Iconic Films

2 for 1 tickets to Casablanca, this coming Monday

Navigation - link to other main sections from here

Skip Navigation

From Times Online
April 30, 2008

'That's my pig' says Pink Floyd singer as giant swine drifts off into night

A pig-shaped balloon is seen in the sky as Roger Waters performs at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio

Alexi Mostrous

A huge inflatable pig, featuring the word “Obama”, is flying somewhere over the California desert.

Surprisingly, the gigantic swine is not the latest campaign advert from Hillary Clinton. It was released by Pink Floyd’s frontman Roger Waters on Sunday during his headlining set at the Coachella music festival.

Now organisers want the pig back – and are offering a $10,000 reward and four lifetime tickets for the music festival in exchange for its safe return.

As tall as a two-storey house and as wide as two school buses, the pig was released into the sky as Waters played a version of Pink Floyd’s Pigs, from the 1977 anti-capitalist album Animals.

Related Links

“It wasn’t really supposed to happen that way. I don’t have the details,” Marcee Rondan, a festival spokesman said.

The pig displays the slogans “Don’t be led to the slaughter” and “Fear builds walls”. It also sports a cartoon of Uncle Sam holding two bloody cleavers.

Its belly has the word “Obama” written on it, with a checked ballot box for the US democratic hopeful.

“That’s my pig,” Waters told the crowd, as the huge swine drifted off into the night, accompanied by flames exploding from the side of the stage.

It was not clear whether the singer intended to part company with his fake pet.

The enormity of the pig has led to concerns that it might destroy anything it crashes into. But Ms Rondan speculated that “because it’s inflatable, as it loses air it becomes less and less dangerous.”

She did not know how much the blowup animal weighed, however.

It is not the first time that Pink Floyd shows have used blowup pigs. The Obama pig is “the same prototype as past pigs,” Ms Rondan said.

“People are putting search teams together to find this pig,” she said. “But it may float in the night sky, never to be seen again.”

The festival have not yet been able to contact Waters, the Pink Floyd co-founder and writer of albums such as Animals and The Dark Side of the Moon.

Anyone with information on the pig should e-mail lostpig@coachella.com.

jayil from London: you do need education if you think pink floyd is a "Mr" !

charlie, los angeles, us

Hardly news as he's been letting the pig go on purpose at every one of his outdoor concerts on this tour that started in 2006. He was even warned with police action in LA when he did it at the Hollywood Bowl in LA.

Its all part of the act folks and brings some nice publicity for the festival.

jce, sunshine coast, australia

Mr Floyd... "we dont need no education"

jayil, london, uk

Poor pig - it must be bacon hot in that desert.

I hope none of the roadies get the chop as punishment.

Chris, Liverpool, England

“Don’t be led to the slaughter” and “Fear builds walls”.

Very true statements!
Dont be led to slaughter in Iraq and our nation of fear (terrorism) we now live in, builds walls, walls that our ancestors fought wars to break down!

Dont be scared to be Free, thats what we were born to be!

Andrew T, England, UK,

The pig (in shreds) landed in the yards of two homes in the Hideaway Golf Club in La Quinta.

Jane Joukovsky, La Quinta, California, USA

Have your say

* Required

Also in World News

Also in News

Comment    

Rosemary Righter

open quote mark Imposing aid on a country is a messy business; but the alternative in Burma is far worseclose quote mark

More...
Rosemary Righter

China quake

A rescuer searches the rubble of the collapsed Juyuan middle school where six children died

Thousands feared killed as earthquake hits southwest China

Slide Show

US elections

Barack Obama

White House 2008

Full coverage of the race for the US presidency

Comment Central

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius delivers the Democrat response to the State of the Union at Cedar Crest

Could she be Vice President?

Find out Barack Obama's top ten Vice Presidential picks

    Devastation in Burma

    A small temple is seen submerged in a flooded rice field near a house destroyed by last weekend's devastating cyclone near Yangon

    Scenes of devastation after Cyclone Nargis hit Burma

    Slide Show

    Pictures of the Week

    A selection of the best photography from around the world

    Slide Show

    World News

    Israeli flags flutter in the wind on the beach in Tel Aviv during a military parade marking Israel?s 60th anniversary

    Israelis have been commemorating the birth of the Jewish state

    Slide Show

    Paris weblog

    Parisians lounge on the banks of the River Seine on August 15, 2002 as they take advantage of the

    France enjoys the lazy, hazy days of May

    Most Read

    Skip Most Read

    Today

    MOST COMMENTED

    Skip Editor's Pick

    Today

    MOST CURIOUS

    Skip Most Curious

    Today

    Focus Zone

    Film reel

    Top 100 Films:

    Enjoy screenings of all the classic films you love.

    horses

    Alternative Investments:

    Have you ever dreamed of owning your own racehorse or a beautiful painting?

