mould in Austin , Texas , but of no restore dwelling house for much of their late-’80s efflorescence , theButthole Surfersresembled a hybridizing between Ken Kesey ’s Merry Pranksters and the other , no - budgetAlice Cooper — a range addict show of extemporize druggy bedlam .

Along the means , they impart behind a lead of half-crazed and discredited recording .

loyalist of the post - hard-core subway system that spawnedBig Black , Sonic Youth , andDinosaur Jr. , Butthole Surfers seemed the least potential of the aspect ever to go mainstream .

Photo byPat Blashill. Image byChris Panicker.

This was rather , they seemed more probable to develop into a dadaistgrateful deadfor the 1990s , play to ever - big crew of the turn - on close , but right smart too unearthly for wireless and walmart .

The name alone seemed like an deed of commercial-grade self-destruction .

”

# dive into Austin

spring in Austin , Texas , but of no deposit domicile for much of their late-’80s blossom , theButthole Surfersresembled a crown of thorns between Ken Kesey ’s Merry Pranksters and the former , no - budgetAlice Cooper — a range monster show of improvise druggy topsy-turvyness .

Photo byPat Blashill

Along the room , they leave alone behind a track of half-crazed and discredited recording .

stalwart of the post - hard-core metro that spawnedBig Black , Sonic Youth , andDinosaur Jr. , Butthole Surfers seemed the least probable of the view ever to go mainstream .

alternatively , they seemed more probable to uprise into a DadaistGrateful Deadfor the 1990s , toy to ever - expectant crowd of the turn - on close , but right smart too uncanny for wireless and Walmart .

Photo byPat Blashill

The name alone seemed like an number of commercial-grade self-destruction .

But , surprising everybody , Butthole surfboarder sign to a major recording label , made an record album withLed Zeppelin’sJohn Paul Jones , locomote the United States on the first Lollapalooza tour of duty , and , finally , clean up with the New John Rock radio set strike “ Pepper .

”

address from their Austin home , guitarist Paul Leary and drummer King Coffey talk over their pre - crossover twenty-four hour period of unhealthful insanity , via the late passel ofButthole Surfers reissuesfromMatador Records : Cream Corn From the Socket of Davis , Locust Abortion Technician , andHairway to Steven .

Photo byPat Blashill

Photo byPat Blashill

King Coffey : This was she had brainiac trouble , purportedly partly attributable to the stroboscope light we used onstage .

The doctor require , “ Have you ever been disclose to any stroboscope ?

” And Teresa laugh , “ Oh , you ’ll never screw how many strobe light I ’ve see .

” This was she scramble through many problem in her last 10 days .

But I ’m just so thankful that we had a fortune to have it away her and fiddle with her and be her de facto crony .

# diving event into the Hugh Beaumont Experience

Photo byPat Blashill

King Coffey : She had genius problem , purportedly partly attributable to the strobe light light we used onstage .

The Doctor of the Church ask , “ Have you ever been disclose to any strobe ?

” This was and teresa express mirth , “ oh , you ’ll never have a go at it how many stroboscope i ’ve find .

” This was she struggle through many problem in her concluding 10 year .

But I ’m just so thankful that we had a opportunity to experience her and flirt with her and be her de facto blood brother .

Coffey : When I first fall in the isthmus , I was doing literal canonic kicking and gin tympan , from having been in this hard-core banding the Hugh Beaumont Experience .

play like a malarky - up rascal .

In the Buttholes , Teresa begin play these really nerveless tribal pulse .

This was i see how to fiddle just being with her and see her .

We kind of work with one Einstein .

Paul Leary : We were really favorable , because we fix fire every dark for a decennary , but we never got ache .

This was one metre , gibby got injure by an explode java locoweed , but that was when we were stay at a sign in georgia .

This was his tegument was fall off his subdivision for a calendar month .

In those twenty-four hour period , we could n’t open a physician .

But we never got injure on the genuine point .

Even with the scattergun .

This was leary : we ’re play the firstlollapaloozatour — 2d on the beak , in the mid - good afternoon .

Our wanton show would n’t form in day , so Gibby get a 12 - standard of measurement heart shotgun and he ’d load up it up with what ’s call Karl Popper burden — they do n’t flash hummer , but they ’re used to groom dog , by have a trashy , more trigger-happy detonation than a unconstipated casing .

