Pork Dukes

The Pork Dukes are a punk rock band, formed 1976 during the first wave of British punk in London, England, UK. The band was originally comprised of twin brothers and former Gnidrolog members Colin Goldring (vocals / guitar) and Stewart Goldring (guitar / vocals) using the pseudonyms Vilos and Horrendus Styles, respectively ? alongside Scabs (bass guitar), Germun LePig (drums) (later replaced by Bonk aka. Rocky Rhythm) and Mack E. Valley (keyboards. He was later replaced by Guardian Angel prior partway through the recording sessions for the second album.

The band was originally comprised of twin brothers and former Gnidrolog members Colin Goldring (vocals / guitar) and Stewart Goldring (guitar / vocals) using the pseudonyms Vilos and Horrendus Styles, respectively ? alongside Scabs (bass guitar), Germun LePig (drums) (later replaced by Bonk aka. Rocky Rhythm) and Mack E. Valley (keyboards. He was later replaced by Guardian Angel prior partway through the recording sessions for the second album.

Combining a Buzzcocks-style pop punk sound with bawdy subject matter, gross-out toilet humour and profanity in their songs, the band released their debut single "Bend and Flush" b/w "Throbbing Gristle" in 1977 on Wood Records, a subsidiary of Caroline Records UK created specifically for the band.[1]

Due to the lyrical content of their recordings, the band struggled for airplay, though it was known that BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel was a fan.[2]

The true identities of the Pork Dukes were originally a closely-guarded secret, the band playing in pig masks during live performances. Various rumours circulated amongst fans and in the music press that the band was actually Led Zeppelin, Steeleye Span, The Rezillos, Fairport Convention or Tenpole Tudor in disguise. It was also suggested that either Keith Moon or Dudley Moore may have been lead singer. [3] [4]

The Pork Dukes were infamous for there ferocious live gigs which were often marred by crowd violence from right wing skinhead thugs, despite them being an apolitical band. The band would also frequently be pelted with glasses, bottles, coins, used syringes, feces, as well as the obligatory punk "gobbing". One of there trademarks was to perform with a severed (real) pig's head on stage, with safety pins stuck through its eyes (once, the head got left inside Bonks bass drum and was forgotten about for weeks until the maggots started falling out). The crowd caught on to this and started bringing their own pig heads to the shows to throw at the band!

The controversy surrounding the band and backlash from feminist groups led to them being unable to find a management company to represent them or perform at large venues (gigs were frequently played unanounced at small community centres to avoid protesters). Towards the end the band were reduced to playing gigs at mental institutions (Vilos Styles was training to become a psychiatric nurse at this point) to entertain the patients.[1]

Following the release of the studio Pink Pork and three singles on Wood Records, the band broke up in 1979, with the album Pig Out of Hell being released posthumously by Wood in 1980. Bonk (aka. Rocky Rhythm) later played for The Revillos, Tenpole Tudor and The Damned frontman Dave Vanian's Phantom Chords.[5]

In 2002 the Pork Dukes reformed. Returning to the band on drums was Bonk (aka. Rocky Rhythm) and new member Vince Santini (ex-Revillos) on bass guitar / vocals, who replaced Scabs. They continue to record and tour.