RIP Ken Chinn

1ThoughtKnown
1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
edited July 2020 in Other Music
Edmonton-Vancouver punk legend Ken Chinn (aka - Chi-Pig) passed away at the age of 57.  Front man of the legendary Canadian punk band SNFU. I have a few of their records and will spin a couple tonight. One of the first openly-gay members of the punk rock scene, Chi-Pig was an electrifying front man. Saw them many times playing in the Rev when I was a young Edmontonian. 

A documentary about him called Open Your Mouth and Say… Mr. Chi Pig was released in 2010.  

There may not be many SNFU fans in the 10c. Chi sang about many topics, but one song that stood out to me as a developing teenager was “She’s not on the Menu” which was about a patron at a restaurant sexually objectifying the waitress. This was during the 80s when cock-rock was at its peak.  Chi was a leader in the feminist punk-alternative movement, later more famously shared by the likes of Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, et al. 

The live album “Last of the Big Time Suspenders” is still one of my personal favourite live albums. Unfortunately Chi’s mental health issues led to him self-medicating. Just a sad day for me. 




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  • toolie
    toolie Posts: 397
    If You Swear, You’ll Catch No Fish was the first punk rock album I ever owned. It and Master of Puppets changed everything for me. And Thrash Zone I guess. Sad day. I will be spinning SNFU tonight. 
  • 1ThoughtKnown
    1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    toolie said:
    If You Swear, You’ll Catch No Fish was the first punk rock album I ever owned. It and Master of Puppets changed everything for me. And Thrash Zone I guess. Sad day. I will be spinning SNFU tonight. 
    Great album. 
  • 1ThoughtKnown
    1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155

  • toolie
    toolie Posts: 397
    Final song was released by the band. 
  • halv
    halv Posts: 715
    edited July 2020
    I've been listening to SNFU all weekend. Classic and unique punk band and proud to say they are from both of my hometowns, Edmonton and Vancouver. Chi Pig's lyrics were brilliant and often hilarious. In the early days he was famous for being a wild front man. A ball of energy. I'd see Chi at almost every club show I attended in Vancouver the last decade. Tiny man slinking around with a beer and his trademark faux fur hat. He'll be missed. 

    PJ reference: Better Than Eddie Vedder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulbzgbfccFU    
  • 1ThoughtKnown
    1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    halv said:
    I've been listening to SNFU all weekend. Classic and unique punk band and proud to say they are from both of my hometowns, Edmonton and Vancouver. Chi Pig's lyrics were brilliant and often hilarious. In the early days he was famous for being a wild front man. A ball of energy. I'd see Chi at almost every club show I attended in Vancouver the last decade. Tiny man slinking around with a beer and his trademark faux fur hat. He'll be missed. 

    PJ reference: Better Than Eddie Vedder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulbzgbfccFU    
    I’ve posted that video on here before... usually there are crickets. PJ fans should know the song is not a shot at EV, it’s a shot at society and how fast you go from hero to zero.  Guaranteed the lyrics for this song were from a discussion with someone at the bar, it’s where most of his inspiration came from 😂

    He seemed shy and so confused
    Now that he's older, he's last year's news
    She is looking for somebody fresh and young
    She is looking for someone less miserable
    She's looking for somebody new
    Much better than Eddie Vedder
    His pictures used to line her locker
    But they don't hang there any longer
    She has gone and burned them all
    Eddie comes crashing down from the bathroom wall
    Now she's looking for somebody cuter
    Someone more fun who rides a scooter
    Eddie hides his face behind a jokeshop mask
    Eddie, you've missed the grade,
    You've failed the test
    She's looking for somebody better
    Much better than Eddie Vedder
    There's got to be somebody better
    Much better than Eddie Vedder
  • 1ThoughtKnown
    1ThoughtKnown Posts: 6,155
    Just found a RE of Better Than a Stick in the Eye.  Had this great Chi Pig tribute in the liner notes:

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