SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: BUTTHOLE SURFERS – LIVE AT THE LEATHER FLY

BUTTHOLE SURFER
LIVE AT THE LEATHER FLY
SUNSET BLVD RECORDS

There can’t be many weirder bands to try and capture the essence of than the crazy-named Butthole Surfers.

That said, this album succeeds where many live albums fall down, by mixing itself in such a way that you could almost be in the room, stood by the sound desk, listening to this cacophony of weirdness.

Cacophony it is too, full of disembodied vocals, strange noises, crashing drums and piercing bass and guitar riffs, yet somehow, it’s all so strangely charming. The band has rarely sounded so tight and ‘on’, while Gibby Haynes’ vocals certainly sound clear, even if the actual words might not be.

This is an acid trip full of the weirdness that fans will adore, and as previously mentioned, you genuinely feel like you’re there, right in the middle of it, while listening. The epic “PSY” is perhaps the best example of this, a 10-min space odyssey that you can experience life and rebirth during, all from the comfort of your living room, or wherever you happen to be listening to music.

I can’t say with good conscience that this will convert or attract new fans, because its weirdness is both its charm and its barrier. If you love Butthole Surfers, you’ll love it, and there’s definitely enough in the 21-song strong set here to keep you entertained, but if you don’t get it, you’ll be no nearer to doing so afterwards. An entertaining, but thoroughly strange, piece of art.

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