The New SNFU Still Offers a Gut Wrenching Good Time
story by : Tamara Lee photos by : Tamara Lee previously published : Uptown Sound
The Cobalt Motor Hotel must be the hardest of hard core show venues in all of Vancouver. It’s the sort of place that if some toothless, 50+, homeless-looking man were to be messing around on stage, the punk rock crowd would likely drag him off by his hair and bury him into the sinister depths of the mosh pit. That is, unless the toothless man practically invented punk rock music and were a god of sorts, know to his punk minions as the Chi Pig.
band is SNFU (Society No F$#@ Use), a raunchy Canadian punk band that has been around in various forms since 1981. I say ‘various forms’ because this band has had no shortage re-inventions. Throughout the 28 years of their existence, they disbanded twice (’89 to ’91 and ’05 to ’07), and moved through 21 different band members.
It’s hard to know what to expect from this most recent incarnation. Classically, SNFU is known to be satirical and controversial. They can be in your face with crudeness but they never take themselves too seriously. Simply take a look at their 14 album discography to get the idea, with tittles like Canibal Café and Bobbitt, or Something Green And Leafy This Way Comes.
It’s been about 15 years since I have seen them play, and my curiosity is definitely peaked. Though I once frequented this hard core scene, I still remember SNFU’s show standing out at a legendary level of insanity. It was a crazy mosh pit, fueled by a hyper active performance during which the band threw pies and inflatable goats into the crowd. I wonder if The Pig still has this much chaos to give us, now, with 15 more years on his back?
Also, aside from growing older, this band has seen some other major changes 
lately. In ’81, SNFU was originally formed by Chi Pig (aka Ken Chinn) and the Belke brothers, Marc (aka Muc) and Brent. Throughout their entire history, Muc and Pig were always part of the band and the primary songwriters. In this last reunion, however, Muc declined re-entry and criticized that it wasn’t a true reformation with only one original member. This change sparked enough controversy to be tabloid worthy.
In rebuttal, Chi told The Vue Weekly “As far as I’m concerned it’s SNFU. The band has changed all throughout the years and this is just another change…. Those songs are my life, I’ll f$@# play them ‘till I die.” He also recreated a website at snfuband.com which claims to be “The Official” one, despite that the older site at snfu.com states that they have disbanded. Whether the Pig’s new SNFU will equate to a true form remains to be seen, and the expectations on him are clearly high.
At the show, however, Mr. Pig manages to fill this bill with Punk Rock God ease. He performs with veteran skills, rolling around on The Cobalt’s mangy stage, screaming out lyrics. It’s obvious that this place is like his home. Pig’s fans seem to be veterans also, managing to complete each lyric when the microphone is held out to them.
It makes me smile to see Pig get up to some of his old tricks. He is prepared with mosh-goodies and sprays down the fans with bags of popcorn, foamy beer, and cans of whipped cream (held to his crotch). Almost every fourth song Pig changes his image, throwing on a Batman mask, a Jason mask, an aboriginal headdress, and my favorite, a rubber pig mask. In between songs Pig jokes around with funny and strange commentary, possibly revealing the effects of years of substance use. He asks, “How’s my hair?” and giggles. Later, he tells one guy in Springer fashion, “ Bitch, my man ain’t your babies father!” He doesn’t even bat an eyelash when the crowd pelts him back with shoes and crowd surfers; all the while he exchanges jovial middle fingers with the fans.
Whether you are a fan of SNFU or not, the Chi Pig has an entertainment quality that is hard to deny. Nothing could phase this man; he has undoubtedly seen it all. Raw punk rock is so much a part of his bacony blood that poor Pig probably couldn’t ever do anything else. But as long as the 20 something fan base regenerates, his quest to ‘play this music ‘til he dies’ is probably quite achievable.
If you can stomach it, SNFU offers a show worth seeing. Spend your time deciphering lyrics between heavy drumbeats and spastic guitar riffs. Take in the Cobalt’s lovely atmosphere, with its gut rotting draft beer and omnipresent bathroom smell. However, be forewarned, this show is not for you if you are: easy to offend, lack a sense of humour, have a weak heart, don’t own ear-plugs, or anybody not looking for a hard core good time.