Pig City: The Saints

What is there to say about The Saints? They are a band that has been credited as the first punk band by some sources, and not punk whatsoever by others. What can be said is that they, along with the Go-Betweens, have been the most influential band to come out of Brisbane. The Pig City show will feature the original lineup of The Saints performing properly together for the first time since the band splintered in 1979.

The Saints were formed in 1974 (previously under the moniker Kid Galahad and the Eternals). Taking their cues from the Detroit proto-punk of the Stooges and MC5, as well as earlier rock'n'roll and R'n'B' artists, they soon developed a sound of their own. The original lineup of Ed Kuepper, Chris Bailey and Ivor Hay were soon joined by Kym Bradshaw. In September 1976 they released their stellar debut single '(I'm) Stranded' followed by an album of the same name in February 1977 (Both of these releases predated releases by bands such as the Damned and the Sex Pistols).

Following the release of their debut album they moved to the UK where they quickly become disillusioned with the emerging punk scene. This lead to a more R'n'B sophomore effort later that year, the explosive Eternally Yours, which introduced a brass section to many of their songs. This shift in genre continued with their third album, Prehistoric Sounds, released in 1978.
The continued commercial failure of the band and the pressure of the UK punk scene led Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay to leave the band in 1979, with Kuepper going on to form jazz-punk legends the Laughing Clowns, while Chris Bailey continued on as The Saints, with a constantly rotating lineup, to this day.

A quick look at the people who cite The Saints as an influence will demonstrate why they were so important. Apart from basically every Brisbane band, musicians as far flung as The Hives, Bob Geldof, the Birthday Party, Phoenix, and Fu Manchu have been inspired by the music of The Saints. So now you know a bit more you have no excuse to miss what could be the final time the original lineup of The Saints ever play together. As a teaser here are some tunes:

The Saints Myspace
The Saints Myspace #2

And an awesome promo clip for Know Your Product circa-'77. Where's the professor!?!