Fans of the iconic English rock group Pink Floyd won’t want to miss a concert coming to Estevan next month.
Tribute band Pigs, who take their name from a song from Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals, will perform at the Orpheum Theatre in Estevan on April 3, starting at 8 p.m. The Energy City will be an early part of Pigs’ In the Flesh tour, and it promises to be a great show in the intimate setting of the Orpheum.
The group bills themselves as Canada’s most authentic Pink Floyd experience. They are comprised of vocalist and lead guitarist Josh Szczepanowski, who has the role of David Gilmour; K.C. Hingley, who has the role of Roger Waters and plays bass guitar; Adam Basterfield, who portrays Richard Wright and plays keyboard; Mike Quirke, who plays Nick Mason and is the drummer; Jon Baglo, who plays guitar as the band’s Snowy White; Peter Ransford, who plays saxophone and portrays Dick Parry; and Anneda, who has the role of Clare Torry and handles background vocals.
VJ Photon is the long-time visuals artist.
Szczepanowski said he became part of Pigs by accident. He was part of another band with a friend, and he won tickets to see a Pink Floyd tribute band, but the act wasn’t very good.
“I thought ‘I could do that better,’ and here we are,” said Szczepanowski.
He hasn’t always been a big fan of the group, as he wasn’t introduced to them until he was in his early 20s, but he quickly became hooked on their music.
“It’s wonderful. It’s the kind of music that really speaks to everybody. It’s a really inclusive music, which is funny because it’s mostly about loneliness and distance and having a hard time.”
Pigs was chosen for the name because it’s nice and simple, and easy for people to remember.
Spectators who attend the concert can look forward to a rock show. Szczepanowski noted a lot of tribute acts feel like a karaoke night, and so they don’t deliver a dynamic performance. Pigs strives to ensure they’re playing songs that were once played live, and with some energy.
There’s also a big screen and lasers to go with the show.
“We’re trying to put forward the same sort of feeling that they had in their mid-1970s tours,” said Szczepanowski. “So that’s the pigments they were using, that’s the kind of look that we’re going for.”
Pigs wants the concert to be as authentic to the 1970s as possible, rather than the way Pink Floyd was in the 1980s and 1990s. They also have the instruments and backline used from the 1970s.
Pigs’ members are also in their mid-to-late 30s, which was the Pink Floyd band members’ ages in the 1970s.
Szczepanowski, Basterfield and Quirke are the only members left over from the band’s inception about a dozen years ago. But for this tour, Hingley, who was the original Waters but eventually left Pigs, will be rejoining them.
“It’s great to have him back, and it’s sounding pretty good,” said Szczepanowski.
They do about 100 shows per year, Szczepanowski said, and most of the shows are outside of their southwest B.C. base. Pigs is particularly in demand in eastern Canada, which is where they’ll head after the performance in Estevan.
“And then of course, everybody has their own bands and jobs back home, so it’s a lot of work,” said Szczepanowski.
Spectators are usually very appreciative of their efforts. Pigs members get a chance to share stories with them, and the fans are often moved by the concert.
“This is music that was very important to them throughout their lives, and so I think they all really appreciate it being performed in such an honest and articulate way,” said Szczepanowski.
