NEWS
M.Gira Solo Tour USA and more
Hello!
YGR newsletter from Michael Gira:
Here’s a few things going on related to Swans:
I have written the songs for the next Swans album (to commence recording hopefully in March of 2019) and I’ll be performing many of them acoustically, along with some previously existing songs, on a brief solo tour of the West Coast USA, as well as a show in Brooklyn, commencing September 27. Long time Swans guitarist Norman Westberg will open the shows. Carla Bozulich will also play the LA show. Here’s the dates:
9/27/2018 Los Angeles, CA Regent Theatre (Fully Seated)
https://www.spacelandpresents.com/event/1677891
10/02/2018 San Francisco, CA The Chapel (Partially Seated)
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1763563
10/4/2018 Portland, OR The Old Church Concert Hall (Fully Seated)
https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1674575
10/5/2018 Seattle, WA Columbia City Theater (Partially Seated)
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F0054AEDBE8A5CC
10/25/2018 Brooklyn, NY Warsaw (Fully Seated)
https://www.ticketweb.com/event/michael-gira-swans-with-very-warsaw-tickets/8403725?pl=warsaw&edpPlParam=%3Fpl%3Dwarsaw
Here’s what I said recently about performing solo:
“Sitting there alone on stage with a dead piece of wood and some wires and just my voice is a challenge I set for myself a number of years ago, trying to fully inhabit the same thread that's run through the music all along, with the simplest of means. I think I've gotten pretty good at it over time. I play the guitar my own way. I've never really learned how to play it conventionally and I don't care to do so. I could just as easily be hitting two rocks together. It provides a context for the voice and words, and just as in the music of Swans, when all the elements (known and unknowable) combine, it can lead to something beyond itself, which is always the place I'd like to go: somewhere else. I hope to see you there."
- Michael Gira / Swans
Young God Records is seeking volunteers to distribute flyers for the show in the cities mentioned above. If you live in one of these cities and would like to become involved, please contact YGR here: brandon@virtuallabel.net. In exchange for your service we’ll provide you with a free ticket plus-two to the show in your city as well as a copy of the last Swans album, The Glowing Man, in the format of your choosing. Thanks in advance for getting involved!
As mentioned previously, I’ll continue to release and perform music using the Swans name. I’ll gather a wide variety of musicians to make the new album and I’ll put together a live performing group culled from these participants. The new songs are lyrically driven – in some cases multiple pages of words per song – and this will necessarily change the approach to the sound and arrangements when compared to the last 3 albums, for instance. It was time to move on, in any event. We’ll see where this leads. I’m not entirely certain where it will go myself.
As usual (and necessary) we’ll be doing a fundraiser package to help fund the new Swans album (something I started doing in the year 2000). Keep an eye out for that, if you’re interested. As always, your glorious support is highly appreciated!
There are still a few copies available of my book of new short stories, The Egg. It’s illustrated wonderfully by my long-term collaborator Nicole Boitos. It can be had at this link, as well as at the solo shows: https://younggodrecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/michael-gira-the-egg
Also available at the solo shows will be a limited edition (500) 2xLP of my more narrative based songs, many of which I perform live. It’s called I Am Not This. Remaining copies post this upcoming solo tour will be available at younggodrecords.com. In the meantime you can read about it here: https://younggodrecords.com/products/i-am-not-this-2lp
There’s still a few 4xLP box set of Swans Soundtracks for the Blind available. It’s also available as a 3 CD set (CD 3 contains the contemporaneous German language release Die Tür Ist Zu). When vinyl box set is gone we’ll be issuing it as a 4xLP gatefold. Read about it here: https://younggodrecords.com/collections/frontpage/products/soundtracks-2018
Marco Porisa is still at work on his Swans documentary. He has set a goal for late Fall release, I believe. Here’s a clip he put together to commemorate the final (most recent version) Swans shows at Warsaw in Brooklyn in November of 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxICmkwNOrw
The Nick Soulsby oral history of Swans book, Swans: Sacrifice and Transcendence, came out recently. You can read about it here. It’s available at Amazon etc too…
http://jawbonepress.com/swans-sacrifice-and-transcendence/
Thank you for signing up to this newsletter. If you’d like to be removed please let us know and we’ll take you off the list immediately.
Much Love!
Michael Gira / Swans / Young God Records