1. Tell us about your musical career so far and how the band Roadkill were formed. Add on any interesting trivia about the band as well?
1. Lets start with the personal touch - full name and a brief history of your punky life so far?
My name of choice is Willy the Pig, also known as Willy the Alienpig and sometimes (by the piglets) that forgetful auld moron. I turned on tae punk like most others after hearin' the first Ramones album, sometime in 76. At the time I was roadie-ing for crap heavy rock covers bands and hiding my own creations in the bedroom. Then along came J. Rotten and his crew and from then on in the world turned increasingly day-glo. After the Pistols the next big change was when Crass came along and solidified all my morals and beliefs. I've played in a few genre-ised punk bands the most notable being The Vague, who were forever gettin' attacked by cops and pissed up neds (assholes).
2. Tell us about the pig sty - its purpose and the toll it takes on your mental health ha,ha. Also tell us about some of the best bands you have dealt with?
The Sty was always just the space in my house where I could set up my gear and let my dreams become realities, at the minute it is just my tiny kitchen with a small digital 8 track fostex. When I hide in there with my headphones on and machines lit up it works as a sort of outer-space massage parlour for the mind and it takes me far away from the day to day, a good healing centre for the brain. As far as bands go The Edible Women, a psychedelic punk band that I formed were my favourite tae play in as I was the only creative force in the band it meant that I could let my imagination run crazy. When I ran a rehearsal studio three bands were particular favourites Black Friday - a mega fast thrash outfit, Capone and the Bullets - a fantastic ska band and The Shake Up - a garage mod band with a singer that could swear the socks off of mad fuckin' Al in Deadwood.
3. Punk - come on what is it all about - give us your take on this sometimes nebulous scene?
Tae me punk is all a state of mind and a way of life, even when I was doing mainly instrumental techno-ish stuff I always approached it as a punk thing. Punk is ....NO GENRES....NO UNIFORMS (Sorry Mr. Vicious)....FREE THOUGHT and FREE SPEECH. PUNK is.... Mott the Hoople....Hawkwind....Crass....The Clash....Renegade Soundwave....Public Enemy..... and the auld granny that gives the bus driver pelters for slammin' on the brakes too hard.
4. I am trying to organise a naked Bay City Roller race across the alps with entrants riding a Bay City Roller member totally nude and using nothing more than a box of fleas and an underarm deodorant? What hazards do you foresee and do you think I should use a plane made from bacon to keep an eye on proceedings?
As long as it's veggie bacon I think it might work, real bacon has got hairy bits that would catch up in the propellers. The fleas would be useful tae keep Les McKeown scratchin' his butt for extra energy and the deodorant could come in handy tae keep away the stench of smelly jock popstars. As far as the nude part goes, the contestants would have tae wear their auld punk bumflaps (remember them?) padlocked tight tae stop the rollers gettin' up tae any bottom related mischief (which they have a habit of enjoyin').
5. The best and worst of your CD collection and tell us about the best piece of clothing you have ever had?
My CD collection is actually reasonably cool as all my once upon a time embarrasments are on my vinyl shelves. Now I'm not scared tae let anyone know about the Rod Stewart (post Faces, who were not a slag at all), Status Quo (saw them live 5 or 6 times as a teenager and loved every gig) and Luietenant Pigeon (great piano stompers) records. I love my shirts and a homemade Vague t.shirt from 76 that I still have (gig, fag and beer smells and all).
6. Your gripes and joys about the current scene - come on mate put these fuckers to rights?
My main gripe about punk and it has been since the early days is the people that think you need tae have a 6 foot high mohican, leather, bristles, acne and studs. When I see some young punkers and hear new bands I wish they would take things on a step further, don't look back, look forward, be yourself. In saying that, I love some of the new anarcho scene bands and music makers, which includes some new ambient/techno anarcho stuff (ambient punk? YES, auld riotheids need tae kick back too) and I still get a buzz when I see the few spikey haired dudes that stick out in the crowd, bottom line is "at least they're doin' something".
7. I am trying to cross-breed a tub of margarine with a tin of ravioli in order to create my own generation of meat filled butterballs. I am having difficulties as my male tin of ravioli has erection problems. How can I solve this and would you place a coffee table in your ear to promote equality for shrews? If so 'why'?
The ravioli has obviously been taken over by rogue chemicals from the slaughter industry which are destroyin' it's male essence which means no reproductivity. Try using spinach aand cheese ravioli instead. If the coffee table was small enough not to add any damage tae my already fucked up ears and you never know when you'll need a new pair of shrews.
8. What and who are your influences in life and music?
Influences on reality have got tae be anyone who puts themselves in the front line in the name of justice, freedom and equality (especially for shrews), the peacemakers and of course Franapunk and auld Glasgow toon. My musical influences are vast and varied but tae genre-ise (that crap fuckin' word again)....PUNK ROCK, PSYCHEDELIC, REGGAE, and BLUES covers the main bases.
9. The best and worst band you have ever seen and tells us about your all time fave punk record and what makes it so special?
So many great bands but I would say the Sham 69 farewell gig at the Glasgow Apollo, absolutely fan-fuckin-tastic and Cook and Jones joined them for a great version of Anarchy. And yes Jimmy Pursey was greetin'. Also up there with Sham has got tae be Bob Marley who I also saw at the Apollo. The worst - The Hothouse Flowers which is the only gig that I ever walked out of before the end, they were fuckin' dreadful. Again so many 33's and 45's of amazingness, hard pushed tae pick one but probably THE RAMONES album, a record that definitely changed my life, without it, we likely wouldn't be in touch with each other here.
10. What is the scene like up your neck of the woods and what are your personal punky ambitions within it?
Glasgow IS punk, even the pensioners carry a punk attitude. As far as the scene, there is a healthy dose of punk happenin', I don't get tae witness it in action much now due tae bein' an auld dude and havin' my own music and family life tae enjoy.
11. Kentucky Fried Tennis Balls - can we really save the genital squirrel population with this new food item. Explain how we do it please!
First of all ye must take over the squirrel processing deathcamps. Then cover the tennis balls with the horrible kentucky gunk and an unhealthy dose of MSG before frying in lard. Most important thing is don't let anyone know as people won't be able tae tell the difference and will enjoy them anyway.
12. Push your cause man - websites, merch, contacts - go, go go!
I'm here because I love it, I love listenin' tae music and I love makin' music, I also think it's a useful tool tae promote my anti-authoritarian views.
My main website is at www.alienpig.co.uk where ye can come and chill oot after a hard nights pogoing and find out all about the STY and my life in the faster than fast lane .
I also run a small free mp3 online label at www.esnips.com/user/alienpig ALIENPIG RECORDS is a free mp3 label featuring various unsigned, underground and unheard of bands and projects from the Glasgow area and beyond into the cosmos (1974 -????). DUB - PUNK - PSYCHEDELIC - INDUSTRIAL - REGGAE - GOTH - AMBIENT - MOD EXPERIMENTAL - BLUES - GARAGE - ACID - HIP-HOP - TRIP-HOP - BLIP-BOP - FLIP-FLOP - TECHNO - LO-FI - NO-FI - NO-GO-FI - NOISE - NO CATEGORIES - ROCK'N'ROLL. All music downloads are free. Also get in touch at www.myspace.com/pigcopeland and email at alienpig1@gmail.com
ANARCHY, PEACE, FREEDOM and KEEP THE FAITH.
