American rock band, Swans, have announced their 2023 European tour. The band, which was formed in New York in 1982 by instrumentalist and singer Michael Gira, will embark on a tour around Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, Belgium and The Netherlands. Each show will begin with an opening from former Swans band member and guitarist, Norman Westburg.
The tour is following on from their previous European tour in November 2019. The band planned to tour in 2020 but due to the pandemic, they were unable to. In a statement by Michael Gira on the website for his independent record label Young God Records, he said ‘’Hello There, Hope you are well and staying healthy in these trying and claustrophobic times. Around here stasis, and even entropy have set in, as the protracted waiting and isolation sees the walls grow a crust, and stalagmites perceptibly wind their way down from the ceiling, millimeter by millimeter. Nevertheless, joy is in the air! Though numerous Swans tours have been either cancelled or postponed, and the future remains uncertain, we have devised a few ways to keep things interesting and solvent until something opens up again and we can get back to making music.’’
Throughout the career of the band there have been many band members. 29 members have appeared in the band to later depart, including Singer and Keyboardist Jarboe, who was in the band from 1986 up until the band split up in 1997. The remaining band members of Swans now consists of Michael Gira, Kristof Hahn, Larry Mullins, Phil Puleo Christopher Pravdica and Dana Schechter. Michael Gira reformed the band in 2010, without many of its original members. The band continued to tour and release new albums as a reformed group. All of the Swans albums, since 1990, have been released through Michael Gira’s own record label, Young God Records. After Swans disbanded in 1997, Michael Gira went on to front American folk band, Angel of Light. Angel of Light were active until 2009, the year before Gira decided to reform Swans.
Swans were significantly busy during their first decade as a band. Recording six albums in the 80’s alone, overall the band produced 15 albums since their formation in 1982; Filth (1983), Cop (1984), Greed (1986), Holy Money (1986), Children Of God (1987), The Burning World (1989), White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity (1991), Love Of Life (1992), The Great Annihilator (1995), Soundtracks For The Blind (1996), My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky (2010), The Seer (2012), To Be Kind (2014), The Glowing Man (2016) and Leaving Meaning (2019). Swan’s recurring lyrical content consists of meaningful and dark themes, such as Death, Religion, Sex and Power. The band are associated with an experimental type of rock music and ever-changing sound, exploring in genres such as post-punk, industrial music, Neo folk and noise rock.
The tour will begin on May 20 in the German city, Leipzig. The band will continue to tour around European countries and finalise the tour mid-June in the Netherlands.
Swans 2023 European Tour Dates:
20/05/2023 – UT Connewitz – Leipzig
21/05 – Imperial Castle – Poznan
23/05 – Kinoteatr Rialto – Katowice
25/05 – New Synagogue – Zilina
26/05 – Kino Siska – Ljubljana
29/05 – Teatro Duse – Bologna
31/05 – Le Transbordeur – Villeurbanne
02/06 – Primavera Sound Festival – Barcelona
04/06 – Culturgest – Lisbon
05/06 – Culturgest – Lisbon
06/06 – Teatro das Figuras – Faro
09/06 – Primavera Sound – Madrid
11/06 – Vrahon Theatre – Athens
13/06 – Moni Lazariston – Thessaloniki
15/06 – Bourla Theatre – Antwerp
16/06 – TivoliVrendenburg, Utrecht
To access tickets for the Swans 2023 European tour, click here.
