No strangers to the muster, Sydney-based bluegrass act The Pigs are scheduled to play at the Deniliquin event this October. Co-vocalist T-Bone Pig sheds some light on how a bluegrass band goes international and what the muster means to them.
“This will be our third Deni Ute Muster,” he says. “We were last there in 2010, but we often go to other events with muster in the name. Musters seem to like us. It’s a different way of life out there, away from the city. It’s a simpler life. Things that they love are things like utes, drinking rum with their mates – the things in their lifestyle that they love, they really celebrate. That’s why something like the Ute Muster, and other musters, celebrate country life.
“Things in the city, you have an event and it’s about making money – some music, but making money. You do things out in the country and it’s about the community. That’s the appeal for the punter. People who go to the Deni Ute Muster, they live all year for it – they talk about it for years. Whereas you do it in the city, it’s ‘just another music festival.’ These people, they work hard, it’s hard for them to meet their mates on a Friday/Saturday. That’s why it’s so important.”
The muster circuit isn’t the only place where The Pigs have gained exposure. If someone were to ask about Australia’s most internationally successful genres, bluegrass probably wouldn’t be the first thing you thought of. However, thanks to their loose antics, The Pigs have established themselves in a number of overseas territories.
“We’d seen success in Germany, Denmark, France and Spain around Europe, but essentially we met another band called The Bees who introduced us to people over there and organised the tour for us and it took off,” T-Bone Says. “We’ve been back a couple of times since. There’s something about our irreverence and bad behaviour that just appeals over there. You can only imagine what a family overseas can do, and the beer over there is fantastic. You can drink as much of that German stuff as you like.”
With their latest album, Home Brew, The Pigs were intent upon developing an album that made a big impact on their audience. They had already cemented their style, but found new direction due to some back and forth interaction with their fans.
“We’d been performing our original tunes and covers done in our own style for a long time, stuff like Beyoncé or Kanye West, things like that,” T-Bone says. “One day someone came up to us and asked ‘Why don’t you do an Australian song? For Christ’s sake you’re Australians.’ So we decided to do a whole bloody album on it. We’ve rehashed 13 Aussie classics to what they should be, their ‘original’ versions, if they were original – the bare bones of it.”
With Deni Ute Muster looming on the horizon, T-Bone is ready and roaring for the set. As opposed to their usual role as a closer, this year the band are playing an opening slot.
“We’ll be nice and fresh, fresh from the road. Crisp, crispy – we’ll hit that frying pan on the stage, on will go the bacon, and we’ll crisp up.”
BY THOMAS BRAND
