If You Haven’t Watched Gojira’s Live at Red Rocks Yet, You’re Doing it Wrong
“I’ll just watch a few minutes,” I told myself after a friend texted me a simple reminder about Gojira’s 24-hour only Live at Red Rocks stream last night. “It’s late, I’m tired and I’ve seen Gojira a bazillion times, but I’ve gotta at least check in since it’s only live for 24 hours.”
I ended up watching the entire show. Could. Not. Turn. Off. WOW.
We already know Gojira are phenomenal performers; I’ve been saying for years they’re the best live band currently working in metal, and I would’ve backed up that sentiment yesterday, too, even before I watched Live at Red Rocks.
But hoooolyyyy sheeeeeeit! This was a fuckin’ SHOW, y’all. Gojira rose to the moment of the pandemic, and they met it head on, delivering exactly the kind of emotional release we all so badly need with a well-timed unveiling and a 24-hour exclusivity window that made it feel like an event. Sure, this concert took place in the past, and no, it’s not the same as being there in person, but the confluence of everything, and the way they rolled it out, make it feel special.
What’s crazy is that Gojira have had this on their hands for three years. They were keeping it in the tank, perhaps for a physical release, but they saw the moment and they seized it.
A truly incredible performance. Red Rocks is legendary, and there’s plenty of sweeping crowd shots showing the venue, the mountains, and the city in the distance that add to the special feeling of this show. I got chills several times, including when they do THAT THING in “Flying Whales.”
Years later, you’re going to remember this. Locked at home during the pandemic, no concerts, no personal contact, masks and gloves every time you go outside, fearing for your life. Then Gojira came along with Live at Red Rocks and you forgot about everything for an hour.
170,000 other people have watched so far in just 16 hours, so it’s clear I’m not alone in feeling this way. Make sure you’re one of them before the video goes dark at 4pm EDT until who knows when it eventually resurfaces.
