Butthole Surfers

Butthole Surfers is an American rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second drummer from 1983 to 1985, 1986 to 1989, and 2009. The band has also employed a variety of bass players, most notably Jeff Pinkus. Rooted in the 1980s hardcore punk scene, Butthole Surfers quickly became known for their chaotic and disturbing live shows, black comedy, and a sound that incorporated elements of psychedelia, noise rock, punk and, later, electronica, as well as their use of sound manipulation and tape editing.

Links To Peel
Peel first heard of Butthole Surfers in the mid 80's and when the band did a gig in 1987 at the Clarendon Hotel Ballroom in Hammersmith, he was overwhelmed by their performance on his 10 August 1987 show after seeing them for the first time the previous week:

"'Perfectly extraordinary. I mean, excellent. But if you said you enjoyed it, I should be seriously concerned about you as a human being. But very well worth seeing and hearing.'"

Peel reviewed the gig on the Observer newspaper, which later got reprinted in the Olivetti Chronicles.

In 1988 Peel was invited to have lunch with the group, but decided not to attend, which he mentioned on his Peel 099 (BFBS) show in 1989:

"'I was invited out for lunch, of all things, with the Butthole Surfers last year, and I chickened out at the last minute cos I thought they'd obviously be expecting some kind of fellow who looked as though he'd just escaped from a biker gang, and when they get this rather portly, avuncular grey-haired old chap - a nice chap in many ways, but at the same time it's not what they expect, really, from a DJ.'"

By 1993, the Butthole Surfers left their indie label and joined Capitol,at this time Peel had lost interest in their music.

Festive Fifty Entries

 * 1987 Festive Fifty: 22 Going On 23 #44

Sessions
The band's second session is available on Peel Show 1988 (vinyl, 7", Not On Label)

1. Recorded: unknown. Broadcast: 12 August 1987 2. Recorded: 1988-09-20. Broadcast: 27 September 1988
 * Graveyard / Florida / Cherub / Shot Gun
 * Blind Man / Edg / Neee Neee