This show was supposed to happen right before Halloween last year, with NAILS opening, but it was postponed. I was really bummed out, because Godflesh + NAILS + Halloween week seemed like a pretty good formula.
So, here we were in April, and I ventured to do a rare double-header, attending a screening of Super Duper Alice Cooper before making my way to the Fonda, since I no longer felt the need to see any of the openers. Unfortunately, this set me up to not enjoy the show as much as I could have. Pro tip: do not watch a movie about one of the most dynamic stage performers and go see a show after. I probably would have enjoyed this show more had there been a live drummer…
That said, Godflesh sounded amazing; it was great to finally see the band that influenced a lot of the music I grew up listening to. It was an intense show with intense sound to match; the Fonda served as a perfect/imperfect backdrop for the show- a decadent theater with a rich sound hosting the cold, menacing tones of one of industrial metal’s finest. The place was packed, and as I stood on one of the side tiers and the setlist unfolded, I enjoyed watching the crowd lose their minds, different people during different songs. That’s the thing about these older bands; it’s not just about that hit single; crevices of the records have infiltrated listeners in unique and different ways.
“Living out the days and nights in absolute fearNever knowing when and where thethreat of the undead draws nearThoughts of…
“Now, listen up She’s a razor sharp If she don’t get her way She’ll slice you apart Now she’s a…
“Oh, they should have knownNot to play with the powers of HellSome people have lost their waySome people have lost…
“I’m the walking dudeI can see all the worldTwist your minds with fearI’m the man with the powerAmong the living,…
“And I find it kind of funny I find it kind of sad The dreams in which I’m dying Are…
“The sparkle in your eyes Keeps me alive And the sparkle in your eyes Keeps me alive, keeps me alive…
“It’s early morning, the sun comes out Last night was shaking and pretty loud My cat is purring, it scratches…
“We hold each other closer, as we shift to overdrive And everything goes rushing by, with every nerve alive We…
“I could talk about my world How you brought about ruin I could talk about your greed If you want…
“Always lived, very quiet lifeI ain’t never did no wrongNow I know that life without youHas been too lonely too…