Michael Gira wants it louder

Taken from the excellent Pitchfork documentary 'The Seer'.

[@averytruman3918]

This has the energy of Not quite my tempo

[@Mator-4422]

Or even “faster Johnny!”

[@ghostrhythm]

​@@Mator-4422essentially the same thing

[@gaboxd4407]

I heard he never wore earplugs I genuinely wonder how he can actually hear

[@ausria9swan]

Same

[@doomb1ke]

He can't lol

[@stevieirasousa]

he can't hear well lol

[@tite93]

Why do you think he's asking for it to be louder, lmao

[@robert.mercer294]

I remember some interview where he and Jim thirwell are talking about how bad both have tinnitus

[@diegosebastian2226]

This is crucial to their live sound, the volume without the extraneous frequencies.

[@erco9167]

our man takes the time. no wonder

[@joaquinbaume1291]

the loudest show i've ever seen, also my favourite

[@hdslave]

Hes telling the sound guy day 1 basics. Hi pass filter and then cut the feedback. Basicly being an average grumpy ol musician

[@vexomnight3079]

I was front row when they played Coward. My fucking chest caved in

[@wanneske1969]

I've known Swans since 1989 and have seen them the first time live in 1995. I wondered why there was nobody standing on the front rowes and everybody was 5 meters from the stage, until they started playing ... I had a tweeting sound in my ears for a week.

[@pavma7]

Oh fuck man that's bad

[@cordan305]

I’ve heard their earlier shows were so loud and intense that shit would be falling from the ceiling and people in the crowd would actually get sick but idk how true that is

[@wanneske1969]

@@cordan305 it is true :-)

[@cordan305]

@@wanneske1969 Jesus Christ, that’s insane lmao

[@wanneske1969]

@@cordan305 All their shows are extremely loud, even nowadays

[@nevenmusic3024]

"Not quite my volume"

[@steveroberts88]

Dude’s a fucking boss. I want to hear an album of just him and dulcimers

[@danielstoddart]

As a Swans fan and having been to several of their shows over the years, all I can say about this video is that if you are the soundman at a venue where Swans play, you'd better have some humility and be open to taking direction, because Michael Gira is both demanding and knows exactly what he wants. He's not a bad person but he is very particular about the kind of sound the band produces at live shows.

[@JonathanNelsonOfficial]

The vitality of swans' loudness is to insulate the soul from the noise that influences the mind. The irony is the genius.

[@Kalitayy]

"Louder, Jonny"

[@october1820]

oh god damn it

[@AS_SO]

just realized he doesn't have eyebrows

[@jemusu8271]

jesus christ

[@Bill_loves_drone]

Yes

[@muzzyLimon]

@@Bill_loves_drone I love you Jesus Chriiiiiiiist

[@pancakeslmao20]

@@muzzyLimon jeeeeeeeesus christ I looooveeee youuuuuu yeeeees I dooooooo

[@beno526]

This is gonna be banging hard when the album comes out

[@edinsongs84]

i believe this is from the seer

[@pap_pap]

frfr

[@koreno5420]

Well

[@ryandepriest5961]

@@pap_pap frfr

[@heavymachete6235]

this is from the mini pitchfork doc on "the seer"

[@anfrankogezamartincic1161]

I had a privilege to see and hear the Swans alive (in Rijeka, Croatia) it was brutal, loud an hypnotic, everything i expected, even better

[@johnwoolveridge699]

I've seen Swans twice and before I saw them I didn't think I would ever see a band that plays louder than Mogwai. Boy was I wrong

[@theculling497]

The only band I've heard louder live (I've seen Swans 4 times) was MBV and that was only the ending of You Made Me Realize. Also, the ending of You Made Me Realize Made me feel dizzy and off balance so that may be too much. Edit: I just also thought it was worth mentioning I have tickets to see Swans again in a couple of months so that would make it 5.

