Halestorm singer Lzzy Hale is happy with how Gojira’s Olympics performances turned out.
Gojira became the first metal band to perform at the Olympics. However, the performance caused controversy due to several reasons. The Halestorm singer took to her Instagram to share her thoughts on it and said it was a great moment for metal:
“What a great moment for metal, rock, heavy music and therefore the world! I want to personally congratulate Gojira on conquering the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. This, for any musician, is a right of passage we all write down on our conscious and subconscious bucket lists. And traditionally, for a metal artist to receive this honor is very rare. Not only is this a beautiful moment in time for one of my favorite metal acts of the last 20 years…but this is a win for all of us who consider ourselves lifers on the spectrum of this heavy genre. The entire world got to behold the beauty and power of the music we all love. Thank you for holding the torch so high for all of us. LOVE YOU GOJIRA!”
Why The Performance Was Controversial
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.
Along with fans, some first-time listeners enjoyed the performance. However, some people thought it was ‘satanic’ and was wrong to put a metal band as the performers. In fact, some famous names like Andrew Tate also thought Gojira’s performance was satanic and they were ‘controlling people.’
Joe Duplantier’s Statement About Satanism Claims
After Tate’s comments, the frontman Joe Duplantier was asked by Rolling Stone about his criticism that the performance was satanic. Duplantier replied:
“It’s none of that. It’s French history. It’s French charm, you know, beheaded people, red wine, and blood all over the place — it’s romantic, it’s normal. There’s nothing satanic.”
He added:
“France is a country that made a separation between the state and religion during the revolution. And it’s something very important, very dear to the foundation of republican France. We call it laïcité. It’s when the state is not religious anymore, so therefore it’s free in terms of expression and symbolism. It’s all about history and facts. We don’t look too close closely at symbolism in terms of religion.”
See Hale’s post here and Gojira’s performance below.