10 years since Zwan

[sunky]

Well it was the 16th yesterday ... 10 years since those 4 guys walked out on stage as Zwan. Remember the "Who is Skullfisher?" talk.

Here is the first track they started the amazing journey on.



For me Zwan came at a very important time, I think for all of us too. They filled that SP void and gave us something we could enjoy from the start. We were too young back in 1988 to follow the Pumpkins from the start.

I look back at those first 12 months of Zwan with a real fondest in my heart. Those songs, the memories of trading bootlegs with people and talking to many fans around the world.

I'm sad they never toured Australia, but I wouldn't have wanted to see them on that final few months of tours. They weren't happy, they weren't heading in a good direction.

There are so many things I remember with Zwan:

- Getting them played on Triple J from bootlegs. Bree and I caught up with Rosie Beaton for some drinks and we talked about those days a few weeks ago, was cool that she enjoyed it so much too.
- The petition that Nic organised to try and get them here for the BDO. I just realised that because of that petition and us getting signatures around Perth we met one of our now best friends in a music store.
- The hours of bootleg downloading
- Random girl outside the Tivoli in Brisbane in 2005 asking is Zwan toured Australia
- Hearing And So I Died played for the last time by Billy in 2005, it was my first Zwan song I ever heard and to have that moment with him, Bree and our friends is really special.

... anyway I'm at work, I'll think of more in time. Might dig through these old posts for some ideas.

Anyway, enjoy and share your favourite stories!

[Insanity's Horse]

Hmm, so what do i remember about early Zwan...

I remember i bought the album Mary Star of the Sea in early February 2003 and was playing it the morning of Valentines Day, until my girlfriend at the time asked me to turn it off before ending our 2 year relationship. I never played it much after that until after the 2005 acoustic show performance of Of a Broken Heart. Due to my renewed interest at that time, mixed with my introduction to Ozphoria, i delved into their back catalogue and live shows, and found many gems i hadn't known existed. In a way it's a shame they never continued, but now that we have the Pumpkins back who can complain?

So, with a story like that here is apt video, and one of my favourite Zwan songs. In true Pumpkins style this song never fails to evoke the memory and emotion from that fateful day.



Anyone else thinks this sounds like My Love is Winter?

[sunky]

Yes I do!

[sunkissed]

Man, Zwan. I recently re-listened to that Netphoria Zwan Compilation and couldn't get over how many fantastic songs there were. It was a weird time for me, I really cared about the music; bootlegging, fan forums, endless speculation over really stupid shit. Listening the to The Glass House bootleg trying to explain to my friends that the bullet with butterfly wings guy has this cool new band, haha. It was great to hear them write and play these songs on the run. Also, I remember being really uncomfortable with the album cover (I wanted some kind of doom and gloom at the time), then all the arguments about clipping, then the break up...I can't say I really love the album itself but there was definitely something magical and great about the songs themselves. Oh, haha, I just recalled that Zwan BDO song that someone wrote, Sunky, do you have it? It was an appeal to Zwan to come to the BDO; no, wait, was that a Pumpkins thing? idk.

[sunky]

It was written by Jesse, Trev and Nic. It was Billy sung to the tune of Lily.

It was to get Zwan out here, which now looking back was funny to use a SP song for a Zwan petition. haha

I've been listening to a lot of Zwan the last few days, I expect another big blah blah to appear here. What a band!

[boelsen]

i miss those times. was nice to get home and find a parcel with bootlegs in it. downloading sure is convenient, but just like downloading albums illegally, i don't really listen to it once downloaded. an awesome collection of songs zwan wrote. would love some good quality zwan stuff to be released like the old pumpkins demos are now.

[gfresh33]

My Zwan days were a bit of a blur.............. remember pumping Mary Star Of The Sea 24/7 but no massive memories of those days probably because i didn't go on the net and keep up to date with all the Zwan news......... wish I knew about Ozphoria back then would of been good to talk Zwan / SP.!!

Listen to MSOTS last week after seeing this thread and my lord that's an awesome album.......... I wonder why it didn't get much air play.??

Ride A Black Swan, Heartsong, Of A Broken Heart, Settle Down & Yeah!

[Eye]

It's hard to believe it's been that long. I was fortunate enough to see them in January 2003 once. I missed both times they were in Toronto due to extenuating circumstances, so I had to travel on a bus to Chicago. I know that people in Australia did not have that luxury.

How cool was it that he performed for For You Love recently in Portugal though?

[aronbrandon]

The start of every spring always makes me crack out MSOTS again. Just talking about it has given me a craving...

[Steve]

I had a massive urge to give The Spy Tra La a listen yeseterday, just out of the blue. Zwan era was a fun time.

"South America and Australia this means you!" I've never forgotten that...what might have been!

[russticles]

It's painful knowing that Chrysanthemum never got a studio recording, nor last that long in the setlist. Damn shame, what a song to kick off with!

[russticles]

....and it's painful realising I never asked Billy about it when I met him in 2010, arghh! Such a good song!