Godspeed You! Black EmperorThe epic Greco-Roman setting of the Forum Theatre is a good indicator as to the magnitude of what lies ahead. Holding court over a sold-out crowd are the almost undefinable eight-piece Godspeed You! Black Emperor, fusing classical, rock, Middle Eastern sounds, and noise to create experimental and ambient instrumental music. Emphasis is also placed on the visual aspect of the show. The cinema screen behind the band is utilised for large parts of the performance to evoke the most horrible trip-out possible, but in the best possible way – it is simply overwhelming.
The drums unite the band's swelling sound, driving the beat of Mladic, off new album 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend!, before changing the dynamic to a pulsating Middle Eastern flavour, a feature of tonight's performance. After 30-odd minutes the crowd is finally given the chance to applaud before the sonar sounds of the guitar signal the advent of We Drift Like Worried Fire, also off 'Allelujah!, and it is painfully beautiful.
Sped up visuals show moon, sky and flowers, before focusing on a fairy tale house in a dreamy forest – beautiful, but wouldn't be lost in a horror film either. Godspeed You! often take up slow, deep and repetitive grooves, however, it all makes sense when the band come back together on arrangements that are so deep you could stick your head in and never find your way out again. Band members pick up different instruments at intervals, as many of the ambient noise sections are accompanied by equally bleak visuals.
The drums are again the catalyst for bringing the band together in powerful ways, some passages so heavy they could be the soundtrack to a party boy sheik's wild four wheel drive safari through outer space. Loud applause meets East Hastings, off 1997's F# A# ∞, and the audience receives the first dashes of colours extracted from the screen. It should be no surprise they are limited to primary colours. The end of East Hastings is a blast, as the band speed up and the last round of head banging is accompanied by screams and yelps from the crowd and the visuals descend towards Armageddon.
One of the last visuals is a car advertisement that says “Massive-Full Size”, a fitting description of the behemoth that are Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and their epic two-hour musical and visual performance.
