Butthole Surfers have never been a band that plays by the rules. Their mix of noise, punk, and psychedelic rock has always been unpredictable, loud, and sometimes unsettling. Now, they’re bringing that energy back with Live at the Leather Fly, their third live album, set for release on May 9, 2025, through Sunset Blvd.
The origins of this 21-track recording are unclear. Even the band isn’t entirely sure when or where it was captured. But guitarist Paul Leary ties it to an old idea from vocalist Gibby Haynes. “Back in the ‘80s, Gibby used to fantasize about a nightclub called The Leather Fly. He wanted it to have a stuffed leather fly hanging in front of it,” Leary explains. Whether or not the venue ever existed, the album attempts to bring that vision to life.
The first single, The Annoying Song, is a chaotic and rhythmic track built around Gibby’s distorted vocals, pushed through a toy megaphone. Leary recalls how the song came to be: “At Lollapalooza in 1991, Gibby got a battery-powered toy megaphone. He kept speaking through it backstage, annoying everyone. I thought it was hilarious, so I wrote music to go with it.”
The album kicks off with Graveyard, a track from 1987’s Locust Abortion Technician. The song’s eerie guitar effects give way to a sludgy, heavy sound, with Leary’s sharp guitar work cutting through the noise. Other highlights include Gary Floyd, a Texas punk tribute to The Dicks’ frontman, Bong Song, a distorted and off-kilter piece from 1989’s Widowmaker EP, and P.S.Y., a fan favorite from piouhgd.
Since forming in the early ‘80s, Butthole Surfers have always been outliers. Their surreal live shows—often featuring wild visuals, intense lighting, and unpredictable antics—earned them a reputation as one of underground rock’s most notorious acts. While they briefly touched mainstream success with Pepper, they never abandoned their strange, confrontational approach. Bands like Flaming Lips, Primus, and White Zombie have all cited them as an influence.
Live at the Leather Fly captures Butthole Surfers at their most raw and chaotic. It’s noisy, bizarre, and challenging—but that’s exactly what has made them so essential for decades. While currently there are no previews of the upcoming release we can offer you this track from 2024 to get you ready!