Meg Lee Chin
interview by Philip H. Farber
Meg Lee Chin is a force to be reckoned with. As a member of the industrial circus/rock band Pigface, her stage presence and powerful, clear vocals have won over numerous fans. She's also an accomplished producer and recording engineer, and has recently released her first solo album, Piece and Love. Philip H. Farber recently had the pleasure of conducting a rather leisurely e-mail interview with Meg Lee Chin.
PHF: How did you get involved with Pigface in the first place?
Meg Lee Chin: I was in an all girl band called Crunch. After we played in Russia, and before Crunch split up, there were these two women who came to the one show we played in London before we left for New York. Their names were Shannon O'Shea and Meredith Cork. They were jumping up and down and asked if we needed management. We did, but unfortunately the band split up soon afterwards. As it happened, they knew Martin and when Martin told them he was looking for a girl singer for Pigface, they raved about me constantly so much that Martin gave me a call. At first Martin wanted me to send him a tape and a photo. We talked for about a half an hour over the phone. Suddenly, Martin said "I'm getting a good vibe here, forget the tape. I'll send you a plane ticket." That was it. I was in.
PHF: In some of the band's publicity hype a few years back, it stated that "Martin Atkins is the heart of Pigface, and Genesis P-Orridge is the soul" or something to that effect. What's your anatomical position in the band?
Meg Lee Chin: At my best I am the THIRD EYE.
At my worst I am the FOOT IN THE MOUTH.
The rest of the time I am the TITS AND ASS!
I'm the balls! ALL of the time!PHF: Is it as much fun playing in Pigface as it is to watch a concert?
Meg Lee Chin: Playing in Pigface is MORE fun than watching. It's like being in a racecar. At any minute you can crash, but you don't because you are totally immersed in the moment and in a heightened state. It's dangerous, unpredictable, scarey and very,very FUN. The performers never get a chance to feel safe with Pigface, because you never know what's going to happen next. The audience contributes a large part ot this unpredictability. Pigface audiences are like no other. I'm constantly surprised and amazed by the things they do and really really floored by the spirit and originality of some of the people who come on stage with us.
PHF: What would you say is the catalyst that ups the intensity of this audience/pigface feedback loop?
Meg Lee Chin: I would say the catalyst is the unspoken pact between Pigface and the audience. Some people get it, some people don't. The ones that do, always have a good time. The ones that don't , never will. The audience IS part of the show. Pigface is interactive, if you didn't enjoy the show, it's your own fault. YOU could have made it happen. That knowledge in itself, puts the audience as much on the line as the band. This defines the relationship and ups the intensity. What did you contribute? What did you make happen? Nothing? Well stay home next time, you boring fuck!
PHF: You recently toured the USA, how did it go?
Meg Lee Chin: ...exhausting but satisfying. It was a real tough schedule with back to back shows. At times we would be in 3 different cities in one day! There wasn't a lot of time for sleeping. I love sleeping... Luckily, we had a chance to catch up, between Minneapolis and Seattle where we traveled by train in a sleeper car. The tour was great cuz we got a chance to meet a lot more people personally. That's something we don't get much chance to do on the Pigface tours. I got a chance to meet a lot of email pals for the first time. That was very, very cool.
PHF: I got the impression that the album was something you pretty much did off on your own. How did that translate to the live show?
Meg Lee Chin: If you mean the recent "Beatbox Soapbox" tour, it was more like street music stylee with a boombox & cheap pa. I did a raw version of the songs using a backing cd with a rougher mix. The Beatbox tour was kinda like a sneak preview. We played for free in cafes and record stores.
For the spring tour, I will have a real live band. The sound will be bigger and fuller. Each musician brings their own personality and character to take the music further and bring it alive. I write my songs with a solid underlying structure, like the foundation of a house. The songs don't have to be played by me, nor do they have to be played exactly the same. There's a lot of room for movement. Remember... I was in Pigface!
PHF: How was the audience response? What were you hoping for from this?
Meg Lee Chin: The audience response was excellent. Beatbox was about getting back in touch with America. I've been living in England for a long time and I wanted to do a more grass roots, down to earth, beatbox thang. For me it's important to stretch myself and not always do the same thing. It's also important to keep in touch with people cuz they're my inspiration.
PHF: If someone listened to your album or came to one of your shows, what would you like them to come away with? What experience do you want them to have?
Meg Lee Chin: I'd like them to be inspired and to take what I've done one step further.
This is what I like about being human.
