Chest Rockwell Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Saw them live last night at the Texas Union Ballroom at the University of Texas in Austin. I am blown away! If you've never heard these folks, they are a very orchestrated and dark instrumental band. 9 pieces on stage-3 guitars, 2 basses, 2 drummers, a violinist and cellist. They had really spacey projections behind them and to the extreme right and left of the stage in the corners of the room. I had chills going up and down my spine like never before as I believe I saw one of the best live shows ever. One thing about the show that was really spiritual is that there were very quiet passeges and you could not hear a single soul talking. People were really "there" for that show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Botch. Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Sounds like it works better live. I have their latest release and it just doesn't do much for me, I kept thinking "This is Steve Reich's garage band"... Botch "Eccentric language often is symptomatic of peculiar thinking" - George Will www.puddlestone.net Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magicman Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 They're playing in Chicago next weekend. They sold out all 3 shows! Must be hot but I've never heard of 'em. "I believe that if it were left to artists to choose their own labels, most would choose none." - Ben Shahn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted March 14, 2003 Share Posted March 14, 2003 Heard of them, never heard their music, but great band name. Right up there with [i]...and You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead[/i]. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenElevenShadows Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Their new album isn't quite as good, and yes, it is really emotional and powerful live, more so than the CD. Try the EP from about three years ago (completely black digipack cover). That's really good. I've seen them twice so far, and each time, they've really impressed me. Ken Lee Photography - photos and books Eleven Shadows ambient music The Mercury Seven-cool spacey music Linktree to various sites Instagram Nightaxians Video Podcast Eleven Shadows website Ken Lee Photography Pinterest Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip McDonald Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 Cool stuff. Check out Sigur Ros as well. Big ground swell for this "scene" - but I think it's spawned by Internet word of mouth, totally off the mainstream radar. Both bands are sort of like "Pink Floyd circa Meddle stuck on _Echoes_ and _Set the Controls_".... Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/ / "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenElevenShadows Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I don't know off the radar it is. I mean, they've both had articles and reviews in Spin, Rolling Stone, etc. Ken Lee Photography - photos and books Eleven Shadows ambient music The Mercury Seven-cool spacey music Linktree to various sites Instagram Nightaxians Video Podcast Eleven Shadows website Ken Lee Photography Pinterest Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi Posted March 15, 2003 Share Posted March 15, 2003 I'm checking out Sigur Ros this Tuesday and Wenesday at the 9:30 Club. I'll let you guys know how it goes. Thanks for the tip, Ken, on what Cd to get. I've been trying to get some of this band's stuff for a minute. "All conditioned things are impermanent. Work out your own salvation with diligence." The Buddha's Last Words R.I.P. RobT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip McDonald Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by Ken/Eleven Shadows: [b]I don't know off the radar it is. I mean, they've both had articles and reviews in Spin, Rolling Stone, etc.[/b][/quote]It's off the radar if it's not on MTV and the radio - effectively. The point being, there's a lot of known stuff "off the radar" - but it's actually quite popular, the "radar" being the traditional media outlet of MTV more or less... Guitar Lessons in Augusta Georgia: www.chipmcdonald.com Eccentric blog: https://chipmcdonaldblog.blogspot.com/ / "big ass windbag" - Bruce Swedien Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyscots Posted March 17, 2003 Share Posted March 17, 2003 You'll like this Chip. 3 years ago I saw Sigur Ros supporting Godspeed YBE in Glasgow. Great night. The opening band (Fly Pan Am) actually consisted of 4 members from Godspeed YBE, but seeing as virtually no-one knows what they look like, virtually no-one knew it was them! Ken - Back then, Godspeed had done only one interview (in NME) and did not allow photographs to be taken - people were having cameras taken off them at the Glasgow gig. Their popularity grew solely from word of mouth. I agree it doesnt work anywhere near as well recorded as it does live. John Scotsman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenElevenShadows Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 I saw them around either 1998 or maybe 1999 (probably 1999), I don't remember, but it was wonderful. Really amazing. And