Classic or Dud: Swans

swans are dead! they can't play again.

they should really leave it be. and i say this as someone who considers them one of their top ten fave bands.

original article here: http://brainwashed.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7536&Itemid=1

I love Swans, but not sure I want to see a naked, sweating, 55-yr-old Gira...

they were so amazing on that swans are dead tour though... okay, i'd go see them. hahahaha!

A reunion seems somewhat strenuously unlikely.

Maybe Gira just wants to resurrect the name to play all those songs and house his new Swans-sounding material, and get whoever he wants to join in? Not necessarily with Jarboe (she wasn't in the band from the start, who knows, maybe he's not going to ask her permission), a choice of five or six drummers, guitarists, bass players, or maybe even new people?

I mean, how many incarnations have there been? Which one would be THE reunion?

A reunion seems somewhat strenuously unlikely.

not willing to talk out of school any further than this, but it doesn't seem unlikely to me.

You just want to see Edward III print out this thread and eat it too, don't you? :-)

I saw 'em @ the Fab Mab in '86.

The 2 drummers had way oversized kits and cymbals (16" hit hats as I recall), the bass ran through TWO giant folded horn cabs, Jarbo had one. Gira was really pissed the venue hadn't supplied the requested 10,000 watt PA (for a venue about the size of CBs).

I SWEAR that everyone in the audience looked like they were being subject to massive G-forces and seemed to be physically exhausted and beaten up after the show. I was really happy to have been @ the side of the stage.

BRILLIANT.

If there is any reformation I'd like to see it's this one. I would kill to see Swans live.

not willing to talk out of school any further than this, but it doesn't seem unlikely to me.

OOoooooooh. Somebody knows something.

I love Swans, but not sure I want to see a naked, sweating, 55-yr-old Gira...

See this seems so close to the point of what Swans were actually about

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If there is any reformation I'd like to see it's this one. I would kill to see Swans live.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), den 30 maj 2009 02:05 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

16" hihat not weirdly overszd actually, just a bit fuller when fuller is a good thing.

StanM upthread has it. There won't be any Swans "reunion", because Swans is just Michael Gira plus whoever he wants to play with him.
It's highly unlikely he would bring back any of the former members, even Jarboe (they don't get on anymore).

Hmmmmmmmmm @ the last sentence here. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinnie_Signorelli

unexpected noise moments: algis kizys listed in credits as "driver" for this show

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom_in_the_Home

i would like them to reform since I missed the last time they played in the bay area because I got confused and had my weeks off and have regretted this ever since.

No more updates re: possibilities then? Not even about the once-rumored archived live recordings?

Come on Swans! Public Is A Good Idea!

Gira mentions the possibility of playing again as Swans in a new newsletter here:

http://younggodrecords.com/News/Detail/?C=2218

Okay so I just had that rare musical blowaway moment -- 'Helpless Child' on Soundtracks For The Blind!

Oh my God.

Something's underway. The official Swans Myspace page just got changed from saying "Swans are dead" to "Swans are not dead". And there's a new song posted, credited to M Gira/Swans (just a demo, though).

http://www.myspace.com/swansaredead

OMG! Thanks for the quick heads up!

Not Insane is one of his solo things: http://younggodrecords.com/Releases/Detail.asp?C=2217 , but it also says Swans, so ?

Gira has always switched between playing songs solo and as Swans. If Swans aren't dead then I'm not really bothered until we find out who Swans are now.

Not at all. Swans existed from 82 to 97 and in that time he only put out one solo album and never played live solo. Since then he has played Swans songs from time to time at solo gigs but has never gone under the Swans name.

As for who Swans are now, it will almost certainly not include any of the key members from past line-ups. It will probably be people who he has played with as Angels of Light and/or new people. Jarboe is not involved. And even though I can't wait for these shows I don't really care who the other musicians are, since Swans is essentially Gira + whoever.

Dude, I am giving up snark for Christmas so I will be straight with you, sometimes you come across a bit condescending, which is not a great look, especially combined with rong.

OK but I'd be interested to know what is "rong" about my post.

My original post might've been a bit ambiguous but I was trying to say that Gira sometimes used Swans as a vehicle for songs he'd then play solo, so it doesn't feel surprising that he would have a reformed "Swans" playing an old solo song. And if Swans is essentially Gira + backing randomers then really what is the point of a Swans at all?

Well all I can say to that last point is that I saw Swans in '86, '87, '92, '95 and '97. In '97 I saw them thirty times. Each one of those tours had different people in the line-up as regards guitar, bass and drums. Other than Gira, Jarboe was the only constant. None of that mattered, they were all Swans and each one as powerful as the other.

It's like, y'know, six months from now, I can't see myself missing Jarboe more than I might miss Ross McLochness, or Ronnie Pudding, or Danny Upham, or Little Danny Schindler, or any of those.

i'd love to see vudi and joe goldring and basically the same people on sountracks tour with gira since I missed all those shows last time.

I vote for a Swans All Star Review Kinda Thing with five lineups and sets per night.

(review? is that even remotely like the word I was looking for? :-/ )

More news here. Westberg is on board, fab.

OMG

now we're talking

yes!

Ivan likes this.

Stan agrees with Ivan.

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It's like, y'know, six months from now, I can't see myself missing Jarboe more than I might miss Ross McLochness, or Ronnie Pudding, or Danny Upham, or Little Danny Schindler, or any of those."

LOL!

First show announced (but not necessarily the first show they'll play, if you get my meaning), at a festival in Birmingham, the armpit of the United Kingdom.

http://www.capsule.org.uk/supersonic/

Guys, I have a friend who has a friend in the current Swans lineup. Word is that the album is finished already, and that Swans are lining up a sizeable US tour. Austin is on the agenda (which is all I care about, really) but I expect they'll hit a good number of cities, not just the NYC/Cali circuit or anything.

thor is stoked

St. Helens is the armpit of the UK. Birmingham is it's massive and pattable belly. Also, if anyone hasn't attended Supersonic yet they should think about rectifying that mistake.

i've been meaning to make it over for a while

Supersonic is a wonderful festival. I've been for the last three years and loved it every time.

I have a feeling they'll either play an ATP-promoted show while they're over here, or headline/curate of the December Butlins things.

Genuinely stoked to see them live, it's going to be mythic.

*one of the