What's up Sup Forums, next week I'm going to see Swans in concert.I heard you kind of need to prepare for them...

What's up Sup Forums, next week I'm going to see Swans in concert.I heard you kind of need to prepare for them, especially that they're loud as fuck and Gira will stop playing if you dance. How do I not spill my spaghettis?

>Gira will stop playing if you dance
what the fuck?

>Gira will stop playing if you dance.
Here's an idea: Fuck the pretentious twat and don't go

I don't even dance so that's not a problem. I'm kind of scared of Gira in general, like you could say something wrong, and the old man will fight you or some shit.

Wear earplugs you jabroni

O-Okay.

how gullible are you people
christ

its not the 80s anymore
he's calm and kindly now

He'll stop if you mosh, excessively headbang or if your dancing takes up too much space. If you just stand and move a bit to the rhythm you'll be fine. At the show I was at 2 weeks ago nearly all people physically reacted to the music but there was no moshing or excessive dancing, most people were just kind of tripping from the powerful sound, really. Wear earplugs.

Nice trips inxy

>Once, some girl stumbled in looking for guys
>Must of figured she'd get lucky at a gig.
>She started dancing to Oxygen,
>Gira stopped the show, everyone stared at this girl.
>Gira stands there completely silent with a face of pure disdain staring directly into this poor girl's soul
>Room is completely silent
>Gira steps down from the stage and standing infront of this chick
>They both stare at eachother for a while, the girl can't keep eye contact because she's scared
>Gira suddenly shouts
>"I'LL STEAL ALL THE OXYGEN!" and rapes her right there.

>playing music so loud people have to wear earplugs

why even do this

You are aloud to dance, but only if you put your hand on your other partner's buttock and you do very little steps, it is a very very dynamic dance

Lmao

Honestly? Prepare for disappointment.

There new stuff isn't suited to a live environment at all. he started his show a few weeks ago with 30 minute of distortion and a wall of noise and it felt awkward as hell watching it for that long.

I'm glad I saw them live but I wouldn't watch them again, certainly not performing their stuff from their latest trilogy of albums.

I saw them last year, it was fucking amazing, but i didn't know about the loudness and it legitimately made me lose a little bit of audition. I stayed like 20 minutes without earplugs. Don't make the same mistake as me. Seriously.

Also, you can dance, i don't know what the fuck are these guys saying.

wait, serious. That sound fucking terrible.

I've seen them a few times now, though not on this most recent tour. All those urban legends are just stories though, things he might have done in their earlier no-wave years but not anymore.

You don't have to "prepare" yourself anymore than any other show you've ever been to. Depending on what venue they're in they can't even get that loud, the couple times I saw them in Philly I didn't bring earplugs and didn't even have any ringing afterwards, not really loud at all.

The time I saw them at Basilica Soundscape though holy fuck three hour long show, loudest thing I've ever experienced in my life

Good fun though.

Sound isn't just heard, it is felt as well

Underrated

are you talking about that boring new 60 minute song they open with?

I dont know why everyone needs to ask what they should expect at a swans concert. Heres a good idea, bring ear plugs just in case and keep them in your pocket, if its to loud pull them out and wear them. And dont be affraid of gira, he isnt going to fucking attack you.

I'm very glad I saw them, but prepare for an intense show, to the point where it is almost exhausting. I was right up in front when I saw them, I had my earplugs in the entire time and it was still noticeably loud. They played for two and a half hours with no breaks at all. It's a dynamic show, pay attention to the swells of the various instruments and the way Gira controls the intensity of the band.

Just let yourself take it all in, and DEFINITELY bring earplugs.

What kind of nigger would dance to fucking Swans?

I've been to their show week ago.

Absolutely wear earplugs! Trust me, I was againtst it myself but you really need it unless you want to get permanent tinnitus. I took them off last 30 min and I can feel my tinnitus is way worse.

Its so fucking loud your body starts feeling it from the inside, though I was in the first row.

