In the mid-1980s, few bands were as loved, despised, and misunderstood as the Butthole Surfers. The impulse to tread in unexplored borderlands of noise, studio blathery, live excess, indulgent nonsensicalness, and the urge to reconnoiter unheard sonics were all taken to heart by a nutty duo of Texans whose dulcet appellation was originally one of their song titles. Paul Leary (guitar) had ambitions of getting an MBA at San Antonio's Trinity University, which is where he met accounting student Gibson "Gibby" Haynes (singer/guitar). They jointly published a zine, Strange VD, that combined humor with explicit photos showing the effects of strange diseases. Naturally, they decided to form a band. From there, the Surfers' history is convoluted, colorful, and way too long to tell outside an encyclopedia of the morbidly bizarre or a psychedelic docudrama on alien sexuality.
This story is from the December 2024 edition of Stereophile.
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This story is from the December 2024 edition of Stereophile.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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