Cats Are Grey

The Butthole Surfers played Webster Hall last Tuesday. I was expecting psychedelic, freakish, weird, brilliance. The show was fun and sounded good but the band lacked the charisma and theatrics I hoped for. Granted I was in the balcony and not up close on the floor. However, the opening act, Paul Green’s School of Rock All Stars wildly bounced around the stage, performing covers of songs by Frank Zappa, The Ramones, Devo and others, and conveying energy and excitement all the way to the top of the balcony (where their parents were videotaping them).

The Butthole Surfers ended their set (or had their set ended for them) when Gibby Haynes (who had been complaining about bad sound in his monitors all evening) threw a beer bottle at The Webster Hall sound man and was promptly escorted off stage by two security guards. After which Paul Leary said “We seem to have lost our lead singer. I’ll carry on to the best of my ability, which isn’t much.” They performed one more song and left. The crowd went nuts, screaming at security and throwing beer and anything else onto the stage. Whether the audience didn’t see Gibby throw the beer bottle or felt that he should be allowed to throw beer bottles at whoever, I can’t say.

It seems the official story is that no beer bottle was thrown. From Paul Leary:

“The first thing I’d like to point out is that all these references to the “sound man” are actually references to the Webster Hall house stage monitor engineer, not our actual sound man. Our sound man Kevin has done an outstanding job. During sound check, there was a major problem with feedback in one (or both) of Gibby’s vocal microphones. Kevin had to come on stage after sound check and used an equalizer to correct the problem. After the show, he observed that his corrections had been bypassed for the show. If it feeds back on stage, there is no way to turn up vocals in the room. The monitor engineer did nothing to fix the feedback, his most important function for the job he was being paid to do.

This should have been a better show. Gibby was totally on top of his game. His wife was in the audience, and tons of friends. It must have been heartbreaking to have that guy s* on his performance and do nothing to fix it. Near the end of the set, during Gary Floyd, I looked over and see Gibby yelling at the guy, who responds by turning all stage monitors off completely. Gibby did not hit or bottle the guy. I heard the stage manager from across the hall thought that he had, and ordered him removed. We had another song or two to play before “Shah”, so we just went straight into that. Our set ends there anyway. I think the house lights didn’t come on, and the audience really stuck around for more. The kids SOR kids were evacuated. I went to the Beauty Bar and felt nothing but love.”

So, there you have it.

Some Butthole Surfers songs:

The Hurdy Gurdy Man

Human Cannonball

And some songs covered by The School Of Rock kids:

Uncontrollable Urge- Devo

Zomby Woof – Frank Zappa

and here’s the trailer for Freaked in which Gibson J. Haynes plays “Cheese Wart.”