I used to listen to post-rock bands like “Godspeed You! Black Emperor” as a curiosity piece, wondering what the end of the world might sound like. Now that we’re firmly planted in what feels like the beginning of a dystopia, seeing this band live made it all a bit too viscerally real.
Last night the Montreal natives emerged to a hero’s welcome, but game faces remained on. Their aesthetic as serious artists isn’t so much consciously cultivated as it is simply who they are.
This deeply intense, spellbinding music is purposely designed to take you within inches of sensory overload, but never a step further. The sound was superb. Even though it was extremely loud, you could hear every single nuance from each musician. I didn’t expect the drummer to sound like John Bonham or Cozy Powell live – it was a truly massive sound.
Their music may seem formless to the uninitiated, but these compositions are extremely well-thought-out. The arrangements are lush and dense, and there are time signature changes galore. One piece oscillated between 7/4 and 4/4 time. It notably took an hour for a major chord to be heard.
The eight-piece ensemble was arranged in a semicircle, as a sort of musical communion. There were no extravagant outfits. There was no banter with the audience between songs. It was entirely about the music. And the visuals.
Initially in black and white, we saw rural landscapes, then empty buildings with no windows, followed by scenes of the New York Stock Exchange, meant to show the futility of money and material desires in the grand scheme of things.
The screen eventually morphed into colour. There were fires, birds in freefall, airplanes in freefall. Then an amusement park with a Ferris wheel as a time lapse, and water being sprayed at what seemed like the last protesters. It was all so powerful.
I was admittedly ready to bail after a half hour, but I’m ever so glad I persevered. It was post-apocalyptic. It was bleak. But it was art, and it was beautiful. This is why this unit is seen as one of the most relevant bands in the world.
The opening act was “BIG|BRAVE,” who were also excellent. At the end of their set, the singer pointed out how deeply influential the main act has been on her and her band. There were a couple notable differences between the two collectives – the guitarist playing a violin bow à la Jimmy Page, and the fact that they were largely a vocal band. If “Godspeed You! Black Emperor” is the soundtrack to the end of the world, then BIG|BRAVE is the version of it where you know there wasn’t an end to the patriarchy first.
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