Under the glow of the Eden Project biomes the soulful bass tunes of Massive Attack engulfed the night air.

The mega band from Bristol scored a first at Eden, being the only act to play two back-to-back gigs at the Eden Sessions last weekend, June 15 and 16.

These were also their only UK outdoor shows of 2018 and everyone inside was so happy to be there at the sell-out gigs.

The groundbreaking Massive Attack has diversified over the years. Core members Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja and Grant ‘Daddy G’ Marshall were at Eden, now owning Cornwall’s premier music stage.

The show, designed by Del Naja and United Visual Artists, was a visual feast with constant messages in lights on the back wall, including inane comments from President Trump and Nigel Farage and a moment-by-moment chilling dialogue of a drone attack. Projected faces of children caught up in conflicts around the world underlined the banality of such simple conversations, which can have such devastating effects.

The sound was nothing short of stunning, filling the Eden ampitheatre with hypnotic bass. Onstage collaborations with support acts Young Fathers and Azekel were fun and furious. There was some less crowd-pleasing later material but the best was to come with their early 90’s hits Safe From Harm and anthemic Unfinished Sympathy. Standing next to my son at Eden, more than 20 years since I sang Safe From Harm to him as a lullaby, was a moment for the memory box of life.

The gig was preceded by an illuminating bunch of thought-provoking talks in the Mediterranean Biome.

An amalgamation of Massive Attack and the Legacy of War Foundation brought five speakers in for 15-minute talks. South Devon’s own Lucy Siegle spoke about turning the tide on plastic; refugee Hassan Akkad on the unbearable state in Syria; Nimco Ali on ending FGM in Somaliland and beyond; Eden founder Sir Tim Smit on healing the world and spreading the Eden message; and photographer Giles Duley on founding the Legacy of War Foundation.

In the 17th year of the Eden Sessions the iconic Eden Project scored yet another top event which will be remembered for many years to come.