Swans live at the Troxy

Swans are no ordinary band, consistently jumping genres since their sludgy industrial 1983 debut, Filth, and later dabbling in folk, drone and goth. However, their journey has ultimately led them to be one of the most successful post-rock bands around, and as a result, this wasn't your standard rock concert. The Troxy is a split-level venue that is quite lavishly decorated all over, giving a stark contrast to a band like Swans, who have consistently made, for lack of a better word, some of the most outrageous and disturbing music out there (just read some of the lyrics from their early work).

One detail that quickly became evident is how Swans are much less of a band as they are Michael Gira's current cohort of musicians. He places himself in the middle of the stage, with the rest of the band in a semi-circle of sorts around him. The lights illuminate each individual in a mix of white and red, but Gira is the only member who the entire crowd can see with ease, unhidden by amps or drum sets. At times he also assumes the role of conductor to his mini orchestra, often getting up to signal to the drummer, Phil Puleo, to thunder down over everything. The most spectacular occasion was a back and forth between Gira and the lap steel guitarist, Kristof Hahn, during the final song.

The first ten or so minutes work as an intro, a taste of what's to come, but regardless you still feel every bass note being played, every cymbal crash still thunders into your ears, and Gira's voice lends itself as an instrument, adding fire to the fray. Afterwards they play what might have been the best song of the set, an extended version of The Beggar, which was two or three times longer than the studio version. There was allocated seating for the audience, giving more focus to the band and the music itself. When The Beggar ended Gira invited everyone to stand up and get close to the stage; in a few seconds the majority of people did exactly that. The Hanging Man was the second standout of the set; it is a song with an unconditionally punishing groove, and it never once lets it go. Post-hiatus Swans have often embodied large grooves that just continue for exaggerated amounts of time, which when amplified ten fold leave everybody slowly nodding.

The rest of the set was impressive, but nothing quite reached the heights of those first two songs. In fact, towards the back end of the set it did find itself slipping a bit, concentrating on some of the folkier, more acoustic led songs of the last two albums. The songs simply didn't hold that same uncanny power that their work often have; I would have preferred Paradise Is Mine from their latest album, or Sunfucker from leaving meaning. to have made an appearance. In any case, this was remedied by the monumental closer Birthing, a song not available on any streaming platforms. I didn't have a timer but this track must have been some thirty minutes long. The drums made sure to encapsulate the entire crowd as they kept pounding on until suddenly, the song would transform into a different, more violent, sonic landscape, evolving into what seemed like an entirely different beast. More guitar and bass would layer in, and the lap steel guitar's wails would give a dose of dark psychedelia to the whole ordeal. But then again and again the song would continue changing entirely. And then it finished. Silence. Gira starts beckoning to the technicians to turn on the house lights to see his audience, and then the entire band slowly made their way out.

In a nutshell – Swans live are even more potent than on record, with everything maximised as much as possible. They create an ethereal, cathartic live show that's constantly transforming and evolving, but is by no means an easy experience. There are as many reasons to love them as to hate them, and as such I would definitely recommend listening to some of the band's current output before deciding to attend one of their concerts. For those who do like it however, an unforgettable experience is guaranteed, as well as a higher connection to the ebbs and flows that their work is filled with. A playlist of their setlist for your convenience –