Open your eyes and read
Thirty years is a long lifetime for any band to endure, but the legendary Canadian punk band SNFU has beaten the odds. Through numerous line-up changes and hiatuses over the years, and while battling his own personal health, addiction and mental health issues, the sole remaining original member and charismatic vocalist Mr. Chi Pig has survived like a cockroach after a nuclear war. "I did it and I played 5000 shows and this is the best thing I've ever done in my life," said the frontman when asked about the group’s longevity.
With every legendary band should come written documentation and thanks to Vancouver Punk writer Chris Walter, SNFU can be added to the list of books he’s written and published through his own Go Fuck Yourself Press.
“SNFU was an obvious choice,” said the author of his book. Walter had already previously written biographies on fellow Canadian Punk bands Victoria’s Dayglo Abortions and Winnipeg’s Personality Crisis and Joey Shithead had already written two books about DOA.
“So it was really a no brainer,” replied the hulking and immensely tattooed author. “What No One Else Wanted To Say” spans the entire history of the band from its beginnings in Edmonton in 1982, through their many tours worldwide, through their turbulent final years, which saw founding members Brent and Marc Belke leave the band and into the present, including Mr. Chi Pig’s struggle with his own demons and health, in often painful detail, as well as the current lineup, their future and everything in between, leaving every emotion possible touched and no stone unturned. Walter captures in detail both the good and not-so-good times, as told from past and present band members, fans, friends and contemporaries alike.
Walter, who’s known Chi Pig since 1981, has given us a rare look and understanding of not only the story of one of the greatest punk bands of all time, but also one of relationships, success, failure, excess, pain and passion as told by the people that were there and lived it. “I think it's great" commented Mr. Chi Pig on the book. "I've known, and had a friendship with Chris for over thirty years and I'm honoured."
A long wild journey it has certainly been, and the future is a promising one for Mr.Pig, with five new SNFU songs already recorded and awaiting his vocals plus tours of Europe and Japan on the horizon as well. Chi left me with a fitting and inspirational quote. “You know you might wake up in the morning in total pain, but if you don't wake up in total pain, you didn't do it right. And I did it right, and I've got the scars to prove it.”
Chris Walter will launch his book SNFU... What No One Else Wanted To Say across Canada this August and September.
- Jason Kolins
