Butthole Surfers – Pepper

17th April 2021 · 1990s, 1996

You can probably tell from their name that The Butthole Surfers are not for everyone. But the Texas noisemongers were very much for me. In parts, anyway.

They were notable for their anti-social attitude and behaviour and one of those parts was Pepper. It’s another List Song and the only single ever resembling a hit for a band whose live shows were famed for their violence and pyrotechnic mayhem.

Allegedly written as a pastiche of Beck, it does sound a lot like Loser, except the lyric features ten different characters – all of whom either die or escape a close brush with death. The verses also remind me of Eels’ first hit single, Susan’s House.

Gavin Bowden’s video features elaborately faked Sixties-style newsreel footage of cops arresting a group of people for kidnapping at a Texas hotel, surrounded by newsmen and cameramen.

The ringleader of the kidnappers is singer Gibby Haynes and his victim, being rescued by police, is played by veteran US actor Erik Estrada, who is seen repeatedly eating sweetcorn from a can – apparentl a sly comment on how video directors sponfeed​ images to their audience.

The band themselves are seen performing on a Sixties-style TV show, interspersed with more Sixties-style TV including cookery and variety shows.

Formed 40 years ago in San Antonio, Texas, the Butthole Surfers are still going strong wit original duo of Gibby Haynes and guitarist Paul Leary, who formed the band when they were at university together.

One fun fact: until the mid-Eighties they used to adopt a different band name at every gig – examples include Ashtray Babyheads, Ed Asner Is Gay, Fred Astaire’s Asshole, The Right To Eat Fred Astaire’s Asshole and The Inalienable Right To Eat Fred Astaire’s Asshole.

In an interview once, Haynes was asked what name he might choose for his band if he could go back in time and choose a different one. His reply: I’m Going To Shit In Your Mother’s Vagina.