The Butthole Surfers Thread

capthowdy1027

I mean really, how great were these guys?

My first concert was supposed to be Butthole Surfers, Toadies, Reverend Horton Heat, and Supersuckers in 1996, when I was 15 years old. But that show got cancelled and I have still never seen BS live :(

red mos

living in Texas, can't help but love this band. I have only seen them once, (2009) but their show is wicked! - Even if they have toned it down. Heard the mosh pit in Austin the next night was horrendous, had a friend that went.
Electriclarryland is the album most people know because of "pepper".

I have talked to Paul Leary a few times, he is the guitarist, and I have talked or chatted with him on the Toadies board a few times. He gets on it now and then. Paul Also manages a band called Quiet company for those interested.

But yeah, man, a surfers show is pretty bad ass! I was amazed at how much old stuff they played, and to hear one of my faves "Human cannonball" live, holy crap that was bad ass! Love how they have two drummers, and just keep going from song to song. Gibby Haynes, may say a few words here and there, but they just play their asses off. Loved how Paul played sax too, or was I dreaming?? I was surprised they didn't play a single song off Electriclarryland, but just goes to show, these guys just stick to what they want to do. Hopefully they tour again soon.

Also, People might know, or might not know: Paul Leary produced, Sublime's "self titled" album. He also produced what should have been "Feeler" by Toadies in 1998. "Feeler" was finally re recorded, but not with Paul Leary producing.
Just some random post non music BHS facts.

capthowdy1027

I may be wrong, but I think the reason they didn't play anything from Electriclarryland on that tour was because now they have their old drummer back with them who had left before they released that album, so they're only playing songs that he was on originally. I think I remember reading that somewhere, I may be wrong. The only ones in the band that I can ever remember their names is Gibby, and Paul.

Electriclarryland is what got me into the band though. Pepper of course being the first song that I heard, like most people. But the album blew me away then I started buying all of there previous stuff.

Another random BS fact, their album before Electriclarryland, Independent Worm Saloon, was produced by John Paul Jones.

eeriepadave

don't own any of their albums nor have i seen them live but have about 5 songs from them and i like them. Besides the obvious, Pepper i also have on my itunes:

Who Was In My Room Last Night (probably my fav song from them). I remember BEavis & Butthead watching this on one of their episodes and Butthead yells yes The Butthole Surfers! Also Beavis yelling it's Flea, It's Flea and Butthead says yeah Flea rules
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNAkbbKycCM

They Came In (Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BO819Crxh_Q

Underdog (Saturday Morning Hits Cartoon)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDVLiuto5Ec

and Tiny Rubberband w/Moby (from the Spawn soundtrack)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9fqLptpwpE

Poncier

I've seen them 4 times in the past.
In 1995 they played with Stone Temple Pilots and Flaming Lips on a tour of drive in theaters, except they couldn't book a drive-in here in MA, so they played at the "Polish American Beach Club" in Gardner MA...I kid you not...strangest place I've ever seen a show, it was out back of this little club (Like an Amvets type place), with a little pond behind it...during the Flaming Lips' set, Gibby is walking around in the crowd with one of those stick on name tags that says "Hello My Name Is...Julio". And then when the Surfers hit the stage, Gibby started things off by firing a shotgun into the air a couple of times (blanks I presume).
Good band.

BinFrog

My favorite song = Tongue

Poncier

BinFrog wrote:

My favorite = Tongue

Thats what she said.

red mos

capthowdy1027 wrote:

I may be wrong, but I think the reason they didn't play anything from Electriclarryland on that tour was because now they have their old drummer back with them who had left before they released that album, so they're only playing songs that he was on originally. I think I remember reading that somewhere, I may be wrong. The only ones in the band that I can ever remember their names is Gibby, and Paul.

Electriclarryland is what got me into the band though. Pepper of course being the first song that I heard, like most people. But the album blew me away then I started buying all of there previous stuff.

Another random BS fact, their album before Electriclarryland, Independent Worm Saloon, was produced by John Paul Jones.

I think you are right. They had King Coffey Playing drums, and Theresa (I think is her name) came back and was playing drums as well, so, they were playing in unison. Great show though! They had a screen behind them showing all kinds of weird shit. From pornographic images, to marijuana smoking (during the "bong song") and just weird visuals that totally fit with their music and in a weird way help you understand it, the visuals and music fit perfectly.

Poncier

red mos wrote:

They had a screen behind them showing all kinds of weird shit. From pornographic images, to marijuana smoking (during the "bong song") and just weird visuals that totally fit with their music and in a weird way help you understand it, the visuals and music fit perfectly.

They've done that for years...I'll never forget seeing them at The Paradise in Boston and watching one of the videos of some kind of hospital operation and suddenly realizing it was film of a sex change (addadictomy).

capthowdy1027

Sounds awesome. I would still love to see them live.

Legend has it they are banned from our main rock club here in Cincinnati called Bogarts. I guess Gibby was told he was not allowed to do his little thing where he turns a symbol upside down, fill it with lighter fluid, lights it, then keep nailing it with a drum stick. It does sound really dangerous though haha.

merkinball

eeriepadave wrote:

Who Was In My Room Last Night (probably my fav song from them).

Great guitar work on this one. Gibby's featured in the "Fearless Freaks" documentary of the Flaming Lips also.

I've never seen them either. They actually came through town a few weeks ago, but couldn't make the show. I was curious as to how their live show was, considering how legendary it was in the past.

red mos

capthowdy1027 wrote:

Sounds awesome. I would still love to see them live.

Legend has it they are banned from our main rock club here in Cincinnati called Bogarts. I guess Gibby was told he was not allowed to do his little thing where he turns a symbol upside down, fill it with lighter fluid, lights it, then keep nailing it with a drum stick. It does sound really dangerous though haha.

yeah, that's what I meant by tame their shows down well partly. Gibby used to torch a a symbol , (I thought it was a whole drum set), and he used to moon the crowd too, throw fake blood all over them, just whatever- All kinds of weird shit. Pure novelty act, that you can't help but love musically.

I kid you not, a buddy of mine saw Pearl jam in 93 at the University of North Texas, Butthole Surfers were the opening act. Gibby attempts to set the symbol ablaze, and sets his hand on fire. I went to North Texas and thought that was awesome to be able to graduate in the same colisuem.

dcfaithful

I remember first hearing anything of theirs on the Beavis and Butt-head Do America soundtrack.

"The Lord Is A Monkey"... awesome song.

capthowdy1027

dcfaithful wrote:

I remember first hearing anything of theirs on the Beavis and Butt-head Do America soundtrack.

"The Lord Is A Monkey"... awesome song.

Love that song.

Thanksgivings coming on the Fourth of July
In the form of a girl with a needle in her eye
Well she come from out west on a nickel worth of gas
Got her mind on her money and a dope up her ass

eeriepadave

eeriepadave wrote:

don't own any of their albums nor have i seen them live but have about 5 songs from them and i like them. Besides the obvious, Pepper i also have on my itunes:

Who Was In My Room Last Night (probably my fav song from them). I remember BEavis & Butthead watching this on one of their episodes and Butthead yells yes The Butthole Surfers! Also Beavis yelling it's Flea, It's Flea and Butthead says yeah Flea rules
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNAkbbKycCM

found it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYNMC09DX0E

South of Seattle

capthowdy1027 wrote:

I mean really, how great were these guys?

My first concert was supposed to be Butthole Surfers, Toadies, Reverend Horton Heat, and Supersuckers in 1996, when I was 15 years old. But that show got cancelled and I have still never seen BS live :(

My first 'real rock concert' not at a small club was Butthole Surfers, STP, fIREHOSE, & Basehead.

I think it was the summer of 93 maybe?

Cob

I was lucky enough to have grown up in Texas, I have seen the Butthole Surfers numerous times since about 1985, man those shows in the 80's were CRAZY, they can still bring it, they all live in Austin still, except for Gibby. I was eating dinner with my daughter a few months ago when in walks King Coffey to pick up a to go order, I have actually met him on numerous occasions as he is friends with a couple of people I'm friends with.

I look at my daughter and say, "hey look it's King Coffey from the Butthole Surfers", my daughter says, "REALLY?", then she pauses for a second and says, "who are the Butthole Surfers?"

capthowdy1027

Anybody remember the episode of The Simpsons when the Flanders had to live in a shelter house or whatever, and they got some shirts from the donation bins... he said 'Look daddy, I'm a surfer!"

eeriepadave

new Butthole Surfers album on the way?
http://www.avclub.com/article/butthole-surfers-are-recording-new-album-their-fir-258789

dankind

One of my favorite bands, although I'm not a big fan of IWS or Electriclarryland. Psychic ... Powerless ... Another Man's Sac through piouhgd were all brilliant, though, and Rembrandt Pussyhorse and Locust Abortion Technician are both masterpieces. Shit, Hairway to Steven is fucking great, too; I think that was the first record I bought, and then bought the back catalog from there. 

I got to see them when they were still pretty crazy -- not as crazy as the infamous Danceteria show in the link below, but crazy enough. 

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/the_legendary_x-rated_butthole_surfers_show_at_danceteria

Funny thing is I lived in the same Brooklyn neighborhood as Gibby and his family for about 10 years. I've met him a couple of times, but the first time was the best. The family center on my block was hosting a kids' block party, and Gibby and I struck up a conversation while waiting with our respective kids for pony rides. It was so surreal because the last time I saw that dude, we were both tripping balls -- of course, only one of us had his dick out and was farting into a megaphone -- and now, here we were both married to respected lawyers, both responsible dads, just waiting to get our kids ponied up. 

eeriepadave

This would be pretty cool to see. Gibby Haynes playing Butthole Surfers songs with kids

https://www.punknews.org/article/70645/gibby-haynes-to-play-full-butthole-surfers-set-backed-by-kids

They announced a Ny show on Oct, 25. Also a philly show the night before at some club i never heard of.

dankind

eeriepadave said:

This would be pretty cool to see. Gibby Haynes playing Butthole Surfers songs with kids

https://www.punknews.org/article/70645/gibby-haynes-to-play-full-butthole-surfers-set-backed-by-kids

They announced a Ny show on Oct, 25. Also a philly show the night before at some club i never heard of.

I’m guessing only late-era stuff. 

eeriepadave

dankind said:

eeriepadave said:

This would be pretty cool to see. Gibby Haynes playing Butthole Surfers songs with kids

https://www.punknews.org/article/70645/gibby-haynes-to-play-full-butthole-surfers-set-backed-by-kids

They announced a Ny show on Oct, 25. Also a philly show the night before at some club i never heard of.

I’m guessing only late-era stuff. 

so like the 90's stuff?

dankind

eeriepadave said:

dankind said:

eeriepadave said:

This would be pretty cool to see. Gibby Haynes playing Butthole Surfers songs with kids

https://www.punknews.org/article/70645/gibby-haynes-to-play-full-butthole-surfers-set-backed-by-kids

They announced a Ny show on Oct, 25. Also a philly show the night before at some club i never heard of.

I’m guessing only late-era stuff. 

so like the 90's stuff?

Yeah. Maybe Independent Worm Saloon and Electriclarryland. I could see "Wooden Song" and "Pepper" fitting the bill. No "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave," though.

Poncier

dankind said:

 -- of course, only one of us had his dick out and was farting into a megaphone -- 

Surprised they didn't kick you out of the venue for that.

Seen them a handful of times back in the day. One night at the Paradise the show just stopped abruptly (should have probably lasted another 15-20 minutes we guessed) with no explanation. There was a rumor that someone got stabbed, totally unsubstantiated. Also some kid crowd surfing that night get flung face first into one of those big concrete columns they have there...he probably didn't have his best night. They also had the "addadictomy" video playing behind them at one point, took us a couple minutes to figure out what we were watching.

Last time I saw them was in 93 at the Polish American Beach Club in Gardner MA (weirdest place I've ever seen a show). They were touring Drive-in theaters with STP and Flaming Lips, couldn't get the OK to play a nearby drive-in so booked this place instead.  Was basically a stage set up in the back of like your local Amvets club or similar...with a pond behind it. It was the show that Weiland and one of the Deleos bashed some kids skull in with the bass guitar and fists.
Earlier in the day Gibby was just walking about in the crowd wearing a name tag that said "Hi my name is: Julio"

Merkin Baller

Poncier said:

red mos wrote:

They had a screen behind them showing all kinds of weird shit. From pornographic images, to marijuana smoking (during the "bong song") and just weird visuals that totally fit with their music and in a weird way help you understand it, the visuals and music fit perfectly.

They've done that for years...I'll never forget seeing them at The Paradise in Boston and watching one of the videos of some kind of hospital operation and suddenly realizing it was film of a sex change (addadictomy).

Haha, I was at that show, (2010, right? or maybe '09?) I recall seeing the gential surgery, but didn't realize it was a sex change. Too funny.

That was the only time I saw them, and it was fantastic. I went with a band I was playing with at the time (our rehearsal space was a few blocks away from the venue) and we were so inspired. They had the sickest jam off a song that was all of 2 or 3 notes, it was so cool to see how something so simple could sound so awesome.

Poncier

The show I am referring to was well before that, late 80's or early 90's (possibly 1989, need to dig out my ticket stub book at home). Slap Shot and I think also The Dead Milkmen opened.

dankind

Poncier said:

The show I am referring to was well before that, late 80's or early 90's (possibly 1989, need to dig out my ticket stub book at home). Slap Shot and I think also The Dead Milkmen opened.

There's a time for takin'
And a time for givin'
But rippin' off the Butthole Surfers
Is how we make our livin'

--"The Fez"

Merkin Baller

Poncier said:

The show I am referring to was well before that, late 80's or early 90's (possibly 1989, need to dig out my ticket stub book at home). Slap Shot and I think also The Dead Milkmen opened.

Funny, they were definitely showing a video of genital surgery when the played at the Paradise around 2010 too.

Poncier

When something works you stick with it.

hrd2imgn

Wont lie, Pepper is the only song of theirs I know...but I FUCKIN LOVE IT!!!