THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 28, 1994 TAG: 9410280117
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
IT'S NOT EASY to pin down Pigface.
Since 1991, the lineup has changed from album to album and tour to tour, including such fringe luminaries as Ministry's Bill Reiflin and Chris Connelly, KMFDM's En Esch, Skinny Puppy's Ogre and the ubiquitous Trent Reznor, a k a Nine Inch Nails.
This year's incarnation, captured on the new LP ``Notes From Thee Underground,'' features such diverse talents as vocalist/guitarist Taime Downe from Faster Pussycat, vocalist Lesley Rankine of Silverfish, Far Eastern girl group Shonen Knife and even bassist Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
``People are a bit surprised by Taime Downs' inclusion,'' said drummer Martin Atkins, Pigface mastermind and its only constant member. ``And when I think about it, I am too. I met Taime out in California when I was producing the new Skinny Puppy album. Then he moved to Chicago and I bought a computer from him. I don't think that I ever asked him to join the band, and he didn't ask me if he could join the band. He's just in it.''
Over the years, most of the other band members have gravitated to Pigface in the same way, inducing a totally spontaneous - and for his money, wholly satisfying - creative atmosphere, Atkins said..
``Pigface is a sort of philosophical `putting the music industry on its ass' kind of a thing,'' he said from Detroit. ``It's not like a band; it's more of a social thing, a community. When you put groups of people together who like each other, who like to hang out, and the chemistry is there - and all of these people are so talented anyway - the music and the vibe takes care of itself.''
``It's actually more powerful than most of the other bands I've been involved in,'' which include Killing Joke and PiL.
Like its subversively inchoate albums, Pigface's live shows are unpredictable free-for-alls, dependent on who is sitting in. The lineup for Sunday's performance in Hampton: Atkins and Downe with vocalists Mary Byker (Gaye Bykers on Acid) and Meg Lee Chin (Crunch), guitarist Pat Sprawl (Skinny Puppy), bassist Charles Levi (Thrill Kill Kult), keyboardist James Teitelbaum (Evil Clowns) and drummer Joe Trump (Elliot Sharp's Carbon).
Of course, there's no telling who else may show up for the mayhem.
``It's a spiritual thing for me,'' he said, ``I just relax in terms of who's going to do what. It just takes care of itself; people come in, do what they want to do. It's a very fueling experience for my spirit.
``I remember after five years of PiL, having (PiL's) `This Is Not a Love Song' Top 5 all over the world was not a fueling experience. I sat onstage and played my drums and thought, `You know, if we only do one song for the encore, I can be in a taxi and back at the hotel watching movies on cable.'
``That doesn't feel good to me, to be thinking that in front of an audience..''
Atkins has been able to thumb his nose at the music biz with both Pigface and Invisible Records, his own tiny label for which Pigface and a handful of other underground acts record. He's hardly making millions, but that suits him just fine.
``Through Pigface and through Invisible, I think I've redefined success for myself on my own terms,'' he said. ``I don't look and see where Pigface is on any chart. I look at the expressions on people's faces when they come out of our shows. And I look at the fact that we're still doing this and it works. If that's not success, I don't know what is.'' ILLUSTRATION: CONCERT FACTS
Who: Pigface with Evil Mothers
When: 9 p.m. Sunday
Where: Nsect Club, 1916 Armistead Ave., Hampton
How much: $12, $10 in advance
Information: 838-5463
by CNB