Godflesh
Support: Prurient
Date: Saturday September 19th, 2015
Venue: the Opera House in Toronto, Ontario
T-shirt worn...long sleeve shirt worn: Green Bay Packers (summer left Ontario today)
It's very rare that I'm more interested in an opening act over the headliner but I really like Prurients new album Frozen Niagara Falls (which I always want to call 'Frozen Lakes on Mars') so seeing him was what brought me out to this show. I've heard different things about his live show. I was hoping to get more of the synth-based sci-fi stuff then the microphone-in-a-blender stuff. I ended up getting more of the latter. I heard spattering’s of songs I recognized but it was mostly yelling and machine noises. I wouldn't say I was disappointed but I wasn't blown away either. I can't even give a full "set" because a lot of it was sections of songs I recognized. I know I heard bits and pieces of Myth of Building Bridges, Jester in Agony, Every Relationship Earthrise, Traditional Snowfall, Shoulders Of Summerstones and Dragonflies To Sew You Up from Frozen Niagara Falls. But even that was distorted and hard to make out. I think I got what I expected but I would have rather heard fuller versions of some of those songs. And he played a very short set. Only a half an hour, which comes into play in the next paragraph.
But here are my notes:
Prurient
1. Song one synth Drone (part of Myth of Building Bridges)
2. ? (machine drums)
3. ? (distortion from disc two)
4. Song 6 (Jester in Agony)
5. Song 4 (Every Relationship Earthrise)
6. Feedback drone, disc 2
7. Angry noise
8. Feedback synth
9. Last song disc one (Shoulders of Summerstones)
10. Angry yelling drums
11. Song 2 (Dragonflies to Sew You Up)
I like Godflesh enough but I’ve never really listened to them too much. The only album I have is Streetcleaner and I’ve heard a random song here and there. They took way too long to get on stage (forty-five minutes) which was even odder because it’s only two people and a drum-machine, and I didn’t hear any soundcheck. The crowd was surprisingly sparse, considering I don’t think they’ve played Toronto since 1991. At first I was worried that a two-piece wouldn’t be loud enough. But they were CRUSHINGLY HEAVY. Justin is using an eight-string guitar now (which is something I’m usually against) but it fit the sound of their music perfectly. But it was all about that drum-machine. That thing was HEAVY NUTS! I knew nothing of what they were playing for most of the set but what I heard was all very enjoyable. Just some great mechanical, hypnotic riffage and that POUNDING drum-machine. I was thinking at first that I would have liked more chaotic feedback between songs rather than complete silence but you know what? It really fit the mechanical factory-like vibe of their music. Things did get a lot more chaotic when they started playing older stuff and the crowd even came alive. I really thought the bass playing was cool because it was so simplistic. They brought some guy out to play second guitar during the encore but I have no idea who it was. Justin mentioned it (one of two times he addressed the crowd on the mic) but my ears were shot by then.
I can’t say I’m going to run out and buy all their albums now but I really enjoyed them live.
Godflesh (I think, from setlist.fm)
1. ? (New Dark Ages)
2. ? (Deadend)
3. ? (Shut Me Down)
4. ? (Life Giver, Life Taker)
5. ? (Carrion)
6. Towers of Emptiness
7. Christbait Rising
8. Streetcleaner
9. Spite
10. Crush My Soul
11. Like Rats
_________________________________________________________
Follow up:
yeah, this was a cool show.
I was a little harsh on Prurient. His set was pretty neat and I'd like to see him again.
And I can't say anything better about Godflesh then I originally did two years ago. I haven't heard a mention of them since this tour so I'd imagine they've gone into hybernation again.
Support: Prurient
Date: Saturday September 19th, 2015
Venue: the Opera House in Toronto, Ontario
T-shirt worn...long sleeve shirt worn: Green Bay Packers (summer left Ontario today)
It's very rare that I'm more interested in an opening act over the headliner but I really like Prurients new album Frozen Niagara Falls (which I always want to call 'Frozen Lakes on Mars') so seeing him was what brought me out to this show. I've heard different things about his live show. I was hoping to get more of the synth-based sci-fi stuff then the microphone-in-a-blender stuff. I ended up getting more of the latter. I heard spattering’s of songs I recognized but it was mostly yelling and machine noises. I wouldn't say I was disappointed but I wasn't blown away either. I can't even give a full "set" because a lot of it was sections of songs I recognized. I know I heard bits and pieces of Myth of Building Bridges, Jester in Agony, Every Relationship Earthrise, Traditional Snowfall, Shoulders Of Summerstones and Dragonflies To Sew You Up from Frozen Niagara Falls. But even that was distorted and hard to make out. I think I got what I expected but I would have rather heard fuller versions of some of those songs. And he played a very short set. Only a half an hour, which comes into play in the next paragraph.
But here are my notes:
Prurient
1. Song one synth Drone (part of Myth of Building Bridges)
2. ? (machine drums)
3. ? (distortion from disc two)
4. Song 6 (Jester in Agony)
5. Song 4 (Every Relationship Earthrise)
6. Feedback drone, disc 2
7. Angry noise
8. Feedback synth
9. Last song disc one (Shoulders of Summerstones)
10. Angry yelling drums
11. Song 2 (Dragonflies to Sew You Up)
I like Godflesh enough but I’ve never really listened to them too much. The only album I have is Streetcleaner and I’ve heard a random song here and there. They took way too long to get on stage (forty-five minutes) which was even odder because it’s only two people and a drum-machine, and I didn’t hear any soundcheck. The crowd was surprisingly sparse, considering I don’t think they’ve played Toronto since 1991. At first I was worried that a two-piece wouldn’t be loud enough. But they were CRUSHINGLY HEAVY. Justin is using an eight-string guitar now (which is something I’m usually against) but it fit the sound of their music perfectly. But it was all about that drum-machine. That thing was HEAVY NUTS! I knew nothing of what they were playing for most of the set but what I heard was all very enjoyable. Just some great mechanical, hypnotic riffage and that POUNDING drum-machine. I was thinking at first that I would have liked more chaotic feedback between songs rather than complete silence but you know what? It really fit the mechanical factory-like vibe of their music. Things did get a lot more chaotic when they started playing older stuff and the crowd even came alive. I really thought the bass playing was cool because it was so simplistic. They brought some guy out to play second guitar during the encore but I have no idea who it was. Justin mentioned it (one of two times he addressed the crowd on the mic) but my ears were shot by then.
I can’t say I’m going to run out and buy all their albums now but I really enjoyed them live.
Godflesh (I think, from setlist.fm)
1. ? (New Dark Ages)
2. ? (Deadend)
3. ? (Shut Me Down)
4. ? (Life Giver, Life Taker)
5. ? (Carrion)
6. Towers of Emptiness
7. Christbait Rising
8. Streetcleaner
9. Spite
10. Crush My Soul
11. Like Rats
_________________________________________________________
Follow up:
yeah, this was a cool show.
I was a little harsh on Prurient. His set was pretty neat and I'd like to see him again.
And I can't say anything better about Godflesh then I originally did two years ago. I haven't heard a mention of them since this tour so I'd imagine they've gone into hybernation again.
Do you like old people porn? Because I just put enough to fill an old folks home in the wrestling section!