Massive Attack came out of hibernation in 2024, playing their first shows since 2019’s Mezzanine XXI tour (though their US shows ended up getting canceled), which have included a few special UK dates, dubbed Act 1.5, “to help decarbonise live music at a rate compatible with the critical Paris 1.5 agreement commitments.” Those shows were 100% powered by renewable energy and the band claim they are the lowest carbon footprint shows of their size to date, and they are encouraging other groups to do the same.
Robert Del Naja, aka 3D, and longtime collaborator Mark Donne sat down with NME before their Act 1.5 concert in Liverpool to talk about what they’re trying to do about the climate crisis and more. They said they turned down Coachella 2025 because of climate crisis issues. “It’s a golf resort built on a desert, run on a sprinkler system, using public water supplies,” Del Naja said. “Mental. If you want to see something that’s the most ludicrous bit of human behaviour – it’s right there.”
He also isn’t interested in the Sphere or other Las Vegas residencies. “It’s a head-scratcher, the artists in Vegas residency thing, because that’s an aviation destination. You can’t get to Vegas [without flying]. So if you’re doing a couple years in Vegas, you are the catalyst for all those scope 3 emissions [indirect emissions created by a company or activity] by playing. You can’t say it’s nothing to do with me, you’re in fucking Vegas, right?.”
They also revealed that one artist who is interested in lowering the carbon footprint of their tour is Billie Eilish whose team they say have have reached out to them for help, possibly offering train discounts for her UK tour.
The subject of the canceled US shows did not come up but NME did ask them about new music.”We do have some new music which we’ve been sitting on for four years… dispute at the label – that’s a different article altogether. Hopefully we’re going to be able to release it next year and do some gigs.”
Read the whole interview at NME.