A band playing in their hometown is always something special. On this occasion, the mighty Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs (Pigsx7) play the iconic Sage 2 on Thursday 25th February. Band members Matt, Sam, John-Michael, Ewan and Adam bring their unmistakable doom/stoner metal sound to the North East as part of their UK tour spanning February, March and April.
The Pigsx7 story begins in a leafy suburb in Richmond, North Yorkshire, with three future members jamming in the church hall. All of a sudden the local constabulary turned up wondering what the hell was going on. However, all was good when they left, as the authorities told them to keep on rocking.
A band name such as Pigsx7 was sure to raise some eyebrows, with the outfit even being the recipients of random folk online trying to sell them livestock – and audience members have even been known to wear pig masks at shows.
Formed in 2012, the band honed their craft for four years before releasing their epic debut album, ‘Feed the Rats’. The entire album consists of two 15-minute-long blistering heavy metal tracks in ‘Psychostomp’ and ‘Icon, sandwiching ‘Sweet Relief’ (named after Black Sabbath’s ‘Sweet Leaf’).
Three years of relentless touring and recording soon followed, resulting in their third album ‘Viscerals’ hitting the number one spot in the Independent Record Store Charts.
Their music is both ferocious and fun, revelling in the ridiculousness of stereotypically heavy metal to painting a vivid, sometimes terrifying picture. The second album ‘King of Cowards’ was loosely based on the seven deadly sins, influenced by Matt’s religious upbringing.
Live, this band are something else. They have previously described their music as “therapy through noise”. Doom-laden, sludgy Sabbath-esque riffs and a pounding rhythm section on a loop often have members of the audience in a semi-meditative state (I can concur, as I’ve personally been there).
Former drummer Matt has taken the role of frontman to a whole new level; theatrical leaps around the stage and self-deprecating banter means this show is not to be missed. Matt has even described himself previously as a “pound shop Freddie Mercury”, lending a nod to the moustache he grew during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Support on the evening comes from London-based sludge rockers, Luminous Bodies. Featuring members of Gum Takes Tooth, Terminal Cheesecake and more, expect an energetic and chaotic set with double drumming and a definite nod to the Butthole Surfers.
Tickets, priced from £15.00 in advance, are available at sagegateshead.com.
