June 28th At The Hawthorne Theater

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Band Photo Credit: Kim Solve

Review And Live Photos By Mike Lewis

The first time I saw GODFLESH was October of 1996, just a few months after the release of Songs of Love and Hate. This would also be, at least for a time, the final tour that the band embarked on. Most fans already know the history of what happened. Ben decided to leave the band, Justin had a nervous breakdown, and GODFLESH ceased to exist until 2009 when it was announced that GODFLESH would reform for Hellfest in 2010. Since then, the band has delivered an EP as well as three full-length including their most recent, Purge. Had someone told me back in 1996 that one day I would be taking photos of GODFLESH, I would have laughed. I didn't even know anything about photography back then and had no interest in it. Since the reformation of the band however, I've had a photo pass each time which isn't anything I'm against since GODFLESH has been one of my favorite bands since the release of Streetcleaner. The Purge tour is no different in that regard although this would be the first time, I'd have a very young photographer joining me. At the tender age of 11-year-old, my daughter, Sydney, also got her opportunity to take photos of the band.

There is a different from a photographer's aspect as opposed to that of a fan, but I already knew exactly what I was getting myself into. GODFLESH live will have a very dark stage setting, it will be backlit, and Portland's Hawthorne Theater already has horrible lighting as it is, so I was aware of the challenge. I was exactly right in that regard, but sometimes it simply doesn't matter. GODFLESH also tends to bring a band on the road with them that is rather obscure. This isn't necessarily a bad thing and in fact one of their tours found me meeting my now longtime friend Jason who at the time was part of LA FIN ABSOLUTE DU MONDE. This tour featured local opener KING YOUSEF as well as national act PRISON RELIGION.

Kicking this off with two new songs off Purge, "Nero" and "Land Lord" was a brilliant way to get things started and I have to say that the latter of the two songs is probably one of my favorites on the new release, so it was great to have it included. The set overall has so much to offer from the back catalog of music that fans of the band will all find something they enjoy live, if not everything. There are songs that personally I would have loved to have included such as "Baby Blue Eyes", "Life is Easy" and "Predominance" while my daughter told me she really hoped "Control Freak" was a part of the set.

If you missed the band this time around or they didn't come to your area, don't worry as there is a second leg of the US tour coming in September which is focused on the East Coast. Meanwhile I sit and contemplate if I should perhaps take a brief vacation to one of those cities in a few months just to catch, and hopefully photograph, them again. GODFLESH always seems to be put on an amazing show, at least from my perspective and as for that little photographer-in-training, while she was a bit overwhelmed, I think she still enjoyed herself and might very well accompany me again into their photo pit if she's allowed.

GODFLESH's setlist was the following:

• "Nero"
• "Land Lord"
• I, Me, Mine"
• Ringer"
• Shut Me Down"
• Post Self"
• Dead Head"
• Streetcleaner"
• Weak Flesh"
• Like Rats"
• Spite"