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Family
Tree
The
Shitters
Oct
1977-Nov 1978
The
Shitters were born out of punk, or at least the Fun City interpretation
of punk. To us, it appeared that this involved singing songs
about feculent. I actually preferred Black Sabbath to the Sex
Pistols at the time (and still do) but it was the energy of
punk that got me started. Oh yeah, and because it appeared that
musical talent was a serious drawback in a punk band. This suited
me. Remember, prior to punk there was prog rock and 20 minute
guitar solos. Apparently, The Shitters was also the original
name of the equally talentless but pop-chart bothering Cockney
Rejects.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
-
Mick
- Drums
_________________________________________________
Frisky
Pigs #1
The
start of the Pigs Universe can be pinpointed to a single event
during Easter 1979. Our Big Bang was the burning of the Reaper
at the Fun City RC church, which I witnessed. Fofe got a better
view; he was serving on the altar. I don't know who exactly
came up with the Reaper Chant but it erupted around the
Fun City and was sung like a mantra over the holidays. The Reaper
Chant became a point-of-reference for the Pigs earliest
material. The album The Reaper was written in under two hours
and as well as the title track contained the classic Jam
Sandwich. Ad was brought in on bass, but he was crap. We've
had a lot of trouble with bass players (and drummers) over the
years.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Mick
- Drums
- Ad
- Bass
__________________________________
Frisky
Pigs #2
I
enlisted two of Mick's friends to help out but they were utterly
devoid of musical sense, even for us, and they were sacked,
later forming the Shitty Lizards.
-
Paddy
- Guitar &Vocals
- Mick
- Drums
- Barry
- Bass
- Graham
- Guitar
Frisky
Pigs #3
Back
to a two-piece, this line up wrote the albums Hold Your Breath
(including the classic Step in a Bog) and Another
Punk to Eat.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
-
Mick - Drums
Frisky
Pigs #4
After
the O level exams, Trev was brought into the band as guitarist
and the band began an intense period of writing and rehearsing.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Mick
- Drums
- Trev
- Guitar & Vocals
-
Frisky
Pigs #5
Mark,
another school friend of mine was recruited as drummer to replace
Mick and Steve was brought in on keyboard. Mark had tried to
form a band of his own called Stenching Filth aka Stench
and the Filth but jumped at the chance to join a band that
was rehearsing their own material. This classic line-up wrote
the album Where do Zombies Swim. The title track
is probably the best song ever written (about
zombies) and also included two rap songs,
showing that the band were ahead of their time. Trev's tendency
to impersonate a chicken during songs fortunately did not catch
on.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Trev
- Guitar & Vocals
- Mark
- Drums & Vocals
- Steve
- Keyboard
Frisky
Pigs #6
The
earliest surviving Frisky Pigs material is from this
line-up. The Pigs were booked to do their first gig but this
lead to friction among the band members. After a series of arguments,
Trev was sacked.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Trev
- Guitar & Vocals
- Mark
- Drums & Vocals
Frisky
Pigs #7
The
Pigs performed their first gig at the Fun City Old Gardens with
a line-up that contained myself, Mark, Betsy and ex-Midges
members Vic and Bart. Following another row after this sparsely
attended gig, Betsy was sacked.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Mark
- Drums & Vocals
-
Vic - Recorder
-
Bart - Percussion
- Betsy
- Vocals
Frisky
Pigs #8
Betsy
was replaced with Marks brother Dom. Lacking Trev's sense of
song craft the band reverted to musical carnage and were possibly
the only punk band to use the recorder as the lead instrument.
This line-up recorded Live at the Sty, fragments of which
survive today. Dom is currently in the John Peel favourites
Picture
Center on bass and vocals.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Mark
- Drums & Vocals
-
Vic - Recorder
-
Bart - Percussion
- Dom
- Percussion
Frisky
Pigs #9
Back
to a two-piece, Mark decided to leave. His next band Decadence
was formed at school. He then went on to form No Cover,
who released the single 200 Voices in 1982. He then
formed the awful Theatre of Hate clones, Crucified
by Christians. However, in 1990 he joined the wonderful
Sarah records band Field
Mice who achieved an NME single of the week in 1991. He
then formed the not-bad Northern
Picture Library. Mark now contributes lyrics to Picture
Center.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Mark
- Drums & Vocals
_______return
to top_______
Frisky
Pigs #10
Trev
did not waste his time away from the Pigs. He learned to play
the guitar for some reason and began writing new material. He
rejoined the band and as a two-piece this line up wrote the
albums Venice bloody Venice (with its now classic title
track) and Swindled at Carricks which contained another
classic, Cheggers is a bastard. The band saw in the new
decade with a gig at Trev's house.
Frisky
Pigs #11
Er,
right. OK I'll get it over with; the Reaper joined the band.
Well we didn't know him that well at the time. He had a big
interest in drumming and we needed a drummer so it made sense
at the time. As soon as he was introduced to Trev he tried to
take over the group, insisting that we change our style and
name (to Anthem, a song by his favourites Rush).
Trev went along with this at first so both were sacked. However,
it didn't take long for Trev to realise what an idiot the Reaper
was and he soon rejoined the Pigs. Paul also joined the band
for this line-up on bass but he and his house mysteriously vanished.
To this day we don't know what happened, his house is still
missing.
Frisky
Pigs #12
Mook
was drafted in briefly as drummer. Still shell-shocked after
the Reaper incident, this line-up didn't account for much.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Trev
- Guitar
- Mook
- Drums
_______return
to top_______
Frisky
Pigs #13
Ad
returned and quickly left, we remembered how crap he was.
