One Bad Pig
Encyclopedia
One Bad Pig is a Christian punk
and metal crossover band from Austin
, Texas
which formed in 1985. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as "Quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the Christian music scene." They were known for their mischief and irreverence on-stage, as reflected even in their reunion at Cornerstone
in 2000.
minister at the time. Several other members also had a background in ministry; Brian Wheeler was an Assembly of God evangelist
, and Paul Q-Pek had sung with The Continental Singers. The band originally formed for a one time only performance at a local Christian music festival
held on Labor Day
1985. Although they have not released any full-length albums of new material since 1991, they have written new songs, and have not declared their band broken up yet. They still play reunion shows at various Christian rock festivals.
According to CCM Magazine a One Bad Pig show was "kind of like a carnival/revival run amok." For instance, at Cornerstone 1990 they were reported to have leapt into water-filled plastic swimming pools and cut down a Christmas tree with a chainsaw. Often during the song "Smash The Guitar" the band would literally smash their guitars onto the stage. In contrast, each performance included an altar call
where Carey Womack's preaching was said to have a "hometown passion." The band also placed a heavy emphasis on personal accountability. With the guidance of their pastors they once took time off from playing or rehearsing in order to refocus priorities.
Johnny Cash
performed guest vocals on One Bad Pig's cover of his song "Man In Black", which One Bad Pig included on their 1991 album, I Scream Sunday. Although Cash died in 2003, One Bad Pig still consider him to be one of their "honorary members".
Bob Hartman
performed as a guest guitarist on One Bad Pig's cover of his song "Judas Kiss" from his band Petra's
More Power To Ya
album.
The band was subject to constant criticism from the anti-Christian Rock movement. They were critical of the group for its concert antics, lyrics, and even for their name. According to some their name evoked stereotypes of punk music and rebellion in a way that, according to some, was contrary to certain principles of Christianity. One critical group was Dial-the-Truth Ministries
, which is affiliated with the King-James-Only Movement
. Their widely distributed tract entitled Christian Rock: Blessing or Blasphemy? was critical of the above and their involvement with Johnny Cash, who was attacked separately.
) was that while driving from Austin, Texas
to the Cornerstone Festival
in 1985, Carey and Paul stopped in Saint Louis, Missouri at a local Pizza Hut
. At the time, local radio station KSHE
was running a promotion in conjunction with Pizza Hut
selling sunglasses with the Pizza Hut logo on one lens and the new KSHE logo on the other. As they were leaving the restaurant, Carey looked at Paul and said "That's one bad pig". Paul replied, "That would be a great name for a punk band! We should form one." So, they did. The next year, One Bad Pig's first album was introduced at Cornerstone.
. In 1996 he released a solo project entitled Touch The Ground. It contained pop
stylings similar to that of Peter Gabriel
which were, in the words of the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, a "shocking departure from his previous porker rock." The album contained several covers, one of Howard Jones
's "Things Can Only Get Better", and Pat Terry
's "Open the Door." Original lyrics included political satire in "If I were President" and "Capitol Hill", which CCM commented was "less than successful." The album did however, contain some songs which charted on Christian radio - "Touch the Ground" and "Things Can Only Get Better" each reached the #10 slot in 1995 and 1996 respectively, and "I (Surrender)" reached #6 in 1996. He returned to the band for their reunion show at the 2000 Cornerstone festival.
Philip Owens and Paul Q-Pek were also in Lust Control
, although their identities were anonymous for the band. This arrangement ended when One Bad Pig signed to Myrrh, as its members became contractually blocked from being in other bands.
Christian punk
Christian punk is a form of Christian music and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. Much disagreement persists about the boundaries of the subgenre, and the extent that their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies among bands...
and metal crossover band from Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
which formed in 1985. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as "Quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the Christian music scene." They were known for their mischief and irreverence on-stage, as reflected even in their reunion at Cornerstone
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
in 2000.
