Swans were indeed the gods of loud. But I'm not so sure about the evil part. Gira never killed any firstborns. I saw the quote on youtube and liked it. Anyway, I thought I should list these clips of one of the greatest bands in the history of everything before they disappear. Not that Gira or Jarboe will pull them. They are no jerks.
Swans played here in the mid 1980s. I knew some people working where they played. One of them said Swans cranked up all amps at maximum volume. (The band earned a reputation for playing so loud people in the audience got ill.) Not much of a sound check was needed. "Can somebody make this go louder?" It wasn't a big place. It took only 200 persons. It was completely deafening. It was so loud every single person in the audience left. They couldn't take it. This was one floor up. On the first floor the sound level was like any other really loud gig. The guy I talked to, a diehard Swans fan, listened to the gig in the office on the first floor behind several closed doors. Not an ear was dry that night. It was such a beautiful thing. The greatest gig I never saw.
Holy Money
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UndNFFQ80_U
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHES9YAGGkU
A Hanging
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8SY7d46rrE
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sze53LSG9Fc
A Long Slow Screw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QRSSuEpI50
A Screw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqiEmNaG5QY
Like a Drug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqN5Z0gOVuk
Beautiful Child
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EayNRh_PkBc
Coward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSRjYYUE-_c
Anything For You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gssLAugQd8
Documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fph6aziOzbg
Swans played here in the mid 1980s. I knew some people working where they played. One of them said Swans cranked up all amps at maximum volume. (The band earned a reputation for playing so loud people in the audience got ill.) Not much of a sound check was needed. "Can somebody make this go louder?" It wasn't a big place. It took only 200 persons. It was completely deafening. It was so loud every single person in the audience left. They couldn't take it. This was one floor up. On the first floor the sound level was like any other really loud gig. The guy I talked to, a diehard Swans fan, listened to the gig in the office on the first floor behind several closed doors. Not an ear was dry that night. It was such a beautiful thing. The greatest gig I never saw.
Holy Money
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UndNFFQ80_U
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHES9YAGGkU
A Hanging
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8SY7d46rrE
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sze53LSG9Fc
A Long Slow Screw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QRSSuEpI50
A Screw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqiEmNaG5QY
Like a Drug
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqN5Z0gOVuk
Beautiful Child
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EayNRh_PkBc
Coward
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSRjYYUE-_c
Anything For You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gssLAugQd8
Documentary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fph6aziOzbg