Gira is a nice guy actually, even gave me autograph after the concert and talked with me some. He will only start shouting at you if you mosh or sometimes when you take pictures, especially with flash. You can dance.

Seconded, that really is one of the best things about the live show is watching how gira works, the way he conducts and directs the band is really fascinating to see

>wear earplugs you'll get tinnitus hurr durr
saw them 3 times without earplugs and still no tinnitus, the show is extremely loud and exhausting though, but ultimately very rewarding

Is that dance thing true? Seems super petty, doesnt seem like Gira has time for that sorta shit. I can see him getting pissy about moshing tho.

wear earplugs, that's about all you need to do to prepare. The thing about not dancing is bullshit

He only attacks soundguys

god, this website degenerated badly

Saw them 2 weeks ago
>they're loud as fuck
Sunn O))) is much louder, but yes, you're going to need hearing protection. I suggest you to buy good quality earplugs, not that cheap foam shit unless you want to hear muffled shit (I forgot to bring plugs and I regret that more than anything in my life. Not because I had tinnitus, that went away after an hour or so, but because I had to stay in the back where all the weirdos and drunken idiots were, they ruined the concert for me)
>Gira will stop playing if you dance
I don't think so. Many went full-on ape shit when the Glowing Man started, and Gira semmed to enjoy that ecstasy he caused with his music.

Just stay in the front, have good earplugs and enjoy the show. You might have a hard time standing on your feet for 3 hours though

...

>You might have a hard time standing on your feet for 3 hours though
>burgers are this fat
What the fuck? Get some exercise.

I ain't fat, I just had a pelvis surgery half a year ago and my stamina's not maxed out yet.
But my friend also began to complain about his legs after a while.

Jesus fucking christ, hes a just some old fuck with moody posturing. The amount of times ive seen people here talk about Gira being "scary" is fucking hilarious.

I saw him live and he was uglier in real life. He looked like a skeleton staring at you.

Lots of accurate, relatable accounts in this thread, but I like this one.

I experienced them two months ago in San Fran, which was my first real concert. If there was ever only one concert to attend, that was it.

My friend took his earplugs out about 15 minutes in, so was exposed to over 2 hours of unfiltered Swans and his ears rang for a literal 3 days. Took mine out during 'Cloud of Unknowing' and 'The Glowing Man.' Comparing them with/without protection makes the unfiltered bits that much sweeter. The slow, plodding bit of 'Unknowing' is something I want everyone on earth to experience. It is indescribable.

The whole ballroom shook throughout the night and my body vibrated from toe to tip, though I was in about the fourth row.

Unfortunately, the only 2 people who really started to "dance" did so right near me, but Gira didn't make any note of it. I met Gira, Westberg, and Hahn, all of whom couldn't be warmer and more humble guys. Gira was especially kind and grateful; I snagged an autograph, too.

There's nothing really to worry over as long as you take earplugs and don't plan on "dancing." It will be something else, so just live in the moment and don't distract yourself; let it sink in. Hope you enjoy yourself, friendo :-)

I've seen swans last saturday here's what you need to know :
They are more than loud as fuck, protect your ear !
I didn't and regret it a lot.

Dance all you want, I was in transe (somewhat dancing) all along and from the eye contact I got with member of the group they seemed pleased and happy about it.
At some point I stopped and looked at hahn and he laughed, I laughed and he gave me one of his plectrum.

Find some good and hard drug, psychedelic is an excellent choice.

Oh and i supposed they will be anna von Hauskoff too. Didn't felt the need for protection for them, very good don't miss them.

Hell, I took them off for bit more then 30 minutes and it was ringing like crazy for 3 days too.

Another funny story from this concert is, one drunk guy started moshing and Gira stopped for 2 minutes and told him to stop. After 30 min he came back even more drunker and came right in front of Gira and showed him middle finger and was starting to smash those monitor in front. Gira had his eyes closed for 10 minutes and didn't see anything but security came and throwed him out. I was really anticipating a fight :^)

What kind of pathetic retard will just stand there not moving at all ?

