Two years ago this gig was scheduled to be on on a Saturday and I was looking forward to getting down to Ally Pally nice and early and chilling out before the show. Thanks to Covid I found myself, many months later, heading down the M40 on a dank and dreary Wednesday evening after doing a good few long shifts at work.
After two hours of driving, that included a small accidental detour, I found myself being directed down to the car park. A rapid walk up to the venue and I made the queue just in time and thankfully I hadn’t come by public transport with a bag. Those that had were forced to pay 10 quid to leave it in a dodgy looking tent. Anyway, enough gripes! There’s some music to talk about…
Once in I met up with a young friend of mine who was attending his first proper gig and had spent the best part of the day getting in the spirit of things. After a quick chat we headed to the stage and managed to get a few rows from the front just in time to see Employed To Serve take the stage. Within half a song the pit opened right next to us and did not stop for their entire set. I think they benefited from the home turf crowd and had I not have still been recovering from work and the journey I may well have enjoyed their set more. They rest of the crowd around me lapped up every last minute.
It can’t be easy opening for a huge band like Gojira in a venue that’s still gradually filling, but this lot handled it really well. No messing about, straight for the jugular. They squeezed every minute out of their slot and will hopefully have made enough in merch sales to afford the fuel home.
Next we had a band I have been blasting on my playlist for a while now: Alien Weaponry. Right from the start I was hooked and my tiredness forgotten. This three-piece are something truly special and I need to see them headline their own tour soon! A truly remarkable sound and the perfect warm up for the night’s headliners.
Their 40 minute set only included seven songs, but was an absolute blast. “Raupatu” opened things up and let the audience know what they were dealing with. There was no letup through belters like “Tangaroa” and “Ahi Ka”, and with the closing chords of “Kai Tangata” ringing in my ears I had already put them on my list of bands to see again at the first opportunity. Alien Weaponry manage to hit that tricky balance of having a sound that’s truly their own while still basing their sound on something that listeners will find familiar. It’s so easy to listen to, and then you’re hooked.
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This time from a little further back I watched the countdown to the start of Gojira’s set and felt the electricity in the room build. “5… 4… 3… 2… 1” we obediently chanted then then we were off!
What a show! By the time we hit “Backbone” I found myself laughing and unable to stop grinning from ear to ear. The tracks kept coming! Some of my favourites: “Flying Whales”, “The Art of Dying”, “Grind” and many more. I often found myself eyes closed as I let the sound just wash over me until I snapped to ing to take in the visual treat on offer too. My poor old body kept moving despite all its damaged parts with not a thought about the pain until afterwards.
Their set was as mammoth as the huge creatures they help visualise, hitting an hour and forty-five minutes in an era where many bands are playing the encore at one hour and twenty. I mean, OK, so there was a drum solo in there but I needed the break so a few minutes of Mario Duplantier getting to strut his stuff was forgivable. When you’re that good, it’s only fair that you get to shine when the focus is often on the guitar skills floating around at the front of the stage.
As the main set came to a close with “Toxic Garbage Island” and “Amazonia”, it’s pretty clear where Gojira stand in of environmental policy and it’s not exactly unpleasant to see a band wear its heart on its sleeve as regards matters this important. The fact that they do it without shoving the message down your throat (and wrapped around some incredible heavy metal) also helps.
Three more songs remained as the traditional leave-the-stage-and-come-back routine was gone through. No let-off for the sweaty masses as we were regaled with “Silvera”, “New Found” and crowd favourite “The Gift Of Guilt” (is that song really over a decade old already?).
Gojira are one of the best bands on the scene at the moment and seeing them live is a privilege whether you like the old or new. My friends had loved his first big gig and is already planning a very busy year of many more!
Gojira are band I would take any opportunity to see anywhere and the talent they have backing them up is extraordinary. Alien Weaponry, however, need a full headline tour in the UK and soon.
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Photos by Ya Cheng Photography
