An Australian music cult classic, now with an introduction by Eamon Sandwith from The Chats.
From cult heroes the Saints and the Go-Betweens to national icons Powderfinger and international stars Savage Garden, Brisbane has produced more than its share of great bands. But behind the music lay a ghost city of malice and corruption.
Persecuted by the Bjelke-Petersen government and its toughest enforcers – the police – Brisbane’s musicians, radio announcers and political activists braved ignorance, harassment and often violence to be heard.
Since its first publication in 2004, Pig City has become a much-loved cult classic, providing an enduring soundtrack and history lesson for a new generation of fans and musicians alike.
‘Twenty years on, Pig City reminds us of how deeply the political undercurrents impacted the cultural output of Brisbane’s artists, and how the pioneers of the scene (unknowingly) laid the platform for the bands to come.’
Bernard fanning
‘Stafford’s Pig City is immensely readable and relevant. It’s a remarkable journalistic achievement and is required reading for any Australian artist.’
ArtsHub
‘Its salient observations about the political and cultural climate of the city in the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s remain as relevant today as they ever were.’
InReview
ISBN: 9780702268793
Pages: 384
Release Date: 30/07/2024