Butthole Surfers

Butthole Surfers are a noise rock band from San Antonio, United States, active from 1982 to the present. The group forms around singer Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary, with King Coffey on drums as a long-standing member. Their music spans acid rock, alternative rock, art punk, experimental rock, neo-psychedelia, noise rock and related punk and psychedelic forms.

Formation and early years

Haynes and Leary first meet at Trinity University in San Antonio in the late 1970s. After publishing the magazine Strange V.D. together in 1981, they return to San Antonio and begin the band. Their debut show takes place at a San Antonio art gallery in 1981, before they settle on the Butthole Surfers name. Early aliases include the Dick Clark Five, Nine Foot Worm Makes Own Food and the Vodka Family Winstons.

By 1982, the band is backed by bassist Quinn Matthews and drummer Scott Matthews. After that line-up falls apart, Bill Jolly takes over bass and King Coffey, born Jeffrey Coffey, becomes the drummer who remains with the group for many years. Teresa Taylor, also known as Teresa Nervosa, later joins as a second drummer and becomes part of the band’s core line-up with Haynes, Leary and Coffey.

Sound and live performances

The band combines hardcore punk, psychedelia, heavy metal, avant-garde elements, performance art and later electronica. Their recordings make extensive use of tape editing, sound manipulation, non-traditional instrumentation and, in later work, more electronic textures. Their live shows become known for strobe lights, smoke, background films, naked dancers and other theatrical shocks. The film imagery includes accident footage, nuclear explosions, meat processing, spiders and scorpions, gory driving films, penis reconstruction surgery, nature footage and a colour-negative episode of Charlie's Angels.

Haynes often uses a bullhorn or vocal effects, and later performs behind a large rack of effects known as “Gibbytronix”. Coffey and Taylor drum in unison on separate stand-up kits. Kathleen Lynch, also known as Kathleen and Ta-Da the Shit Lady, appears as the band’s “naked dancer” from 1986 to 1989, though she is never an official member.

Recordings and releases

The group begins recording for Alternative Tentacles after Jello Biafra sees them perform and offers to reimburse studio time. Their 1983 EP Butthole Surfers, also known as Brown Reason to Live and Pee Pee the Sailor, is followed by Live PCPPEP in 1984. Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac appears in 1984 on Touch and Go Records and expands the band’s psychedelic and studio-experimental side. Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis follows in 1985.

Rembrandt Pussyhorse arrives in 1986, with a different mix and song selection from the earlier unreleased version submitted elsewhere, and includes a minimalist version of the Guess Who song “American Woman”. Locust Abortion Technician follows in 1987 and is among the band’s heaviest and most experimental releases. Hairway to Steven appears in 1988 and uses titleless tracks represented by absurdist cartoons. Double Live, released in 1989, is issued on the band’s Latino Buggerveil label as a response to bootlegging of their concerts.

In 1991, piouhgd appears on Rough Trade and uses more electronic instrumentation. The band then signs to Capitol Records, who reissue the album and pair them with producer John Paul Jones. Independent Worm Saloon follows in 1993 and gives the band a minor radio hit with “Who Was In My Room Last Night?”, which reaches number 24 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart and later appears in Guitar Hero II. Their only gold record, Electriclarryland, arrives in 1996 and includes “Pepper”, which reaches number one on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The band’s music also appears on soundtracks including Romeo + Juliet and Escape from L.A.

Weird Revolution is released in 2001 on the Hollywood Records/Surfdog Records imprint after the band re-records most of the shelved After the Astronaut material. The album is their most electronic release to that point and includes “The Shame of Life”, which reaches number 24 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The group also issues the compilations Humpty Dumpty LSD and Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP on Latino Buggerveil.

Members and related projects

Long-standing and current members include Gibby Haynes, Paul Leary, King Coffey, Jeff Coffey, Teresa Taylor, Jeff Pinkus, Scott Stevens, Andrew Weiss and Scott Coffey. Over time, the band also uses a series of bass players including Bill Jolly, Terence Smart, Trevor Malcolm, Nathan Calhoun and Mark Kramer. Pinkus remains the bassist from 1986 to 1994 and returns later; Teresa Taylor also returns to the band after a long absence. Other touring members include John Paul Jones, Josh Klinghoffer, Kyle Ellison, Owen McMahon, Jason Morales, Cabbage and Kathleen Lynch.

Outside the group, Haynes collaborates with Ministry on “Jesus Built My Hotrod” in 1991 and later forms P with Johnny Depp, Bill Carter, Sal Jenco, Flea and others. Leary also releases The History of Dogs and becomes known as a producer. Coffey establishes the Trance Syndicate label, which releases the first Butthole Surfers compilation, The Hole Truth... and Nothing Butt. Haynes and Pinkus also record as The Jackofficers, releasing Digital Dump.

Later years

The band tours with Jeff Pinkus and Teresa Taylor in 2008, returning to a line-up that has not played together since 1989. Their catalogue is repeatedly reissued on their Latino Buggerveil label after legal disputes with earlier labels are resolved.