Tag Archives: Matt Baty

PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS + MERYL STREET @ The Crescent, York 14th May 2026.

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On Thursday night, I saw Pigsx7 play one of their finest shows in one of the best venues I’ve been to. There is no denying that The Crescent is one of the most important venues not just in York but in the country. It has everything you could want and enough space to move your body in a questionable fashion without hitting anyone by accident. Before I go into how amazing Pigsx7’s set was- I have to tell you about the support act; Meryl Streek. Meryl Streek is a crucial artist and is someone that HAS to be heard. He’s also proof that you must ALWAYS watch the support act if you are there on time.

A few weeks ago, Meryl Streek played on the Isle of Man and two of the most important (and best) bands from the IOM supported him- Half Naked Headline and Croteau. At the end of the night, I thanked him for playing there and for having those two bands support. Both bands are destined for greatness and deserve the world, and we spoke a little bit about how odd the Island is but also how important it is to have people like him play there. Not only was his set incredibly moving, but as a person, you can absolutely tell that he cares a hell of a lot about those around him, what he’s creating and being heard. He’s a credit to the music industry, and although the crowd seemed a bit reserved for his set- for some, the words truly hit home. Songs like Paddy (this broke me), Kelly and of course Death To The Landlord were so moving to hear and the way he puts his all into his performances is truly captivating. You leave feeling like a different person and also, angrier at the world. He’s a real inspiration and this definitely won’t be the last time I see him live. Music should always move you in any way, and I think if you see his performances and you don’t feel more rage at the world then you’re probably part of the problem.

Pigsx7 play 12 songs. No encores. No prisoners. No timewasting. No love for Download Festival. They limber up during the opener The Wyrm and you know you’re about to witness over an hour of chaos, magic, and the inability to hear for a few hours after. At their previous shows I’ve been to, I’ve always stood near the back but this time- the front (or a row behind from the front.) Not too close to the speakers but close enough to know that I would have a ringing in my ears for a few hours at the end. Bliss. I knew the show would be magical, but when you see a band, you love play in a venue that’s as special as this- it makes it something else. The setlist is perfect (although I still want to hear their cover of Hot Stuff live) and although 12 songs isn’t enough when it’s a band you adore with all you have- those 12 songs are delivered in a way that transcends how you hear them on record. Pigsx7 are my gym band, and their music has enabled me to lift heavier than I thought was possible but they’re a band that lyrically get me right in the gut. There is something so special about this band, and you know what? Fuck Download Festival for ignoring greatness for 16 years in a row. However, as the band did mention- playing venues like The Crescent means a lot more. It’ll always mean more.

As always, Matt introduces the band as 80s/90s Wrestlers but also mixes it up with 80s/90s Pop Stars too. We were joined by not only Rick Flair but also Rick Astley on a Thursday. In York. How lucky were we!? When you watch a band like Pigsx7 you have no idea where to look because every single one of them on stage is the best at what they do, each of them are the heartbeat of the band. Each of them plays with this urgency. The way Matt moves on stage is similar to how my cat psyches herself up to chase her little draft excluder toy. Focussing and moving in a way that shows she isn’t someone to be messed with. She then plays for 10 minutes and has a lie down. Matt doesn’t do this, none of them do. They all stay firmly focussed on stage and play as if their lives depend on it. Their sound is distinctive and vital. They aren’t just a great band on record, but live they take it to a different level- and they cannot be touched. They blitz through the set, and they play 4 songs in a row with no break (I cannot remember which 4 they were but at the end I did think they all needed a little rest because it was so intense in the best way.) Adam was able to go for a piss whilst Headbanger of the Evening was awarded so that’s always good!

The setlist was a dream, and the venue was perfect for them. I’ve seen them play the Ritz in Manchester and also New Century Hall but there is something really special about seeing them in a venue like this to really make you appreciate their sound even more. Stitches into GNT then into World Crust is just chef’s kiss. Collider into Toecurler? A DREAM! Was it the best I’ve seen them? Yes. Will this go down as one of my favourite gigs I’ve ever been to? Hell yes.

PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS: Death Hilarious.

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Here we go. Record number 5 from the North East’s loudest band- Pigsx7. What can they do on record number 5 that they haven’t already? Like, what is left to be done now?! Haven’t they burst our eardrums enough?! No. They haven’t. There’s more to do, more damage to our ears to be done.

Death Hilarious is a masterpiece, that you can be sure of. Again, Pigsx7 are a band who do not make bad records. Everything they release is so exciting and different- but always beautifully loud to the point where you may need medical attention (not the best kind of attention you can get, but still.) If you’re wanting a record to drown out the noise and to make you feel like every bone in your body is being crushed- this is the record you need. It’s the band at their peak. They’ve done it. They’ve made something that defines their sound in a new way, and I love how with every record they are unafraid to push the person who listens to it. It may be us old fans or it may be new ones; either way they push you and it’s wonderful.

If you’ve been lucky enough to see Pigsx7 live, then you’ll know that it’s an experience that goes beyond anything else you’ve seen or felt. For me, bands like this are the ultimate comfort band. Their sound feels like a secure grip around me, and I can’t get free from it- I guess it feels like home and it’s calming. Others may hear something utterly dripped in chaos and pure noise, but for me, that’s my version of calm. I never claimed to be “normal” because none of us are.

The record consists of 9 songs and is around the 45-minute mark- that’s enough time to let a record utterly consume you. Every song deserves its spot here, and the way it ends on the 8-minute wonder that is Toecurler is magnificent. It’s a grand record, and the ending does not mean the band are going quietly at all. If anything, they get louder. Matt’s screaming on this song is next level, you can really feel how healing it is. It’s like getting every ugly and painful feeling out. It’s the kind of song you’d want playing in a sketchy Slasher film where the killer loses it towards the end.

