Newcastle’s The Porkers may well be the most successful independent band to come out of their home city.
Back in 1990, the ska punk exponents climbed all the way to number six on the Australian independent charts with their debut EP, Tired Of Being Pork Hunts, and they’re still going strong two-and-a-half decades on.
They have also made their mark beyond the steel city as part of the lineup at Deans Diner, the burger joint that sits proudly next to Newtown Social Club. The Porkers Burger (with bacon, of course) has been on the menu for years, feeding punters after the sweat-and-beer-soaked gigs next door.
“I can’t say I have actually been in to try one, but I have been sent the picture many times,” confesses frontman Pete Cooper (affectionately known as Pete Porker). “I walked past once and had a look at the board and thought ‘fuck yeah’, but I haven’t had the pleasure of one yet.”
Last year, The Porkers returned stronger than ever after a five-year hiatus, opening up the Soundwave bill. Cooper admits that although they had never officially called it a day, he thought things were over for the band at the start of the break. The return to the stage brought with it a new version of The Porkers – a lineup that operates with a “revolving door of members” – but there is still a distinct sound that runs through the outfit. “There is always a new twist or a new influence that comes in with a new member,” says Cooper. “I’ve always found it really refreshing and it kept things interesting.”
Cooper and saxophonist ‘Big Phil’ Barnard are the only two members who have survived since the band’s original conception, but the stage is far from filled with strangers.
“Dave Power [guitar] has been a longtime member, and Scottie [Chapman, drums] played in a band called On Inc., as well as a bunch of other bands,” says Cooper. “He actually co-wrote a song that was on our very first record, so he has been around offstage for a while. Now he is just onstage.”
The gigging schedule for The Porkers is a little less hectic than it has been in the past – it’s more a matter of quality over quantity these days. Their last run of shows was with The Allniters, another vintage ska group that directly influenced The Porkers.
“Me and Big Phil used to go and see them all the time and they were one of the first bands that we were blown away by,” Cooper says. “The funny full circle thing is that Big Phil is now playing sax for The Allniters when they play.”
The Porkers’ next gig is Gingerfest, a now-annual festival that honours the legacy of The Ginger Ninja AKA Nicholas Sofer-Schreiber, a beloved member of the Australian punk community at large. The festival was founded after he was horrifically murdered in 2013, and is now celebrating its second year. Cooper says this may be The Porkers’ last trip to Sydney for some time, as the band regroups and makes plans for its next big milestone – its 30th anniversary.
“There will definitely be something happening,” Cooper explains, revealing plans for a celebratory tour, but also potentially a new album – the band’s first since 2007. At a recent show in Brisbane, The Porkers performed their first new song in over eight years.
“We started the song together, and we all finished the song together. So that’s a good sign,” laughs Cooper. “So I would say the 30th would be a good time to get some new music out.”
Gingerfest 2015 at theFactory Theatreon Saturday December 19sees The Porkerstake the stage along withGay Paris, Irrelevant, The Sinking Teeth, Mad Dash, The Hard Aches and more.
