ShareGojira performing their Fortitude Tour at The Motorpoint Arena Nottingham on Tuesday 21st February 2023
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Gojira’s Motorpoint Arena gig has been on the calendar for a long time, having been originally earmarked for 2021. And on Tuesday night, the French metal band finally made it.
Considered one of the most captivating live bands in the heavy metal scene their set began with drummer Mario Duplantier sat behind his massive kit, encased in dry ice. And when they kicked into the opening chords to Born For One Thing, the first song from their latest album, Fortitude, the crowd were already familiar with the words and belted them out. The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe is always a fans favourite with its thundering drums and crashing riffs and did not disappoint as the crowd moshed and head banged as though their lives depended upon it.
With Mario being a veritable powerhouse, hitting his drums with incredible force and precision, Jean-Michel Labadie and Christian Andreu’s guitar work was equally impressive whilst front man Joe Duplantier brought a soulful intensity with his vocals, the lyrics often focusing upon environmentalism and social justice, which serve to add an extra layer of meaning and purpose to the band’s music.
The crowd were ecstatic to hear long time classics such as Backbone and the title track from 2012’s L’Enfant Sauvage and when one of their most well known songs, Flying Whales was given an airing, the crowd went wild.
For the ten minute epic, The Art Of Dying, there was the obligatory mosh pit before the main set was closed with new songs The Chant and Amazonia that had the crowd singing along, before Silvera, New Found and The Gift Of Guilt closed out the show.
Delivering a blend of brutal heavy riffs, complex drumming and soaring melodies, Gorjira had been in top form, delivering an electrifying performance that had the crowd euphoric.
