Massive Attack v Adam Curtis at Manchester International Festival

Massive Attack have long been one of the most innovative and atmospheric bands. Now they've collaborated with controversial artist and documentary maker Adam Curtis for Manchester International Festival over a series of dates in July at Mayfield Depot.

I've been a fan of Adam Curtis ever since BBC 2 showed The Trap: What Happened To Our Dream of Freedom back in 2007. It was both inspiring and terrifying. A scrapbook of video footage to depict how the Yugoslavian War was used by Tony Blair in a Machiavellian way to become a hero and secure another term in office.

Ever since then, I've gone out of my way to read his BBC blogs and watch all his other documentaries. All of which are fascinating and leave you trusting nothing. So when the opportunity came up to see him live together with Massive Attack, it was a double whammy of a no-brainer.

We headed to Mayfield Depot, what looks like an abandoned Victorian factory near Manchester Piccadilly's industrial area. We were ushered into a room, no one really knowing what was going on. Lots of bewildered glances towards each other before all the lights were turned off and huge 360 screens showed a film of the Siberian punk movement and New York socialists. It showed how politics plays a part in every aspect of our lives and how we might not know it, but we're being controlled.

The whole event was an assault. The dirty, derelict surroundings of the factory and the haunting vocals of Liz Fraser added to the documentary that was telling us that our lives are not our own. Most of the music wasn't Massive Attack's. They're still on the hitlist to see live. They performed a series of covers to the standard Curtis style of documentary making.

At the end, we were ushered out through the dark rooms of the factory lined with scary looking security and barking dogs. Making it feel like I was in Area 51 or a Soviet Gulag. It was the perfect ending to mind-expanding journey.