Eat to the Beat

Pig Out make self-proclaimed 'strange dance music', but this doesn't stop them from getting indie kids to dance again.

“You don’t have to be a nerd to appreciate Pig Out,” MC/rhythm programmer Kit Lawrence says. The acid house, minimalist techno band’s energising spontaneity, baffling originality and all-inclusive party style, stamps out any preconceived notions of pretension in the club genre.

Joyously ardent Lawrence is refreshingly upbeat and excited about the band’s impending trip overseas to play the MIDI festival in France.
“Some guy in Paris was into us and recommended us to them, and it really blew me away because there’s only like four bands playing there per day, and everyone who’s playing is kind of like the best in their field, like Animal Collective. I’m just really flattered and humbled to be playing. I only just realised the other day how incredible it is, so I’m really psyched.”

Noted for their ability to transform Chicago acid-house and Detroit techno into a modern synthesis, Pig Out is progressive and Lawrence is adamant about this.
“We have been listening to this stuff for a very long time, but also we feel like we’re adding something to it; we wouldn’t be doing it if we were just repeating what someone else had done.”

Pig Out’s strengths lie in their ethos of fun and experimentation in creating a lively atmosphere, where indie kids and seasoned clubbers can all get along and smear leaking glow sticks on each other. Though for their upcoming final New Zealand tour for 2007, they ask us to leave the glow sticks at home.
“Me and Marie [synth/programming] are old enough to remember going to raves or after-parties or clubs, and glow sticks just represented everything dodgy about that kind of thing. But I think it’s really nice the way kids who go and see bands like Klaxons and stuff all have glowing bracelets.”

Further unpredictable is their penchant for less obvious pairings, such as old favourite tour-buddies Cut Off Your Hands.
“We got on really well and they really loved our music and we really loved their music. I’d love to tour with them again, because they were just really great guys and I could listen to that music over and over, every night.”

There remains a refreshing openness and honesty about the band. They have fun but also take it seriously.
“The thing that separates us from a lot of bands is that we’re not gimmicky at all, it’s just about music and so we really don’t feel the need to be in matching suits or that kind of thing, because where we’re coming from is just really raw music. What we’re doing hasn’t really been done before, you know?”

Citing tentative booking agent interest and touring opportunities, they look forward to getting a new bass player in London.
“We’ve got a lot of friends over there… it'll be quite nice to have another English kid in the band.” They plan to re-embrace their nomadic roots.
“We really don’t feel particularly that we belong anywhere, and the nice thing is that we’re quite happy just to roam about, and playing club music you can pretty much go anywhere.”

Rightfully excited about the band’s future, it’s relieving to hear that Lawrence is a fan of Auckland and wants to come back, as Pig Out will leave a gaping hole in our local club scene while they are gone conquering foreign dance floors. Eat your heart out, Europe!