SWANS @ ELECTRIC BRIXTON, LONDON

Their last-ever tour with this rendition of the band, Swans played a three-date residency in London as part of their European tour featuring the lineup of Michael Gira (vocals, guitar), Kristof Hahn (lap-steel), Dana Schechter (lap-steel, bass), Larry Mullins (keyboards, sampler, percussion), Phil Puleo (drums), Christopher Pravdica (bass) and Norman Westberg (guitar).

The expansive 2.5-hour set saw them perform a setlist of five tracks beginning on ‘The End of Forgetting’ with a single bassline; haunting calls of lap-steel and percussive cymbal crashes aside Gira’s monastic chants. Then the honeyed folk rhythm came through transforming into a harsher sound that whipped up into a hurricane of noise. Thereafter, the song ended with a stupendous instrumental that repeated, each time growing louder and higher with smacks of drums until it was burning a hole through the atmosphere; Gira letting out a mighty bellow after the end.

The band released their 17th studio album, ‘Birthing’, earlier this year and performed one track, ‘The Merge’; Gira stood up and danced to its tribal funk introduction which saw Schechter double up on bass duties alongside Pravdica. It thinned out to a synth ambience while Gira sang pressurised wails. Unfortunately, there was no further material from this new album which was a disappointment considering how excellent a release it was.

Thereafter the set grew less atmospheric amongst its trancey repetitive yet predictable patterns; the band performing from Swans’ more recent album releases, namely ‘To Be Kind’ (2014) and ‘The Beggar’ (2023). Final track of the set, ‘A Little God in My Hands’, saw a clumsy Fallesque bassline building into predictable frenzied, noise parts which ended abruptly. This last song of the set, ‘Newly Sentient Being’, was performed over a period of almost an hour: its sound variations were enriching via sucking, vacuous noises and orientalist with a rhythmic and percussive, then jazzy finish. Whilst there was a lack of energy emanating from the band’s set throughout, on closer inspection their instrumental segments masterfully showcased an ambient jungle of etherealism.

11/11/25: Swans @ Electric Brixton, London.