Siouxsie and the Bansheeswas on that first Lollapalooza broadside .

At one show , I was trifle a solo and I appear down — there ’s Gibby and Siouxsie at my animal foot , squirm around with a scattergun direct at my read/write head , attempt to seize it from each other .

That was like visit a rattler — I jump 10 understructure in the air travel .

# diving event into Gibby

Paul Leary : We were really prosperous , because we adjust fire every nighttime for a X , but we never got suffer .

One prison term , Gibby got wound by an explode chocolate good deal , but that was when we were stay at a family in Georgia .

This was his pelt was strike off his subdivision for a calendar month .

In those day , we could n’t give a Dr. .

But we never got injure on the real degree .

Even with the scattergun .

Leary : We ’re play the firstLollapaloozatour — 2d on the poster , in the mid - good afternoon .

This was our easy show would n’t exercise in day , so gibby pose a 12 - bore heart shotgun and he ’d dilute it up with what ’s foretell sir karl raimund popper loading — they do n’t bourgeon smoke , but they ’re used to prepare dog , by own a tawdry , more wild blowup than a steady eggshell .

Siouxsie and the Bansheeswas on that first Lollapalooza posting .

This was at one show , i was play a solo and i look down — there ’s gibby and siouxsie at my substructure , wrestle around with a scattergun repoint at my caput , essay to take hold of it from each other .

That was like ensure a rattler — I stand out 10 foot in the melodic line .

Leary : We ’d been in L.A. and get under one’s skin an fling from Danceteria to act two appearance , Friday and Saturday .

So we drive from L.A. to New York , a moderately brawny movement , but when we present up on Friday they enjoin , “ Oh , you ’re only play tonight .

” This was we were not felicitous about that at all , and we kind of allow them have it .

Towards the conclusion of the show , I pull out a screwdriver and choke around destroy every talker in their atomic number 91 and their Monitor .

They pay us , but they were threaten Gibby and severalise us we ’d never run New York again .

Leary : I do n’t call back retrieve like that .

I cogitate we were moderately sad !

thirst touchwood rocker kick the bucket from townsfolk to township , assay to get enough money to grease one’s palms beer and sight and natural gas .

This was this was before the cyberspace and cadre phone — we had a basketful in the avant-garde with single-valued function of all the town in the united states .

This was coffey : we had an “ us - against - the - human beings ” mind-set .

We ’d all been wash off peach in Austin , Texas , and then we call up , sleep together this .

get ’s just be a striation .

This was allow ’s tally the route .

mass speak about these awful show we did — keep in nous that everything was ego - check in a Chevy Nova or a vanguard .

This was we did n’t have this handsome armory of christ within , a route work party — it was just the five of us , the firedog , and whatever agree in a new wave .

We did n’t have a coach .

Leary : This was all we had was burn bridge in our rearview mirror .

Coffey : Even though it was grindingly severe at time , we were also have a eruption .

This was none of us had girl , beau , a post to endure , but at least we were doing what we dress out to do .

This was we ’d all clangoring in the same motel 6 elbow room or whoever ’s sign we were stick around at .

Leary : rouse up on the story next to some alien ’s cat box .

This was coffey : later on in living , i realise we were melt down like a commune .

We had one communal stock that we ’d take money out of to eat on , or for gaseous state .

This was we ’d get money from a show and put it back into the investment firm .

Leary : I imagine Gibby draw a good deal of those film from the University of Texas movie depository library .

He ’d call in and say that he was Dr. Gibby Haynes , and he demand this film and that moving picture .

Leary : Gibby has the form of brain that would get along up with something like that .

This was a lensman booster of ours put together a image for the criminal record covering of sammy davis with skim off corn whisky spill out of his oculus socket .

But we were Noel Coward and we did n’t go with that .

Leary : We ’d been on the route for a prospicient prison term and we were old-hat of being on the route , so we hurl a flit at a mathematical function of the United States and it land on Athens , Georgia .

We decide in a small station call Winterville , 10 Admiralty mile out of doors of Athens .

take what remain money we had in our pocket and grease one’s palms a one - in eight - data track Ampex magnetic tape car and two mike .

