When Swans last played Tokyo in 2013, the venue itself seemed to be groaning under the weight of the onslaught. Two hours into a set of tempestuous rock catharsis, the power cut out; once restored, the group kept playing for another 30 minutes.
Such marathon gigs are the norm for Swans, the avant-rock ensemble founded by Michael Gira over three decades ago. How on Earth do they keep it up?
¡°It¡¯s like a construction worker going to the job site, you know?¡± says Gira, speaking over Skype from his home in New York state. ¡°You just dive in and do the work. We push ourselves, and the music, as far as we can each night. I¡¯m not implying that it¡¯s a heroic undertaking, by any means, but it¡¯s sort of our job, to try and really let the music inhabit us.¡±
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