Trip-hop innovators Massive Attack will headline a North American club tour this fall, beginning with a Sept. 3 date in Miami Beach and wrapping up Sept. 27 in Los Angeles.

This news follows the announcement that the Bristol, England-based trio has abandoned the opening-act slot on the summer American tour by British rockers The Verve.

Starting in the South and crawling up along the Eastern Seaboard, the 18-date tour in support of Massive Attack's latest album, Mezzanine, will shoot north for a pair of Canadian dates before trekking across the Midwest and ending up on the California coast.

The Verve tour would have brought Massive Attack to a number of arena-sized venues, whereas the fall tour is scheduled for a series of 2,000- to 3,000-capacity clubs.

Widely credited with sparking the trip-hop craze with their seminal LP, Blue Lines (1991), Massive Attack currently comprise Daddy G, Mushroom and 3-D. The ensemble formerly featured Tricky, who spun off into a critically acclaimed solo career.

Paul Tollett, owner of Golden Voice, a Los Angeles-based promotions firm, said he booked Massive Attack for a Sept. 27 date at the Hollywood Palladium based on seeing the threesome play a previous gig in L.A. "The last time they played at the American Legion Hall, it was one of the greatest shows," he said. "It'll be a great show no matter where they are."

Meanwhile, 18-year-old fan Darren Korte of Chicago, a.k.a. 3darren (in honor of Massive Attack member 3-D), expressed his excitement at the band coming to America.

"I can't wait to see Massive Attack live," Korte wrote in an e-mail. "My favorite thing about Massive Attack is how their music has changed from the beginning, and how it always sounds new and fresh, even though Blue Lines is 7 years old. Mezzanine is more of a rock-ish album, but it still has the beats that made Massive Attack so great."

Massive Attack Tour Dates:

Sept. 3; Miami Beach, Fla., Cameo Theatre

Sept. 4; Tampa, Fla., Ritz Theater

Sept. 6; Atlanta, Ga., Roxy Theatre

Sept. 9; Raleigh, N.C., Ritz Theater

Sept. 10; Washington, D.C., 9:30 Club

Sept. 11; Philadelphia, Pa., Electric Factory

Sept. 12; New York, N.Y., Hammerstein Ballroom

Sept. 14; Boston, Mass., Avalon

Sept. 15; Montreal, Que., Metropolis

Sept. 16; Toronto, Ont., Warehouse

Sept. 18; Pontiac, Mich., Clutch Cargo

Sept. 19; Chicago, Ill., Vic Theatre

Sept. 20; Minneapolis, Minn., First Avenue

Sept. 22; Denver, Colo., Ogden Theatre

Sept. 24; Seattle, Wash., Paramount Theatre

Sept. 25; Portland, Ore., or Vancouver, B.C., To Be Announced

Sept. 26; San Francisco, Calif., Warfield

Sept. 27; Los Angeles, Calif., Hollywood Palladium