At the ARIA Music Awards of 1987, Big Pig were nominated for Best New Talent and Best Video for "Hungry Town" by Julie Stone Productions, and they won Best Cover Artist for their debut self-titled extended play (May 1986) by Witer.
And that's really what sparked it off.Inspired by a performance of Japanese taiko drummers, Witer formed Big Pig: "When I saw them, the key to it was orchestration – that each guy had his own part.
[3] In 1988, Sherine recalled "I started joining bands eight years ago, as long as the music was high-energy, really strong, that was the criterion".
[6] Witer and Sherine were previously together in a Melbourne-based band, Bang, which Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described as playing "Grace Jones-styled funk".
[2] Witer wanted an edgier, more experimental sound that also retained Bang's funky rhythms and, when his visa ran out, he returned to Melbourne.
[2] Big Pig made its concert debut in February 1986 and soon recorded a self-financed, independently distributed three-track, self-titled extended play, which was released in May.
[4][7] In November that year, Polyanna Sutton of The Canberra Times reported that the group had postponed plans to return to London pending interest from the United States.
[11][12] The video was directed by Richard Lowenstein (INXS, Hunters & Collectors) and was filmed by Andrew de Groot at a Melbourne dance club.
[2][3][6] It took about 3½ months to do, and we used three tracks, "Hungry Town", "Money God" and "Devil's Song", as the basis for the album after we'd reworked them.
Due to their dominant use of drums, harmonica and vocals, along with the absence of guitars, the band established a unique place in Australian music.
[4][6][13] Sounding unlike contemporary groups, they also adopted their signature look wearing black waterproof aprons,[7][14] similar to those worn by blacksmiths,[6] which gave their stage presence a distinctly industrial feel.
[2] The group toured the US in May where Justin Mitchell for The Spokesman-Review noted that "Although five of the members sing, vocalist Sherine (no last name) and harp player [Antoniades] handle most of the front work".
[16] "Money God" was used as the theme for the BBC-TV's DEF II's Rough Guides show with Magenta Devine hosting, whilst tracks from Bonk were used for Miami Vice episodes in the late 1980s.
[13] Walker felt the album was "more subtle and rounded" showcasing their "blend of thumping bass, strong vocals, blues harmonica and, of course multitudinous drummers".
[13] Fellow journalist Penelope Layland opined that You Lucky People showed a "simple, funky rhythm threading its way through the tracks, but a sprinkle of other sounds have found their way into the picture, a smattering of harmonica and a deft, sparing dose of keyboards".
[19] They toured in support of the album,[7] then in February 1991, Big Pig played for the last time at Melbourne's Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
[21] Late in 1994, Tim Rosewarne joined Chocolate Starfish[3][22][23] but these days plays keyboards in the Absolutely 80's show which features Scott Carne, Sean Kelly, David Sterry, Brian Mannix, Ally Fowler, Tottie Goldsmith, Dale Ryder, and others performing their hits.