Massive Attack's Bristol Bank Holiday gig powered by Ecotricity

Rock legends Massive Attack played Bristol, their home city, at the weekend... powered by green energy.

The all-day show trialled new standards for the decarbonisation of live music and the event marked the culmination of 25 years of climate activism by the band, and the first practical outing after years of collaboration with climate scientists and analysts. 

Act 1.5 is the band's large-scale climate action accelerator event that saw Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall play their first concert on UK soil in five years.

Britain's festival scene burns millions of litres of diesel annually just to make electricity. That worried Massive Attack. So during Covid the group commissioned research into how to achieve low carbon live music.

The research was produced by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research – a specialist body that brings together scientists, engineers, economists and social scientists to accelerate society’s transition to a sustainable low carbon future and avert climate catastrophe. 

The group worked with industrialist Dale Vince and Ecotricity to design and supply batteries to power the event.

Ecotricity's team Gridfairies has also powered events at Glastonbury and WOMAD this summer (Gridfairies itself is a collaboration between Ecotricity and A Greener Future, and is all about driving diesel out of festivals and events.

Massive Attack says it's pleased that the UK music industry now has a comprehensive, independent, and scientifically produced formula to facilitate its own compatibility with the Paris/1.5 degrees climate targets. "Given the unique profile, reach and emotional resonance of our art form, it’s crucial that live events lead the way in these urgent developments, and that as a sector overall our actions match our words. As the report states: 'Only a material and fundamental shift in practices and technology globally can prevent catastrophic climate change. How live music stakeholders and the industry as a whole embrace climate action is a part of this global response'." 

The Band adds: "Too often carbon reduction targets can seem overwhelming or unattainable, but we know from our own experience of band travel via rail (achieving an instant 31 per cent reduction overall in the most carbon intensive band activity) and the availability, now, of biogas HGV technology that offers 90-95 per cent GHG emissions reductions – that immediate action is possible. And our own discussions with renewable power providers and transport operators demonstrate more existing opportunities for positive change."

The full Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research roadmap can be found here