Alright, so last night I went to go see Godspeed You! Black Emperor. This is a continuation of the previous post, I'll pick up where that post left off. If you haven't read part one yet, do that first.
After experiencing the opening act, I decided I probably shouldn't leave my spot, since I was close to the aisle towards the front, and I could see everything pretty well. So I checked my phone, like everyone else in the audience, watched all of the Granada's advertisements for upcoming shows, etc., and did whatever else I could to kill a half an hour of time. Blah blah blah.
A little after nine, some of the artists come on stage, and one of the guitarists starts to make noise through some synthesizer or keyboard or digital thing I couldn't see. In my understanding, that's when the concert starts, right? They clearly weren't doing a soundcheck, and it was clear they were performing as though it was the start of their show. The guitarist continued to make noise, a low pedal E with some other noises, while the audience stayed in break mode. For the first five minutes of the set, half of the crowd was on their phones, or talking to their friends loud enough to be more than a distraction, while the band produced sound.
Just for clarification, this isn't the kind of band that plays four minute songs, talks to the audience a bunch, introduces the band, etc. There weren't even any vocal mics for anyone to talk on stage. I'm sure most of the audience at the show had heard the band before, and probably knew that what their music sounded like. This is a band that works in long forms, in layers, in extensive repetition and an interesting sense of minimalism. So I found it pretty annoying when the people on stage were taking themselves seriously, and the people at the show, who paid thirty bucks a ticket to be there, weren't even making the most of it.
I might just be a cranky jerk though.
Anyways, the audience seemed to shut up and react whenever the video or visual projections started in the background, which was more than five minutes before the sound started, and they really responded when the drummer played his first notes, as though he was the first musician to play anything, which of course wasn't the case.
The band was incredible. They played both music I had heard before and some that I hadn't, which is what I expected, since I'm not a diehard fan or anything, and haven't heard their whole catalogue. Like the opening act, the electronic artist, they thought in much longer phrases and ideas that brought out completely different feelings and emotions from me than any other concert experience has. They were clearly inspired by minimalism, in their sense of time and phrasing, not necessarily in their instrumentation and activity. It was an amazing, meditative rock and experimental music experience... well, it would have been, if it was in a different environment.
I've already hinted at the fact that the audience bugged me last night. First of all, they took a while to realize that music was happening. That wasn't really a big issue though. My biggest issue is that some people's self-awareness was kinda lacking, and that people can sometimes detract from the experience of other people for the own personal gain. I guess that happens at almost every concert, but this situation was so different from other experiences that it really messed with me.
At every rock concert I've ever been to, there have been people with their cameras taking pictures of the band, flashes going off, trying to capture the moment as it happens. But this concert was much more focused on provoking thought, introspection and meditation than other rock concerts, which are often about playing your favorite songs, being really loud and putting on a good show. And this different music that was trying to evoke different things and create a different experience made those people holding their iPhones up to the sky to take that perfect picture with their blinding flash look silly, in my opinion. Aren't you missing part of the experience by focusing on capturing it so perfectly? At what point do you put your cameras away and just listen to the music?
Cameras are annoying, but there were some other typical rock concert things that just didn't mesh with experience GY!BE was trying to create. I saw probably five or six drunk people trip down the one stair in front of me to my right, people that were a little too drunk to get up on their own. There was also a guy having a bad trip or something who walked with a blank stare into a large trashcan, kept walking until he ran the can up against a girl, stared off into space for ten seconds or so, and tumbled down to the floor, out cold until a friend tapped him on the shoulder and helped him back up. It's not cool to be blackout drunk or just so out of your mind that you're a hassle to other people who paid good money to watch a band and experience their music.
At most concerts these things aren't really a big deal to me, but this was such a different experience that every camera that flashed or drunk dude that fell down the stair was like a hard pinch waking me up from a fantastic dream.
The concert last night made me reconsider why I go to concerts. There are some bands where it's fine to go just to hang out with your friends, or to hear some songs you used to know a little bit. But there are plenty of other experiences where the concert isn't about dancing or having fun or drinking, necessarily, they're about the music. I personally enjoy both of those kinds of shows, but both of those scenarios aren't as enjoyable, and might seem awkward, unpleasant, or just terrible, with the wrong audience, regardless of how good the music is.
I loved the music last night. The audience was very detracting, though, and that's always something that can happen when you gather a large group of people in to a mostly standing-room venue that usually hosts musicians that perform the other kind of shows. I enjoyed seeing the musicians, but I think I would rather sit at home with the lights off by myself or with a few quiet friends than I would go see them live again.
M
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