Two dates before Gojira's final U.S. show of 2008, frontman Joe Duplantier is in high spirits. The band will be playing a major New York City gig in just about an hour, but the Frenchman shows no signs of anxiety as he chills with some friends in his dressing room at Terminal 5. 36 Crazyfists are about to take the stage and their room is buzzing live a hornet's next, which makes the low-key Duplantier smile. Soft-spoken and polite, he prefers to save his energy, anger and ferocity for the stage, where it spills out in bubbling fountains.
He'd never say as much, but the throat problems of All That Remains frontman Phil Labonte, which forced the band to drop off the bill, have been sort of a blessing in disguise for Gojira. First, having three bands play instead of four has enabled Gojira to play for almost an hour, and more significantly, it has put them in the more visible direct support slot.
Amidst drinking, talking and other voluble backstage activity, we pinned down Duplantier and talked to him for a few minutes about the In Flames tour, the importance of the French metal market, the upcoming animated video for Gojira's next single "All The Tears" and plans for the upcoming Christmas day. Click "more" to watch the interview:
Comments