Swans were always one of the bleakest bands and founder Michael Gira is continuing this tradition tonight as he begins the evening with a solo set full of tales of death, woe and general misery. Of course there is plenty of room in the world for artists like this; the problem with Gira is it’s just too much. His songs are all too samey, lyrically and musically and his sharp, stabbing chords repeat for far too many bars than necessary. With Swans being influenced by the no wave scene it’s easy to see where this style emerged, yet if perhaps the songs were shorter (or just his set in general) he would have gone down much better. Instead, he continues to play much longer than a happy person can take and after 40 minutes the audience become restless and begin to talk, increasingly becoming frustrated by his outstayed welcome on the stage, leaving an overall negative impression of the performer.
Nevermind that though, as one of the most eagerly awaited bands to ever play Aberdeen are on next and people of all ages have shown up for this one. It’s a rare occasion to see a crowd of this size for an underground band and with expectations high, surely they will disappoint right? Wrong! Watching Boredoms is a completely unique experience which becomes closer from the appearance of vocalist Yamatsuka onstage as he wails like a wild tribesman while hitting together what looks like 2 lightbulbs creating one of many sounds I’ve never witnessed before. He builds the suspense until the arrival of the rest of Boredoms take to their drums creating some of the most complex and interesting rhythms I’ve ever heard. Before long, the music changes from heavy drumming to a more melodic and danceable style as other (non-conventional) instruments are introduced. Yamatsuka doesn’t as much sing as shout random words in Japanese but it works and his presence and energy make him and his band a joy to watch. Whether you enjoy avant-garde/ noise music usually or not is irrelevant because Boredoms break down all boundaries and watching them live is a truly mesmerising experience.