I’ve seen Swans five times, Angels of Light twice and Michael Gira solo once. My next Swans gig is in two weeks at the Paradiso and there’ll probably be a review here.

I created this playlist to reflect M Gira’s solo gig earlier this year. It leans heavily on the acoustic goodies in the catalogue. Note that Nowness (Warning: Loud autoplayed video) shares the following on the matter of the band’s sound:

Swans’ seemingly endless touring schedule since their resurrection has seen the band’s reputation grow to the point that they are considered one of the most potent rock acts on the planet: The New Yorker’s Sacha Frere-Jones has hailed them as “one of the most fearsome working live bands.”

Swans: DNA Lounge, San Francisco, 1992.
Swans: Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, 1997. (I passed on the 1995 show because I didn’t really like The Great Annihilator. My loss.
Angels of Light: Great American Music Hall, 1999
Angels of Light: Palac Akropolis, Prague, 2005
Swans: Palac Akropolis, Prague, 2010 (I’d already moved to the Netherlands, but there were no NL tour dates announced when the Prague show went on sale. Worth the price of the flight, but Swans always are.)
Swans: I’ll Be Your Mirror, Alexandra Palace London, 2011.
Swans: Patronaat, Haarlem, 2012. My friends Andre, Mike, and Lucie joined for this one. I’m pretty sure The Seer went on for about 45 minutes. This wouldn’t have been uncommon. Lucie and I stepped up to the bar about midway through. After the show, the other three referred to it as “the song that wouldn’t end” which amused me. I think I was the only one prepared for that.
Michael Gira: MC Theatre, Amsterdam, 2014. Brilliant solo acoustic outing.

Looked up the set lists for the current tour – Already new songs, including this goodie with which they’re opening.