Gojira recently performed at the Paris 2024 Olympics opening ceremony on July 26.
The band stood on platforms outside castle windows in the rain and performed a metal version of the traditional song ‘Ah, Ça Ira!’ from the French Revolution. Their show paid a dark tribute to the famously executed queen Marie Antoinette. They were soon joined by opera singer Marina Viotti, who floated down the River Seine.
It’s also worth mentioning that they were the first metal band to perform at the Olympics.
Fan Reactions To The Performance
Fans loved the performance and the execution of the production. A user wrote under the comments section of the performance shared by Eurosport France on YouTube:
“A magic performance, you French should be proud as hell over this performance, let’s hope it goes viral all around the world. good luck with the Olympics, thanks from Norway.”
Another wrote in French:
“The whole show was magnificent but it was this one that made me love it the most, it was so unexpected, well done!”
Some even heard Gojira for the first time but still admired their performance:
“Stunning!! My first time hearing them, they were great.”
The Importance Of The Song
The frontman Joe Duplantier shared the importance of the song for them in an interview and explained why the band picked that one particular song to perform:
“It was a very bloody era of French history, so it was very metal. The song’s going to be in your face.”
You can see the performance below.