Newcastle’s heavy-psych titans Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, or more conveniently known by Pigs x7, sweep into Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms, leaving a trail of sweat, noise and euphoria in their wake.
Fresh from the release of their latest album Death Hilarious, the band deliver a set that is as ferocious as it is enthralling, firmly solidifying their reputation as one of the most thrilling live acts in the UK. The sold-out crowd, a sea of anticipation and denim, bears witness to a performance that fused blistering volume with magnetic stagecraft.
From the moment the first chord of ‘The Wyrm’ rings out, the room is transformed into a temple of noise. Thick layers of fuzz-drenched guitars, pummelling drums and Matt Baty’s unmistakable roar surge through the venue. ‘The Wyrm’ – nearly eight minutes of churning build-ups and punishing crescendos – makes for an inspired opener, immediately establishing the relentless tone that would define the night. The atmosphere is electric, a palpable sense of shared release between band and audience.
Drawing heavily from Death Hilarious, the band take the opportunity to unleash their new material with unflinching confidence. ‘Stitches’ follows with its disorientating rhythm and thick sonic texture, drawing the crowd deeper into Pigs x7’s heavy vortex. ‘Blockage’, another recent standout, brings with it an equilibrium of tension and release. Its brooding intro simmers before giving way to a full-throttle assault of riff-laden chaos. Every moment is calculated.
‘Glib Tongued’ brims with the track’s political grit and genre-bending swagger. The band’s ability to translate intricate studio work into raw, physical live performance is part of their magic. ‘Carousel’ and ‘World Crust’ follows in similarly devastating fashion, each track delivered with a tightness that makes the experience feel as visceral as it does musical. ‘Rubbernecker’, ignites the first of many mosh pits. ‘Mr Medicine’ and ‘Ultimate Hammer’ appear like lightning bolts in the set, inciting a storm within the crowd.
The pace never flags; the energy never dips.
Frontman Matt Baty remains one of the most compelling figures in contemporary rock. His presence on stage is something close to ritualistic – a blend of manic energy, dry humour and primal theatre. Dressed in his now-iconic Muay Thai shorts, he prowls the stage like a fighter in the ring, shadowboxing with invisible opponents, spinning and goading with wide-eyed intensity. But behind the theatrics lie genuine and palpable charisma. His interaction with the audience was constant and warm, collapsing the barrier between performer and spectator.
The rest of the band are equally magnetic. Guitarists Adam Ian Sykes and Sam Grant conjure massive, swirling walls of sound, their tones punishing and psychedelic. Grant, hunched and locked in a trance, twists complex solos out with an almost shamanic focus. Bassist John-Michael Hedley, ballsy and brooding, stalks the stage, his low-end rumble a vital counterweight to the chaos. Drummer Ewan Mackenzie anchors the madness with precision, shifting effortlessly from slow-burning grooves to all-out rhythmic assault.
Bathed in strobes and deep reds, the stage itself adds an almost apocalyptic sense of grandeur to the music. Yet for all the intensity, the band never feel overly serious – there is always a glint of humour, a wink beneath the thunder.
The setlist itself is a journey through their discography, with enough curveballs to keep seasoned fans guessing. Tracks like ‘GNT’, ‘Big Rig’, and ‘Collider’ are woven in, each offering a slightly different flavour of the band’s sprawling sound. ‘A66’ closes the night, its motorik groove and soaring finale acting as a perfect final exhale after the onslaught. True to form, the band dismiss the idea of a traditional encore, opting instead to go out in a blaze of feedback and cheers
Few bands manage to marry heaviness with humanity quite like Pigs x7. Their shows are a celebration of chaos, of the joy found in dissonance, of the beauty in brute force.
With Death Hilarious, they’ve added depth and variation to their already formidable sound, and their live shows reflect that evolution without ever losing the edge that made them so compelling in the first place.
For anyone still yet to witness them live, there’s only one thing to say: prepare yourself. Expect your ears to ring. Expect to sweat and to move. Expect to be part of something loud and joyful. Pigs x7 aren’t just playing gigs – they’re leading rituals.
