They say everyone has a price to pay, but even a six-figure sum isn't enough to reunite the Butthole Surfers for a live performance.
Bandmates Gibby Haynes, Paul Leary and King Coffey have all made similar admissions in recent interviews. guardiandives into the early history of the influential Texas band's highly chaotic, “traveling freakshow-like” live gigs.
These include creating “percussion fireballs” by dropping lighter fluid on cymbals, “a wall of airport-grade strobe lights,” naked dancers, and showing accompanying footage of “dissections, explosions, and penis reconstruction surgery.” was included.
Haynes said. guardian“We didn't perform at our best today, and that's because I lost. I took too many drugs. I completely ruined the deal. It's my fault. It's my fault. “Yo.” Leary added, “We were really messed up people. We're good people, but we're messed up. We're damaged.”
Despite this condition, Leary told the magazine that the band “continues to receive six-figure offers to perform live.” But he says, “I just don't want to do that. I'm really lucky not to go to jail, but I don't want to put them through any more. I don't want to send my bandmates home.'' Body bags? The venue will burn down. ”
As for Haynes, he said: guardian He revealed that his life outside of music includes his 13-year-old son, “who is the light of my life,” adding, “I have a real family and that's great. Little League Baseball. And middle school basketball? Hey, that’s bullshit.”
“It's much better to be undervalued than overvalued,” Haynes said. guardian In reflection: “And I can say this: Butthole Surfers are not overrated.”
“I hope to be misunderstood,” Coffey says. “When you have to justify your art, you're belittling it. So if people have their own impressions of what we were or weren't doing, it's a shame. Someone once said that our music is a cover for us to manufacture and distribute LSD all over the country. [adopts sarcastic voice]”Well, yes, there were all sorts of complicated ways to do that. But rather than explaining the influence of Yves Klein in our music, we want to encourage it.”
Butthole Surfers drummer Teresa Nervosa passed away last June.
