In April of 1987, the Butthole Surfers performed at the Riveria Night Club in Chicago supporting the just released record of dark psychedelic punk genius - Locust Abortion Technician. I'd heard about their way out live shows and been all over the Rembrandt Pussyhorse, Cream Corn and Psychic... Powerless... Another Mans Sac records; so I was keen on attending after learning of the gig. Wisconsin's Killdozer and Appliances SFB opened what remains quite possibly my favorite live performance ever.
My memories of that show are very similar to the footage below. The two drummers tribal pounding generated a thick and solid balance to the distorted vocals and perfectly shrieking guitar. I think their dancer was set up between the drummers at the Chicago set. Some of the background movies are the same. The gory mid 60s drivers ed movie Mechanized Death (which I had viewed just a few years earlier in my high school drivers ed class) played at both shows, along with a variety of other unsettling oddities. An insane amount of experiences for a rock show - the movies, sound machine, interpretive dancer and the most crucial element - the music combined with unforgettable results.
Big thanks to stereopaul1 for posting these clips on YouTube. Here's the Butthole Surfers bringing their beautiful madness to Bremen,Schlachthof on 14 August 1987.
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Cool clips. Never heard much of their music so this was a neat post. Hope you had a killer weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks Keith. Hope your weekend was most rocking too!!!
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