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PRODID:-ABConcerts-events
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TRANSP:OPAQUE
DTSTART:20101125T200000
DTEND:20101125T223000
SUMMARY:Swans
LOCATION:AB Box (Anspachlaan 110\, 1000 Brussel)
DESCRIPTION:"SWANS ARE NOT DEAD" (MySpace Swans\, January\n2010)That's right: This influential noise formation from\nNew York was established in ’82 and split in ’97 but is\nnow back back with a vengeance. So too the stunning minimal\nand repetitive noise that characterised the Swans in their\nearly days\, arising from the New York no wave scene that\nalso contained Sonic Youth. Think too: stripped guitars\,\nhypnotising riffs and drums that sound like sledgehammer\nblows. Add to that the morbid\, violent lyrics of pivotal\nfigure Michael Gira (who was inspired by Jean Genet and\nMarquis de Sade) and the themes depression\, death\, greed\nand desperation sound more logical than they do abnormal.\nLive\, the Swans often performed on the painful edge of a\nsound barrier.Over their 15 year existence\, frontman\nMichael Gira\, singer Jarboe and guitarist Norman Westerberg\nwere the most constant members of the company. Their album\ntitles where generally brief\, but bold: ‘Filth’ (their\ndebut from ’83\, also the period that Sonic Youth released\n‘Confusion is Sex’ and ‘Kill Your Idols’)\,\n‘Cop’ (’84) and ‘Greed’. Their musical turning\npoint took place with Swan's ‘Children of God’\,\nwhich contained the introduction of more acoustic\ninstruments. Also noteworthy: their cover version of Joy\nDivision’s ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ (from ’88) that\nwas later described by Gira as “a mistake”. They flirted\nwith pop some more on their only album to be released via a\nmajor label (MCA): ‘The Burning World’ (produced by Bill\nLaswell\, later described by Gira as “a mismatch”).\n‘The Great Annihilator’ (from ‘95) is generally\nconsidered to be their most accessible album. The curtain\nfell for good over the Swans with ‘Soundtracks For The\nBlind’ (from ‘96) and the associated world tour.The\nSwans once played a sensational show in the AB (in the\nformer Bar American) in ‘86. Gira later appeared regularly\nin the ABClub under his own name or under his moniker Angels\nOf Light\, then often in the good company of the likes of\nDevendra Banhart (who is also to be heard on the new Swans\nalbum) or Akron/Family. All acts that Gira discovered and\nsigned to his famous Young God label\, by the way (see too:\nLisa Germano\, Larkin Grimm\, James Blackshaw\,…)Another\npiece of trivia to finish with? The origins of the name\nSwans? We quote Gira: "Swans are majestic\, beautiful\nlooking creatures. With really ugly temperaments.".   \nLine up:Michael Gira (original Swans): guitar - voice /\nmendicant friar actNorman Westberg (original Swans): guitar\nChristoph Hahn (mid period Swans\, most Angels of Light):\nguitarPhil Puleo (final Swans tour\, most Angels of Light):\ndrums\, percussion\, dulcimerChris Pravdica (Flux\nInformation Sciences\, Services\, Gunga Din): bass /\ngadgetsThor Harris (Angels of Light\, Shearwater): drums\,\npercussion\, vibes\, dulcimer\, curios\, keys    Support act\nwill be James Blackshaw. Blackshaw just recently signed to\nMichael Gira's Young God Records\, on which he released\n'The Glass Bead Game' in '09. With his\ntwelve-string guitar\, he's clearly a student of that\nother finger-picking performer\, John Fahey. Gira about\nBlackshaw: "He lays out patterns and shapes that subtly\nshift over time and lead you to a deeply satisfying mental\nstate. Recently\, driving around with the car stereo\nblasting his music I found myself inexplicably\nweeping." David Fricke (Rolling Stone Magazine)\ndidn't let the side down either: "One of the best\nand most original instrumentalists in the new\, acoustic\nrenaissance". So be sure to be there on time.          \n
URL;VALUE=URI:https://www.abconcerts.be/en/agenda/swans/a105J000001wgfwQAA
UID:ABConcerts_event_df71bc9e-599e-11eb-b5d2-5254eb761bff
SEQUENCE:0
DTSTAMP:20260409T055649Z
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