This is their most experimental record to date, and they won’t lose fans over it at all. If anything, they’ll gain more. Welcome to the cult of Pigsx7! I’ve played the record a lot this morning, and with every listen I’m getting a new appreciation for the band. You can hear the growth on the record. I remember first listening to them and I had NO idea what was going on- all I knew was that I was instantly hooked, and I found a band that were going to change how I listen to music and how I take music in. Turns out, that feeling has stood very firm with every record they released since. Death Hilarious is no exception. If anything, it heightened it.

I started writing this a week ago, with the intent of putting it up by the day had ended. But I felt with every listen of the record, I found something else to cling onto and relate to. So, for once, I let the record stay with me. For a week solid, this has been the only record I’ve listened to. I’ve played it at the gym on a loop, played it to and from work, listened to it at work- that’s a lot of hours. Have my feelings changed? Not in the slightest. I still think this is the best record Pigsx7 have done, and it explores the brutalness of anxiety and everything that comes with it, in a way I’ve not felt before from a record. The way Matt screams some of these lyrics will rip right through you. I know for a fact I cried when I played it the first time. Some lyrics just get you in the gut, and with more listens I feel less alone with whatever goes on in my head. Someone else gets it, and they are expressing it in a way that is a billion times better than I ever could. That’s the power of music- it makes you feel less alone, and less of a burden too.

If you’ve seen Pigsx7 live, you will know how big their sound is in that environment so when you listen to them on record- it can feel different. They’ve managed to capture that huge live sound and put it beautifully on record. They’ve done it. This is THE record they had to make and tonight I get to witness it live. It’s going to leave me hard of hearing tomorrow- it did last time, and I cannot wait.

Death Hilarious is a record I’ll keep going back to for different reasons. This week it’s helped me focus at work and the gym. Maybe next week it’ll feel like a hug, and the week after it’ll be my comfort record. All I know is that it will be one I keep going back to constantly. I don’t think it’s a record you play and just forget about. You don’t do that with a Pigsx7 record, it’s impossible.

Every song on the record does feel like a smack in the kisser and a punch to the ribs, and you just cannot get enough of it. Stitches has a Glam Rock feel to it, and you’ve got the ripper of a song, Toecurler that just sums up the whole record as the closer. In 45 minutes, Pigsx7 give the listener all they want and deserve.

The record feels like an exorcism of sorts and that powerful release is felt on every single song, and I think that’s why you cannot help but feel hooked right from the start. But that’s Pigsx7 all over.

PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS PIGS: King Of Cowards.

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With just six songs, the new record by Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs just instantly blows your mind, bursts your eardrum and fills you with this eternal rapture. The record opens with GNT which is probably the best opener to any record I’ve heard in a long time. The record is menacing. The record feels like something you’d play to conjure up something from the underworld. It’s an incredible record. It’s just absolutely mind-bending, life-changing and really really loud.

Before I really get into this record, I just hope our next generation, and the generation after that get into bands like Pigs and keep this sound alive. The musicianship is out of this world. To create something this loud, this off the wall and important takes guts, and Pigs sure as hell have them. The songs are proper anthemic which are created to just rip you apart, and totally devour your soul. You don’t mind the band taking every piece of you, because the music is that powerful. The passion in Matt’s voice is insane. He sounds like a preacher with a cult following- we will all listen and cling to his words. The sheer heaviness of this band and the way they sound together reminds me of two of my all-time favourite bands- Sleep and Melvins. They make me feel exactly the same way I did when I first heard these bands a long time ago. They just fill you with excitement because FINALLY we have a band making heavy music that has some bite to it.

There’s only five of them in the band, but on this record they make you feel like you’re listening to a Stoner Rock orchestra. It’s nothing but genius. That’s the only word to describe them. Some may have labelled last year’s release, Feed The Rats as being quite difficult to listen to- but I don’t get it. Three songs that last ages, and with every listen they just make your brain go off into the unknown. Have they done the same with King Of Cowards? Come on now, you KNOW they have.

Right now I’m calling A66 as my favourite. I love how it just feels like your whole being is turning to mush, and as you melt into the ground- the band take what is left of you and create something no other band has ever dared to do. They push themselves, they push the listener and I love that so much. They’ll make you feel uncomfortable with first listen- especially this song. At times it’ll feel like white noise echoing in your ears and shattering your skull, but before the song is done- you’ll be hooked. There is no band like this right now, and thank fuck we have them. They’re playing Manchester soon, but I’m a twat and I didn’t get a ticket. Guess I’ll have to wait until April for the next one!

This record aside, you just know that Pigs are a band that HAVE to be seen live. When A66 goes right into Thumbsucker, you just know that their live shows would leave you hard of hearing for weeks. It doesn’t matter anyway, because nothing will sound as glorious as them. I love tranquil bands like Warpaint and Beach House so much, but there’s part of my brain that craves bands like Pigs to just unleash everything that gets held back. I love nothing more than listening to them stupidly loud, and getting completely lost in how phenomenal they are. I know they aren’t for everyone, but anyone can hear just how brilliant they are. The have this huge sound that stays ringing in your brain for hours after you’ve listened to them.

Some music is just destined to be played loud. There’s no other way to listen to King Of Cowards other than brutally loud. I’ve always had such love and respect for them, and what they’ve done with this record has totally blown me away. I’m in awe of how great they are- I always knew they were, but they’ve truly done something else with this record. You’ll never know what you’re going to get with them, and that’s one of the many reasons as to why I’m obsessed with them.

Buy the record, go to the shows and don’t wear earplugs when you go see them. Absorb in all the noise, the sweat, the limb flailing and just get right into it.