“I don't want to send my bandmates home in body bags or have the venue burn down.”
April 1, 2024 | 10:17 AM ET
Butthole Surfers concerts are the stuff of legend – debauchery, excess and physical danger – and that's exactly why these avant-rock legends refuse to reunite.
In a new interview with ParentsHere, original members Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary discuss the current state of the band, which is currently in the midst of a major record reissue campaign.
With the Butthole Surfers LP being reissued for the first time in years, now is the perfect time for the band to return to the stage. But Mr. Haynes and Mr. Leary are hesitant to reopen the doors, given the inherent risks.
“I'm not at my best today because I lost my mind,” admitted Haynes, whose onstage anecdote is well known. “I did too many drugs. I totally screwed up the deal. It's my fault. It's my fault.”
Leary added: “We were really messed up people. We're good people, but we're messed up and we're hurting.”
Leary went on to say that the Buttholes have received substantial offers to reform and ostensibly play festivals, but that even the money hasn't been enough to sway their reluctance.
“I've been getting six-figure offers to play live, but I don't want to do it,” Leary says. “I'm really lucky I'm not in jail and I don't want to push myself any further. I don't want to send my bandmates home in body bags or burn down the venue.”
Since 2011, Butthole Surfers have only played two one-off shows in 2016 and 2017, but it looks like those will be the band's last, at least for now. In stark contrast to her frenetic personality as the Buttholes' frontman, Haynes said she has embraced the comforts of her family life.
“I have a 13-year-old son. He's the light of my life,” Haynes said. “I have a real family, which is great. Little league baseball and middle school basketball? Hey, that's bullshit.”
For more information on the Butthole Surfers vinyl reissue, check out Matador's website