A Hitman in boxing shorts, a Riff Lord rocking an AC/DC tee, and their drummer—could he be their cool uncle? The lovechild of Unsane and Electric Wizard, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs unleashed their raw, fuzz-soaked riffs and shadowy mystique on Istanbul this weekend—but not before our local pride, Congulus set the tone with their hypnotic blend of psychedelic grooves and Anatolian-inspired textures. And yes, we lived to tell the tale!
Congulus is a Turkish psychedelic rock band formed in Istanbul in 2016. Its name is derived from an Anatolian folk story about a ghoul, and they blend elements of Turkish folklore with psychedelic and experimental music. While Congulus prepared the audience for Pigs, they added a humorous touch by counting “Pigs” seven times with their fingers as they announced, “Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs are coming.” Their performance was nothing short of a ritual, warming up our bodies for the mosh pit frenzy.
Congulus’ bassist Can took the stage with a mohawk made entirely of cigarettes. But things didn’t go as planned—one by one, the cigarettes decided to “retire from punk life” on stage. Yet Can delivered exactly what everyone wanted: he grabbed the remaining cigarettes from his mohawk and flung them into the crowd! It was as if he was saying, “When the music stops, the cigarettes are on me.”
Then came Pigs x7, unleashing raw energy just as we expected and dragging us straight into the mosh pit chaos. Throughout the night, our bodies endured with the resilience of pigs—no fatigue, no exhaustion!
We don’t think you don’t know, but as is tradition, let’s jump in and give a brief introduction to the band. Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, often shortened to Pigs x7, are a British stoner metal band from Newcastle upon Tyne, formed in 2012. Their sound blends elements of psych rock, heavy metal, doom metal, and noise rock.
It’s always a pleasure to be in a room full of people worshiping fuzz, cranked-up amps, and nasty riff music. When Pigs x7 took the stage and tore into “GNT,” the crowd was already lost in the depths of their gritty sound. Then, with all the swagger in the world, they unleashed fan favorites from every album. Tracks like Rubbernecker and Reducer from Viscerals hit hard, before we piped down into the heavy, stoned depths of Land of Sleeper. They didn’t leave us hanging on their latest release, Detroit, either. When an audience starts getting exactly what they want, they turn into a beast—and Matt Baty knew exactly how to tame it.
As Matt lost himself in theatrical gestures that captivated the crowd, the exuberant doom pigs behind him reminded us once again that music is alive and all about the moment. Sam Grant sculpted the song’s texture with finesse, while bassist John-Michael Hedley, unwavering with his relentless riffs, powered the band like a dynamo. Chris Morley didn’t falter for even a second, and Adam stood as the embodiment of ultimate doom.
As Istanbul’s stoner/doom scene reignites, our guests from the Island brought their unique sound and delivered a night that won’t be forgotten.
