Peter and the Test Tube Babies are an English punk rock band, formed in the small town of Peacehaven, England in 1978, by Derek "Strangefish" Greening and Peter Bywaters. Due to their humorous tongue-in-cheek lyrics, they have been considered part of the Punk Pathetique subgenre.
In recent years the band has played at festivals including the 11th Antifest in 2005. They also had two songs on the Oi! compilation Oi! the Album in that same year. They favoured absurd lyrics and strange titles, such as "The Queen Gives Good Blow Jobs". In 1982, they covered the chart-topping Gary Glitter hit "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I Am)" on their album Pissed and Proud.
When the band is not touring, Peter Bywaters offers personal English as a second language tuition on a live-in basis at his home in Brighton.
Del Strangefish currently hosts a punk rock radio show with Jimmy Skurvi of the Brighton punk band, Skurvi, on Brighton's Radio Reverb. The shows are also podcasted every week on his podcast page.
In 2017, Peter Bywaters was refused entry and deported from the US, apparently for having imitated Donald Trump the previous year; however, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said that he was deported for having the wrong visa.
Links to Peel[]
Peel discovered the band via the Vaultage 78 - Two Sides Of Brighton various artists compilation album in 1979. He then invited the group to do a session for his show in 1980, where they performed four tracks. However, after 1984, Peel seemed to have lost interest in them.
Sessions[]
PETER & THE TEST TUBE BABIES John Peel 14th October 1980
1. Recorded: 1980-10-14. First Broadcast: 27 October 1980. Repeated: 19 November 1980
- Moped Lads / Beat Up The Mods / Elvis Is Dead / Maniac
Other Shows Played[]
- 1979
- 03 December 1979: Elvis Is Dead (LP - Vaultage 78 - Two Sides Of Brighton) Attrix
- 1980
- 28 October 1980: Intensive Care (v/a LP - Oi! The Album) EMI
- 13 November 1980 (BFBS): Intensive Care (v/a album - Oi! The Album) EMI
- 1982
- 17 January 1982 (BFBS): Banned From The Pubs (7") No Future
- 07 July 1982 (BFBS): Run Like Hell (7") No Future
- 11 July 1982 (BFBS): Run Like Hell (7") No Future
- 1983
- 06 July 1983 (BFBS): Zombie Creeping Flesh (7") Trapper
- 29 October 1983 (BFBS): The Jinx (7") Trapper
- 08 November 1983: Jinx (7") Trapper
- 21 November 1983 (BBC World Service): The Jinx (album - The Mating Sounds Of South American Frogs) Trapper
- 1984
- 11 June 1984: Blown Out Again (Rehashed Mix) (split 12" with Fits - Pressed For Ca$h) Trapper
- 18 June 1984 (BBC World Service): Blown Out Again (Rehashed Mix) (split 12" with Fits - Pressed For Ca$h) Trapper
- 20 June 1984 (BFBS): Blown Out Again (Rehashed Mix) (split 12" with Fits - Pressed For Ca$h) Trapper