Background
The group evolved out of a street ministry led by Carey Womack, who was studying to become a BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
minister at the time. Several other members also had a background in ministry; Brian Wheeler was an Assembly of God evangelist
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
, and Paul Q-Pek had sung with The Continental Singers. The band originally formed for a one time only performance at a local Christian music festival
Christian music festival
A Christian music festival is a music festival held by the Christian community, in support of performers of Christian music...
held on Labor Day
Labor Day
Labor Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers.-History:...
1985. Although they have not released any full-length albums of new material since 1991, they have written new songs, and have not declared their band broken up yet. They still play reunion shows at various Christian rock festivals.
According to CCM Magazine a One Bad Pig show was "kind of like a carnival/revival run amok." For instance, at Cornerstone 1990 they were reported to have leapt into water-filled plastic swimming pools and cut down a Christmas tree with a chainsaw. Often during the song "Smash The Guitar" the band would literally smash their guitars onto the stage. In contrast, each performance included an altar call
Altar call
An altar call is a practice in some evangelical churches in which those who wish to make a new spiritual commitment to Jesus Christ are invited to come forward publicly. It is so named because the supplicants gather at the altar located at the front of the church building. In the Old Testament, an...
where Carey Womack's preaching was said to have a "hometown passion." The band also placed a heavy emphasis on personal accountability. With the guidance of their pastors they once took time off from playing or rehearsing in order to refocus priorities.
Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
performed guest vocals on One Bad Pig's cover of his song "Man In Black", which One Bad Pig included on their 1991 album, I Scream Sunday. Although Cash died in 2003, One Bad Pig still consider him to be one of their "honorary members".
Bob Hartman
Bob Hartman
Robert Hartman is a Christian artist, guitarist, writer and songwriter. He is the founder of Christian rock band Petra. Hartman was involved with the band from its foundation in 1972 to its end in 2005. He took a break from touring in 1995, but continued to write most of the band's songs,...
performed as a guest guitarist on One Bad Pig's cover of his song "Judas Kiss" from his band Petra's
Petra (band)
Petra is a music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres. Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock"...
More Power To Ya
More Power To Ya
More Power To Ya is the fifth studio release of the Christian rock band, Petra. It was released in 1982. Many Petra fans have long considered this to be their best release from the 80s....
album.
The band was subject to constant criticism from the anti-Christian Rock movement. They were critical of the group for its concert antics, lyrics, and even for their name. According to some their name evoked stereotypes of punk music and rebellion in a way that, according to some, was contrary to certain principles of Christianity. One critical group was Dial-the-Truth Ministries
Dial-the-Truth Ministries
Dial-the-Truth Ministries is a Biblical Christian website. The organization began in 1990 as a telephone ministry with "inspirational" recorded messages for the caller...
, which is affiliated with the King-James-Only Movement
King-James-Only Movement
The "King James Only movement" advocates the superiority of the Authorized King James Version of the Protestant Bible. The topic increased in newsworthiness in 2011, the 400th anniversary of the translation's 1611 initial publication....
. Their widely distributed tract entitled Christian Rock: Blessing or Blasphemy? was critical of the above and their involvement with Johnny Cash, who was attacked separately.
Origin of name
The origin of the bands' name was a picture of a pig in a local radio station's advertisement, which Carey commented was one "bad pig". The full story as related in an interview on the "Breakaway Show" (broadcast from radio station KCFVKCFV
KCFV is a radio station licensed in Ferguson, Missouri, USA. The station is currently owned by St. Louis Community College.-History:...
) was that while driving from Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
to the Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival
Cornerstone Festival is a Christian music festival put on by Jesus People USA and held annually around the 4th of July near Bushnell, Illinois. In a given year, many artists that play at Cornerstone also play at other events such as Creation Festival and mainstream festivals and tours such as the...
in 1985, Carey and Paul stopped in Saint Louis, Missouri at a local Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
. At the time, local radio station KSHE
KSHE
KSHE is a rock & roll radio station licensed to Crestwood, Missouri which serves the Greater St. Louis area. KSHE is located at 94.7 MHz and currently uses the slogan "KSHE 95, Real Rock Radio". The station's studios have been located in the Powerhouse building at St. Louis Union Station since...
was running a promotion in conjunction with Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
selling sunglasses with the Pizza Hut logo on one lens and the new KSHE logo on the other. As they were leaving the restaurant, Carey looked at Paul and said "That's one bad pig". Paul replied, "That would be a great name for a punk band! We should form one." So, they did. The next year, One Bad Pig's first album was introduced at Cornerstone.