[@Spontaneou]

@@theculling497I agree I was also about to say mbv is probably the loudest band of all time but that being said swans has to be tied right next to them because they’re just as loud but in a much more heavy abrasive way. After the show sitting in my room. It was like I witnessed a nuclear explosion and I was just sitting in the aftermath. No bad has ever left me with such an impression as swans did.

[@troymabbett2127]

I've yet to see Swans but the loudest shows I've attended were Sleep and probably Godspeed.

[@aimageminterior]

The Beggar Lover : much longer, much longer.

[@_CoasterNinja]

Best part of the doc!

[@debonaire_nerd]

KZbin directed me here after watching "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by The Eagles.

[@grazynajabonka]

Balance ...❤❤

[@Anophis]

legend

[@tarkenton3895]

Saw them at Arctangent this year whilst still incredibly stoned from some previous set I'd watched. I can say I've never felt so much dread eating mac and cheese as when I was watching this band. Nuts.

[@DrTacoPHD665]

The best sound engineer is an artist

[@grazynajabonka]

Mzyk z prawdziwego zdarzenia i podobny do lidera King Crimson ...Oni cały czas tworzá mimo swojego wieku i szukają dźwięku ❤❤

[@jossecoupe446]

Who is screaming at the end lol, thought this was them during production of the album? This isnt live right?

[@iain2080]

This is a soundcheck from "The Seer" documentary when they were on tour

[@heavymachete6235]

both. this is live on tour, when they wrote the album. in this specific example, its soundcheck and Michael is making sure the dulcimer is loud enough in the PA.

[@fidel1o]

me

[@Mr.Turkeylovesmusic]

I think bro wants it louder

[@peterhughes324]

He's a bloody star!! and 69!!

[@muyrgheal]

same

[@casulukmc]

LOUDER JONNY

[@albert5838]

How this man still has any hearing at all is baffling to me

[@ImaginalComponent]

Hearing loss is a b, yo.

[@Fat_Nun]

the word to use here is deaf lol

[@joebreakerx]

Can I get more mandolin in the monitors please

[@Lovereignsupreme]

He hates listening to music via headphones and the people that do this. Fact,he said so.

[@abcdefzhij]

?

[@votejello]

Catch me listening to Swans on headphones at a reasonable volume and still hearing above 4k. Catch me, old man!!

[@LucasXavierReis95]

sowwy mr. gira 😢

[@WithNobodyElse]

Somebody buy Mr. Swan some new ears.

[@redhouse3994]

How is Gira not deaf by now?

[@sodapopbrosky]

What song this from

[@nicknickson3650]

it's just a hammered dulcimer sound check. They use hammered dulcimer on lots of their songs.

[@sodapopbrosky]

Thank you

[@petr8068]

First of all, I have liked their music for many years and I have no aversion towards them. The fact is that their many albums mainly approx. after the year 2000, they sound very comprimed and sonically somewhat lifeless. However, years ago I was at their concert with my older daughter. We were very much looking forward to them because they were in our country for the first time. We suspected that the concert would be loud. Shortly, three days and nights after the concert, our ears were still ringing and the only thing that came to my mind after the concert was, I'm sorry...idiots. And that's probably wrong. Considering some of the responses here with similar experiences, it's just weird.

[@user295.]

I don't wanna sound rude, but they're not the idiots in this situation, you are. If you didn't bother to wear earplugs, you've got no one to blame but yourself. Also massively disagree that their work is lifeless after 2000, the trilogy is arguably their best work, but fair enough if that's your opinion

[@Brain-Wormed]

Your the idiots if you decided to go to the concert of a band known for being insanely loud without heavy ear protection

[@MrGrizzzlik]

Lifeless? Their sound is as complex as ever. As much as I like early angry Gira those compositions aren't anything to speak about. Filth is literally just banging and screaming around, Merzbow is more complex while doing purely noise.

[@growskull]

their post reunion work is definitely not as good as pre reunion but its still great and definitely not lifeless

[@user295.]

@@growskull Damn that's a hot take. Outside of Soundtracks, I'd say that the trilogy is their best work

[@HAHb-zc2dp]

Does he not know how to use the volume???