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{{Short description|American rock band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2014}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| image             = Butthole Surfers.jpg
| landscape         = yes
| caption           = Butthole Surfers performing at the [[The Fillmore|Fillmore]] in San Francisco in 2009
| genre             = {{hlist|[[Noise rock]]|[[experimental rock]]|[[alternative rock]]|[[psychedelic rock]]|[[art punk]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=White |first1=Peter |title=The Butthole Surfers Documentary In The Works From Director Tom Stern |url=https://deadline.com/2021/12/the-butthole-surfers-documentary-director-tom-stern-1234889091/ |website=Deadline |access-date=4 January 2024 |date=10 December 2021}}</ref>}}
| origin            = [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], U.S.
| years_active      = 1981–present 
| label             = {{hlist|[[Alternative Tentacles]]|[[Touch and Go Records|Touch and Go]]|[[Blast First]]|[[Au Go Go Records|Au Go Go]]|[[Latino Buggerveil]]|[[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]|[[Capitol Records|Capitol]]|[[Trance Syndicate]]|[[Surfdog Records|Surfdog]]|[[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]]}}
| current_members   = {{plainlist|
* [[Gibby Haynes]]
* [[Paul Leary]]
* [[King Coffey]]
* [[Jeff Pinkus]]
}}
| past_members      = see [[#Members|members section]]
}}

'''Butthole Surfers''' are an American [[rock music|rock]] band formed in [[San Antonio|San Antonio, Texas]], by singer [[Gibby Haynes]] and guitarist [[Paul Leary]] in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer [[King Coffey]] remained consistent since 1983. [[Teresa Taylor|Teresa Nervosa]] served as second drummer, playing alongside Coffey from 1983 to 1985, 1986 to 1989, and 2009. The band had also employed a variety of bass players, most notably [[Jeff Pinkus]].<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 289.</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Lieck, "Reissuing the Butthole Surfers: Tongue-in-Cheek Terror", Austin Chronicle vol. 18 No.&nbsp;52.</ref>

Emerging from the 1980s [[hardcore punk]] scene, Butthole Surfers quickly became known for their chaotic live shows, [[black comedy]], and a sound that incorporated elements of [[psychedelic music|psychedelia]], [[noise rock]], and [[punk rock|punk]] as well as their use of sound manipulation and tape editing.<ref name="autogenerated1">Young, "Butthole Surfers biography", RollingStone.com.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://therumpus.net/2009/03/how-did-it-comes-to-this/|title=How Did It Come to This?|last1=Yates Wuelfing|first1=Amy|date=March 5, 2009|publisher=The Rumpus|access-date=December 18, 2010}}</ref>

Although they were respected by their peers and attracted a devoted fanbase, Butthole Surfers had little commercial success until 1996's ''[[Electriclarryland]]''.<ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 274–311">Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 274–311.</ref><ref name="ReferenceB">Gold & Platinum Record Database, RIAA.</ref> The album contained the hit single "[[Pepper (song)|Pepper]]", which climbed to number one on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'}}s [[Modern Rock Tracks]] chart that year.<ref name="autogenerated2">Charts & awards – Billboard singles, ''Allmusic''.</ref>

== History ==

=== Formation (1976–1981) ===
Butthole Surfers formed at [[Trinity University (Texas)|Trinity University]] in [[San Antonio|San Antonio, Texas]] during the late 1970s, when students [[Gibby Haynes|Gibson "Gibby" Haynes]] and [[Paul Leary|Paul Leary Walthall]] (later just Paul Leary) met for the first time. Though it was their shared taste in non-mainstream music that caused them to become friends, both appeared to be headed for very conventional careers. Haynes, as captain of Trinity's basketball team, as well as the school's "[[Accountant]] of the Year", soon graduated to a position with a respected Texas accounting firm, while Leary remained in school working on his [[Master of Business Administration|MBA]] degree.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 276.</ref>

In 1981, Haynes and Leary published the [[magazine]] ''Strange V.D.'', which featured photos of abnormal medical ailments, coupled with fictitious, humorous explanations for the diseases.<ref name=spin>Morthland & Patoski, "Feeding the Fish: An Oral History of the Butthole Surfers", ''SPIN''.</ref> After being caught with one of these pictures at work, Haynes left the accounting firm and moved to Southern California. Leary, at the time one semester shy of his degree, dropped out of college and followed Haynes. After a brief period spent selling homemade clothes and linens emblazoned with [[Lee Harvey Oswald]]'s image, the pair returned to San Antonio, and launched the band that would eventually become Butthole Surfers.<ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 277">Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 277.</ref>

=== Early years (1981–1984) ===
Haynes and Leary played their debut show at a San Antonio night club, The Bonham Exchange, in 1981; at that time, they had not yet settled on the band name "Butthole Surfers". By 1982, the band was backed by the sibling rhythm section composed of bassist Quinn Mathews and his brother, drummer Scott Mathews. The band did not gain a following in San Antonio, and purchased a van to return to California later that summer.<ref name=spin/><ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 277"/>

During a brief concert at the [[Valencia Tool & Die|Tool and Die club]] in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]], [[Dead Kennedys]] frontman and [[Alternative Tentacles]] overseer  [[Jello Biafra]] witnessed their performance and became a fervent fan.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 277–278.</ref> Biafra invited the group to open for Dead Kennedys and [[T.S.O.L.]] at the [[Whisky a Go Go]] in [[Los Angeles]], and soon made an offer that would launch their recording career; if they could get someone to lend them [[recording studio|studio]] time, Alternative Tentacles would reimburse the studio when the album was complete. The band then returned to San Antonio to record at BOSS Studios (a.k.a. Bob O'Neill's Sound Studios, a.k.a. the Boss).<ref name=spin/> However, the Mathews brothers did not enter the studio with Haynes and Leary; the two had quit following a physical altercation between Scott Mathews and Haynes. The bass position was taken over by Bill Jolly, who would play on Butthole Surfers' next two releases, and a number of drummers participated. The last of these, [[King Coffey]] (born Jeffrey Coffey), is still with the band to this day.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 278.</ref>

Released on Alternative Tentacles in July 1983, the resulting EP, ''[[Butthole Surfers (EP)|Butthole Surfers]]'' (also known as ''Brown Reason to Live'' and ''Pee Pee the Sailor''), offered songs with provocatively absurd titles like "The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave" and "Bar-B-Q Pope", alternately sung by Haynes and Leary. (Haynes would become the band's primary singer by the time of their first [[LP album|LP]].) The album cover, like the many bizarre illustrations that would accompany Surfers' succeeding work, was designed by the band itself.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', pp. 275, 288, 294.</ref> Teeming with humor, ''Butthole Surfers'' laid the foundation for what was to come.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> It influenced at least one future superstar in [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] frontman [[Kurt Cobain]], who listed it as one of his ten favorite albums in his ''[[Journals (Cobain)|Journals]]''.<ref>Cobain, ''Journals''.</ref> Cobain later went on to list the album ''Pee Pee the Sailor'' by Butthole Surfers as one of the fifty most influential albums for Nirvana's sound.<ref name="joyfulnoiserecordings.com">{{cite web|title=Top 50 by Nirvana |url=http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/journal/top-50-by-nirvana/ |access-date=May 15, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018034220/http://www.joyfulnoiserecordings.com/journal/top-50-by-nirvana/ |archive-date=October 18, 2014 }}</ref> Cobain would later meet his wife, [[Courtney Love]] of [[Hole (band)|Hole]], at a Butthole Surfers/[[L7 (band)|L7]] concert in 1991.<ref>Kelly, "Kurt and Courtney Sitting in a Tree", ''Sassy''.</ref>

Soon after the release of ''Butthole Surfers'', the band recruited a second drummer, [[Teresa Taylor|Teresa Nervosa]] (born Teresa Taylor), who had played with Coffey in a number of [[high school]] [[marching band]]s in the Texas' [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]] and [[Austin, Texas|Austin]] areas.<ref name="ReferenceC">Leland & Robbins, "Butthole Surfers biography", ''Trouser Press''.</ref><ref>Interview, ''Flipside'' No.&nbsp;46.</ref> She and Coffey would [[double drumming|drum in unison]] on separate, stand-up kits, adding to the spectacle of Surfers' ever-evolving stage show. Though Nervosa and Coffey repeatedly referred to themselves, and were referred to, as siblings, it has since been revealed that the two only presented themselves as such due to their similar appearances, and are not actually related.<ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref>Interview, ''Flipside'' No.&nbsp;46</ref><ref name=autogenerated11>Interview (King Coffey), SonicNet.com.</ref><ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 280.</ref> With her arrival, the band's core "classic lineup"—Haynes, Leary, Coffey, and Nervosa—was in place. With the exception of a number of different bass players and Nervosa's brief sabbatical from late 1985 to 1986, it remained largely unchanged until her final departure in 1989.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 280–309.</ref> In 2008, she returned to the band—their website announced 2009 tour dates including "Teresa Taylor".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buttholesurfers.com/tourdates.html|title=Butthole Surfers Summer '08 Tour Dates|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080701024858/http://www.buttholesurfers.com/tourdates.html|archive-date=2008-07-01|access-date=2018-07-23}}</ref>

In 1984, the band returned to BOSS Studios to record enough material for two full-length albums. Both were originally offered to Alternative Tentacles, with the first being ''[[Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac]]''.<ref name=autogenerated10>Interview, ''Forced Exposure'' No.&nbsp;11.</ref> Before either album could be released, though, Alternative Tentacles had to acquire the [[multitrack recording|master tapes]] from Bob O'Neill, BOSS Studios' namesake and owner. He refused to release them until he'd been reimbursed for the sessions, and Alternative Tentacles couldn't immediately afford to pay. After months of waiting, the band issued the concert recording ''[[Live PCPPEP]]'' on Alternative Tentacles out of financial desperation in September 1984. Mostly made up of live performances of songs from their debut, it prompted some critics and fans to joke that they had released the same album twice.<ref name="autogenerated1"/> Meanwhile, Bob O'Neill was preparing to release ''Psychic...'' on his own Ward 9 label to recoup his expenses.<ref>Paytress, "The Butthole Surfers: Mark Paytress Unravels the Career of the Cult American Band", ''Record Collector'' No.&nbsp;114.</ref>

=== Legend grows (1984–1987) ===

With some members working as dishwashers, the group was unhappy about the album being released on Ward 9. [[Terry Tolkin]], a friend and their East Coast booking agent, signed the band to Corey Rusk's then-nascent [[Touch and Go Records]] in Detroit. ''Psychic...Powerless...Another Man's Sac'' was released in 1984.<ref name="autogenerated10"/><ref>''The Baffler'', Volume 4.</ref><ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 292">Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 292.</ref> Building on their first EP, the band made psychedelia a much bigger part of their sound on this release, which made full use of the tape editing, non-traditional instrumentation, and sound modulation that came to define their studio recordings.<ref name="autogenerated1"/>

Just before the release of ''Psychic...'', and with new bassist Terence Smart in tow (the first of many through 1986), the band commenced their first nationwide tour. It was on this outing that they truly established a national presence, starting at Touch and Go's early headquarters in Detroit before heading to New York City, where they impressed members of [[Sonic Youth]], as well as [[Shockabilly]] member (and future Butthole Surfers bassist) [[Kramer (musician)|Kramer]]. They then crisscrossed the country for several months, including a show in Seattle, that made a fan of future [[Soundgarden]] guitarist [[Kim Thayil]]. While in San Francisco at the end of the tour, and without a place to live, the band collectively decided to move to Winterville (a small town outside Athens, Georgia), where they admittedly made a hobby of stalking members of [[R.E.M.]] They purportedly planned to leave a van parked in front of [[Michael Stipe]]'s house, with "Michael Stipe/Despite the Hype/I Still Wanna Suck/Your Big Long Pipe" painted on the side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=20768&bookmarkedmessageid=83|title=Songs about other musicians|date=September 11–18, 2003|publisher=ilXor.com|access-date=December 18, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Heller|first1=Phyllis|date=June 1986|title=This Butt's for You: Interview by Phyllis Heller|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|volume=2|issue=3|page=82|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rOtx9nPM4ncC&pg=PA82|issn=0886-3032|access-date=December 18, 2010}}</ref> Smart quit after falling in love with a friend of the band, and Trevor Malcolm, a young Canadian musician recommended by Touch and Go, replaced him on bass.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 291–292.</ref>

Word was spreading about the band's bizarre stage show by the time they hit the road again, resulting in ever-larger audiences at their concerts.<ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 292"/> Not long after Malcolm's arrival, the band recorded their act for posterity by filming two concerts at Detroit's Traxx club. Some of this footage was eventually packaged as ''[[Blind Eye Sees All]]'', their only official video release to date. They purchased their first 8-track recorder at this time, and used it to record two songs later used on the A-side of ''[[Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis]]''.<ref name=autogenerated10 />

Reportedly unhappy with life in the band, Malcolm quit in mid-1985.<ref name=autogenerated9>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 295.</ref> A friend of the band's from Athens, Juan Molina, was brought in for a brief U.S. tour, but was not interested in becoming a full-time member.<ref name=autogenerated10 /> Without a permanent bassist and a quickly approaching European tour looming—the band's first—they contacted [[Kramer (musician)|Kramer]], who quickly agreed to join.<ref name=autogenerated9 /> Meanwhile, their second LP, which had been submitted to Alternative Tentacles as ''Rembrandt Pussy Horse'', was still in limbo. The reasons for Alternative Tentacles' actions are unclear, but it is known that the label delayed a decision for about a year before ultimately refusing to publish it.<ref name=autogenerated8>Paytress, ''Record Collector'' No.&nbsp;114.</ref> While waiting, the band released the four-song ''Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis'' EP on Touch and Go in late 1985. Once Alternative Tentacles finally declined, the group went back into Kramer's Noise New York studio to record two new tracks to replace "To Parter" and "Tornadoes", which were originally intended for ''Rembrandt...'' before appearing on the ''Cream Corn...'' EP's B-side.<ref name=autogenerated10 />

Following the European tour, Butthole Surfers experienced more upheaval when Nervosa left around Christmas 1985, as she was tired of the living conditions associated with constant touring and had a desire to be with family.<ref>Interview, ''Tripping Yarns'' No.&nbsp;2, interview conducted 1987.</ref> She was replaced by another female drummer, Kytha Gernatt, who was dubbed Cabbage Gomez Jr. in the press soon after joining the band.<ref>Interview with Haynes, SPIN Magazine, June 1986</ref> Cabbage had previously performed with Kathleen Lynch (a.k.a. Kathleen, a.k.a. Ta-Da the Shit Lady) in the band Easturn Stars; Lynch gained fame as Butthole Surfers' infamous naked dancer from 1986 to 1989. Kramer also left during this period and was replaced by [[Jeff Pinkus]], who gave the band's bass position its longest period of stability by staying until 1994.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 299.</ref>

Their second LP was finally issued as ''[[Rembrandt Pussyhorse]]'' on Touch and Go in April 1986. Coming out some two years after the original sessions, it featured a different mix and song selection than Alternative Tentacles' unreleased version.<ref name=autogenerated8 /> Best known for its minimalist reworking of [[The Guess Who]]'s "[[American Woman (song)|American Woman]]", it is one of the most experimental albums in Butthole Surfers' heavily experimental career.<ref name="ReferenceC"/> Following a particularly out-of-control tour, even by Butthole Surfers' standards, the band semi-settled in [[Winterville, Georgia|Winterville]] in the summer of 1986. Nervosa rejoined them (Cabbage having been fired months earlier), and they went to work on crafting their first home studio in a rental house on the outskirts of [[Athens, Georgia|Athens]]. Before long, they started a leisurely recording session for their third full-length project.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 303.</ref> Released in March 1987, ''[[Locust Abortion Technician]]'' is one of the heaviest Butthole Surfers albums, and it is often considered their finest to date.<ref>''Locust Abortion Technician'' review, ''Allmusic''.</ref> Harnessing aspects of punk, heavy metal, and psychedelia, its unique sound produced a number of grinding, slower-paced songs, arguably making it an early precursor of [[grunge]].<ref name="ReferenceC"/>

=== Evolution (1987–1991) ===
[[File:Ric wallace Lollapalooza.jpg|upright=1.25|thumb|Butthole Surfers at [[Lollapalooza]] 1991]]
Around the time of ''Locust Abortion Technician'''s debut, the group bought a home in [[Driftwood, Texas]], approximately {{convert|30|mi|km}} outside Austin. It was a ranch house built into the side of a hill, with {{convert|5|acre|m2}} of surrounding property. As with the rental home near Athens, the compound was turned into a ''de facto'' recording studio. They did not live together in the new house for long, though, with Coffey being the first to move out and get his own place. They all had separate residences by 1991.<ref name=spin/>

In early 1988, Butthole Surfers were ready to record a new album and wanted to use a modern studio for the first time, choosing a state-of-the-art facility in Texas. The following sessions took only one week, as the band had been performing most of the material for years.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 306.</ref> The band opted to follow this album's blueprint on future projects. In contrast, songs on their earlier recordings had undergone far more in-studio development and experimentation. Pinkus has expressed the opinion that the later, better-organized sessions stifled much of the spontaneous creativity that had propelled their earlier releases.<ref name="autogenerated3">Lieck, "Reissuing the Butthole Surfers: Tongue-in-Cheek Terror", ''Austin Chronicle''.</ref>

''[[Hairway to Steven]]'' was issued in April and marked a midway point between the band's experimental roots and the more accessible recordings that would follow. While half of the material is as extreme sounding as their earlier work, other songs are more conventional. This was the first Butthole Surfers album to make extensive use of acoustic guitar. ''Hairway to Steven'' did not have song titles when first released and instead represented each track with an absurdist, often [[scatological]], cartoon.<ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref name="autogenerated3"/> The band traveled widely in support of the album over the next year, including a very successful tour of Europe (helped in part by the influence of new UK distributor [[Blast First]]). Like their studio recordings, their live shows were beginning to lose much of their earlier chaos.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 307–308.</ref>

While touring during the winter of 1988, Butthole Surfers used a portable [[Digital Audio Tape|DAT]] recorder to tape various concerts. The strongest of these recordings were packaged as ''[[Double Live (Butthole Surfers album)|Double Live]]'', a limited edition double album released on vinyl and cassette in 1989, and on CD the following year. This was the first release on the band's [[Latino Buggerveil]] label. Although the album, as of spring 2007, is out of print, its songs are available as free [[MP3]] downloads on the band's official website. Issued in response to widespread, for-profit [[Music piracy|bootlegging]] of their live shows, it contained performances of songs from all of their previous studio albums and EPs.<ref>''Double Live'' MP3 download page, Butthole Surfers.com.</ref>

''Double Live'' was to be the last Butthole Surfers album to feature Nervosa, who left early in 1989. Shortly after leaving, she was diagnosed with an aneurysm, and was forced to undergo brain surgery. She further began to suffer from strobe light-induced seizures.<ref name=spin/> In 1991, Nervosa (who has gone by Teresa Taylor since her retirement) had a small role in [[Richard Linklater]]'s film ''[[Slacker (movie)|Slacker]]''. She was employed at the [[Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired]] as recently as 1995.<ref name=autogenerated11 /><ref>''Slacker'' page, IMDb.</ref>

Butthole Surfers did not seek to replace her at the time, and opted to continue as a quartet. Following a final EP for Touch and Go—1989's ''[[Widowermaker]]''—the band left their longtime recording partners to sign with longtime supporter [[Terry Tolkin]] at [[Rough Trade Records]] who had also brought them to [[Touch and Go Records|Touch and Go]], for a reportedly generous one-album deal.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 309.</ref> Prior to the new LP's debut, Rough Trade talked the band into first releasing 1990's ''[[The Hurdy Gurdy Man (EP)|The Hurdy Gurdy Man]]'', which previewed material from the coming release. The same year, Rough Trade issued ''[[Digital Dump]]'' by [[The Jackofficers]], Haynes and Pinkus's psychedelic [[house music]] side project.<ref>Orr, "Journey to the Sphincter of Your Mind or... Cowabunghole", ''Reflex Magazine''.</ref>

''[[piouhgd]]'' (pronounced "p.o.-ed", as in "pissed off") was the band's fifth full-length studio album, and their first for Rough Trade. Released in April 1991, it featured more electronic instrumentation, but was largely viewed as a disappointment in comparison to past recordings. Both Haynes and Leary have since expressed displeasure with the album.<ref name="autogenerated1"/><ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref>Nunez, "The Hole Truth... and Nothing Butt", ''Fiz Magazine''.</ref> Regardless, the band was invited to be part of that summer's inaugural [[Lollapalooza]] tour.<ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 311">Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 311.</ref> Around this time, Haynes collaborated with [[Ministry (band)|Ministry]], contributing vocals on their 1991 single "[[Jesus Built My Hotrod]]", which was later included on 1992's ''[[Psalm 69: The Way to Succeed and the Way to Suck Eggs]]''.

=== Mainstream recognition (1991–1999) ===
Rough Trade filed for bankruptcy in 1991, but not before releasing Leary's solo project, ''The History of Dogs''. The following year, Butthole Surfers shocked many fans and critics by signing with the major label [[Capitol Records]].<ref name="ReferenceC"/><ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 311"/> In 2017, Paul Leary reflected: "I grew up listening to [[The Beatles]] and [[Grand Funk Railroad]] and [[Dean Martin]], and the thought of being on the same record label that they were on was too fucking weird, really weird. A lot of people gave us grief for doing that, but fuck: I wasn't going to turn that down."<ref name="thequietus.com">{{cite web|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/22036-butthole-surfers-locust-abortion-technician-paul-leary-interview|title=The Quietus - Features - Anniversary - The Day Of The Locust: Paul Leary Of The Butthole Surfers Interviewed|website=thequietus.com|date=March 20, 2017 |access-date=September 20, 2018}}</ref>

Capitol immediately reissued ''piouhgd'' and paired the band with their first big-name producer, [[John Paul Jones (musician)|John Paul Jones]], best known as the bassist for [[Led Zeppelin]].<ref name="ReferenceC"/> The fruit of their partnership, 1993's ''[[Independent Worm Saloon]]'', featured a more straightforward rock approach at Jones's insistence.<ref>Cohen, "In Through the Back Door: The Butthole Surfers are the certified shock jocks of the next wave", ''Rolling Stone''.</ref> This paid off for Butthole Surfers, giving them their first minor radio hit, "[[Who Was in My Room Last Night?]]". It reached number 24 on ''[[Billboard Magazine|Billboard]]'''s Modern Rock Tracks singles chart, while the album peaked at number 124 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref name="autogenerated2"/><ref name="autogenerated4">Charts & awards – Billboard albums, ''Allmusic''.</ref> Two of the new songs were featured on episodes of [[MTV]]'s ''[[Beavis and Butt-head]]''.<ref name=autogenerated7>Butthole Surfers page, IMDb.</ref> Guitarist and huge influence on Butthole Surfers, [[Helios Creed]] played guitar on two of the songs from the record, "The Annoying Song" and "Clean It Up".

When Pinkus left in 1994,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> the remaining members enlisted a series of fill-in musicians, and continued to tour sporadically, even as all three pursued side projects. Haynes was working with [[Johnny Depp]], [[Bill Carter]], [[Sal Jenco]], [[Flea (musician)|Flea]], and others in a new group, [[P (group)|P]]. In 1993, Haynes played with this band in Los Angeles' [[Viper Room]], on the night the actor [[River Phoenix]] died of a drug overdose.<ref name=spin/> Meanwhile, Leary was building a reputation as a skilled music producer, while Coffey set up his own record label [[Trance Syndicate]].<ref name="autogenerated5">Lieck, "Reissuing the Butthole Surfers: Tongue-in-Cheek Terror", ''Austin Chronicle'' vol. 18 No.&nbsp;52.</ref> According to Leary and industry insiders, Haynes was increasingly dependent on hard drugs at this time, although Haynes has downplayed their concerns.<ref name=spin/>

In 1995, the band contributed a cover of the ''[[Underdog (TV series)|Underdog]]'' theme song to be included on the [[tribute album]] ''[[Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits]]'', produced by [[Ralph Sall]] for [[Music Corporation of America|MCA]].<ref>Track listing & liner notes, ''Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits'' (album), 1995.</ref> Later that year, Haynes's side project, P, issued an eponymous LP on Capitol, while Coffey's Trance Syndicate label released the first Butthole Surfers compilation album.<ref>''P'', 1995.</ref><ref>''The Hole Truth... and Nothing Butt'' (album), 1995.</ref> Titled ''[[The Hole Truth... and Nothing Butt]]'', it was mostly live tracks recorded at different venues from 1985 to 1991.<ref>Liner notes, ''The Hole Truth... and Nothing Butt'' (album), 1995.</ref> In December, Butthole Surfers initiated what would become an extended legal battle with Touch and Go. At first, they were seeking to increase their profits from the albums released by the label, because the label chose a strategy of non-promotion. The case quickly became a fight for all ownership rights that dragged on for more than three years.

In 1996, Capitol released Butthole Surfers' ''[[Electriclarryland]]'', which climbed to number 31 on the ''Billboard'' 200; the single "[[Pepper (song)|Pepper]]" topped the ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref name="ReferenceB"/><ref name="autogenerated2"/><ref>Charts & awards – Billboard albums, ''Allmusic''</ref> Their songs started appearing on the soundtracks of major Hollywood movies, including [[Baz Luhrmann]]'s ''[[Romeo and Juliet (1996 movie)|Romeo + Juliet]]'' and [[John Carpenter]]'s ''[[Escape from L.A.]]''<ref name=autogenerated7 /> Despite improved sales with their second Capitol album, the group's relationship with the label was increasingly troubled. A planned 1998 project, ''After the Astronaut'', was scrapped and Butthole Surfers acrimoniously split with their manager, Tom Bunch.<ref name="autogenerated6">Young, "Butthole Surfers Resurface: Austin Iconoclasts Exit Legal Morass, Sign to Surfdog/Hollywood", ''Billboard Magazine''.</ref> In 1999, Butthole Surfers won their lawsuit against Touch and Go.<ref name="autogenerated6"/> Despite the outcome, several of Butthole Surfers' peers in the alternative music community, including [[Fugazi]] and [[Minor Threat]] lead singer [[Ian MacKaye]], criticized them for having pursued the lawsuit. Haynes and others said they wouldn't have initiated the proceedings if they felt Rusk's dealings had been honorable. Rusk provided the band with indecipherable accounting statements. Rusk continued to insist his actions were honest even though the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit found otherwise.<ref name="autogenerated5"/> With the case resolved, the band reissued ''Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac'', ''Rembrandt Pussyhorse'' (with the ''Cream Corn...'' EP), ''Locust Abortion Technician'', and ''Hairway to Steven'' on their Latino Buggerveil label.<ref name="autogenerated5"/>

=== Recent years (2000–present) ===
[[File:Wyd wydarzenie img 18506.18510.jpg|thumb|left|Butthole Surfers performing in Poland in 2009]]
In 2000, the band hired Nathan Calhoun as bassist. Having resolved their dispute with Capitol, Butthole Surfers re-recorded most of ''After the Astronaut'''s songs for ''[[Weird Revolution]]'', on the [[Hollywood Records]]/[[Surfdog Records]] imprint. The album was released in August 2001, and reached number 130 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It was their most electronic album to date and had a hip hop sound.<ref name="autogenerated4"/><ref>Kennedy, ''Weird Revolution'' review, ''Allmusic''.</ref> The single "The Shame of Life" peaked at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks chart.<ref name="autogenerated2"/>

Since then, the group has released two compilations on Latino Buggerveil: 2002's ''[[Humpty Dumpty LSD]]'' is a compilation of studio outtakes, while 2003's ''[[Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP]]'', combines their first two Alternative Tentacles EPs.<ref>Track listing & liner notes, ''Humpty Dumpty LSD'' (album), 2002.</ref><ref>Track listing & liner notes, ''Butthole Surfers/Live PCPPEP'' (album), 2003.</ref> In 2004, Haynes formed Gibby Haynes and His Problem, who released an eponymous album on Surfdog Records later that year. While promoting the side project, Haynes indicated that another Butthole Surfers studio album was likely, and remarked that it would be "noisy".<ref>Rock, "Dr Rock VS Gibby Haynes", PlayLouder.com.</ref> However, no release date has been announced.

The band reunited with [[Jeff Pinkus]] and [[Teresa Taylor|Teresa Nervosa]] for a tour of the East Coast and Europe in Summer 2008 with the Paul Green School of Rock All Stars. It was the first time the reunited line up played together since 1989. The group performed at the [[All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)|All Tomorrow's Parties]] festival curated by [[Melvins]] and [[Mike Patton]] of [[Faith No More]]. The group's appearance at All Tomorrow's Parties led to a dispute with ATP founder and organizer Barry Hogan, who told a reporter for the [[Village Voice]] that Butthole Surfers (along with [[Killing Joke]] and [[The Black Lips]]) would never play the festival again.<ref>{{cite web|last=Weingarten|first=Christopher|title=An Oral History of All Tomorrow's Parties|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-09-01/music/an-oral-history-of-all-tomorrow-s-parties/2/|work=The Village Voice|access-date=December 24, 2013|archive-date=December 25, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131225045912/http://www.villagevoice.com/2009-09-01/music/an-oral-history-of-all-tomorrow-s-parties/2/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The reunited 1986-1989 "classic" lineup continued to tour into 2009, with stops in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://buttholesurfers.com/tourdates.html|title=Butthole Surfers Tour Dates|website=buttholesurfers.com|access-date=September 20, 2018}}</ref>

In [[Austin, Texas]], during their last scheduled show for the North American/Canada 2008–2009 tour on October 31, 2009, Haynes said "We played our first show as the Butthole Surfers in Austin. And this may be our last." Haynes has not yet clarified this statement. Recently, Paul Leary and King Coffey have both stated that the band will tour again if they can pull off another album. Butthole Surfers played two shows in Austin at Scoot Inn during Halloween 2010. A report in ''[[The New York Times]]'' suggested that, even though Butthole Surfers had not released an album of new material since 2001, the "songs are practically incidental to the spectacle" after seeing them perform along with psychedelic band [[Lumerians]] in [[Brooklyn, New York|Brooklyn]].<ref name=twsO19>{{cite news|title=Pop and Rock Listings for Dec. 24-30|work=The New York Times|quote=The band hasn't released an album of new material since 2001, but the songs are practically incidental to the spectacle. With Lumerians|date=December 23, 2010|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/24/arts/music/24pop.html|access-date=May 15, 2011}}</ref>

The line-up of Haynes, Leary, Pinkus, and Coffey did a 12-show tour of mostly western U.S. states and one appearance in Canada from August 26, 2011, to September 11, 2011.

As of 2016, the group are on hiatus, with Leary saying: "I just don't want to play live anymore. It's not fun, I don't like touring. That hour on stage is a whole lot of fun, but the other 23 hours off stage just fucking suck."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/buttholes-and-lawyers-how-lawsuit-threatened-indie-235363|title=Buttholes and lawyers: How a lawsuit threatened the indie music model|first=Ryan|last=Bray|website=The A.V. Club|date=May 2, 2016 |access-date=September 20, 2018}}</ref>

They performed at the Day for Night music festival in Houston, Texas, which ran December 17–18, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://abc13.com/day-for-night-lineup-aphex-twin-odeza/1511126/|title=Day for Night festival lineup revealed; Bjork, Butthole Surfers and Aphex Twin to perform|website=ABC 13|date=September 14, 2016 |access-date=January 20, 2024}}</ref>

In an interview with ''[[The Quietus]]'' in March 2017, Leary talked about the group possibly making a new album, their first in 16 years: "We've all been busy with our own separate things, and I've done a lot of producing in the past few years, and I've got to the point now where I feel like I've done doing that for a while, so it's time to make a new Butthole Surfers album. Especially now that [[Donald Trump|Trump]] is president, jeez! If there was ever a time for a Butthole Surfers album it's fucking now. It just doesn't get any weirder than that."<ref name="thequietus.com"/>

In March 2019, the band released a visual history coffee table book, ''Butthole Surfers: What Does Regret Mean?'', with author [[Aaron Tanner]].<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/butthole-surfers-new-book-gibby-haynes-763780/|title=Butthole Surfers Talk New Book: 'I Regret Not Regretting a Thing'|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=2018-12-07|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-09}}</ref>

In May 2025, the band released the live album ''Live at the Leatherfly'' on Sunset Blvd Records.

== Name ==
The band did not begin as Butthole Surfers, although they did have a song of that title, possibly an early version of 1984's "Butthole Surfer". This changed at their first paid concert, when an announcer forgot what the band was called and used the song title for the group's name. They decided to keep the moniker, and have largely been billed as such ever since.<ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 277"/> Prior to that, Butthole Surfers performed under a different name at every live show. Early aliases included The [[Dick Clark]] Five, Nine cm Worm Makes Own Food, The Vodka Family Winstons, Ashtray Babyheads, [[Ed Asner]] Is Gay, [[Fred Astaire]]'s Asshole, The Right to Eat Fred Astaire's Asshole, The Inalienable Right to Eat Fred Astaire's Asshole, Zipgun, and many others.<ref name=spin/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jim-jarmusch.net/miscellanea/author_jim_jarmusch/interviewed_by_jim/gibby_haynes.html|title=Gibby Haynes of The Butthole Surfers &#124; The Jim Jarmusch Resource Page|publisher=Jim-jarmusch.net|access-date=March 28, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325192516/http://www.jim-jarmusch.net/miscellanea/author_jim_jarmusch/interviewed_by_jim/gibby_haynes.html|archive-date=March 25, 2012|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

The name has long been a source of trouble for the band. Many clubs, newspapers, radio, and TV stations refuse to print or mention their full name, and instead opt to use "B.H. Surfers" or other abbreviations.<ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 277"/> In a 1996 ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' interview, when asked if he could go back and choose a more culturally acceptable name for the band, Haynes replied, "I would name the band: I'm Going to Shit in Your Mother's Vagina."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/butthole-surfers-americas-most-notorious-psycho-delic-rock-band-41022/|title=Butthole Surfers: America's Most Notorious Psycho-Delic Band|first=Charles M.|last=Young|date=December 26, 1996|website=rollingstone.com|access-date=October 13, 2022|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220210210719/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/butthole-surfers-americas-most-notorious-psycho-delic-rock-band-41022/|archive-date=February 10, 2022}}</ref>

== Live performances ==
[[File:Butthole Surfers Live.jpg|thumb|Butthole Surfers performing on December 6, 2008, in [[Minehead]], England. This performance features [[strobe lights]], [[smoke machine]]s and a projected film in the background.]]
In the 1980s, Butthole Surfers earned a reputation for their disturbing live performances that were both decadent and violent. As a result, they began to attract a wide range of curiosity seekers within a few years of their debut, in addition to traditional fans of [[punk rock]] who had supported them from the beginning.<ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 293">Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 293.</ref> A staged reproduction of the band's live show was filmed for 1988's ''[[Bar-B-Que Movie]]'', a short [[Super 8 mm film]] movie directed by [[Tom Stern (filmmaker)|Tom Stern]] and [[Alex Winter]], who is best known as "Bill S. Preston, Esq." from ''[[Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure]]''.<ref>''Bar-B-Que Movie'' page, IMDb.</ref> Bar-B-Que Movie is a spoof of 1974's ''[[The Texas Chain Saw Massacre]]'', and the film ends with a music video-style performance of the song "Fast" (a.k.a. "Fart Song"), featuring Haynes, Leary, Coffey, Nervosa, and [[Jeff Pinkus]], as well as dancer Kathleen Lynch. The track displayed many of the band's stage gimmicks, such as the burning cymbal, strobe lights, films, and smoke.<ref>''Bar-B-Que Movie'', YouTube.</ref>

By the time Lynch left in 1989, Butthole Surfers' stage show had become more predictable, with previously random shockers being done at the same point in each night's performance. [[Teresa Taylor|Teresa Nervosa]] quit for good around the same time, and [[King Coffey]] became the band's sole percussionist. Strobe lights, smoke machines, and even [[Gibby Haynes]]' burning cymbal are still part of the presentation, but the chaotic spontaneity of their 1980s performances is no longer on display.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 288-289, 309.</ref>

=== Appearance ===
Lead vocalist and saxophonist Haynes (who sometimes sang through a [[megaphone|bullhorn]]), guitarist Paul Leary, dual drummers Coffey and Nervosa (the latter briefly replaced by Cabbage), and whichever bassist happened to be filling in at the time, had a visual aspect. As with their music, their appearance was exceptionally non-conventional in the early days, including sideways mohawks, dreadlocks, unnaturally colored hair, and the like.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 282.</ref>

Known for taking the stage at early concerts with hundreds of clothespins attached to his hair and clothes, Haynes would often strip throughout a show until he was down to his underwear, or less, by the end. Other attire included flasher-style trench coats over his nakedness, ridiculously home-styled wigs and cross-dressing; often employing a skirt made of an American flag and a large '60s torpedo-style stuffed bra. At other times he would hide condoms full of stage blood in his clothes and repeatedly fall to the floor, appearing to bleed profusely. Some of Haynes' other favorite tricks involved throwing handfuls of photocopied cockroach images into the crowd, rolls and rolls of toilet paper tossed across the audience, as well as filling an inverted cymbal with lighter fluid, setting it (and sometimes his hand) on fire, and repeatedly hitting it with a mallet. As previously mentioned he would sing through almost anything that would alter his voice, including toilet paper rolls and megaphones early on, which eventually evolved into "Gibby's kit", a.k.a. "Gibbytronix", a rack of vocal effects stacked as high as he could reach, before which he would often stand for the majority of the show in later performances. He also often utilized various foot switches which would be used to activate certain vocal effects, and when thought to be dancing during some performances he would actually be stepping on his various pedals. Adding to the spectacle were Coffey and Nervosa, who played in unison on stand-up drum kits; behind which they would collapse onto the floor and out of eyeshot, to collect their breath and strength before rising just in time to play the next song. Finally, the whole band would often tear apart stuffed animals while on stage, throwing the stuffing through the air, creating a rather disturbing throbbing effect, caused by the stroboscopes that were always on.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 288–289.</ref>

In 1986, they first met Lynch (a.k.a. Kathleen, a.k.a. Ta-Da the Shit Lady), who was then working at a strip club called Sex World in New York City.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 299, 301.</ref> Though never an official member, she became Butthole Surfers' famous "naked dancer", performing intermittently with them through 1989.<ref name=spin/> One show in Washington, D.C., with [[GWAR]] saw Kathleen take the stage to dance in nothing but gold body paint and antique wooden snow shoes. At another particularly wild concert in 1986, Haynes and Lynch, by now completely bald, reportedly engaged in sexual intercourse while on stage, as Leary used a screwdriver to vandalize the club's speakers. This came after only five songs, during which time Haynes had started a small fire.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 300.</ref>

=== Equipment ===
Butthole Surfers began to take the collection of visual equipment seriously following Coffey's recruitment in 1983, when he added a clear plastic drum fitted with a strobe light to their show. Shortly afterwards, the band purchased what was reported as several thousand dollars' worth of stolen strobe lights at a bargain rate, and their visual equipment soon took up more space than their instruments. Smoke machines were later added.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 289, 293.</ref> Equally memorable was the band's propensity for projecting a variety of films behind them as they played, beginning with one 16-millimeter projector, before adding others. This set-up allowed them to play a number of overlapping movies at the same time which were often strangely angled, upside down or played in reverse. Combined with the increasing number of strobe lights, the effect created a visually disorienting atmosphere, which occasionally caused epileptic seizures in audience members.<ref name=spin/>
The films' subject matter were often as disturbing as the manner in which they were played; with images of accidents, nuclear explosions, meat processing, spiders and scorpions stalking prey, gory driver's education films, and penis reconstruction surgery.<ref name=spin/><ref name="Azerrad, Our Band, p. 293"/> Not all of the movies were horrific, and they often included nature, wildlife, and aquatic footage; as well as a color negative of a ''[[Charlie's Angels]]'' episode.<ref>Azerrad, ''Our Band'', p. 294.</ref>

== Members ==
*[[Gibby Haynes]]&nbsp;– vocals, rhythm guitar, saxophone, bass, keyboards and effects (1981–present)
*[[Paul Leary]]&nbsp;– lead guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards (1981–present)
*[[King Coffey]]&nbsp;– drums (1982–present)
*[[Jeff Pinkus]]&nbsp;– bass (1986–1994, 2008–present)
'''Former members'''
*Scott Matthews – drums (1981–1982)
*Scott Stevens – bass (1981)
*Andrew Mullin – bass (1981–1982)
*Quinn Matthews – bass (1982)
*Bill Jolly – bass (1982–1984)
*[[Teresa Taylor|Teresa Nervosa]]&nbsp;– drums (1983–1985, 1986–1989, 2008–2009; died 2023)
*Terence Smart – bass (1984–1985)
*Trevor Malcolm – bass, sousaphone (1985)
*[[Mark Kramer]] – bass (1985)
*Kytha Gernatt (Cabbage) – drums (1985–1986)
*Nathan Calhoun – bass (2000–2002)
'''Touring members'''
*Juan Molina – bass (1985)
*Elliot Cunningham – dancer
*Kathleen Lynch – dancer (1986–1989)
*Kyle Ellison – guitar (1996)
*Owen McMahon – bass (1996)
*[[Josh Klinghoffer]]&nbsp;– guitar, drums (2001)
*Jason Morales&nbsp;– drums (2002)

===Timeline===
{{#tag:timeline|
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DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy
Period     = from:01/01/1981 till:28/12/2016
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ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1982

Colors =
 id:voc  value:red          legend:Lead_and_backing_vocals,_saxophone
 id:v    value:pink         legend:Backing_and_lead_vocals
 id:lg   value:teal         legend:Lead_guitar
 id:rg   value:brightgreen  legend:Rhythm_guitar
 id:b    value:blue         legend:Bass
 id:dr   value:orange       legend:Drums
 id:k    value:purple       legend:Keyboards
 id:alb  value:black        legend:Studio_album
 id:ep   value:gray(0.6)    legend:EP
 id:bars value:gray(0.95)

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LineData =
 color:alb layer:back
 at:04/12/1984
 at:18/04/1986
 at:01/03/1987
 at:11/04/1988
 at:20/02/1991
 at:23/03/1993
 at:02/04/1996
 at:28/08/2001
 color:ep
 at:01/07/1983
 at:20/09/1984
 at:07/01/1986
 at:09/06/1989
 at:03/03/1990

PlotData =
  width:11
  bar:Gibby&nbsp;Haynes   from:start      till:end        color:voc
  bar:Gibby&nbsp;Haynes   from:01/01/1989 till:end        color:rg  width:3
  bar:Gibby&nbsp;Haynes   from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/1997 color:k   width:7
  bar:Gibby&nbsp;Haynes   from:01/01/1997 till:end        color:rg  width:3
  bar:Paul&nbsp;Leary     from:start      till:end        color:lg
  bar:Paul&nbsp;Leary     from:start      till:end  color:v   width:3
  bar:Paul&nbsp;Leary     from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1990 color:v   width:3
  bar:Paul&nbsp;Leary     from:01/01/1991 till:01/01/1992 color:k   width:7
  bar:Paul&nbsp;Leary     from:01/01/1992 till:end        color:v   width:3
  bar:Paul&nbsp;Leary     from:start      till:01/01/1989 color:rg  width:7
  bar:Paul&nbsp;Leary     from:01/07/1994 till:01/07/2000 color:b   width:7
  bar:Paul&nbsp;Leary     from:01/07/2002 till:01/07/2008 color:b   width:7
  bar:Scott&nbsp;Stevens  from:start      till:01/07/1981 color:b
  bar:Andrew&nbsp;Mullin  from:01/07/1981 till:01/05/1982 color:b
  bar:Quinn&nbsp;Matthews from:01/05/1982 till:01/09/1982 color:b
  bar:Bill&nbsp;Jolly     from:01/09/1982 till:01/11/1984 color:b
  bar:Terence&nbsp;Smart  from:01/11/1984 till:01/02/1985 color:b
  bar:Trevor&nbsp;Malcolm from:01/02/1985 till:01/09/1985 color:b
  bar:Mark&nbsp;Kramer    from:01/09/1985 till:01/01/1986 color:b
  bar:Jeff&nbsp;Pinkus    from:01/01/1986 till:01/07/1994 color:b
  bar:Jeff&nbsp;Pinkus    from:01/01/1993 till:01/07/1994 color:v   width:3
  bar:Nathan&nbsp;Calhoun from:01/07/2000 till:01/07/2002 color:b
  bar:Jeff&nbsp;Pinkus    from:01/07/2008 till:end        color:b
  bar:Scott&nbsp;Matthews from:start      till:01/09/1982 color:dr
  bar:King&nbsp;Coffey    from:01/09/1982 till:end        color:dr
  bar:Teresa&nbsp;Nervosa from:01/07/1983 till:01/01/1986 color:dr
  bar:Teresa&nbsp;Nervosa from:01/07/1986 till:01/07/1989 color:dr
  bar:Teresa&nbsp;Nervosa from:01/07/2008 till:01/07/2009 color:dr
  bar:Kytha&nbsp;Gernatt  from:01/01/1986 till:01/07/1986 color:dr
}}

== Discography ==
{{Main|Butthole Surfers discography}}
* ''[[Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Rembrandt Pussyhorse]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Locust Abortion Technician]]'' (1987)
* ''[[Hairway to Steven]]'' (1988)
* ''[[piouhgd]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Independent Worm Saloon]]'' (1993)
* ''[[Electriclarryland]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Weird Revolution]]'' (2001)

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Refbegin|colwidth=30em}}
* {{cite book|last=Azerrad|first=Michael|title=Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground 1981–1991|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|location=Boston|year=2001|isbn=0-316-78753-1|title-link=Our Band Could Be Your Life}}
* {{cite web|title=''Bar-B-Que Movie'' page|publisher=[[IMDb]]|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0264393/|access-date=February 11, 2007}}
* {{cite web|title=Butthole Surfers page|publisher=[[IMDb]]|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1599580/|access-date=February 10, 2007}}
* {{cite web|title=Charts & awards – Billboard albums|website=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3808|pure_url=yes}}
| access-date = February 6, 2007}}
* {{cite web|title=Charts & awards – Billboard singles|website=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3808|pure_url=yes}}
| access-date = February 6, 2007}}
* {{cite book|last=Cobain|first=Kurt|title=Journals|publisher=Riverhead Books|location=New York|year=2002|isbn=1-57322-232-1|title-link=Journals (Cobain)}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Cohen|first=Jason|title=In Through the Back Door: The Butthole Surfers are the certified shock jocks of the next wave|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=June 24, 1993|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/RSjun2493.htm|access-date=February 7, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706050134/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/RSjun2493.htm|archive-date=July 6, 2008|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite web|title=''Double Live'' MP3 download page|publisher=Butthole Surfers|url=http://www.buttholesurfers.com/DoubleLiveMP3.html|access-date=February 13, 2007}}
* {{cite web|title=Gold & Platinum Record Database|publisher=Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)|url=https://www.riaa.com/gp/database/default.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208211501/http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/default.asp|archive-date=February 8, 2007|access-date=February 6, 2007}}
* {{cite web|title=Interview|work=Flipside No.&nbsp;46|date=September 22, 1984|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/flipside.html|access-date=February 7, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110201835/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/flipside.html|archive-date=November 10, 2007|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite web|title=Interview|work=Forced Exposure No.&nbsp;11|date=April 18, 1986|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/forcedexposure.html|access-date=February 7, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109145624/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/forcedexposure.html|archive-date=November 9, 2007|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite news|title=Interview|work=Tripping Yarns No.&nbsp;2|year=1987}}
* {{cite web|title=Interview (King Coffey)|publisher=SonicNet.com|date=February 22, 1995|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/kingchat.html|access-date=February 7, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110201910/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/kingchat.html|archive-date=November 10, 2007|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Kelly|first=Christina|title=Kurt and Courtney Sitting in a Tree|magazine=[[Sassy (magazine)|Sassy]]|date=April 1992|url=http://www.moonwashedrose.com/media/sassy.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005112644/http://www.moonwashedrose.com/media/sassy.html|archive-date=October 5, 2007|url-status=usurped|access-date=February 10, 2007}}
* {{cite web|last=Kennedy|first=Patrick|title=''Weird Revolution'' review|website=Allmusic|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r546996|pure_url=yes}}
| access-date = February 20, 2007}}
* {{cite web|last=[[John Leland (journalist)|Leland, John]] & Robbins|first=Ira|title=Butthole Surfers biography|publisher=Trouser Press|url=https://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=butthole_surfers|access-date=February 7, 2007}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Lieck|first=Ken|title=Reissuing the Butthole Surfers: Tongue-in-Cheek Terror|magazine=[[The Austin Chronicle]]|date=August 27 – September 2, 1999|volume=18|issue=52|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/tongueterror.html|access-date=February 10, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110202041/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/tongueterror.html|archive-date=November 10, 2007|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite web|title=''Locust Abortion Technician'' review|website=[[AllMusic]]|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r3042|pure_url=yes}}
| access-date = February 10, 2007}}
* {{cite magazine|last1=Morthland|first1=John|last2=Patoski|first2=Joe Nick|title=Feeding the Fish: An Oral History of the Butthole Surfers|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|SPIN]]|year=1996|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/feedfish.html|access-date=February 7, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109125340/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/feedfish.html|archive-date=November 9, 2007|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Nunez|first=Carlos "Cake"|title=The Hole Truth... and Nothing Butt|magazine=[[Fiz (magazine)|Fiz]] Magazine|date=March–April 1993|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/fizarticle.html|access-date=February 10, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080317013624/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/fizarticle.html|archive-date=March 17, 2008|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Orr|first=Peter|title=Journey to the Sphincter of Your Mind or... Cowabunghole|magazine=Reflex Magazine|date=September–October 1991|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/journeymind.htm|access-date=February 10, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071110201906/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/journeymind.htm|archive-date=November 10, 2007|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Paytress|first=Mark|title=The Butthole Surfers: Mark Paytress Unravels the Career of the Cult American Band|magazine=Record Collector|issue=114|date=February 1989|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/recordcollector.html|access-date=February 7, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070702071748/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/recordcollector.html|archive-date=July 2, 2007|df=mdy-all}}
* {{cite web|last=Rock|first=Dr|title=Dr Rock VS Gibby Haynes|publisher=PlayLouder.com|date=August 17, 2004|url=http://playlouder.com/feature/+drrockvsgibbyhay/|access-date=February 13, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061205003628/http://www.playlouder.com/feature/+drrockvsgibbyhay/|archive-date=December 5, 2006|url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web|title=''Slacker'' "Full Credits" page|publisher=[[IMDb]]|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102943/fullcredits|access-date=February 13, 2007}}
* {{cite magazine|last=Young |first=Charles M. |title=Butthole Surfers biography |magazine=Rolling Stone |year=2004 |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/buttholesurfers/biography |access-date=February 6, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001183037/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/buttholesurfers/biography |archive-date=October 1, 2007 }}
* {{cite magazine|last=Young|first=Charles M|title=Butthole Surfers Resurface: Austin Iconoclasts Exit Legal Morass, Sign to Surfdog/Hollywood|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=September 11, 1999|url=http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/resurface.html|access-date=February 10, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706050035/http://ngro_obsrvr.tripod.com/articles/resurface.html|archive-date=July 6, 2008|df=mdy-all}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{cc}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{allmusic}}
* {{discogs artist}}
* [https://ihrtn.net/artist-profile-butthole-surfers/ Band's biography/discography]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110622121205/http://www.alternativetentacles.com/bandinfo.php?band=buttholesurfers Butthole Surfers] at [[Alternative Tentacles]]
* [https://archive.org/details/ButtholeSurfers Butthole Surfers collection] on the [[Internet Archive]]'s live music archive

{{Butthole Surfers|state=expanded}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Butthole Surfers| ]]
[[Category:Alternative rock groups from Texas]]
[[Category:Psychedelic rock music groups from Texas]]
[[Category:Alternative Tentacles artists]]
[[Category:Blast First artists]]
[[Category:Capitol Records artists]]
[[Category:Hollywood Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1981]]
[[Category:American experimental rock groups]]
[[Category:Rough Trade Records artists]]
[[Category:Touch and Go Records artists]]
[[Category:Trance Syndicate artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups from San Antonio]]
[[Category:American neo-psychedelia groups]]
[[Category:Hardcore punk groups from Texas]]
[[Category:Music of Austin, Texas]]
[[Category:Au Go Go Records artists]]
[[Category:Naming controversies]]
[[Category:1981 establishments in Texas]]