Live Review | Godspeed You! Black Emperor @ The Marble Factory, Bristol

Georgia Ferrari

Georgia is a writer from Melbourne, Australia currently on an (indefinite) gap year in Bristol. Georgia is a big fan of all things post-rock and punk-adjacent.

Legendary post-rock band Godspeed You! Black Emperor plays at Marble Factory, Bristol 2 days ahead of their album release

Renowned improvisational artist Tashi Dorji set the tone, opening for Godspeed You! Black Emperor with his pedal-heavy acoustic set. Dorji’s anti-music sound proved his utterly impressive technical ability, subverting theory and providing a gripping musical experience.

Both Tashi Dorji and GYBE both opted to let their music take the stage, with Dorji’s face being illuminated only by the reflection of the spotlight on his gear and GYBE being submerged in darkness, with the projected film leaking onto them.

Along with their new album referencing the death toll in February, the band’s support of Palestine was clear, with a red keffiyeh, which symbolises leftist resistance, proudly on stage. Karl Lemieux was the live film projectionist for the gig, with two screens above the band showing shots of nature, burning buildings, and weaponry and ultimately crescendoing into the live burning of film.

The setlist for the show included some old fan favourites, such as ‘The Dead Flag Blues‘, which was greeted with immediate cheers from the audience after the first five notes played, and two (then) unreleased songs from their newest album; including my personal favourite, ‘BABYS IN A THUNDERCLOUD‘.

The set closed off with a shortened version of ‘East Hastings‘, ending with the band walking offstage while their looper pedals rattled the venue. For an encore, bassist Maura Pezzente walked back onstage – beer in hand – and improvised with the band’s various pedalboards.

It was a privilege to see this legendary post-rock band, with their unconventional techniques – such as using a screwdriver like a bow on a guitar to produce a beautiful droning sound – in action. If you ever get the chance to see Godspeed You! Black Emperor live, I could not recommend it enough.

Listen to ‘”NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD”‘ here: