KEY POINTS:
Massive Attack, the Bristol band whose first album became one of the most influential British records of the 1990s, are set to follow in the footsteps of Jarvis Cocker, Patti Smith and David Bowie and curate the Meltdown festival at London's Southbank Centre this summer.
It is the first time a group will have masterminded the arts festival by the banks of the Thames.
In previous years, well known individuals from the world of music have brought their own eclectic tastes to the festival, including John Peel, Morrissey, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Robert Wyatt and Scott Walker.
Massive Attack emerged from the Bristol club scene in the late 1980s and went on to enjoy massive hits with their first album Blue Lines (1991) and later releases such as Mezzanine (1998).
Now featuring Robert Del Naja and Grant Marshall, the group is in the studio working on their fifth album, due for release in September.
The band promises to bring a political edge to the 15th annual Meltdown festival, which starts on 14 June.
In recent years, Massive Attack have become increasingly active politically.
In 2003, they were closely involved with the anti-war movement, working with the Stop the War Coalition, Oxfam and the Red Cross.
Last year, they played two benefit gigs for the Hoping Foundation, a charity offering support to Palestinian refugees throughout the Middle East, and travelled to the Congo with Damon Albarn as part of the Africa Express project, a response to the lack of African acts at Live8.
They are also involved with Clive Stafford Smith's Reprieve organisation, which campaigns for legal representation for prisoners across the world.
The aim of Meltdown is to bring together a diverse group of musicians and artists for nine days of concerts, talks, films and DJ sets.
Massive Attack is well-placed to take on this role, having worked with Madonna, Sinead O'Connor, Tricky, Portishead, Tracey Thorn and Mos Def.
Del Naja and Marshall said: "It's an honour to host Southbank Centre's Meltdown festival and to be in such inspiring company as its previous curators.
"In addition to the music, we want this year's festival to have a strong political and visual element to it to reflect our influences and obsessions. Our aim is to mix it up a bit by instigating collaborations that make sense and probably some that don't."
Jude Kelly, the artistic director of the centre, said: "Like some live, unhinged version of Desert Island Discs, Southbank Centre's Meltdown festival is entirely defined each year by the tastes and interests of the director.
She added: "A globally recognised band with global issues at heart, the very name of this year's director has become a potent symbol of many things, not least an attitude that rejects over-corporatised culture in favour of a radical vision."
Last year, Jarvis Cocker brought together a line-up including Iggy and the Stooges, Motrhead, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Cornershop and the James Bond composer John Barry.
Three years ago, Patti Smith included the musical theatre of Bertolt Brecht featuring Marc Almond, music from Antony and the Johnsons, and art from Yoko Ono.
Glenn Max, producer of contemporary culture at the Southbank Centre, said: "Massive Attack embody the promiscuous intermingling of late 20th century music. Theirs is a world where psychedelia and punk align, where sensual sophistication and urban grit share equal ground. All this would be enough, but equally important, since their earliest days, few artists could throw a better party."
- INDEPENDENT
