Gojira have named the person to thank for their incredible performance at the Paris Olympic Games this summer.
The French metal titans played the opening ceremony of the world-famous sporting event in July, covering revolutionary song Ah! Ça Ira with opera singer Marina Viotti on the walls of prison-turned-museum La Conciergerie. The spectacle featured constant blasts of pyro and dozens of ‘beheaded’ Marie Antoinettes, and was heavily praised by viewers.
Talking exclusively in the new issue of Metal Hammer, singer/guitarist Joe Duplantier says Gojira were approached to perform by Victor Le Masne, the composer and musical director of the Paris Olympics.
“We were all a little bit shocked,” Duplantier tells writer Dave Everley. “‘Is this for real? What does it mean, exactly?’”
Le Masne’s vision was to use Gojira for a section inspired by the French Revolution of the 1790s, as the composer explains to Hammer. “And I thought: ‘Metal.’ Metal, for me, is a revolutionary music. And Gojira were an obvious choice – I wanted to have a French act, and in 2024 they are one of the most brilliant acts in the genre.”
Duplantier says accepting Le Masne’s offer was a “no-brainer”, but singing a song as violent as Ah! Ça Ira clashed with Gojira’s more positive outlook. In the end, the band decided to emphasise the lyrics ‘Let us rejoice, good times will come’ and ‘Without fear of fire or flame’.
“That became the centrepiece of the song: two little lines that are not full of blood and beheading,” he states.
According to UK national newspaper The Independent, Gojira’s fiery showcase was praised as “the only good thing” about the opening ceremony by certain viewers. Some pearl-clutching conservatives were offended by the performance, however, arguing it was satanic. The band have shrugged off all devil-worshipping allegations.
Gojira’s rendition of Ah! Ca Ira was released to streaming services in August with the tweaked title Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça Ira!). It’s currently nominated for the 2025 Grammy Award For Best Metal Performance, with competition coming from tracks by Metallica, Judas Priest, Spiritbox and Knocked Loose feat. Poppy. The winner will be named at the Los Angeles ceremony on February 2.
As well as the interview with Duplantier and Le Masne, the new issue of Metal Hammer offers the essential breakdown of this year in metal. The magazine ranks the best metal albums of 2024, revisits Slipknot’s blockbuster anniversary tour, gets the inside story of how Lzzy Hale (briefly) joined Skid Row, and so much more. Order now and get your copy delivered directly to your doorstep.
