incidences of intimidation within the music industry itself, designed solely to censor and silence artists from speaking their hearts and minds.' In a statement to The Mirror, Caroline Turner, Director of UKLFI, wrote: "The claims that we have bullied Massive Attack and operated aggressive vexations campaigns are false." She further describes Massive Attack's June 2025 performance at Lido Festival as "divisive and offensive political theatre." READ MORE: Massive Attack slam 'unethical' Barclays and demand removal of adverts at venue before gig ESP singled out UKLFI in their statement, accusing the association of intimidating artists. In their ESP Instagram posts, Brian Eno, Kneecap and Massive Attack all tagged the activist group Led By Donkeys, which released a film on July 17, 2025 calling for an investigation into UKLFI's charitable wing. Turner says UKLFI responded to Led by Donkeys before they screened their film and contends that their allegations mainly concerned UKLFI Ltd, which is not a charity, rather than UKLFI Charitable Trust. In recent months, UKLFI reported the band Bob Vylan to the police for leading a chant of 'death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces]' during their Glastonbury set. It also reported the BBC for broadcasting the set and wrote to the Academy of Music Group advising them to cancel Vylan's Radar Festival performance. Mr Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh (aka Mo Chara), a member of the music trio Kneecap, was charged with a terrorism offence in May 2025 after being reported to the police by UKLFI. Mr Ó hAnnaidh will appear at court for the next hearing on August 20, 2025. UKLFI wrote to all the UK venues where Kneecap was due to perform over the summer, to warn them of the risks of allowing them to perform. The musicians of ESP say their goal is to protect other artists, particularly those at early stages of their careers. 'Having withstood these campaigns of attempted censorship, we won't standby & allow other artists – particularly those at earlier stages of their careers or in other positions of professional vulnerability – to be threatened into silence or career cancellation. 'In this spirit, we encourage artists who've been placed in this position, or those who now wish to use their platforms to talk about Palestine, but are concerted about industrial or legal repercussions to contact us,' their statement reads. The syndicate also urges artists to make a stand on demands including immediate unfettered access to Gaza for recognised aid agencies, an end to UK arms sales and licences to Israel, and an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Artists including Paloma Faith, Bob Vylan, Aja Monet, Saul Williams, and AURORA all commented expressions of support on Instagram. Paloma Faith wrote: 'I've been shadow banned for some time!!! Keep going everyone, it's going to eventually change! Hang in there'. The Scottish rock band Garbage have also publicly joined the syndicate. The Mirror has reached out to the Ethical Syndicate Palestine for comment. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