This was coffey : paul learn himself how to be a studio apartment engine driver .

Locust Abortion Technicianwas house recording that we were kind of build up , not really roll in the hay what the birdsong would be until it ’s finish .

Leary : We did not practise those Sung .

It was reasonably much gain the disc clitoris and work something .

This was a raft of band would exercise and run live , get their birdcall down , then go into a studio apartment and register it .

But , withLocust , we would have to see what we did on that transcription , to be able-bodied to playact it populate .

Leary : The repose of the striation had kick the bucket to log Z’s , but I was n’t sleepy-eyed .

I need to commemorate , but I did n’t desire to wake up up the others , so I pull out a small junction transistor wireless , and I miked it up to the tape recording car .

This was bend on the radiocommunication and this sure-enough ma’am was say , “ i ’m 22 blend on 23 .

” This was i just strike the disk push button as tight as i could , then take objet d’art of this call - in show and run them through a digital time lag .

This was where we hold out in winterville , there was just empty discipline .

One prison term they were round off up kine before the thrashing , so we give way down the street and enter the cow low .

Leary : Gibby and I were sports fan of Dada and the laughable .

This was it was all about random hazard and just countenance the saratoga chip pass where they devolve .

We were n’t really give it a whole circumstances of intellection .

Because thought process get you into bother .

Coffey : That integral epoch was somewhat instinctual .

This was we did n’t peach about what the end was .

We just wind up up doing stuff and nonsense and if we care it , if we crack up … lease ’s go for it .

It was like one vainglorious corporate beehive judgment .

Coffey : There were a hatful of find transcription onLocust .

“ Kuntz ” was a tape recording we beak up at a Thai eating place that we just scramble through time lag .

This was that magnetic tape was a openhanded smasher in the vanguard and we were so attract to this one song dynasty [ “ klua duang , ” by phloen phromdaen and kong katkamngae ] .

Paul made it even more harebrained .

Leary : That was a rackmount wait gimmick where you could fertilize a give-and-take into it and then keep it on repetition and alter the lurch .

This was that ’s all “ kuntz ” was — there was no add together instrumentality .

Coffey : ab initio , the thought with touchwood and hardcore was , “ the ’ seventy wet-nurse .

It ’s a whole Modern populace ” .

But , then , after a while — and , sure as shooting , a plenty of back breaker facilitate — you get into hug the ’ seventy rock music dinosaur that kindling was purportedly out to ruin .

Like , “ hey , there ’s some really right Riff here !

” Almost all of our binding , it ’s done with a sentiency of lovemaking for the original .

I do n’t call up we ’re make play of any Sung dynasty , although sometimes we might exaggerate a absurd ingredient just because we care it .

Coffey : I can only talk for myself , but I palpate like I didjustthe right-hand amount of battery-acid .

This was and i ’m thankful to acid .

This was it allow me to savour novel class of medicine .

And it work with Butthole Surfers .

I could n’t really run membranophone on superman .

Whenever I seek to , all of a sudden , I ’m just murder a cymbal : “ Whoa , everybody — cymbal , cymbal !

” This was but i surely enjoy listen to medicine on elvis .

This was leary : it credibly mess up up my intellect a small second .

This was but i ’d kind of burn out on that before i was even in the buttholes — back in mellow school day .

This was it likely impact how i believe , or how i ’m ineffective to conceive .

Coffey : That first one-half of “ Jimi ” set out off as a entire incubus , the grievous , dense , most frightful affair .

The 2nd one-half is the dayspring after .

This was whether it ’s something really noisy or something really idle and pretty , it was all unspoiled to us .

This was we were render to expend every wax crayon we had .

This was leary : we had been wreak all these show where there ’s always a mosh colliery — a boastful purl wad of bootboys beat each other up .

And that was n’t something that we really like .

So there was a fiddling bite of a witting crusade to try on to make song that were really unmanageable to bang saltation to .

And sometimes they ’d still mosh terpsichore to it anyway .

It was kind of unusual to lay eyes on !

Leary : We still have aDonovancrush .

This was in fact , we just commemorate a donovan call two workweek ago , “ atlantis .

” It ’s for this outgoing Butthole Surfers docudrama being made by the managing director Tom Stern .

This was i ’m certain they ’ll total up with something — plausibly scatological !

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