GODSPEED/WILL OLDHAM & MICK TURNER
I think I can finally put
my finger on the characteristic of godspeed you black emperor's music
which pulls at the emotions of so many people across the musical taste
spectrum. Music listeners will have songs they're very fond of, and
instrumentation can strike up an intense emotional response with a
strong recurring refrain or chord progression. Something grand and
beautiful will always be that one part of a song you just wish would go
on longer. The Godspeed folks have taken that idea, the thought of a
musical phrase itself and extended it, nurturing the sound. The sound
becomes one on its own and has its own living and breathing life. They
draw the sound out, let it build, color it with the numerous tools (2
bass guitars, 2 percussionists, 3 guitarits and 2 string players sure
help) and let it run its natural course, letting it die perfectly
without that sound—the riff or hook—becoming too redundant or
repetitious. After all is done, an album of two to three tracks comes
to a close, you feel satisfied, satiated and happy. The concert opened
up with a performance by what was billed as Bonnie Prince Billy and the
Marquid de Tren, the lineup was Will Oldham singing and playing guitar,
Jim White (from Palace and other projects) on the drums, a bass
guitarist and Mick Turner on guitars, loops, harmonica and melodica.
The set was quiet yet gut wrenching. The addition of Mick Turner's
layered guitar works on top of Oldham's bluesy heartfelt voice was a
fantastic match, the bass took the role of providing the low pulse and
the jazz-like improvisational drumwork from Jim pulled everything
together quite magically. Luckily fans of the set could walk away with
their album along with the two similar and fantastic Molasses discs at
the merchandise counter. Godspeed's set was marked by a few stellar new
tunes which haven't graced an official album yet along with popular
favorites from all their commercial releases. The set lasted over two
hours and ended with a beautiful encore with band spokesman Efrim
playing the xylophone while drummers Bruce and Aidan walked through the
audience playing percussives. The show was held in a rather large movie
theater with a seated audience, and was sold out before the day of the
show, which leads me to wonder where they'll play next time around.
This setting was seemingly perfect, where everybody present could enjoy
every single note while being close enough to view everything happening
onstage. Any more would be less intimate, any less would be too packed.