Furious Pig
Encyclopedia
Furious Pig were a British
band, active briefly during the post-punk
era, composed of Martin Kent, Stephen Kent, Jonathan (Cass) Davis and Dominic Weeks. They formed in Totnes
Devon
, and initially employed traditional rock
instruments
, but largely rejected these in favour of a mostly a cappella
style, which was essentially a highly orchestrated form of chanting. In their live sets — supporting This Heat
, The Raincoats
, Pere Ubu
, The Slits
, The Fall and the Television Personalities — they would often augment this sound by using found objects as percussion. The band only released one disc, the 1980 EP
I Don't Like Your Face on Rough Trade Records
, but were also featured on the NME
's C81 compilation album the following year, and they recorded a session for the BBC Radio 1
's John Peel
, which was given a mixed reception by listeners.
The band broke up when member Stephen Kent
left to become the musical director of Circus Oz
in Australia, and he has since taken part in various ambient and experimental music projects. The other band members — Martin Kent, Cass Davies and Dominic Weeks — also continued with their recording careers. Kent released a series of singles
through Rough Trade as 'Martin Pig', and Davies and Weeks formed Het.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band, active briefly during the post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
era, composed of Martin Kent, Stephen Kent, Jonathan (Cass) Davis and Dominic Weeks. They formed in Totnes
Totnes
Totnes is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, and initially employed traditional rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
, but largely rejected these in favour of a mostly a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
style, which was essentially a highly orchestrated form of chanting. In their live sets — supporting This Heat
This Heat
This Heat were a British experimental music group formed in early 1976 in Camberwell, London by multi-instrumentalists Charles Bullen , Charles Hayward and Gareth Williams .This Heat were active in the ascendancy of British progressive rock and punk rock, but stood apart...
, The Raincoats
The Raincoats
The Raincoats are a British post-punk band. Ana da Silva and Gina Birch formed the group in 1977 while they were students at Hornsey College of Art, London, England.-Career:...
, Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu (band)
Pere Ubu is an experimental rock music group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. Despite many long-term band members, singer David Thomas is the only constant...
, The Slits
The Slits
The Slits were a British punk rock band. The quartet was formed in 1976 by members of the bands The Flowers of Romance and The Castrators. The members were Ari Up , who died of cancer in October 2010, and Palmolive , with Viv Albertine and Tessa Pollitt replacing founding members, Kate Korus and...
, The Fall and the Television Personalities — they would often augment this sound by using found objects as percussion. The band only released one disc, the 1980 EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
I Don't Like Your Face on Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
, but were also featured on the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
's C81 compilation album the following year, and they recorded a session for the BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's John Peel
John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft, OBE , known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey, radio presenter, record producer and journalist. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly from 1967 until his death in 2004...
, which was given a mixed reception by listeners.
The band broke up when member Stephen Kent
Stephen Kent (musician)
Stephen Kent is a professional didgeridoo performer, percussionist, composer and recording artist.- Musical career :Kent's musical career has taken him across five continents, living at various times in the UK, Spain, East Africa, Australia and the USA...
left to become the musical director of Circus Oz
Circus Oz
Circus Oz was founded in December 1977, with its first performance season in March 1978. Circus Oz was the amalgamation of two already well-known groups - Soapbox Circus, a roadshow set up by the Australian Performing Group in 1976, and the New Ensemble Circus, a continuation of the New Circus,...
in Australia, and he has since taken part in various ambient and experimental music projects. The other band members — Martin Kent, Cass Davies and Dominic Weeks — also continued with their recording careers. Kent released a series of singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
through Rough Trade as 'Martin Pig', and Davies and Weeks formed Het.
External links
- Furious Pig at ubuweb — includes mp3 versions of the tracks from I Don't Like Your Face
- Furious Pig at the BBC
- Interview with Stephen Kent, describing formation of the group