Another question: What kind of "look" did you guys sport to a Swans concert? Because my clothes range from nerd to mallgoth, don't want to stand out.

Just put on normal fucking clothes, how insecure are you?

the only way you'll stand out is if you put together a "look" for a swans concert

most people wore black/dark clothes as far as i remember. i saw a guy wearing MPP tshirt there, so it really doesn't matter what you choose i guess... depends on your location/town

Yeah, if it isn't obvious i have non-meme anxiety.

Thanks guys.

Nobody gives a fuck about you, don't delude yourself into thinking otherwise.
When I saw them the "looks" ranged from metalheads to businessmen

>movement is dancing
Well then Gira must only ever perform for like a millisecond.

Screenshot and The Glowing Man sound amazing live.

When I went he just walked around in the crowd during the opening act, chatted with randos, he's nothing to be scared of

When I saw them this summer he got angry at someone filming and called them out. He also seemed to be pissed at his drummer, and when one song ended he remarked that it was bad. So he does seem like an angry guy, but honestly it really was an awesome experience.

>most people were just kind of tripping from the powerful sound

This is what it was like when I went. I don't think you'll even be that compelled to dance. Also, that Westberg guy is tall as fuck.

Wear a cowboy hat and boots,

kek

...

>You have to move to the music at a concert.

When I went I was surprised that the audience was probably the most diverse and "normal" looking I've ever seen at such a "acquired taste" show. No metalheads, plenty of hipsters, several girls in dresses, surprising amount of old guys in blazers. I was literally standing next to a 60y/o lady who was dressed like she was going to the opera and she danced like she was in heaven during the loudest parts. To me it seemed like proof that decent music speaks to every demographic. So yeah, wear whatever.

Except for ambient and maybe noise concert I think so. I mean if you don't have the full experience why even go to the concert ?
Maybe i'm wrong maybe your way of having the experience is without moving. But I hardly believe it since it's pretty much what I thought until I stopped being an autist and actually started to enjoy life.

I'm not saying you can't, what I'm saying is swans isn't music I can imagine people "dancing" too in any sense. Reacting too? yes, but not dancing.

Not other guy, but I can totally see people dancing to Swans, especially on this tour. They play screenshot and oxygen, really accesible songs with a rhythm, albeit unconventional, but you can totally dance to it. And the rest of the songs are from Glowing Man which gets into these extended drones, and locks into these tight grooves that you can certainly have fun with, that's what most of my Glowing Man experience was like when I heard the album too

I went absolutely ham over the noise walls, and I wasn't the only one. A lot of people stand still at those concerts but speaking from my experience, go nuts.

I actually managed to meet Gira just outside the venue while he was taking a break from the soundtrack, he was a real nice guy. I was kinda bummed I didn't get much chance to talk with him but I understood that he was probably just looking for silence after probably spending the day preparing. I kinda worry that I came across kinda strong because it was like HOLY SHIT THERE HE IS but he was still chill.

I met Christoph after the show too and he was such a sweet guy you have no idea.

>soundtrack

I met sound check whoops.

But yeah, the whole thing of Gira being a totally inapproachable dude, while being based on truth is largely a meme.

it's been like this for years actually

Where do people get that anyway?
The few interviews I've seen of him he seemed kind like a down to earth kind of guy. Is he a dick to his fans or what?

He has had a real penchant for being a very hot tempered guy, like he has confiscated phones from people recording shit and apparently took a sweetp at a photographer with his guitar neck. He's also been known to get pretty heated over stuff.

Honestly I think a lot of it's down to him just kind of leveling out. Like for example there are videos of him going furious over amps blowing at his concerts, but when I went to see him in glasgow the amps blew like 3 times and he was remarkably calm and cracked a few jokes with the audience before getting it fixed.

>They play oxygen
LIAR THAT'S A LIE