then I saw them again about a year later. They are really intense, really emotional. It's rare that you see an audience swaying, quiet, so into the music, really magnetized by it all, and swept away in the emotion as much as at a Godspeed, You Black Emperor show. Really something. Both shows I've seen have been exactly the same sort of crowd response. It's wonderful to watch a group of musicians follow their own muse and come up with something potent, original, interesting, and emotional on their own terms. Ken Lee Photography - photos and books Eleven Shadows ambient music The Mercury Seven-cool spacey music Linktree to various sites Instagram Nightaxians Video Podcast Eleven Shadows website Ken Lee Photography Pinterest Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyscots Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Couldnt have put it any better Ken. When I saw them, a few of them sat at the front of the stage after the show to talk to audience members. The band members were also the ones at the stall selling CDs after the show. The drummer wrote the following on my ticket: [quote] Thank you very much for all your hard work, lets do it for the Republic of Texas Love Kenny Rodgers P.S. Kill yer idols. We shit too. [/quote]For those who dont know, Godspeed! You Black Emporer are from Quebec. I always say the most talented people are insane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenElevenShadows Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Hey, flyscots, aren't you from the country that spawned Mogwai, another fantastic band? I've seen them twice, too!! "Young Team" was amazing. Ken Lee Photography - photos and books Eleven Shadows ambient music The Mercury Seven-cool spacey music Linktree to various sites Instagram Nightaxians Video Podcast Eleven Shadows website Ken Lee Photography Pinterest Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyscots Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Yep, same city. Seen them many a time. Actually I went to that Godspeed gig on Stuart Braithwaite's recommendation. Stuart, Mogwai guitarist & frontman, used to room with a friend of mine. I've drank with him & Jon Cummins (bass) a few times in legendary Glasgow music clubs King Tut's Wah Wah Hut & Nice n Sleazy's. My fave Mogwai stuff is on the "No Education = No Future (Fuck The Curfew)" EP. "Xmas Steps" just blows me away. Thanks to Mogwai, there are quite a few young bands of similar style over here. None of them have got anywhere though because they're just looked at as copying Mogwai. Are you familiar with any of the other bands from the Chemikal Underground label - The Delgados, Magoo, Aerogramme, Arab Strap? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenElevenShadows Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 [quote]Originally posted by flyscots: [b]Are you familiar with any of the other bands from the Chemikal Underground label - The Delgados, Magoo, Aerogramme, Arab Strap?[/b] [/quote]The first one and the last one, yes, and I like both of them. Don't know the middle two at all, though. I like those two other Mogwai releases that you mentioned, but for some reason, "Young Team" just really struck me when it came out. But that EP is really great, innit? Ken Lee Photography - photos and books Eleven Shadows ambient music The Mercury Seven-cool spacey music Linktree to various sites Instagram Nightaxians Video Podcast Eleven Shadows website Ken Lee Photography Pinterest Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyscots Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Ooh yeah. Young Team was special. The band had been gigging for years and had put out EPs and mini albums. Young Team was their first album proper and was the one that launched them from Glasgow pubs & clubs to a cult worldwide audience. Their sound brought Godspeed! You Black Emporer to Britain, then GYBE took Mogwai worldwide as support act - did they open when you saw GYBE Ken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenElevenShadows Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 No, they didn't open, unfortunately. Now THAT would have been quite a show!! Ken Lee Photography - photos and books Eleven Shadows ambient music The Mercury Seven-cool spacey music Linktree to various sites Instagram Nightaxians Video Podcast Eleven Shadows website Ken Lee Photography Pinterest Page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyscots Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 Must've been a great tour. I'm quite satisfied with the Gospeed gig I've been referring to. Opening: Fly Pan Am (4 members of GYBE) then Sigur Ros, then headliners: Godspeed! You Black Emporer. A couple of weeks before that (3 years & 1 week ago) there I was at Chemikal Underground's 5th birthday party, with all the bands I mentioned above and legendary radio DJ John Peel playing what must be the most insane DJ set of all time. A fantastic night. Non musical highlight of that show - picking girls from the crowd whilst dancing on stage with Aidan Moffat, vocalist from Arab Strap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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