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In the 1990s, a memorable encounter took place between Swans and Neurosis. Michael Gira and Jarboe met Neurosis after attending their show in Atlanta, Georgia. The year is unconfirmed, but it was likely 21 June, 1994 at Atlanta venue The Masquerade.
Speaking to this meeting, Jarboe told Rolling Stone:
“Years ago, I was driving late at night and this college radio station was playing a song that got my attention. I felt an alignment to it with what Michael [Gira] and I were doing at the time with Swans. I called the station and learned it was Neurosis. Michael and I went to see them, and we talked about music.“
Further, Jarboe also shared that “I brought them some chili peppers from my garden,” she says. “They were impressed, so we basically became instant friends.”
VIEW OUR DEFINITIVE LIST OF SWANS LIVE ALBUMS
But of course, Michael Gira was also at this initial meeting with Neurosis. Via Todd Cote, the following anecdote of Michael at the meeting was shared in the book ‘Sacrifice and Transcendence’ by Nick Soulsby:
“He walked up to our merch stand and said, ‘Hi. I’m Michael Gira from Swans,’ in that deep voice of his. Everyone at the stand was like, ‘Why, yes you are!’ Everybody was a fan, and someone said, ‘We were big fans of your band.’ Michael looked at us: ‘We’re still a band. I think there’s a problem.’ He wasn’t amused, but we got up the gumption to trade numbers.”
This mishap failed to derail the meeting which still proved significant due to the fact that it was the genesis of the 2003 collaboration Neurosis + Jarboe. The album leveraged either artists’ talents, while simultaneously departing from their more expected musical outputs. Tribal drumming met ominous textures, while Jarboe revisited her heavier and more monolithic tendencies, as initially explored with Swans.
Speaking to this album and what led up to it, Jarboe has said:
“I remember there was talk a few years later of Neurosis doing a tour with us as Swans members, with me and Michael, and they’d do their own set as Neurosis. Of course, that never happened, but I did go on to work with them. When we did, it was like a ‘coming home’ for me since Swans had ended then and the massive decibel level and power of the Neurosis live stage was familiar and comforting.”
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