Editing Godspeed You! Black Emperor (section)

=== First run (1994–2003) ===
Godspeed You! Black Emperor was formed in 1994 in [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]], by [[Efrim Menuck]] ([[Electric guitar|guitar]]), [[Mike Moya]] (guitar), and [[Mauro Pezzente]] ([[Bass guitar|bass]]).<ref name="Wire">{{cite web|url=http://www.brainwashed.com/godspeed/wire.html|title=Interview in The Wire|year=1998|author=David Keenan|access-date=May 27, 2011|archive-date=April 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150417150659/http://www.brainwashed.com/godspeed/wire.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Larkin2011">Colin Larkin. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=PA1439 The Encyclopedia of Popular Music] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004150344/https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=PA1439#v=onepage&q&f=false |date=October 4, 2023 }}''. Omnibus Press; 27 May 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-85712-595-8}}. p. 1439.</ref> The band took its name from ''[[God Speed You! Black Emperor]]'', a 1976 Japanese [[black-and-white]] [[Documentary film|documentary]] by director [[Mitsuo Yanagimachi]], which follows the exploits of a [[Bōsōzoku|Japanese biker gang]], the Black Emperors.<ref name="Wire" /> The band initially assembled after being offered a supporting act for another local band named Steak 72.<ref name="wire2">{{cite web|url=http://brainwashed.com/godspeed/wire2.html|title=Godspeed You Black Emperor! interview with ''The Wire''|access-date=February 24, 2009|year=2000|author=Keenan, David|work=brainwashed.com|archive-date=April 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419174954/http://www.brainwashed.com/godspeed/wire2.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Thereafter, the trio performed live on a few separate occasions. Previously, the name "God Speed You Black Emperor!" had been used by Menuck on a limited cassette entitled ''[[All Lights Fucked on the Hairy Amp Drooling]]'' that had been recorded the year prior, with limited contributions by Pezzente on bass, although it would not be until 1994 that the actual band formed. 

The band expanded and continued to perform live. According to Menuck, joining the group was simple: "It was like if anyone knew anybody who played an instrument and seemed like an okay person, they would sort of join up."<ref name="brainwashed1">{{cite web|url=http://brainwashed.com/godspeed/deadmetheney/interviews/amazeine.htm|title=Godspeed You! Black Emperor interview with ''aMAZEzine!''|access-date=February 14, 2009|year=1998|author=St-Jacques, Marie-Douche|work=aMAZEzine|archive-date=March 9, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090309193447/http://www.brainwashed.com/godspeed/deadmetheney/interviews/amazeine.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> The group's number of members frequently changed during this time. Local musicians would often join the band for a handful of performances, then depart. The revolving door nature of the group's membership frequently caused it strain before the release of ''[[F♯ A♯ ∞]]''.<ref name="brainwashed1" /> After that release, the group stabilized around a nine-person lineup with Menuck, Moya and [[David Bryant (musician)|David Bryant]] on guitars, Pezzente and Thierry Amar on bass guitars, Aidan Girt and Bruce Cawdron on drums, and Sophie Trudeau and Norsola Johnson on violin and cello respectively. Moya would depart in 1998 to focus on [[HṚṢṬA]], being replaced by Roger Tellier-Craig of [[Fly Pan Am]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Godspeed You ! Black Emperor en concert en France : Tournée 2015|url=https://www.evous.fr/Godspeed-You-Black-Emperor-en-concert-en-France-1135503.html|website=evous|date=April 23, 2015|access-date=October 31, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107005644/https://www.evous.fr/Godspeed-You-Black-Emperor-en-concert-en-France-1135503.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Tellier-Craig left in 2004 to devote more time to Fly Pan Am.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 23, 2012 |title=Former Godspeed You! Black Emperor guitarist preps new cassette |url=http://www.factmag.com/2012/08/23/former-godspeed-you-black-emperor-guitarist-preps-new-cassette/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170529093656/http://www.factmag.com/2012/08/23/former-godspeed-you-black-emperor-guitarist-preps-new-cassette/ |archive-date=May 29, 2017 |access-date=October 31, 2017 |website=Fact Mag}}</ref> In 2002, the band released their third album ''[[Yanqui U.X.O.]]'', which was recorded in [[Chicago]] and engineered by [[Steve Albini]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Richardson |first=Mark |date=2010-04-23 |title=Back on the Rails: Seven Thoughts on the Return of Godspeed You! Black Emperor |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/resonant-frequency/7796-resonant-frequency-69/ |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref>

The group was once misconstrued as being a band of [[terrorists]].<ref name="cstimages">{{cite web|url=http://cstrecords.com/cst_images/gybeimages_web.jpg |title=Godspeed You! Black Emperor Collage |access-date=November 26, 2006 |author=Biehr, Steve, Marion Bornas, and Stefan Claudius |format=jpg |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927191401/http://cstrecords.com/cst_images/gybeimages_web.jpg |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="ardmoreite">{{cite news|url=http://ardmoreite.com/stories/031603/loc_band_release.shtml |title=Band Members Released After Terrorist Report|access-date=November 26, 2006|newspaper=The Daily Ardmoreite|author=Biehr, Steve |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050208194407/http://ardmoreite.com/stories/031603/loc_band_release.shtml |archive-date = February 8, 2005}}</ref> After stopping at a local gas station for fuel in the town of [[Ardmore, Oklahoma]], during their 2003 tour of the United States, the station attendant working that day believed the group of Canadians to be terrorists. She quickly passed a note to another customer asking them to call the police. When the local police appeared, the group was held until it could be questioned by the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]. Although the police were suspicious of the band's anti-government documents and some photos it had (such as those of oil rigs), they found no incriminating evidence. After [[background check]]s were run, the ensemble was released from custody and continued on its way to its next show in [[St. Louis, MO|Saint Louis]]. [[Efrim Menuck]] later spoke to the crowd during their appearance in Missouri about what happened to them and speculated that their origin was a motive for being released quickly ("It's a good thing we're nice white kids from Canada").<ref name="2003-03-16">{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/gybe2003-03-16.shn|title=Godspeed You Black Emperor! at Mississippi Nights (2003-03-16)|access-date=December 24, 2006|publisher=Internet Archive|year=2003|author=Godspeed You Black Emperor!|work=Live Music Archive|format=shn}}</ref> The incident was mentioned in [[Michael Moore]]'s book ''[[Dude, Where's My Country?]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Five Noteworthy Facts You May Not Know About Godspeed You! Black Emperor|url=http://exclaim.ca/music/article/five_noteworthy_facts_you_may_not_know_about_godspeed_you_black_emperor|website=Exclaim|date=April 23, 2015|access-date=October 31, 2017|archive-date=November 7, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014517/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/five_noteworthy_facts_you_may_not_know_about_godspeed_you_black_emperor|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2003, Constellation Records posted a note on their website reading: "godspeed will be on hiatus for the better part of a year, while the band members work on their many other projects".<ref name=":1" />