Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Part of Kingston Canadian Film Festival, February 28 - March 03, 2024

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR began with Efrim Menuck, Mauro Pezzente and Mike Moya in Montreal in the early 90's, playing a handful of shows and recording a self-released cassette as a trio before transforming into a large band. GY!BE recruited numerous Montreal musicians through 1995-1996 and mounted sense-rattling wall-of-sound performances, featuring as many as 14 performers and several 16mm film projectors. The band toured and recorded continuously from 1998-2002, gaining a reputation for mesmerizing live shows marked by orchestral dynamics, epic rock power and clunky, beautiful film loops.

GODSPEED returned to live performance in December 2010. This was followed by renewed and extensive international touring. Throughout GODSPEED's 'post-hiatus' period,experimental filmmaker Karl Lemieux has been the band's primary creator (and projectionist) of 16mm film footage and loops; an array of analog film projectors remains central to GY!BE's live performances.