Tricky has a reputation as a live performer, and it isn’t always a good one. In the 30-plus years since Maxinquaye, there have been plenty of stories about shows that went sideways. I had never seen him before, so I jumped at the chance to see his first North American tour in eight years. I walked into the Lincoln Theatre with an open mind, not entirely sure what I was going to get but also ready for anything.
What I got was a show performed almost entirely in the dark. A sparse stage: Tricky, his two featured singers (Marta and Mitch Sanders), a drummer, and a guitarist. And yet the sound was enormous for such a small group. The low end dominated everything, heavy and rumbling, with Tricky’s vocals mixed low, very much on purpose.
During the show, I had to remind myself that Tricky isn’t always the featured player on his own albums. Many of them are showcases for new talent he’s discovered, and that’s exactly how this show played out. If you want a show with Tricky front and center as the focus of attention, you’ll be very disappointed. If you want something with great vibes that is closer to his recorded output, you’ll love it.
At Lincoln Theatre on Oct. 13, Marta and Sanders did the heavy lifting for much of the night, while Tricky stood in the middle of the stage, vibing as much as performing. He spent some songs with his back to the audience, and when he did “sing,” it was barely above a whisper. Sometimes it was barely audible at all. But that’s his thing.
“Black Steel” (his take on Public Enemy’s “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos”) was the track most people were waiting for, and it delivered. Not long after came “Attends,” a new song loaded with heavy drums, which was the first song in the set that Tricky actually performed himself.
Watch the official music video for “Black Steel” by Tricky on YouTube:
Much of the new material from his latest album, Different When It’s Silent, is amazing. “I’m Yours” will definitely be on his Greatest Hits collection when it’s all said and done. Outside of Maxinquaye tracks like “Overcome” and “Aftermath,” I didn’t recognize too many songs in the set, but that didn’t hamper my enjoyment at all.
My biggest complaint: Almost every song in the set ended very suddenly. There would be this great vibe happening and then, boom, it’s over.
This was such a weird show. But in a good way! No one else is doing anything like this. Six days later and I’m still thinking about it.
Was this show actually good? Let’s agree that it was different and unique.
Did I enjoy myself? Absolutely. Parts of it were freaking awesome.
Am I going to spend the next two weeks obsessively picking through the parts of Tricky’s back catalog I’ve ignored up until now? Reader, you know me well.
Setlist: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Here are some photos of Tricky performing at the Lincoln Theatre on Oct.13, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Kyle Gustafson.
