Chicago Industrial music pioneers Pigface have reformed and are currently halfway through a 16 date North American tour, their first in 14 years. On Wednesday night, they stopped at Baltimore Soundstage with support from local Baltimore band Red This Ever and Chicago Industrial music artist I Ya Toyah.
Red This Ever had just a small strip of the stage to play on, since Pigface’s gear was masked by large white fabric barriers and took up the majority of the stage space. Their music blended elements of post-punk and electronica. Although they are a 4 piece, the guitar player wasn’t able to play this show and they played to a backing track. A small monitor played the band’s music videos while they worked through a short set. During one song, fans were given signs containing lyrics and were asked to raise the signs when the lyrics were sung. During another song, bubbles were passed out. I overheard one person in the audience remarking that their set was the most fun they’d ever had at a show.
I Ya Toyah played an even shorter set short set but had a little more stage to work with. The band consists of just the multi-instrumentalist, I Ya Toyah. The artist crafts dark synth Industrial music from her synthesizer and guitar while smoke and strobe swirl around her. All of her stands were augmented by various metal adornments such as a hand grenade and faucet knobs which visually gave her a touch of steampunk look. Although her set was short, the crowd seemed really into her music.
As Pigface took the stage the sound and visuals were somewhat disorienting. Lights and shadows danced across the fabric screens which had been pushed even closer to the edge of the stage while a sample of a child singing, “The wheels on the bus go round and round” swirled alongside flourishes of percussion, sitar and various other unidentifiable noises. Then the familiar air-raid sirens that mark the beginning of the song “Insemination” from their 1992 album, Fook, kicked in preceding Martin Atkins drums. Following the conclusion of “Insemination”, the fabric screens were quickly cleared from the stage. Pigface only wanted to know one thing, “Baltimore… Are you ready?” What came next was a 15-song annihilation of the crowd.
Martin Atkins is being joined on this tour by a small army and who’s who of Industrial and Noise rock royalty including Mary Byker (Gaye Bykers on Acid), Lesley Rankine (Silverfish), Curse Mackey (Evil Mothers), En Esch (KMFDM), Dirk Flanigan (77 Luscious Babes), Bobdog Catlin (Evil Mothers), Bradley Bills (Chant), Greta Brinkman (Druglord), Charles Levi (My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult) and Orville Kline (Porn and Chicken). Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe was also recently added on vocals for the entire tour.
Throughout the night, members came and went, song by song. Vocals were sometimes performed by one person, and other times by three or more. The setlist was heavy on older material from three of their earliest records: 1990’s Gub, 1992’s Fook and 1994’s Notes from Thee Underground. The only “newer” song performed was “Sanctify”, from the 2009 album, 6. Highlights of the set included an absolutely punishing performance of “Tapeworm” which properly utilized the screaming talents of Randy Blythe, a sick cover of The Damage Manual’s “Stateless”, as well as, the fan favorite “Hips, Tits, Lips, Power!”.
The band returned to the stage as the crowd chanted, “Fuck it up Pigface, fuck it up”. They finished the night by performing a 5-song encore including two different versions of “Suck” (the first featuring Lesley Rankine on vocals backed by a trippy sitar), “Ten Ground and Down”, “Fuck It Up” and a cover of KMFDM’s “Godlike”.
Perhaps these shows will lead to a full-on reformation of the band and some additional shows and new material? Let’s hope so. Check out the full set-list, here and grab tickets to remaining shows, here!