The new drummer was Carter.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Trev
- Guitar
- Ad
- Bass
-
Frisky
Pigs #14
Former
member Steve returned on vocals and ex-21 Oranges Jeppa
was recruited on keyboard. Both new members frequently missed
practises and were sacked as a result.
-
Paddy
- Guitar & Vocals
- Trev
- Guitar
-
Carter
- Drums
- Steve
- Vocals
-
Frisky
Pigs #15
At
last a stable line-up was attained when Mook rejoined on vocals
and the band began work on new material. All was well at first
but one day Mook brought in a new song he'd written, Piggy
Tears, a f***ing ballad. Mook did not hide his love of the
Carpenters and easy listening. This exacerbated the already
fragile relationship between Trev and Mook and the result was
the drummer was sacked.
Frisky
Pigs #16
If
you want something doing…I bought a drum kit and Jeppa returned
to the band on keyboard and bass.
-
Paddy
- Drums
- Trev
- Guitar
-
Mook
- Vocals
-
Frisky
Pigs #17
Trev
enlisted Jeff on bass. Following a particularly good practice
session in which the whole band actually turned up with instruments
to play, Mook and Trev had a serious argument culminating with
a fight on a bowling green. The result was that Trev and his
cronies were sacked.
-
Paddy
- Drums
- Trev
- Guitar
-
Mook
- Vocals
-
Jeppa
- Keyboard
-
Frisky
Pigs #18
It
was at this point that Mook decided he didn't want to be in
a band anymore. Git.
-
Paddy
- Guitar
- Mook
- Vocals
Frisky
Pigs #19
I
can't remember how or why, but Trev rejoined the band. I didn't
understand why he kept coming back instead of joining a proper
band. I'll have to ask him sometime. Trev recruited Tommy
and Warren but rehearsals were infrequent. Things just petered
out and Warren went on to join Mark in Crucified by Christians.
-
Paddy
- Drums
- Trev
- Guitar
- Warren
- Bass & Vocals
-
Frisky
Pigs #20
To
my delight Smite joined the band. Smite was a major influence
on the music I listened to and the books I read. The drum
kit was sold to provide beer vouchers but fortunately Willy
was persuaded to buy a kit while intoxicated and he then surprised
us all by actually doing so. This seminal line-up wrote the
album Mucous membranes containing a host of classics
such as Pissing in a Phonebox, Mr Spock I, and
Hoseasons. The follow up album was lost forever when
the lyrics and chord sequences were found and subsequently
burnt by Trev's dad. In August 1984 I moved to London signalling
the end of this line-up. Smite soon followed me to London,
performing occasionally in The Happy Bars. Sadly, he
died in 2000. Willy joined Lifeline and was active
on the club circuit for a number of years.
-
Paddy
- Bass & Vocals
- Trev
- Guitar
-
Smite - Vocals & Guitar
-
Frisky
Pigs #21
The
Easter holiday and a new line-up was hastily assembled. Kitch
was brought in on Guitar and Lorraine on keyboard and drums
allowing the band to perform New Order and Joy Division
covers.
-
Paddy
- Bass & Vocals
- Trev
- Guitar
-
Kitch - Guitar
-
Lorraine
- Keyboard & Drums
Frisky
Pigs #22
Summer
holiday. Too skint to go anywhere, I went to the Fun City
to play with the Pigs. Mick was brought back into the fold
along with Pebs and Clux.
-
Paddy
- Bass & Vocals
- Trev
- Guitar
- Mick
- Vocals & Drums
- Pebs
- Vocals & Wailing
- Clux
- Vocals
Frisky
Pigs #23
Fofes
21st birthday party provided the inspiration to finish some
songs I'd been working on. This provided the framework for the
next album Far Canal. The classic TRAP was completed
just after the party and was the standout track on the album.
Other songs featured included Mr Spock II, Ward 17
and Barred from the Fleming. A final collection of songs
for a mini-album called Dros was written in 1988.
Frisky
Pigs #24
The
Pigs finally set up base in London when fellow students Phil
and Nic joined the band. Dave had his arm twisted and soon he
was off to Denmark St to buy a bass. The line-up was completed
by the addition of the Spanish temptress Camelia on vocals.
This proved a real coup, she was reliable, could sing
and write melodies. It was a challenging time as the majority
of the song writing was left to me; previously Trev had written
most of the music while I provided most of the lyrics. A triumphant
gig comprising mainly new material took place in Tottenham in
1990. Camelia left the band to concentrate on her studies while
Dave wasn't quite good enough at playing the bass.
-
Paddy
- Guitar
- Phil
- Drums
-
Nic - Keyboard
- Dave
- Bass
-
Frisky
Pigs #25
Allan,
who promoted the Tottenham gig, joined the band on bass and
Christian was added on vocals. This proved another successful
line-up with all band members contributing towards new material.
The Frisky Pigs biggest gig to date was held in Balham
in August 1993. Material for a new album and video, provisionally
entitled Licking the sweat (censored) was in preparation
but the enthusiasm of all the band members began to wane, it
was all getting a bit too serious. I mean people wanted us to
do gigs and stuff…
-
Paddy
- Guitar
- Phil
- Drums
-
Nic
- Keyboard
- Allan
- Bass
-
Frisky
Pigs #26
We're
back and we're multimedia, an assault on all the senses. Especially
smell. Trev is revamping old material and I'm going to start
writing songs again. Well possibly.
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