It was a raucous, hog-wild night on June 29th as British metal heroes Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs took over Brighton Music Hall. The band hit town to promote their fifth and excellent new album, Death Hilarious. It was the final night of part one of their American run, so the band left it all on the table.
First up was the equally-awesomely named Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol, a doom metal trio out of Austin. The band’s moniker should tune in to the fact that they are not on the more serious side of the genre, but if that wasn’t enough, then know that they were touring in support of their 2024 album Big Dumb Riffs. Suffice to say, the band delivered those in a huge way. Contrary to many similar bands, Patrol pounds through very short songs, often two minutes or under, and in a set that lasted 45 minutes, they only took 2 or 3 breaks, opting instead to jam rapid-fire style through a whiplash of tunes. That said, the riffs were indeed relentless and gnarly, as the band ripped through 15 songs including recent tunes “Body Bag,” “Clowntown” and “1-800-EAT-SHIT.” It was a special show for the band, as singer/guitarist Leo Lydon announced that his father was in attendance, seeing the band for the very first time. It may have been loud and heavy, and it may have been silly, but it was a special set, too.
The vibes continued when Pigsx7 came out, preluded by a snippet of “Cheeseburger in Paradise” (probably a nod to the openers) and the entirety of “For Those About to Rock.” They opened with “The Wyrm,” one of the best cuts off of Hilarious. In total, the band played 12 songs – five from the new album, and seven older favorites including “Big Rig,” “Reducer” and “GNT,” one of this reviewer’s favorite songs. The band’s music has changed over time, as they have increasingly moved from extended doom metal jams into shorter, more psychedelic hard rock, so a set that pulled from four of their five albums made for a thrillingly well-rounded show. One thing that always remains common is riffs and intensity, and the band squealed through ceaseless sludge for an incredibly engaged crowd.
The set was not without its expected oddities, too. At one point, singer Matthew Baty noted that they were on album five, which puts them past many rock legends – namely, The Vengaboys. At another, he told a story of a fan in Poland who complimented the band but told Baty he was an arse and to step away. After that, Baty introduced the band, but only as pro wrestlers, swapping their names for the likes of Razor Ramon and Ric Flair, before Steve Austin’s music hit and Lydon came back out to interrupt. The moment seemed to genuinely catch Baty off guard and, given that it was the last show of the tour, it was probably unplanned. At the end of the night, the band scanned the audience and crowned Headbanger of the Night, a man named Dougie who then spent a couple of minutes crowdsurfing all around the venue. As they hammered through their closer, the classic “A66,” the band walked off as the speakers pumped, perhaps predictably, “We Like To Party.” The Vengaboys got the last laugh. All in all it was a powerfully heavy, but extremely fun night full of riffs, jokes and brutal metal tunes. The second leg of the Pigsx7 tour runs from mid- to late August on the west coast, and tickets can be found on the band’s website. Check out some photos from the show below:
