Line-Up - Part 2 - Electric Boogerloo

When we last left off, our heros had kicked out Cabbage and were on their way to NYC, then off to Europe...

16) April 1986 - July 1986
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Jeff - bass, King - drums
first show: 4/19/86 Irving Plaza, NYC
last known show: 5/24/86 Graystone Hall, Detroit, MI
The band plays one show in NYC as a four piece, than heads to the UK with King doing solo duty on drums...He is still standing, opting fer no kick drum even as he's playing the parts of 2 drummers. Truly, TRULY amazing to witness. With Teresa in the band, King can play the skeleton of the beat, while she adds the meat to the bones, here, he is constantly in motion. Baffling stuff.
Anywho, The trip to Europe is plagued by a series mix ups. They are kicked out of the UK fer lack of proper working permits at the beginning of the tour, then, detained and held at gunpoint by Belgian police after an odd rape allegation.
It seems some language discrepancy between the female promoter and the police lead to the trouble. It turns out, she felt she got jipped outta money, not raped, and the band was able to proceed back to the good old U.S.S.A without having an episode of "Locked-Up Abroad" dedicated to them.
They return home to play a show in Detroit, before heading to back to TX, not Georgia, to settle down a bit.

The four piece band enjoying themselves

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17) July 1986 - March 1987
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Jeff - bass, King - drums, Teresa - drums first known show: 7/14/86 - South Bank, Austin, TX
By the grace of YHWH, Teresa decides to return to the band. Here we have the beginning of what many consider to be the prime era of the band...well...what I consider to be the prime era of the band. March 1987?...ending point fer this line-up??...bear with me, here....

Teresa back where she belongs

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18) March 1987 - Sept. 1988
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Jeff - bass, King - drums, Teresa - Drums, Kathleen Lynch - dancer
first show: 3/28/87 - The Ritz, Austin, TX
last known show: 9/27/88 - The Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
That's right, I said it! Kathleen was a band member! She was not just some girl jumping around onstage. Although other girls occassionally filled in during Kathleen's tenure, NO ONE could take her place. She was a true artist, and embodied all the sexiness and horror in the music and stage presentation the band was conveying. Kathleen danced on occassion(s) prior to this time, and after this too, but was more or less a full-time member here.
Gibby once said (back in 1984!) the Butthole Surfers were not a "political band', but were more political than most of the "so-called" political bands around. He was RIGHT, and this line-up proved it one-hundred fold. The band, and their fans at the shows, became a completely separate society. A cult of freaks and weirdos operating apart from the so-called normal man. That's politics folks!
Along with Kathleen, I could also put Bill Daniel, who began the whole film setup, but let's leave it to the onstage performers. It doesn't get much betther than this!


Kathleen dancing in NYC

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19) October 1988 - July 1989
Gibby - vox, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Jeff - bass, King - drums, Teresa - Drums
first show: 10/21/88 - Variety Arts Center, Los Angeles, CA
last show: 7/4/89 - NORML Rally, Lafayette Park, Washington, DC
Kathleen stops dancing full-time after the summer 1988 European tour, leaving the 5-piece band solidly intact. By this point, the Butthole Surfers have become the highest grossing indie band on the road, commanding anywhere from 10,000-$15,000 per performance, and almost immediately selling out every show they play. It's a great time fer the band. They pull out a national tour in the fall of 1988, and a few select dates through the spring of 1989. Again fer unknown reasons, Teresa decides to pack it in and leave the band after a performance at the N.O.R.M.L rally in DC, and just before the 5th excursion to Europe.

Towards the end of Teresa's tenure...again

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20) August 1989 - January 1994
Gibby - vox, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Jeff - bass, King - drums
first show: 8/23/89 - Subterrania, London, UK
Last show: 1/8/94 - Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA
Stripped back down to a four-piece, the band hones its sound to less of a sprawling psychedelic band to a more rock centered unit...with a substancial amount of psychedelic undertones...;)..
King takes a seat and the typical 25 song sets are blazed through in 70-80 mins. They see their first commerical success, first with "Hurdy Gurdy Man", and then with "Who Was in My Room Last Night". The Lollapalooza festival broadens the band's horizons, and eventually sign with Capitol records, as indie acts are snatched up by majors hoping to cash in on the post-Nirvana success. A tour with STP begins to further expand the fan-base, though it's partially at the expense of losing some older fans. The end of 1993, beginning of 1994 sees the band on a huge stadium mini-tour with none other than Nirvana. All seems like the band is headed fer real success, then Jeff abruptly quits. It's a sad end to his tenure and the band is truly in flux. Not to mention Gibby's heroin addiction. The band as we know it takes a hiatus to regroup, get clean, and write material

and then there was 4


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21) February 1994-May 1996
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, King - drums
no shows
Not much going on through 1994 and 1995. Other than some minor compilation appearances and 7" record, the band lays low. Gibby does the P project, King continues to run his label, and play guitar sporatically in his band, Drain. Paul has success producing Meat Puppets and Sublime, among others. They recruit some pals to help out on bass through the recording of Electric Larryland, including Andrew Weiss of the Rollins Band (and unofficially, Ween), but with no shows, they don't settle on anyone to join officially...no need.

3 members means more money!

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22) May 1996 - January 1997
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Kyle Ellison - guitar, Owen McMahon - bass, King - drums
They recruit Kyle Ellison, who helped the Meat Puppets out during the "No Joke" tour, to play 2nd guitar and get King's Drain cohort, Owen McMahon to play bass on the ELL tour. After the tour ends in Nov., they get back together to perform on the 'Larry Sanders Show', in January of 1997.

on the set of the 'Larry Sanders Show' 1997


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23) January 1997-August 2001
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, King - drums
no shows
The core band remains a trio. I am here listing touring bands, but it's really just these guys the whole time. They begin to record the follow-up to ELL, After the Astronaut, and Capitol wants no part of it. It is an electronica, psychedelic effort that once again proves the Butthole Surfers cannot be pigeon-holed and confined to a "bag". Of course, because it is their best effort since "Hairway to Steven", Capitol drags it's feet, and eventually drops them from the label, leaving ATA to gather dust in their vaults fer 3 years. With other stuff on their plates, it seems the band is content to let it lie, and not bother to sue fer its release, or re-record it. They eventually DO remix many of the tracks on it, as well as record some new ones, that get released as the disappointing "Weird Revolution". The band then recruits some new members to tour.

Enjoying the fruits of their labor


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24) October 2001 - November 2001
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Josh Klinghoffer - guitar, drums, Nathan Calhoun - bass, King - drums
first show: 10/10/01 - The Metro, Sydney, Australia
last show: 11/17/01 - La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX
Weird Revolution tour band. Nathan is full time bassist now, and gets to be in the promo picture...

with Nathan

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25) July 2002 - September 2002
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Jason Morales - drums, Nathan Calhoun - bass, King - drums
first show: 7/12/02 - Tipitina's New Orleans, LA
last show: 9/7/02 - Deep Elum, Dallas, TX
The 2002 mini-tour sees the band in better form than they had been in a while. It ain't the old days, but they are busting out some older tunes and pulling some surprises

>coming soon<

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26) September 2002 - March 2008
Gibby, Paul, King
The tours end, the band stops. It seems like it could be over. Rumors of Gibby and Paul not getting along are more or less confirmed as some dirty laundry gets aired publicly. For much of this time, it seems like we will never hear from them again. They are brothers, after all, and will never say the band is broken up, per se, but fer all intensive purposes, it is.
Then, in a surprise move, Paul Green asks Gibby to front the School of Rock Kids fer a tour saluting the Butthole Surfers. Gibby's respect fer Paul Green contributes to him saying YES...and fans get some really fun performances, with Gibby seeming to enjoy himself onstage fer the first time in ages.
The success of the Gibby\SoR All-Stars shows lead to talk of a Butthole Surfers\SoR tour. King, Jeff, and Teresa sign on board, with Paul still holding out. Finally, we hear he'll play Europe, but no shows in the U.S., then we hear perhaps he'll play the NYC show.Up until about a week before the gigs are scheduled, it is unclear where, when or IF Paul is on board. Finally, it is confirmed! Paul signs on fer the whole tour!!...
my god, I'm getting teary-eyed....!

no, it's not Grand Funk Railroad

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27) June 2008 - Present
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Jeff - bass, King - drums, Teresa - drums
first show: 6/24/08 - Asbury Lanes, Asbury Park, NJ
Reunited, and it feels so good!!

They're back!! Catch them soon in a town near you!!

The line-ups...Part 1

Ah, yes...the wonderful world of trying to figger out Butthole Surfers' revolving door of line-ups...it can make ya dizzy. They've had 2 bassists switch off tours during the same time period...they've had no bassist at all and Gibby has played bass...they've had no bass player and Paul has played bass...

Not only that, though...Teresa has come and gone (a few times)...she's been replaced, King has gone at it alone...it gets maddening...Now...fer the first time...one man will attempt the death-defying feat of deciphering the history of Butthole Surfers line-up changes.

brace yerself, this could get ugly:

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1) Early 1981 - August 1981
Gibby - vocals, Paul - guitar, Scott Stevens - bass, Scott Mathews - drums, sax
1st show: 5/17/81 Shown Davenport Art Gallery, San Antonio, TX
last known show: 8/21/81 Randall's BBQ, San Antonio, TX

Scott Stevens actually sang a couple of songs too, Scott Mathews would play sax, and Paul would switch to drums as well, but yeah...I haven't found any pix of this line-up...are there
any out there?

>no pix<

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2) Sept 1981 - Feb 1982
Gibby - vocals, sax, Paul - guitar, Andrew Mullins - bass, Scott Mathews - drums
1st known show: 9/4/81 - La Villita Patio, San Antonio, TX
last known show: 2/20/82 - Rock Island, Houston, TX
As we all know by now, Andrew quits with the intent to go out to the desert and set himself on fire. That intent never does come to fruition, but the band gets the great song "Desert" out of it, so who can complain.

Andrew Mullins: left

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3) Feb 1982
Gibby - guitar, vox, Paul - bass, vox, Scott Mathews - drums
1 known show: 2/27/82 - The Island, Houston, TX
Andrew's departure was apparently quite sudden, and without a proper bassist, and with at least one show set up, the band perform as a trio.

weird seeing Paul jamming on bass, huh?

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4) March 1982 - August 1982
Gibby - vox, sax, Paul - guitar, vox, Quinn Mathews - bass, Scott Mathews - Drums
1st known show: 3/13/82 - The Omni, Houston, TX
last show: 8/6/82 - Studio D, Dallas, TX
What many of the early fans consider the 'classic' line-up of the band; certainly one of the most fruitful times. It is during this time that the band first ventures outside Texas, moving to Los Angeles. The trip only lasted a month, but, hey, they tried.Quite unfortunate that the Mathews brothers both quit after the Studio D show after being pissed about not being paid. A major fist-fight ensues on the front lawn of Gibby's parents house late that night after the show.

Quinn Mathews with Gibby

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5) August 1982 - December 1982
Gibby & Paul
No shows
The band never officially breaks up, but takes a hiatus for this spell. It's seems they are getting the songs fer the 1st EP worked out. This may be the time period that Gibby was recording the "Brown Circus" demos that have surfaced. The version of "Concubine" on 'Humpty Dumpty LSD' is very likely a demo from the cache of "Brown Circus" material. According to sources, Gibby would plug his bass into an old toy turntable that had a 1/4" input jack to record his demos...it sounds like it...;)


>no pix<

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6) December 1982 - June 1983
Gibby - vox, sax, Paul - guitar, vox, Bill Jolly - bass, guest drummers including Brad Perkins and Kevin Leman, Gene Dalibrio [sp?], etc?
first known show: 12/31/82 - 4509 Eastside House, Dallas, TX
last known show: 5/13/83 - Club Foot, Austin, TX
Paul and Gibby are introduced to Bill Jolly by a mutual friend. Bill was a local jazz musician, but agrees to join the band full time. Brad Perkins remains full time drummer with the Plague, but helps out on most of the shows, and some of 'Brown Reason to Live'. During this time, they record 'A Brown Reason to Live' at BOSS, recruiting a number of folks to help out. There may be even more drummers than are listed here, but Brad, Kevin, and Gene (who was only used as a session drummer on "Hey") are the only ones that have come to light. Kevin Leman was a "long-haired guy" who, by nearly all accounts, did not fit in with the band at the time (according to them...hair style was obviously very important back then...). He was a pretty good drummer, though, and can be heard on the 1st EP playing on "Suicide", ...ya can go to the 'Brown Reason to Live release info at the Anal Obessesion fer more info on that, if ya want...
Kevin only played 3-4 shows with the band. his last,was on 2/4/83 at Studio 29 in Austin. There, someone throws a bottle at Gibby and misses, hitting Kevin square in the face. He obviously decides that punk rock is not fer him and quits. It was also during this time that the infamous naked footage from 'Blind Eye Sees All' is taken. Brad and Bill couldn't make a scheduled show in Houston, so Brad recorded drum tracks to play behind Gibby and Paul. Wackiness ensues...and well, you know.

>no pix<

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7) June 1983 - July 1983
Gibby - vox, sax, Paul - guitar, vox, Bill Jolly bass, King Coffey- drums
1st show: 6/24/83 - Soap Creek Saloon, Austin, TX
last known show: 7/8/83 - Raw Power & Light Co., San Antonio, TX
It was only fer about 3 shows that King was drumming by himself prior to Teresa joining the band. Unfortunately, the one picture to surface of the 6/24/83 show (thanks to Dixon Coulbourn, rip), is only of Paul...

>no pix<

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8) July 1983 - June 1984

Gibby - vox, sax, Paul - guitar, vox, Bill Jolly bass, King - drums, Teresa Taylor - drums
1st show: 7/10/83 - Nightlife @ Club Foot, Austin, TX
last known show: 5/19/84 - Voltaire's Basement, Austin, TX

The band really starts to solidify during Bill's tenure., adding King and then Teresa. They finally feel emboldened enough to head back out onto the road, after the failed CA trip, and make trips up the West Coast and to NYC. This is the line-up that appears on the 'Live PCPPEP'.

Butthole Surfers w\ Bill & Teresa
thanks to Dixon Coulbourn(c)

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9) July 1984
Gibby - vox, guitar, sax, Paul - guitar, vox, bass, King - drums, Teresa - drums, David McCreath - bass
1 show only: 7/1/84 - 'Woodshock Festival' Hurlbut Ranch, Dripping Springs, TX
The Butthole Surfers must have been a late addition to Woodshock '84 because none of the flyers fer the festival mention they were even there. It wasn't until an excerpt of Steve Fitch's recording showed up on the 'Caso Raro' bootleg that the performance was confirmed by King. Fer unknown reasons, Bill leaves the band in June of 1984. It's unclear whether the band had already set up this gig, but they do play it, regardless, albeit in a rather rag-tag way. Gibby plays guitar for the first two songs ("Concubine" & "Shah"), he then passes the guitar to Paul, and Dave McCready comes up to play bass, freeing Gibby to play sax on "BBQ Pope". Gibby takes the guitar back, and Paul the bass fer "Whirling Hall of Knives". THEN Bill comes back fer a bass solo. But wait...he already had quit?...a point you can hear Paul elude to if ya listen closely on the full recording of the performance.

>no pix<

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10) July 1984 - Jan 1985
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Terence Smart - bass, King - drums, Teresa - drums
first known show: 8/4*/84 - Uncle Wiggly's, Austin, TX

last known show: 1/15*/85 - Metroplex, Atlanta, GA
*date unconfirmed
The line-up that would get 'signed' to Touch & Go records, and would venture out on the first tour of the U.S. Terence is the bassist as the Butthole Surfers gets their first NATIONAL exposure. The band truly comes into it's own with Terence, whose '76 Chevy Nova was gutted to provide room fer the band on the first tour. Terence decides to leave the band after they decide to settle down in Athens fer a while, which I guess he was not into doing. They don't really settle down fer long, but this is what Terence conveyed. Anywho, broke, sick with an awful stomach virus, and alone, he decides to pack up and head back to TX alone.

1st U.S. tour line-up with Terence, 1984

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11) Feb 1985-June 1985
Gibby - vox, sax, guitar, Paul - guitar, vox, Trevor Malcolm (Dugay) - bass, Sousaphone, King - drums, Teresa - drums
first known show: Traxx, Detroit, MI 2/22/85
last known show: Stache's Columbus, OH 6/22/85
After losing Terence, the band is hooked up with another poor soul to abuse by T&G Prez, Corey Rusk. The band heads up to Detroit to meet him and play a couple of warm up shows at Traxx, which oddly enough get released as 'Blind Eye Sees All'. Trevor was actually a good player, and the sousaphone he stole from his local high school really contributed to the Butthole's reputation as a band from which you never knew just what to expect. After a 5-6 month stint, though, he bails, just days before a scheduled tour.

Trevor in an unpublished photo by Macioce(c)

(endless thanks to him fer permission!)

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12) July 1985-August\September 1985
Gibby - vox, sax, Paul - guitar, vox, Juan Molina - bass, King- Drums, Teresa - Drums
mach 1
first known show: Metro, Chicago, IL 7/xx/85
last show: Metroplex, Atlanta, GA 8/3/85
mach 2
first known show: The Loft, Birmingham, AL 9/16/85
last show: Cameo Theatre, Austin, TX 9/21/85
Left in a lurch just before a scheduled tour, they recruit their weed dealer, Juan, to step in and help out on bass. Juan turns out to be a really good player. Not sure why he doesn't join the band full time, but he does return to play some shows in the southeast in September of 1985, when Kramer can't pull off the pre-Europe tour of the US. Hence, through August and September of 1985, the band technically has two bassists, Juan and Kramer.

A rare photo with Juan...he seems to be saying..."errr...why am I here?"

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13) August 1985 - November 1985
Gibby - vox, sax, Paul - guitar, vox, Kramer bass, King - drums, Teresa - drums
mach 1
first show: Danceteria, NYC 8/24/85
last known show: Undergorund Railroad, Morgantown, WV 9/6/85
mach 2:
first show: Circle A Ranch, Dallas, TX 9/27/85
last show: 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN 11/24/85
Kramer sets up and tours with the band on their first European excursion. He's got a studio to run, and it never is really clear if his tenure wasn't just helping the band out, whilst also getting to hang out in Europe in the fall. Either way, he plays with the band about as long as some of the other bassists who actually INTENDED to stay, so kudos to him! The problem arises when, not only Kramer leaves, but Teresa decides to bail as well. It's unclear whether her intent was to merely take a hiatus or quit altogether, but it seems like the latter, as they get a replacement fer her...

A rare photo with Kramer [mach 2] in the UK

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14) December 1985-April 1986
Gibby - vox, guitar, sax, Paul - guitar, vox, Jeffrey Pinkus - bass, King - Drums, Cabbage - drums
first show: 1/10/86 - Metroplex, Atlanta, GA
last known show: 3/31/86 - I-Beam, San Francisco, CA
The departure of Kramer was a lot easier fer the band to deal with than was the departure of Teresa. They don't play any show between November and January, which was the longest break since the Mathews boys quit. They are still hanging out in the Athens area, and recruit two Atlanta natives in Jeff Pinkus (suggested by eventual Daddy Longhead guitarist, Jimbo Young) and Kytha Gernatt, also known as Cabbage. The band was staying at Cabbage's loft and had gotten to know lots of local artists and bands in the ATL scene. Cabbage was in a band called Easturn Stars [sic] with, among others, Kathleen Lynch. Story has it, they were trying to recruit Kathleen to join the band as 2nd drummer, but wires got crossed and Cabbage thought she was being asked to join. Rather than lose their place to stay, they ran with it, and Cabbage joined as full time 2nd drummer. Kathleen, would make her debut dancing during this time, at the infamous "sex show" at Danceteria, but she wouldn't join the band officially until 1987.
Anywho, after a tour of the West Coast, the band was making its way back east, preparing fer their 2nd tour of Europe and gigging their way back to NYC fer departure to the UK. Problems began to arise when Cabbage's lack of hygiene and refusal to wash her clothes caused a big stink with the band (>snort-snort...i got a million of 'em<). They dropped her off at a bus station in Knoxville, TN and made their way to NY, and Europe, as a 4 piece.

Picture with Cabbage & Jeff included in 'God's Favorite Dog' Promos

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here's part one fer ya...part two coming shortly!

the history of the Anal Obsession...

I decided to create this to supplement the Anal Obsession page I've been running for the last 3 years or so. It seems like it may make things easier to share thoughts, pictures, comments suggestions than just plain email...

The Anal Obsession started out as a WORD document in the mid- 1990's I called the Live Discography, or LIVE DISCO fer short. The LIVE DISCO was started, at first, as a way to archive my growing collection of live material by the band. It was difficult to keep track of line-ups and the slew of unreleased material that comprised most of their sets, so I started writing it down fer my own personal use. As my love fer the band grew, and I began to accumulate some lists from folks around the globe, I began to add shows to that I didn't have...sort of as a check list of things I needed, again, fer my own personal use. Erik Denning's list was a huge inspiration fer getting this started. After I got Erik's list, I began searching fer folks who had shows he didn't have, so I could go trade them to him. My collection of BHS recordings began to grow, and as it did, so did my curiosity.

At some point, I was contacted by Paul Wehle, who was as interested in getting things sorted out as I was. He asked fer a copy of the Live Disco, and began to write up a history of past incarnations of the band. We kept in touch fer a while, trading war stories, gathering info and shooting the shit fer a while and became tight. But, that was it. The band that inspired us to do all this work was becoming destined to be relegated to the used bins at the local record store. We knew that the band was (IS!) more important than being a footnote in the history of rock music.

As I traded with more and more folks, I began get some really positive feedback on the Live Disco. Folks began to write me about how important the band was to them. How they saw them at such-&-such a place on such-&-such a date and it was mind altering. Soon, I was starting to get emails from folks who said they had heard about the Live Disco from a friend and needed one and blah blah ya da ya da. It was becoming obvious that the Butthole Surfers were, as Paul and I had always believed, an important band to a lot of people.

Eventually, through the Butthole Surfers Forum page, I was contacted by Jason Ramke, who said he'd like to host the Live Disco off of his webpage. I began the arduous task of accumulating old lists and emails, pictures and flyers i had accumulated on floppy discs and, later CDs...setlists of shows i went to and collected from the stage...and getting them all posted in one spot.

Despite the wealth of material littering many drawers, baskets, buckets and assorted Rubbermaid tubs, I was able to get most of it posted within a month and we launched the site.

After bringing the site to the attention of King, he was impressed with the efforts, but wasn't crazy about "Live Disco" name. He didn't want any confusion that these recordings were authorized by the band...tolerated, perhaps, authorized hardly. The band after all had a pretty vehement anti-taping policy back in the day. For good reason...they were POOR, and the host of bootleg products bearing the Butthole Surfers moniker was pretty extensive. The band's stance on live recordings (not bootlegs!) has thankfully softened and now is very taper tolerant...perhaps even taper -friendly...hell, they've certainly been kind to me.

So, anywho, I knew King was right. Live Disco was a stupid name. I wasn't married to it. I was also not very bright and couldn't think of another one myself. Thankfully, after viewing the mass of info on the page, and the meticulous nature with which it was organized, Dave DK from the BHS forum thanked me for my anal obsessive organization of the details.

Anal Obsession! YES!!

Over the course of the 3 years I've been maintaining the AO, MANY new friends have been made. Lots of folks have contacted me and saying thanks, or better still, YOU are wrong about this...or yer MISSING this show. Or here's a copy of a flyer I found...or better yet, I have a recording not on yer list, do ya want it? (ahh, the sweetest words of all). I appreciate the help everyone has given me to make this the greatest resource on the greatest band.

Thanks all!