Artist Interview: Pork Crackle
Pork Crackle resident DJ for Froth and Club 121 known for her electric and memorable gigs had recently made her way to Tamaki Makaurau to show them how Te Whanganui-a-tara.
Pork Crackle did a gig for Froth at The Grand where she showcased a different type of talent on stage with her: pole dancers. After a collaboration that truly lit up the stage, Pork Crackle sat down with Something Something for an exclusive interview.
Hailing from South Auckland, Pork Crackle wasn’t new to the music or dancing scene; with the knowledge and understanding of how a deck worked, she had the basic fundamentals down and all she needed was an opportunity, a chance. That chance was given when being allowed to play at a party, where nobody noticed the change in DJ, and that started the fire. Practicing and pissing off flatmates with a make-shift set up of car speakers and an old amp sounds like the beginning of every great artist’s journey into music and with inspiration from the 121 Festival and COVID lockdown, Pork Crackle spent her time honing her skills. Turning what we all hated into a positive experience.
COVID has been a rough ride for everyone but from every dark cloud comes a silver lining and that came in the form of an opportunity to play at gigs because the big international cats were off the table and those supporting them became the headliners. With the call for more inclusivity in line-ups, artists like Pork Crackle were able to become supporting acts which she took as a chance to stand out with her tits out and demand power and respect. A boss move.
Having pole dancers involved in her set for Froth aligned with that. The pole dancers that she knew, through taking classes, do so for the sport, they do it to feel empowered and for themselves – not to seduce men. They radiate an energy that demands respect and they get it, as they should. The set was completely improvised which they are used to doing and despite growing tired near the end of it, due to there being only four dancers, they did an amazing job. Something that Pork Crackle would definitely be keen to do again.
In fact, she wants to do more than just pole dancers; with an idea in her head, Pork Crackle wants to try using the stage in ways that are virtually unseen during a DJ set. She wants to incorporate local actors and actresses from Toi Whakaari amongst other types of performances to bring a more physical aspect to sets when doing DJ gigs. She feels these are missed opportunities that can be utilised in so many different ways that consist of more than her doing a little two-step. Someone needs to do something different and Pork Crackle is prepared to be that person.
When talking about doing things that are different, Pork Crackle spoke about how Froth is trying to be a mixture of different genres, instead of sticking to one or another. They want to build a community, “a melting pot of all the different flavours of people in Wellington,” something that groups of friends can attend and enjoy all the different aesthetics and vibes in one place. The ideal night would be to have everyone enjoying all that was to offer and give gig-goers a new perspective on music that may not be their own and help people grow. After a chuckle, there was a joke about how she wants to raise a bunch of good ravers. Though, this is something that she wants to work towards, an idea in her head that may or may not come to be due to the possibilities of someone, at some point, causing trouble.
That was something she had been concerned about when having the dancers on the stage, not only was she concerned for the dancers themselves but also hyperaware of friends that had been attending. Keeping an eye on the situation and checking on people is something that Pork Crackle finds important; as an artist you cannot be dismissive of anything that you may see happening. She’s had times where she’s had to talk to people before and while it doesn’t always go as smoothly as she would like, it does create a safer environment for herself and those around her, from dancers to gig-goers. “The people who come and see me play are just as important as I am.”
“If anyone ever gets a hard time, or feels unsafe at something that I am playing, they can come to me and sort it the fuck out. I am good at it. I will have anyone’s back.” Building a good rapport with those who attend and working towards building a safe community, as well as doing things that change how people engage with her gigs, Pork Crackle is someone to watch and support. An artist who is aware of her own power, the environments that she engages in and the people who surround her, this DJ is on the rise and we cannot wait to see what she does next.