Related activities
Paul Q-Pek left the band in 1992 and moved to NashvilleNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. In 1996 he released a solo project entitled Touch The Ground. It contained pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
stylings similar to that of Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
which were, in the words of the Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music, a "shocking departure from his previous porker rock." The album contained several covers, one of Howard Jones
Howard Jones (musician)
Howard Jones is a musician, singer and songwriter. According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, "Jones is an accomplished singer-songwriter who was a regular chart visitor in the mid 1980s with his brand of synthpop. Jones, who was equally popular in the U.S., appeared at Live...
's "Things Can Only Get Better", and Pat Terry
Pat Terry
Patrick Alfred "Pat" Terry was an English professional football player. His clubs included Charlton Athletic, Newport County, Swansea City, Gillingham, Northampton Town, Millwall, Reading, Swindon Town and Brentford....
's "Open the Door." Original lyrics included political satire in "If I were President" and "Capitol Hill", which CCM commented was "less than successful." The album did however, contain some songs which charted on Christian radio - "Touch the Ground" and "Things Can Only Get Better" each reached the #10 slot in 1995 and 1996 respectively, and "I (Surrender)" reached #6 in 1996. He returned to the band for their reunion show at the 2000 Cornerstone festival.
Philip Owens and Paul Q-Pek were also in Lust Control
Lust Control
Lust Control is a Christian thrash punk band, originally formed in 1988. They are known for their explicit lyrical content, which is devoted to matters of sexual purity and sin, including abstinence, masturbation, pornography, sex ed, and related topics...
, although their identities were anonymous for the band. This arrangement ended when One Bad Pig signed to Myrrh, as its members became contractually blocked from being in other bands.
Discography
- 1986: A Christian BannedA Christian BannedA Christian Banned is the first demo album by Christian punk band One Bad Pig. It was released independently in 1986. The band recorded six songs for the demo, mostly short tracks, clocking at about two to three minutes...
(Review: powermetal.de(German)) - 1989: Smash (Pure Metal)
- 1990: Swine Flew (Myrrh RecordsMyrrh RecordsMyrrh Records, also known as Myrrh Worship, is a Christian music record label. According to Encyclopedia of American Gospel Music, the label was instrumental in developing a popular following for Contemporary Christian music as the label that first published music by Barry McGuire, 2nd Chapter of...
, Review: CCM MagazineCCM MagazineCCM Magazine was a monthly magazine published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. It was first published in July 1978, and it has always been a Christian music magazine. On January 16, 2008, Salem announced that the April 2008 issue would be the final printed issue of the...
) - 1991: I Scream Sunday (Myrrh, Review: powermetal.de (German))
- 1992: Live: Blow Down the House (Myrrh)
- 1994: Quintessential One Bad Pig, Vol. 1 (Diadem)
- 2000: Live at Cornerstone 2000Live at Cornerstone 2000 (One Bad Pig album)Live at Cornerstone 2000 is the final release to date, and second live album, from the Christian punk One Bad Pig, released in 2000. It is the 7th album in the Live at Cornerstone 2000 12-CD series, which includes Undercover, The 77s and The Choir among others, as well as a tribute to Adam Again...
(M8)
Members
- Carey "Kosher" Womack - lead vocals (often credited as "lead screamer")
- Paul Q-Pek - guitar, vocals
- Phillip Owens - drums, vocals
- Daniel Tucek - bass, vocals
- Lee Haley - guitar, vocals
Former members
- Brian "Streak" Wheeler - bass
- Kevin Phelan - bass
- Jon Taylor - drums
- Phil Helms - drums
- Johnny CashJohnny CashJohn R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
- guest vocals (honorary member)
External links
- Official Web Site
- One Bad Pig Fan Site
- One Bad Pig at Christian Music Archives
- [ One Bad Pig] at Allmusic