Vicious Pigs
Vivian Vicious and Nigel Pig During the punk revelution two young star from the Midwest shot into the seen, Vivian Vicious and Nigel Pig. The boys started out playing small gigs throughout Southeastern Wisconsin and quickly invaded the growing Chicago Punk World. Their band, at the time was the short lived “X-Junkies”. As they plowed through the punk club in Chicago they were quickly picked up by EMI records, signed and record deal, and flew to England to begin recording and a European tour.
European Tour Vivian and Nigel were quickly getting restless in Europe, Three months into their tour the two quite the band and ended the X-Junkies forever. During an interview, post X-Junkies, with Vivian and Nigel in A Hashish Bar in Amsterdam, Vivian was quoted, “Well Nigel and I were talking, and we just could see ourselves as “X-junkies” since we are practicing junkies.”
Back in the US After a six month drug educed stooper throughout Europe the two found themselves broke and back in the United States. They hitch hiked back to Wisconsin and ended up in Vivian’s parent’s basement. A few months went by the boys were back practicing and itching to get back on stage.
The two desperately looked for work in the music industry but the death of the X-Junkies still left a bad taste in the mouths of most, but all was not lost. In a bar just outside of Milwaukee the two ran into an old friend, Stiff Kitten, lead guitarist from the Glam Rock band Witchcraft. Stiff offered them a roadie gig and the two graciously accepted and went on tour with Witchcraft.
Roadies for Witchcraft Nigel was quoted, “Well fuck, Stiff had the best drugs, and was always willing to share”
Vivian was a natural born Roadie and worked well with all the others, seen here “shootgunning” a beer before unloading the equipment truck.
Months went by and the two seemed content with being roadies, but they never lost their desire for the limelight. They often found themselves during sound check playing their old songs from the X-Junkies.
As luck would have it, in Phoenix, Arizona The opening band for Witchcraft, “Shit Brick House” was delayed and they had no one to open the show. Vivian picked up Stiff’s guitar and handed it to him saying, “Man, we can’t let the fans down! What if you me and Nigel go out there and open for Witchcraft, man?” Stiff agreed and the three went on stage and blew the audience away.
That fateful night in Phoenix was the birth of the “Vicious Pigs” Every opening the three opened for Witchcraft until the end of the tour. Little did they know that they where well on their way to making music history and changing the world of music forever.
At the end of the tour with Witchcraft the two where signed with “Wicked Man” records and put out their first album titled “Crazy”. When it Crazy hit the streets it had cold reviews. The critics had nothing good to say about this first effort. The Chicago Sun Time wrote, “This album is a sad combination of poor lyrics, bad cords, and no talent. You would have to be CRAZY to buy it.” The L.A. Time wrote, “I would rather hear a cat being gutted alive than listen to another note.” Rolling Stone Magazine,“ Who farted and put an album cover over it?”
Despite the poor reviews sales quickly rose and within months Crazy went gold and the cover song, “Crazy for me” made the top one hundred. The boys started enjoying the fame.