Godspeed You! Black Emperor isn’t a mystery to the Greek fans. The post rock/drone masters have visited a lot of times Greece and the ones, who had been present at one of the band’s live expeditions, know what to expect from this strange artistic collective. All the others shall discover something special and extraordinary. Because Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s live shows aren’t just concerts, they are unique audio-visual experiences. But let’s recall what happened last Saturday night!
by Dimitris Zacharopoulos
Floyd was the place where the phenomenon would take place. The beautiful venue was packed with fans, since two hours before the beginning of the show a sold-out had been announced. That’s not news; the Greek audience has shown that it appreciates and understands this band and its singular style.
When Mat Ball, the opening artist, made his appearance on stage, all applauded him and watched with curiosity his musical experiments. Mat Ball’s personal approach towards electric guitar made his – solo guitar – performance very interesting. Yet you could tell by the look in our eyes that we anticipated Godspeed You! Black Emperor to hit the stage. Mat Ball, under a fading light, deconstructed his compositions and you could say that he prepared us well for the headliners.
And they were on time, they took their seat on stage and started the sonic ritual. As often, they began with “Hope Drone” and we all drowned in the vast oceans of consciousness. With analog visuals on the big screen behind them, with gentle, low lights on them and almost without any words, the eight musicians took us in their strange world, which goes beyond conventional music. Their art is immersive, their soundscapes are both serene and deviant, they convey social and political messages. Their longform songs are built with patience and calmness, their melodies are twisted, their tempos are quiet and mad at the same time. Godspeed You! Black Emperor offer us sick symphonies of sound and noise, their river of musical notes flows with perpetual turns, they construct sonic miracles without following any rules and/or norms. Of course, their new album, “No Title As Of 13 February 2024 28,340 Dead”, is a powerful anti-war speech and the Greek fans chanted in support of Palestinians, when the band from Montreal, Quebec, played songs from this new release. The multi-layered performance of Godspeed You! Black Emperor ended with “The Sad Mafioso”, which was the glorious crescendo of their phenomenal artistic praxis. The whole event was a sonic delirium, a multi-faceted live act, etched on our heart and mind. For sure, the end of it was cathartic, a musical remedy of the listeners’ soul.
Having received Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s treatment, we exited Floyd, facing the cold air and feeling so full and mature inside. We had witnessed an adventurous live show, a simultaneous construction and deconstruction of musical entities. I would like to thank the band for driving us crazy for another time. I smile, I think, I feel, I cry, on and on. Am I going insane?