    Toyota Auris

    Places & Spaces:

    Enjoy comfort, safety, space and great design. Plus enter our great competition

    Dalmatian lying down

    Perfect Pets:

    Allow Times Online TV show, Perfect Pets help you make the the right pet decisions

    California

    Totally California:

    Are you California dreaming? Explore the wonders of the Golden State. Also enter our fantastic competition

    Nikon D40X camera

    Young Photographer:

    Do you have what it takes to be a Times photographer?

    Train your brain

    Surprise Yourself:

    Your brain is capable of more than you might think...

    Wealth Management:

    Find out to make the most of your money with our wealth management guides

    Boards advertising property for sale and rent are seen in east London

    Property Guides:

    Need help with your property? We have an entire how to guide - buying, selling, letting, moving, to help you

    Best 100 Green Companies

    Best Green Companies:

    We are seeking entries for the inaugural Sunday Times Best Green Companies Awards

    RSPB

    Love Nature:

    Enjoy some wonderful inspiring wildlife moments

    James Bond eye image

    James Bond:

    An interactive preview of the brand new For Your Eyes Only exhibition

    previous next

    QUICKLINKS

    Sudoku 

    Skip Sudoku

    70 x 70 JPEG

    Now Interactive

    Love Sudoku? Play our brand new interactive game: with added functionality and daily prizes

      Career/Jobs 

      Skip Career/Jobs

      70 x 70 JPEG

      Forget burnout, boreout is the new office disease

      Are you irritable when you return from work? Drained of emotion? You could be suffering from boreout

        Podcasts 

        Skip Podcasts

        70 x 70 JPEG

        The Bugle - Dead Hill Walking

        John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman beg Hillary to pack it in

          Driving 

          Skip Driving

          70 x 70 JPEG

          Jeremy Clarkson's greatest hits

          Prepare for some shock and awe, petrol lovers. Despite the greens trying to wipe it out, the car is about to offer us the most exciting year ever

            Travel 

            Skip Travel

            70 x 70 JPEG

            100 summer holidays for '08

            We've trawled the brochures and websites to find this summer’s best holidays for every taste and budget

            Skip Photo Galleries
            70 x 70 JPEG

            Photo Galleries

            Pictures of the Week

            A selection of the best images from around the world

              The Singapore skyline pictured at night

              Business City Guides

              Overseas contacts and local business information

              Services

              Cheese

              Best Artisan Cheeses, £27.50

              Direct from the farms

              Classifieds 

              Cars

              Skip Cars of the Week

              Jaguar XKR Supercharged Coupe

              2007/07
              £57,500
              South East England

              BMW 630Ci

              2007/07
              £40,995
              South East England

              BMW M5

              2006/06
              £41,995
              South East England

              Car insurance

              Great car insurance deals online


              Jobs

              Skip Jobs of the Week
              Business Development & Relationship Managers

              £40-55k+benefits+uncapped commission
              Morgan Keating
              South East

              Senior Process Manager

              £60k plus excellent benefits
              Barclaycard
              Stockton / Northampton

              Project Manager – Pioneering Change

              £ £55,000 - £75,000 plus bonus and benefits
              Diligenta
              Based in Peterborough

              Business Consultant – Pioneering Change

              £45,000 - £70,000 plus bonus and benefits
              Diligenta
              Based in Peterborough

              Properties

              Househunting. Without the hunt.

              Globrix, the property search engine

              Looking for a new home?

              Visit Times Online Property for homes for sale or rent

              Leicester LE3

              Residential development site with planning permission
              £1,500,000

              Barclays Buy Abroad

              Mortgages, bank accounts & money transfers to help you buy abroad

              Holidays

              Skip Travel of the Week

              Mauritius

              Dinarobin Hotel Golf & Spa 7 nights
              From £1830 per person – saving £530.

              Explore the French Pyrenees

              Walking & multi-activity holidays in Cauterets. Stylish self-catering apartments.
              From 350€ for 7 nights.

              Funway Holidays Int Inc

              Walt Disney World Resort Florida SALE!
              From £619 per person!

              Travel insurance

              Great travel insurance deals online


              Place your advert now